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My basic info
Breed
Labrador Retriever
Color
Red/Golden/Orange/Chestnut
Age
Adult
Size
Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg) (when grown)
Weight
–
Sex
Male
Pet ID
–
My details
Not good with dogs
Purebred
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
Housetrained
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
Duke: 5 Year Old Red Male Lab Neutered 68 Pounds
Hi, my name is Duke, and I am a prince of a dog!
I didn’t have a great start to my life. I was purchased from a breeder as a young pup, along with my sister. Even though she was the runt of the litter and I was the biggest, she dominated me right from the beginning, stealing my food and toys. We were left on our own all day long so it took my owner some time to figure out what was going on. When she did, my sister was rehomed, and I stayed with my owner. But things didn’t get a lot better.
My owner tried: she sent me to puppy training and doggie day care, but she was having problems of her own and didn’t work with me herself. And at each of those places, some other dogs attacked me. I didn't feel very safe or protected, and it made me somewhat wary of other dogs. Then she sent me off to hunting training for a year, where they used a shock collar on me. I got attacked there too. I wasn't wearing an “attack me” sign but for some reason, other dogs thought I was. Then when my owner would try to walk me, and I’d see another dog, I’d react. She couldn’t handle an energetic scared boy like me, and finally she asked a friend for help. That’s when I got lucky.
For the last year I have been with a family who has taught me how to behave at home with other dogs and on leash. They took me to training and practiced with me at home. I walk really nicely on a leash with a correction collar, including when I walk by people or another dog. I know Sit, Down, Stay, Leave it, Heel Right, Heel Left, Over, Crate, Take it Nice, Go Get It. I am really good with the Chuck it! I am very happy sleeping in my crate at night or if my foster parents are out of the house for a few hours.
So why am I looking for a new forever home? Because my foster parents have 3 dogs already, and they can't have 4 where they live. Because this was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. And because I don’t get along well with one of the other dogs, I need to find a new home.
What Duke’s Rescue Rep says:
Duke is a wonderful dog! He’s sweet and cuddly, and does indeed know a lot of commands. He takes treats gently and is a very handsome boy. He is well trained and playful, with a nice energy level (not too hyper and not too mellow). He’s looking for love, leadership, security and structure in his new home, so he feels safe and not like a good offence is the best defense. Duke previously lived in a home with 2 cats, and is most likely cat safe. He has not been around small children, but has been around the neighbor’s kids who are 10+ years old, and he loves them. We are having Duke assessed to learn more about his reactivity to other dogs, so that his new family will be prepared to help him overcome this issues (If possible) or manage them, as required.
We’d like Duke to go to a home where he is the only dog. His new family must be experienced with dogs/Labs, and have familiarity with addressing behavioral issues. His new family should be with someone who is a strong leader, comfortable with providing structure for the dog and making clear the dogs order in the pack hierarchy (which is at the bottom!). Duke needs a home where someone is home a good portion of the day (his fosters have schedules where someone is usually home and that works well for him). Even though Duke has had obedience training, we would like his new family to commit to taking him to training; this is great for bonding, establishing leadership, and helping him to feel safe and protected. Duke is not and won’t ever be a dog park dog. If you have another dog, or you regularly get together with friends and family where everyone brings their dog, Duke is NOT the dog for you.
Duke is housebroken, crate trained, neutered, up to day on his vaxes, heartworm free and on heartworm preventive. Duke does have some food allergies (beef and soy, verified through testing) but he does very well on Nutro Natural Choice Venison and chickpea available at Petsmart. If he eats the wrong things he gets itchy skin and ear infections, but has no problem when fed products he is not allergic too.
If you would like this wonderful boy to be a part of your family, and have the experience, leadership qualities and time for this beautiful dog, and are willing to commit to the structure he needs, please call Rescue Rep Debbi at 408.613.2044.
(Please keep in mind we are all volunteers, most of us work full time and we all have personal lives. I do call everyone back within 2-3 days so please be patient and I will be back in touch with you. When the dogs are in foster homes then it may take longer as we need to touch base with the fosters for updates on the dogs. We work very hard to make the right matches for the dogs and for the new owners. We get 3-5 dogs per week and we do not have a facility that we keep the dogs housed in. They are scattered all over the Bay Area.)
