Loving Family Adopts Golden Retriever Even Though They Were Warned Of His Mental Problems

Golden retrievers are very playful dogs that even in adulthood continue to behave like real puppies. For this reason and because of their sweetness and loyalty they are the ideal companions for anyone; this is very clear to the family who decided to take one of these dogs home in spite of his strange behavior.

This Golden’s name is Stanley and he is 6 years old.

Even though the furry one looked completely healthy and playful, his behavior seemed a bit different to the people who took care of him and no one understood exactly why.

For a while it was thought to be due to the breed but the truth is that the golden has a slight mental problem that leads him to behave differently than others.

This is a rather peculiar but loving little dog.

Stanley was saved by the volunteers of the Golden Retriever Rescue of Mid-Florida, Inc. after his first owner decided to surrender him there. At the time, the person claimed that he could not keep him and that is why he decided to leave him at the shelter.

Moved by the injustice, the volunteers kept the golden.

Presumably healthy, the dog was put on the availability list and several families decided to meet him. It was during this time that Stanley saw for the first time those who would become his human daddies.

These people were captivated by such a handsome boy.

During that first meeting the family thought the golden was quite peculiar. It turns out that during that visit they found him sleeping on a table. A behavior not very common in a dog, but if cats do it, maybe he could have copied it at the shelter, or so they thought at the time.

Besides, the sweetness he transmitted while sleeping led these people to ignore the event.

Stanley’s docility and charisma won them over, the only thing they were worried about was the golden’s energy level. The family had another dog of the same breed at home and the two needed to get along.

After further visits to the center the couple noticed that the furry one was actually quite loving and “not much of a problem,” so they decided to adopt him.

The puppy had found a second home.

Once home, it was a matter of hours before the golden felt at ease. He not only got along well with the other dog, but also with the children in the family.

At that point everything was looking good. However, after a few weeks they decided that Stanley needed training as rules didn’t seem to be his strong suit.

The playful puppy needed discipline.

At first, the matter was no problem for his humans since Karma, the other puppy, had also been trained by a trainer to facilitate his adaptation.

But months later, nothing seemed to control the new golden.

The professional who was taking care of him even recommended a hearing test, but when the results came back everything seemed fine.

After a few months of failing to get the golden to understand certain commands, the man finally gave up.

It seemed that no one was bringing the furry one to his senses.

A second trainer also failed in his attempts but planted a doubt in the family’s mind by suggesting that the golden had mental problems.

The couple consulted Stanley’s veterinarian on the matter but he did not take the matter seriously. Apparently the possibility seemed far-fetched to him and he dismissed it immediately.

With the uncertainty, the puppy’s humans noticed that the dog had almost obsessive routines such as: carrying a pink pillow everywhere, hiding a slipper, the remote control and a stuffed animal under the bed.

These were always the same objects, which seemed suspicious to the owners.

In conversation with a friend, the couple shared their concern and the man suggested applying an IQ test for dogs, which he had seen in a book. The test consisted of three simple steps:

1. Call the dog by name.2. Cover him with a blanket.3. Place in front of him a treat covered with a cup.

In the three tests they had to observe the reaction of the golden.

After the experiment it turned out that Stanley could not recognize his name, could not get away from the blanket and could not find the treat.

The same test was done with Karma and the dog solved everything positively.

Our little friend had failed all the attempts.

After that they told the results to the vet and the man agreed with the owners.

It was evident that the golden was different, and the doctor also pointed out that it could have been a consequence of inbreeding.

For this family the strange behavior of their pet now has a justification but they are not willing to trade him for any other pet. The important thing is that the golden is healthy and they love him just the way he is.

“He may be a little slow, but his goofy quirks, good nature and quirky personality make us love him even more,” said his owner.

Every creature is different and among those quirks comes their true value, so like these owners, let’s respect and love our pets just the way they are.