Gordon Ramsay~Adopted

We picked up Gordon and Jean-Phillipe last night.  Gordon was pretty exhausted after his ordeal!  It wasn’t until we got home that I got the surprise of my life – something I have never seen before.  After some time outside, some food and water, we put him in his crate, and he began to bark.

It sounds like Gordon has been de-barked.

When he barks, it sounds as if it’s a dog from a few houses away.  Someone has spent the money to have surgery done on him, yet he was not neutered, and barking is easy to correct.  All it takes is patience and time.  Correct and reward.

Gordon is very verbal, but this could be do to separation anxiety.  He does not bark outside of his crate.  He is simply asking to “be with you”.  In many ways, he is much like the human Gordon Ramsay!  He communicates and loves to eat!

He has already improved in less than 24 hours, very impressive.  I have walked into many pounds and vet’s offices where the dogs are allowed to bark their heads off.  Not here.  We just don’t allow it.  More updates coming soon.

10/21/13:  Gordon is doing great here!  He and Jean-Phillipe are buddies!  He plays nicely with other dogs and loves kids.  He’s not a hyper in your face puppy.  He’ll be easy to train!  He is great in his crate and learning when it’s okay to bark!  He simply wants to be with you!

History:  Surprise Surprise… It’s a boy!

I saw this photo this morning, and thought of Magpie!  This cutie patutie is on its way, and needs a sponsor!  More photos on Facebook.

10/25/13 Update:  Gordon still suffers from separation anxiety, but he is getting so much better!  After speaking with my vet this morning, I was told that de-barking is illegal in the United States.  So, what happened to Gordon?  I think when  he was a puppy, his owners put a bark collar on him.  He learned how to bark around the collar, by making strange sounds without moving the muscles that trigger the collar to shock.  Smart Dog, but Bad People!  There are tons of ways to correct/reward a dog from barking, and using a bark collar on a puppy is not necessary.  Puppies bark, they poop and they cry!  Puppies are not for everyone.

Gordon is a joy to foster.  He is curious and affectionate.  He enjoys playing with the pack, they had to teach him how at first, but now, he’s friends with everyone!

Update:  I guess the jury isn’t out yet!  I just received a phone call from a young man who wants to surrender his dog to TDL… but, he warns me… his dog has been debarked!  I said what?  I thought that was illegal… his answer?  Not in Tennessee.  So, it is done!

10/28/13 Update:  I’ve tried for one week to crate-train Gordon, and I have given up.  While I still feed him in his crate, I’m not asking him to stay  in it.  He has a sore throat from barking so frantically.  At first I thought it was separation anxiety, but it isn’t.  When he is free in the house, and I leave to go to the store, he does not bark, he is not anxious.  He is simply terrified of being in a crate.  I think he was left alone in a crate for an outrageous number of hours, and barked because he needed to relieve himself.  Gordon will not soil his crate.  I think someone put him in a crate, with a bark collar, and left him there for 8-10 hours a day.  That is just not fair.  He’s just a puppy.

We took him out to lunch yesterday, we went to Patio Grill in Sanford.  He is very good on leash, and very good in the car.  People came and went, and he was not excited.  He never jumped on anyone, and everyone wanted to pet him!  He was quite a gentleman.   I taught him to sit with one green bean!

Saturday night, Sarah had a few friends over, and again, he simply rested his head in Ashley’s lap and was content to hang out with the girls.

Gordon is going to be an awesome family dog.  He is not excited when he meets strangers.  It will take quite some time before he can be in a crate, which will make housebreaking a bit more of a challenge, but so far, he is learning to go outside, and has not had an accident.  Gordon does play with the other dogs, but he is very happy being a couch potato.  His favorite snuggle bunny is Claire Bear.

10/30/13:  Gordon was adopted by Christopher of Daytona Beach.  This is one very calm puppy!  I hope to see him again at our reunion!