My name is Yukon and I while I might look like a bear, I am as sweet as they come, but I have extreme anxiety and fear issues. Here are my vitals:

• Neutered male Chesapeake Bay Retriever probably born in 2011.
• House-trained and good in the house
• Loves to retrieve, swim and jump off dock
• Velcro dog – Nervous in car, not good on walks, does not like people coming into the house.
• High prey drive and flight risk so 6′ fence yard is required
• Fearful of strangers will require some patience and work to on counter-conditioning

No one will ever know how I got into the situation I was in or for sure how long I was on my own. My story starts in north of Minneapolis, MN where I was sighted running loose in a rural area in Sep 2013. The neighbors saw me on and off during the fall and early winter. When it got cold and snowy, the neighbors decided to try and catch me, but I would have not part of it. They fed me good food and tried and tried to lure me in with meat but I would not allow them near me. I survived one of the worst winters in years because of the generosity of the neighbors and my smarts. The neighbors fed me and provided me with water.

Amazing transformation physically and his emotional transformation is still in progress. Yukon has come a long way and still has some settling to do.

I slept on top of a large buried natural gasline where the ground was warmer and the snow was not too deep. At the end of March a group of volunteers offered to try and catch me with a live trap. They set up the trap and within 4 hours I was in custody and could not have been happier! I kissed my rescuer the entire 2+ hour drive to his house. Even though I STUNK, Greg stayed with me in the garage all night. The next day he took me to meet Pam from the Chessie Rescue of WI and that is where I am today.

I am a big, happy and gentle boy. I love being someone’s dog and I NEVER want to be away from my human again. However, I have some fears and I am a runner, NOT a fighter! I am fine in my foster home’s 6’ fenced backyard, I feel safe. When I go for a walk I become nervous and barky. I do not like loud noises. My instinct is to run away from things that scare me and to chase critters that might be fun to chase like deer, rabbits and squirrels. I do not like to hear angry voices. I have very good house manners, I am house trained and when I do something wrong like, chew on something, knock something over or get in the way, I cower and beg forgiveness. I need a safe, secure and patient forever home. I do not like when people come in the house but I am happy if I am in my crate and can watch from a safe, enclosed distance.

My ideal home would have a 6’ fence, a kind hearted, patient person or two.

I want to be a lap dog and I love to snuggle.

I love playing with one of my foster brothers but the other one is mean to me because I am bigger than he is. However, I would never challenge his authority, I just want to be friends. I am very submissive. I LOVE to retrieve and could play ball ALL DAY.

I just want someone to love and keep me close and safe. Oh and I LOVE TO SNUGGLE!

Here is a video me playing with my foster brother, Radar. Radar was born blind and we have a great time playing.