BUDDY 6-7 Month Old Black Lab Mix, Male, 54 Pounds Not-Neutered (GGLRR will coordinate his neuter.)
Background:Buddy and five of his littermates were found as strays in a field in Madera County; the shelter asked if we could bring them into our program as they were severely overcrowded. The pups were in the shelter for approximately a month, then made their way to Lab Rescue and without any available fosters at the time, we had to board them while searching for fosters and, or adopters. After a month in boarding, a few fosters came through and we were able to get them to the Bay Area. All of the pups, except little Buddy, have been adopted.
What Buddy's Foster Says: Buddy was initially very scared and skittish of me (a male) when he first arrived. He would not stay in the same room the first week with me. The first three days, I needed to put a slip leash on him to get him out of the crate, and I had to put his food bowl in the crate so he would eat. Buddy would bark and growl at me when I entered the room, especially when I came from outside. Buddy warmed up to my girlfriend from day 1. He has been very sweet and loving to her. They have become best friends. My girlfriend is the only one that Buddy lets leash him or remove and attach his collar.
We have been working with a trainer to rehabilitate him. We have made great strides in the 6 weeks we’ve had him. Only when my girlfriend is home, when I’m sitting on the sofa, Buddy will come over to me and let me pet him. I can pet him all around the head and neck area and his paws. I can even pull on his ears and lips. He loves when I rub his chest. Buddy will also start play biting my hand and I can tell him to "Leave It", and he stops immediately, and he doesn't get scared. Buddy knows that I have treats in my office, so he follows me when I head upstairs to my office. He will come over to me and take a treat out of my hand. When I feed him, I will sit on the floor with the bowl next to me. He will come over and eat while I sit next to him. When I’m walking around the house, he gets scared and will hide behind my girlfriend. I can walk over to my girlfriend and give her a hug and Buddy doesn’t go into protection mode. The first week we got Buddy, he would follow my girlfriend all over the house; especially when she went upstairs. Buddy still follows her around, but he has become much more comfortable hanging out with our dog and with me when my girlfriend leaves the room. Buddy does bark at me from time to time but it’s a much less aggressive bark. My girlfriend tells him “No” and he stops immediately. He does really well on hikes, and he doesn’t get skittish when we pass men.
We haven’t exposed Buddy to children, but the previous foster had 2 young kids and he was great with them. We have a 6-year-old female Yellow Lab, and he has been great with her. He is very playful when he meets our dogs.
Buddy does really well riding in my truck. He loves to put his front paws on the center console while I’m driving. He thinks he’s my co-pilot.
Buddy is crate trained and sleeps pretty much through the night. His alarm clock does go off occasionally in the early morning hours. We usually just let him out to go potty and then he’s back in the crate. There have been occasions when we let him sleep in our room instead of putting him back in the crate.
Buddy hasn’t destroyed anything in the house or the backyard. He has shredded a blanket and dog bed that we had in the crate. He’s still a puppy. He doesn’t appear to be a constant barker when he’s in the backyard. He will do the “Watch Dog” bark when he hears something out of the ordinary.
Buddy is really gentle when taking treats from your hand. We have not experienced any resource guarding since he’s been with us.
Buddy knows the following commands: Sit, Leave It and Let’s go Potty. He will need leash training.
Buddy is going to need an adopter that can continue to work on his rehabilitation. It’s important to continue exercising and socializing him. Buddy is going to be a great companion once he conquers his fear of men.
What Buddy's Rescue Rep Says: Out of all of the pups, Buddy seems to be the most independent. When he and his littermates arrived in the Bay Area, we all met in his temporary foster's backyard. Buddy romped around with his siblings some of the time, but most of the time, he was content chewing on a dog toy or on some tanbark by himself. All of the pups were a little skittish which is understandable as it was the first time they'd been in a home environment and all of them are reported by their adopters to be skittish but more so of unfamiliar noises, i.e. cars, cardboard boxes, garbage trucks...
Buddy will require a home with special people who can continue to work with him and his fears, especially towards men. We have no idea if he was ever abused or just terribly under-socialized. His adopter will have to be incredibly patient with him… and work up to hand-feeding him, touching him, and just being in his presence. The presence of another calm/confident dog in his forever home will be hugely important. Probably not good for a home with small children that may frighten him and hinder his rehab. Not for city living; a suburban or rural home would be best. This is one special dog that deserves a patient adopter who will do everything to provide him the space and time to develop and thrive.
Medical: Buddy is current on DHPP and Rabies and is microchipped. He is on a monthly flea, tick, heartworm preventative and will be neutered in the near future.
Located in: Danville
If you are interested in adopting Buddy, please contact Rescue Rep Kris at krisellen.nm@gmail.com
Please note our service area: GGLRR adopts to the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
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