Scout #4286

My name is Scout (#4286) and I’m a 6-year old male chocolate Labrador retriever. Standing at 26 inches at my withers and weighing in at 105 pounds, I am quite the love-bug. I am on a weight management plan and my goal is to be 90 pounds. I have bonded well with my foster humans and brother and they often tell me how handsome I am.

If you are looking for a 24/7 companion, I am the dog for you. My favorite thing in the world is to keep my humans company and make sure they feel loved. I especially bond with my humans during walks, hikes, pets, and snuggles. I feel the most secure when someone is home most of the day or will take me along with you on your trips outside the home. When you do leave me at home, please make sure all the food is put away or far out of reach. This will help me make good decisions while you’re away. Remember I am very tall for my age and anything at counter height or lower is fair game. My fosters have adapted to my keen sense of smell and insatiable appetite and have hidden food in places I am not able to find. I am also crate trained, so I will happily chill there until you return.

My foster humans say that I am the smartest dog they have ever met. I can open the refrigerator, cabinets, drawers, and even unscrew the lid on the dog food bin. Installing child locks on drawers and cabinets will keep me out of trouble. I am a labrador and my nose takes me to places humans would rather not have me go. 

My communication skills are amazing. My deep bark will alert you of people approaching your home. It is not out of aggression, but my way to inform you that you may have a visitor. I’m a very good helper that way.

I travel very well in cars and want to go on all your adventures with you. I will need a little help getting my back end up into the car. My fosters have a small car, so I am able to jump out on my own. If you have a larger car, it may be helpful to have a dog ramp so I can easily get out of the car. However, I am still agile enough to get comfy on the couch. 

Walks are so much fun. I get to see all the neighbor dogs taking their humans for their daily walks. Most of the time, I just glance at the walkers and keep walking. I welcome when other humans want to give me attention with pets and scratches. Most greetings with other dogs are friendly, but when I am uncertain or the other dog shows anxiety or nervousness, I will raise my hackles or growl as a signal to you to cross the street and walk on by. However, when I become familiar with other dogs, I enjoy their company and relax. Even though I’m an arthritic, middle-aged pooch, I love a good game of chase. It is best if my dog playmate can match my energy and tell me if I am playing too hard. My fosters help me understand when I am playing too hard with my foster brother. I am somewhat of a water dog, but I don’t like when water gets in my ears. So I prefer to go neck deep and walk on my tippy paws along the river or lake bottom, and sometimes I’ll do a lap or two in deep swimming holes. Beaches, forests, meadows, and other natural areas are exciting with all the smells and “posts” left behind from other canine friends. I love to run on the beach with the wind flapping in my ears.

My foster parents have been working on basic commands with me. I’m still working on consistency, but I do know sit, lie down from sit, stay, leave it, off, and down. We’re working on recall with treats and affection for rewards. They tell me that they don’t trust me quite yet to be off leash in open areas, but I know I can improve my recall with consistent training.

If there are other pets in the home, it is important for me and the other pets to be fed separately with some form of barrier. Since I am very food motivated, I have shown aggression to my foster brother when he was eating his meal. However, once my foster parents realized this and devised a safety plan with a secure barrier between us, we haven’t had any other issues with food aggression. I take treats greedily, so please dispense treats safely to avoid my overly eager chomps. I don’t want to hurt anyone, so never hold treats in your fingers. Pupsicles are great treats and a way to keep my brain occupied.

Labradors are prone to yeast infections, so my daily skin/ear care routine is important. This shouldn’t be a concern for my future fur-ever family because it only takes a few minutes of your time. In addition, weekly baths with a medicated shampoo keeps me happy and healthy. I also take a doggy pain reliever to help manage my arthritis.

My medical history consists of three surgeries, two anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repairs and a femoral head ostectomy (FHO) surgery for one hip before I was two years old. You may notice my back legs move a little wonky and the occasional limp, but for a dog my age, I am doing great. It’s very important to help me keep my weight down so I can continue to romp and play for as long as possible.

Here’s a link to some photos and videos of me with my foster family: https://photos.app.goo.gl/KYnDkwGaPYbsTYXRA

I look forward to meeting my fur-ever family.

 

ADOPTION FEE $500 PLUS $35 MICROCHIP FEE