Hi, I'm Tucker!  I am a Dakota Sport Retriever born approximately 1/15/22. My foster mom says this means that my grandparents are Cocker Spaniels and Golden Retrievers.  She says I am a perfect blend of size, spunk and sweetness!  I am about 40 lbs. I had a really nice family who loved me very much, but my owner suffered from something called dementia and couldn't take care of me. They had to surrender me to a rescue. I got to take a trip all the way from Kentucky to Minnesota.  I love it here, all this cool, fun white slippery stuff everywhere!  I love to lay, roll and stick my face in it.  I don't know why my foster parents complain about it so much.

I live in a foster home with lots of other dogs of all sizes, from chihuahua puppies to big labs.  I love them all, but my best friend is one that loves to play chase and all-star wrestling with me.  We have lots of fun.

What I'm really good at (we call these my strengths):

My foster mom says I don't really need a kennel, but some people prefer using one, so it's good that I can be flexible.  When I'm not kenneled, I don't cause any problems.  I don’t counter-surf (unless you leave something really yummy within my reach, in which case, I can only assume you left it there for me!).  I am very well potty-trained.  I like to snuggle with my humans. I do great walking on a leash.  My family lives in a rural area without a fence, and they sometimes let me come outside without a leash when they can be with me.  I stay right near the house, with the rest of the dogs.  A fenced yard would be the best though.  I know a couple tricks (sit, lie down, stay).  I learn fast and love treats, so I'm sure I could do more.  

I've been told I have super soft fur, just like a bunny.  I love bunnies!  They are fun to chase, but they are really fast and never want to play with me.  I do have a couple cats in my foster home. I want to play with them, but they don't really like to play either.  I don't hurt them, but will annoy the heck out of them, so if there are any cats in my home they should have places to go that I can't access.  

There are a couple things I am working on (we call it my personal development plan):

I have never learned how to share.  My toys were always my own, and I don't really want to share. Whenever another dog tries to take my toy, I don't think that's fair so I get mad.  My foster mom has to step in and trade me a treat for my toy and she takes it away.  She says I'm a little possessive of my favorite treats and toys and my new family should be aware of that.  She says it's something that she and I are going to work very hard on.  I'm getting better, but she says I can only have my high-value toys/treats in my kennel so everyone can play safe.  These are long-lasting chews, and filled Kongs mostly.  That's ok, though, because playing with my dog friends is way better than playing with toys anyway.

Speaking of my kennel, I will go in it and will sleep in it all night.  If other dogs are outside of my kennel when I go in, it makes me feel vulnerable and trapped. I bark and growl at them for a little while. After a few minutes, or as soon as I am let out of the crate, I'm fine again.  I love kids, but my foster mom thinks I should be with older kids who will understand how to work with me.  

Some health stuff:

I got a little sick with pneumonia when I first came to Minnesota but I am much better now. I need to eat from a raised bowl, and then I should be kept calm for a little while after eating.  If I run around too much, sometimes a little food or water comes back up.  It's something my foster builds into our routine and it's pretty easy for us to deal with.  Otherwise, I am a very healthy, active, beautiful boy!

I am looking for a family of my own.  It would be awesome if I could have another canine brother or sister, but I can be an only dog too.  If you are looking for a fun, lovable mid-sized dog to join on lots of fun adventures, I would love to meet you!  Have your people call my people and we'll set something up!