Surrendered Golden Retriever Puppy Was ‘Too Much’ for Her Previous Owners, You Should See Her Now

Maple has clearly forgotten the version of herself who was once called “too much.” These days, the Golden Retriever is busy racing through the kitchen, living her best life, and testing Waffles the cat’s patience, and @thegoldenbreakfastclub’s video shows just how far she has come. Her early life looked very different, though. She had spent much of her puppyhood in a crate in a garage and arrived without basic training, vet care, or much confidence in the world around her. Thankfully, the Golden Retriever puppy was rescued and finally got the chance to grow up where she felt safe.

Surrendered Golden Retriever puppy overcomes anxiety after finding a loving forever home

The video opens with a young Maple doing what she apparently does best: zooming around the living room and kitchen with absolutely no interest in taking things slowly. She races around the furniture, circles back to her humans, and even pops her front paws onto the kitchen counter. That energy made more sense once her story came into view. Maple had been surrendered by her first family for being “too much,” despite being a puppy who had spent much of her early life mostly confined to a crate in the garage.

She reportedly knew no commands, wasn’t potty trained, and had never been to a vet. Even everyday things could scare her. At one point, Maple freezes when she sees the television, unsure about this strange moving-images thing in the house. With encouragement from her human, she takes a few tentative steps forward, then gets spooked and backs away.

After her rescue, the Golden Retriever puppy’s family worked patiently on the basics. They also built her confidence through daily training and plenty of encouragement. Little by little, she learned commands, became more comfortable, and started figuring out how life worked outside that crate.

There was also Waffles, now a 10-year-old polydactyl cat, who apparently took on some of the training duties personally. Maple approaches the cat, only to get a quick paw to the face. She backs off, then immediately comes back for another look. Five years later, the two are still part of the same family. Watching Maple now only reinforces the idea that investing time into proper training transforms even the most energetic pet into a sweet companion.