Some things about Duke-My grandchildren are ages 2.5 months to 6 years old. Duke loves to play catch with the children. My 2-year-old granddaughter loves him and constantly hugs him. He will drop his toys on the bedroom floor, the kitchen floor, or on your lap to let you know he’s ready to play. He loves to sit on or at our feet. He loves to be rubbed and hugged daily.
If he sees a stranger in the street who is close enough to him, he will usually bow to that person or crawl to them, and if they reach out to tell him, he will let the person rub his head. He does tend to jump up to have the person hold his pause or to get closer to them. When someone enters our home, he barks. However, once the person comes in and realizes the visitor is coming to see the family, he calms down and just sniffs and maybe even licks the person’s hand.
Duke is very friendly. He pays careful attention to what’s going on around him and what may be approaching while we are out walking. He loves to play. Sometimes a little too much play. He will do his best to communicate his needs through barking, sitting close by, or whining or nudging you with his nose. He usually goes to bed when it’s time to sleep, around nine or 930, sometimes a little earlier if he’s had a very active day. He is a heavy dog of about 66 pounds.
He typically stays in his crate from about 9 PM until around 7 AM. If I need to put him in his crate while my grandchildren play in the living room with small items, he will usually stay in there for about an hour or two. He does put anything in his mouth that he finds on the floor. We often have to stop him from doing that. He does listen to the commands, drop it, spit it out, and he will put the items down. Socks are probably his favorite item to walk off with when you’re not looking. He doesn’t pick up shoes as often as he did some months ago, but socks, you have to look out for. I feed him twice a day, around 10 AM and then around 7 PM. He still eats dog chow, and I will put some moist topper with his kibble and a little bit of water. Take him for a walk for about one hour on most mornings and sometimes in the evening, or I let him run around and stay in the backyard for a little while. He does tend to get in the mud if he’s in the backyard for too long and it’s been raining.
Duke wants to know everything that’s going on, so he will follow you around the house, which can be annoying at times. He loves to chew and is definitely a chewing-type dog. I get him lots of chew toys, but finding very durable ones is difficult at times. Thus far, I have one rubber dog bone that he hasn’t managed to tear apart. He knows the words "treat," "sit," "come," "eat," and his name very well. Whenever he hears the word 'treat,' he comes right away, no matter where he is. He eats salmon skin treats. He does need a little bit of training because he tends to jump up when he’s very excited or when he wants to play. He loves to lick toes and feet. He will lick your face if you’re close enough to his face. He walks with a leash. He gets excited sometimes when he knows we’re about to get to the house, and he’s not ready to go back home, so he’ll start pulling on the leash. I like to hold him up by his front paws and act like I’m dancing with him. I have to remind him not to try to put his mouth on my hands. He loves to stretch in the morning, and usually holding him up on his front paws allows him to get a good stretch.
Duke is up to date with all his vaccinations. He takes Quattro every month for heartworm, flea, and tick prevention. I have pet insurance and dog training paid for. If you choose Duke, his paid training is virtual and lifetime. He has a dog license for Madison County, AL.
He has never snapped or bitten anyone. Duke is good with other dogs and cats.
