23-016 Jax, a 6-1⁄2-year-old Golden mix, came to AGR in March 2023. We received a plea to take him from Arizona Animal Welfare League, as their shelter was full. Not much was known about him, as the owners who surrendered him to AAWL did not tell them anything except they were moving. He was reported to be friendly and did well with dogs of all ages and genders in play groups. The transporter noted that he was adorable and very friendly. At his first foster home, although he behaved well until he saw strangers or strange dogs (he growled and lunged at them), he did not compare well to the previous dog in the family. After an undesirable encounter with the resident dog in the second potential foster home, the AGR Board decided Jax needed one-on-one training, with special emphasis on safely meeting other dogs, so we enrolled him at Partners Dog Training School. His third foster, who lives in an apartment, found that Jax is an anxious barker and did not know what “Quiet!” meant, so he had to be rehomed yet again. We finally found a potential adopter who seemed to fit all of Jax’s needs in San Tan Valley. She lives alone, has no other pets and was willing to take Jax to the follow-up classes we paid for at Partners. After considerable settling-in time at the adopter's home, Jax finally started to relax, and the adopter did not feel it necessary to put him on any anti-anxiety medication. She wrote: 

Jax is such a sweet boy who loves everyone and is starting to learn not to be so reactive to other dogs. He gets along so well with my son's dog and loves when Spire spends a few days with us. Jax is still very scared of storms, but we are working through it, and I feel like it has helped us bond even more. Jax is my shadow and is the first dog that I ever let sleep in my bed. He enjoys his walks, but also loves running around and lounging in the yard. I love his warm friendly eyes, floppy ears and how he is always smiling. Jax is a very smart, energetic and vocal at times, and sometimes makes sounds like he is Chewbacca. Jax does well in the house and doesn't need to be crated, and I love the greetings he gives me when I come back home. Jax has been a great fit – I love him so much!