The "Perfect" Dog
When we decided it was time to get a dog for a pet, I went searching web sites for the "perfect" dog for us. When I was a kid, my stepdad raised Norwegian Elkhounds and we trained them to be sled dogs. I was responsible for the runts, caring for them and nursing them through the first months. We always kept the runts, never sold them. So they were special to me.

My husband and I agreed that we wanted a bigger dog and soon decided that the Labrador Retriever would be the breed for us to start with. We knew we wanted a rescue dog and we knew there would be plenty of Labs to choose from. And since neither my husband or I had enough time to spend on a puppy, we agreed to look for a dog about a year old in age. We knew that at that age, they'd be quick to train, even if not already housebroken. So, while I was on a business trip, I searched the Internet for a Lab that would be good for our family.

I found several in our area, and wrote to the rescue agencies. Donna from People for Pets, was the most responsive and quickly sent us additional pictures of Maximus and I tried to make arrangements to drive to Spencer as soon as I could. Donna described Max in detail and I was confident that Max would fit into our family well. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get there as quickly as I had liked, but Donna offered to meet me halfway, so we met in a grassy field I knew in Fort Dodge, and Max and I walked for a little while in the grass. He was eager to meet me and was clearly a happy, healthy guy, so I took him home that day.

A Happy Boy
When Maximus joined our family a year ago, he was initially tentative about us. While he was a happy fellow, it took several weeks for him to trust us. He really didn't know how to play. Our dog trainer instructed us that we'd have to teach him how to play. Initially, he mostly just wanted to play tug of war and wouldn't really play with balls or retrieve anything. Then when the snow came, there was no question what to do with that stuff. He rolled around in it and ate it. He would even catch snowballs in his mouth when we threw them up in the air. He loved the snow and that was when we started to have difficulty getting him to come back into the house. After a few weeks of providing treats when he came inside, he began to come to us again. So, there was a slight lapse in his recall, but he's back to coming on command... well, as long as there isn't a bird or something more fun to chase distracting him.

Dog Park Fun and Friends
Max has acclimated well to us, and us to him. We make weekly trips (as weather and schedules permit) to Rover's Ranch (www.roversranch.com), a dog park about 25 minutes away, even in the winter. He has regular dog friends there including a coon hound called Boomer, a couple of Wiemeraners named Sam and Wrigley, several other mixed Labradors, four wolf/husky mixes, a couple of Puggles, a beautiful pit bull (a very sweet and happy girl dog) and he's even met an Argentine Dogo (you'll have to look that one up, it's a very unusual and expensive designer dog). At the park, he loves to run and muzzle play, but will adapt to whatever play is going on. And if the other dogs get tired, he entertains himself chasing birds and butterflies, and rolling in the doggie pool. We'll spend between 3-4 hours on those trips, which seems like a lot, but he is so happy there and I love to see him enjoy playing with his friends. And after our dog park visit, we usually stop at the Dairy Queen for puppy cups (free vanilla ice cream in a dish) and hot dogs. They've come to know us well at the DQ, now. Then when we get home, its naptime for everyone.

After a few weeks with us, we took him to Basic Obedience classes, where he voiced his excitement the entire time. Until then, I didn't even know he could bark. Max just wanted to play all through class and was particularly fond of a couple of Boston Terriers... I guess those scrunched faces were just too interesting for him. He performed very well in class for treats and continues to be very obedient. Overall, he is very playful, lovable and works very hard to please us. And yes, he does bark, but only when its necessary or asked of him. He has different barks for different things.

A Baby Sister Arrives
In late March, we adopted an 8-week old Cockapoo Rat Terrier mix (also a rescue) as a playmate for Max and as a companion for my kids. Since Max is a bit much for my kids to control at 67 pounds, we hope that the puppy will be a better match for the kids. My son has proven to be a very good dog handler despite not being much bigger than Max, and my daughter just loves to cuddle with them. And with Max as a role model, we hope the puppy will grow to be as obedient as Max.

As for me, I have a stressful job and enjoy coming home to play and snuggle with both dogs. I'm hoping that Max will become a therapy dog someday. He'll probably be a typical Lab and have a puppy mentality for a while, yet, but he now allows the kids to be more rough with him and play with all that extra skin around his neck to make funny faces. In the beginning, he'd give us a low growl when he didn't trust us, but he no longer worries about that. He doesn't even mind when the new puppy steals his bone. He just waits for an opportunity to snatch it back and eventually he gets his bone back, or one us gets another one for him.

Playtime for Pups
Both dogs love to hunt for stray socks or rawhide bones laying around the house, and then hide them under pillows or behind the furniture. Sometimes, you can find the dogs playing tug of war with a stray sock or dog toy. Most of the time, they wrestle together and chase each other. If Max is on the floor and the puppy is on the bed, the puppy pounces her front paws on the edge of the bed, teasing Max to come play with her. Its a very cute move and is quite funny to watch. More than a few times, though, I've had the displeasure of finding a soggy bone or sock tucked under my pillow, but I still chuckle.

Super Summertime
All this summer, the kids have been home with the dogs, and they've had a great time. Between playing in the pool, camping in the back yard, chasing rabbits (they've never caught one, thankfully) and snoozing in the sun, the kids and dogs have become great pals. So, with school started up again, the dogs are keeping my husband company at home during the day. My husband is currently taking a sabbatical from work, and may do some contracting from home. So, neither dog spends very much time in their crates. They have the run of the house while anyone is home, and they already know when to go wait at the front window for the rest of us to come home. Max can always be found with his chin resting on the window sill peering out the window as I leave for work and at the end of the work day when I'm due home.

We are so grateful for Max and all the work that People for Pets does to save animals. We see many dogs that are mistreated and unsociable, and feel so fortunate to have found Max. He is a joy and an invaluable member of our family.

The Goodenow Family