Gator went to my vet on Tuesday and got a clean bill of health, with one minor exception - hookworm, an intestinal parasite.   Compared to the things we normally deal with on this site, deworming is a piece of cake.   He weighed in at 120 pounds - vet said his ideal body weight is 115 - 119.   I sent off a doggie DNA kit - I really want to know what the mix is, because this cannot be just lab.   Polar bear?   Moose?   Horse?

He was terrified to be at the vet.   You could tell that he was afraid that I was going to leave him there.   I think it will take him a while to realize that this is home, and he is not leaving.

He is a very cuddly big baby.   So far, he has not touched any of the dog toys, the sofa or the dog beds (with one exception).   I think perhaps he smells Otis and Tess and feels that they are not his?   But he is right up on my bed without any problems.   And loves to be touched and petted.   The one dog bed he started using yesterday is one that Enzo the cat has been using.  He is, by the way, a bit jealous of Enzo, but still wants to play with him.   They will sleep on my bed together (pictures coming once the blog designer gets off school), but Enzo hasn't yet warmed up to him fully.

He is well trained - a nice sit, and he even removes himself from the kitchen every time I start cooking.   I still believe he is likely a foreclosure/economic hardship rescue.   There doesn't seem to be any other reason why he wouldn't be wanted.  

He is still learning "no" and "come" from me.   I think it is a bonding issue.

The major only problem is "critter patrol."   He is hyper alert to squirrels, rabbits, etc.  He will spend hours circling my gazebo - apparently there are critters underneath.   Otis and Tess would hunt the critters only if the critters were standing exposed in the middle of the yard.   Squirrels actually used to run along the fence and tease them.   My ex let Gator out over lunch and just called to tell me that there is a huge bunch of fur in my backyard - no blood or guts, and nothing on Gator himself when he came in, so I am not sure if he is responsible.   (We also have red tailed hawks and coyotes).  He is yellow, so I would think that if he killed something, it would have been apparent on his fur?  

The biggest part of the problem is when he sees a squirrel on a walk - at 125 pounds, he can pull!   If I am not well braced, he easily can pull me off my feet, which becomes a very dangerous situation.  And, he is not very food motivated, so I am having to learn new training techniques.   I recently discovered that he likes the stinky liver treats that I was using to give Otis his pills.  We are working with "come" in the backyard with these treats, and having some success, notwithstanding the allure of the gazebo. 

So, that's the Gator update.   He got his Village dog license, which he sports with pride, and had his photo taken to go up on the wall at Pet Necessities.    Today is my first day back at work, so we will see how he does.

Yes, hookworm can come from critters or critter poo, but more likely from time spent in animal control.  Heartworm medicine protects most dogs against hookworm too, so there must have been a lapse in his medication.  He has restarted his heartworm (and yes, vet gave me the incremental dosage needed to use the leftover heartworm I had bought for Tess and Otis).  Hooray.  Saving money.  And leftover K9 immunity makes a wonderful training treat.