Maddie

Maddie is a stunning pure bred 1.5 year old, spayed female Golden Retriever.  She is cream, almost white in colour. She has received all the vaccinations necessary and has been groomed before travelling.

PERSONALITY

Maddie is a fabulous girl who has a loving personality and is very affectionate. She is a typical, joyful, bundle of fun.

Pat says “Maddie is a very pretty, medium sized, pale coated young Golden Retriever bitch. She is very loving and loves to be cuddled. Maddie just lives to eat and play. She is rather rough when she plays so I have to stop her with my puppy at times but she is bright and very loving”.

HISTORY

Maddie belonged to a family who used to take her everywhere with them. She was greatly loved and was never left at home for any length of time. Unfortunately, Maddie became the pack leader and developed quite protective behaviour. She snapped at two people whilst tied up outside a shop. The owner looked after children and, although Maddie was great with them, it was feared that she might snap at them too so it looked like poor Maddie was going to have to be put down which greatly upset the owners who adored her. Debbie, the owner’s sister, contacted Kathryn, our Ireland Co-ordinator, to see if anything could be done. When she entered the house, Maddie was in ‘protective mode’ and barked excessively but this didn’t bother Kathryn. It was heart wrenching for the family to let her go but Kathryn knew instantly if, our dear friend, Helen Hewitt of Carrick Dog Shelter, would take her, she had a fighting chance. Helen agreed and, after a few stops and starts, Helen’s husband took Maddie in hand. Maddie fell in love with him and the rest is history. She stayed with Helen and her husband for 6 weeks and, when Kathryn returned to take her back, she was a different dog. Affectionate, sweet and no longer afraid to be a dog, she now let her owners be the ones in charge. Maddie next needed to be able to mix with other dogs and so, for almost 3 months, she has been with Cathleen, our very experienced Irish fosterer. It was a chance for Maddie to make friends but at the same time to help other dogs who needed to feel loved. At Cathleen’s, Maddie has become part of a very busy household and she loves the buzz. She is in foster in the UK with Pat

HEALTH

Pat tells us “Maddie is in good health as far as I can tell. She has clean ears, clear eyes, fresh breath, brilliant teeth, good condition skin, nice bone and muscle and nice tight feet. Her toileting is fine.

SOCIAL LEARNING

Maddie does need firm handling and needs to  know that you are boss as she can be quite stubborn.  She certainly loves her food and knows where she is fed. Her meal is gone in a flash so training her with treats should be a doddle.

TRAVEL: Maddie travels well

HOUSETRAINING: She is incredibly clean and is fully housetrained.

BASIC TRAINING: She has had some basic training

LEADWALKING and RECALL: She is great on the lead and her recall is good but does needs working on.

RESOURCE GUARDING: No evidence of resource guarding

SEPARATION ANXIETY: No signs of separation anxiety

ADULTS: She is very good with adults

CHILDREN: Maddie is good with smaller children but would be better placed with teenagers. DOGS: Maddie now boasts of a foster family who consist of a full male Terrier x, a grumpy Fox Terrier and an old male Lab called Benji (an IRR dog). She has recently been helping two male Boxers who are short term, a female Chiuahua pup, and a newly arrived sweet Staffy called Roxy who is also short term. Maddie has helped integrate Roxy who was terrified of other dogs and Roxy now counts Maddie as her best friend. Pat adds “ She is friendly and wants to play but, if she goes to live with another dog, I think the other dog should be top dog. I have a boarder here at the moment and Maddie tried to be ‘bossy’ with her. Aimee told her where to go, in no uncertain terms, so Maddie, immediately, gave Aimee  a wide berth. My own dogs are too soft with her, unfortunately. She will make a delightful addition to the right family home”.

CATS: She is untested with cats

MADDIE’S DREAM HOME

Maddie is a fantastic dog who has a small blot on her copy book but she has more than proved that, placed in the right home, she would be superb. Cathleen says ‘she is a dream’ and she has come a very long way. It will be best if Maddie is placed with teenagers or in an adult only home and she must be with other friendly dogs who will help her to avoid going back to her previous ‘protective mode’. She is best suited to live with people who have plenty of experience with Goldens and in a home where there is a dog or dogs already in residence. Maddie has been exposed to every possible situation and has met lots of people. Her confidence in Cathleen means that she is now able to be the dog that was hidden inside her. She will make a wonderful pet and, no doubt, for the rest of her life, she will now continue to be loved and cared for as promised to her original owners by everyone at IRR.

October 2017

Maddie has gone to her Forever Home