Baloo Black Labrador Retriever Mix Male 8 Years Old ID #3190

It is wonderful to report that Baloo is doing fantastic. The vet prescribed Apoquel to help with his allergies and we saw a huge difference in his scratching almost immediately. Baloo also started shaking his head dramatically the day we were going to the vet, and she was able to confirm that he did have a bit of an infection. So that led to 10 days of trying to squeeze ear cleaner and antibiotic cream into a squirming 114 lbs. dog every day which was super fun for everyone. He was definitely not a fan, but you can tell he knew we were helping him, and the large biscuits afterwards were at least a little bit of an incentive. Baloo’s tests at the vet came back showing some signs of tick borne illnesses. After an additional blood test, it was determined that the levels he is testing at are not concerning and do not require any treatment since Baloo is not symptomatic. So, it has been all good news since.

Since Baloo is feeling good and less concerned about scratching 24/7, more of his happy, fun-loving personality has been shining through. This boy is a total love bug and wants to hang with his people as much as possible. He is very smart too and has had fun tearing through puzzles for treats. He is more playful and was overjoyed to find out a package that landed at the door contained all kinds of goodies just for him. Baloo sure did love his Brookline goody box and is looking awfully sharp these days in his brand new royal blue collar.

Baloo is much more enthusiastic with his food. A scoop of pumpkin mixed in really made the kibble more appealing, and now he will even dive right in without anything added. Baloo loves his walks and cannot wait to inspect the scents around every street sign, telephone pole, mailbox, and pile of leaves he can find. He has even completely disregarded small groups of deer that are suddenly right in front of us on the lawns we are passing by. I think he could pass a herd of elephants with his nose stuck to the ground and never look up. He loves to snuggle up to you at night, but can be very pushy for attention, too. However, he is so good and patient during the work day, it’s impossible to resist his cheesy smiles and nudges at night. We are trying to work on gentle play since he can get a little over excited and happy and start flailing his gigantic paws all over the place, sometimes a little too close to the face and then roll right off the couch. The boy is a bit clumsy and has no sense of personal space or his size, but he is a lovable and loyal friend and loves to be loved and make everyone laugh. There’s nothing better after a long hard day than a friend like that!

Now that Baloo is on the right track he is about ready to find his forever home. He will sure be missed around here, but we know he will provide so much joy to the right home. Look for Baloo’s posting soon!

Loveable, Huggable Baloo has been with us for one week now, but it feels longer. He has adapted so well. He continues to be an easy home office companion. Baloo is a simple sweet boy that just loves to be loved. We have now had visitors in the house and he greets people like they are his old friends. He will grab a stuffed toy and proudly dance around you with it, then try to wrap his big body around your legs to give you a hug.

It was reported that Baloo is not a fan of being left alone, but is trustworthy in the house. A test with a camera proved that to be very accurate information. We left for just a couple hours here and there and Baloo does bark and pace around and whine almost the whole time, but he is not destructive. It was also reported that he will be more relaxed being left alone if he has another dog with him. Today, for some quick errands we asked Baloo if he wanted to go for a ride.  He danced around in circles with more enthusiasm than we have seen all week. And after all that hopping around, he mostly took a nap in the back seat.

We also took Baloo for a bath with an oatmeal shampoo to hopefully relieve some itchy skin until he can see the vet on Tuesday. Baloo was not exactly enthused about this turn of events, but same as last time, he eventually cooperated by getting into the step up tub. He sat patiently for the most part, including when a 10 month old pup was hopping around the room and leaned in curiously to see him. Then, once he was freed of the tether from the bath, Baloo made a quick hop out of the bath, trucked out of the tub room, and with a quick splattery shake, booked it to the doors, nearly taking out a standing rack of greeting cards in his path as he headed for the exit. Everyone standing at the registers in the front of the store clearly received the message that Baloo was done with this adventure. But there has definitely been a difference in his scratching after he is bathed so hopefully this week we can get Baloo some more help from the vet.

Baloo here to report on my third day in my foster home. So, it all started out the same as yesterday. I ate a little breakfast and that seemed to make my foster mom happy. We went back to her office and she did a lot of more boring stuff on that machine she has. I don’t know why she would rather do all that tapping instead of maybe watch TV on the sofa with me, but she said she has no choice. So, I kept her company, but like I said, it was pretty boring so I took some good naps. Foster Mom says I give my foster dad competition in the snoring department. She even has proof now.

Well one thing that has really been bugging me is all this itchiness and I can’t stop scratching my itchies. My foster parents say I have to get to the vet so I can get back on my allergy meds. I told them I didn’t want to talk about that. Well after everyone was done working today we all got in the car, and what I thought was going to be some quality time turned sideways really quick. I mean I was all excited to go into this store because it looked like it had all good things in it, but the first part we stopped at was a room with tubs….oh no. I really tried to get them to leave that room but it turned out that wasn’t an option. I finally agreed to get in. I tried to get away from the water spraying from the hose, but it turned out it was actually a little warm, not freezing cold. So then foster parents massaged me with some magic soap and it actually kinda felt nice. They hosed me off real gentle and wiped me with some towels. And the best part was we got to walk through the store and pick out a bone. So, I guess it all turned out ok. And for now, I have less itchies so I guess that’s a plus!

But now I think we are all pretty tired. It might be an early night. Foster Mom is in for lots of snoring for sure.

Baloo had a great first night here. He gladly plopped down on the bed and comforter laid out for him in our bedroom last night and slept through the night. About 5:20am was the first we heard Baloo starting to get restless.

Baloo quickly learned how boring weekdays are when foster mom has to spend all day working in her office. But he was very patient, enjoyed some nice nap times, and any time to break away was spent walking in the yard to stretch the bones… for both of us.

Baloo seems to be on somewhat of a hunger strike, looking disapprovingly at the kibble in his bowl that he was previously eating. Today he ate a little more of his dinner than yesterday so hopefully that will start to improve as he gets more comfortable in his new environment.

Tonight, we went for our first walk and Baloo did really well. We didn’t go too far because he may need to build up to longer distances. He did pull a bit to get to certain spots he thought smelled particularly interesting, but mostly he walked at a nice pace without pulling and without a harness (which Baloo politely declined). While there were other people walking around the neighborhood tonight, Baloo was way more focused on the scent trail and seemed to ignore their existence. No dog sightings to report, but so far so good.

Hello Everyone! I’m Baloo and this is my first day in a Brookline foster home. My owner couldn’t give me the care I need any more so they decided to ask Brookline for help to find the best forever home for me. It was strange getting in a new car with new people, but they seemed ok so I decided the best course of action was to take a nap. I’m kind of a go with the flow kinda guy so I didn’t worry too much. When we got to my new foster home I went right inside without hesitation and ran from room to room checking out my new digs. Then I was given a bowl of water and a snack and decided this place would do just fine for now. I used the back yard right away because I learned house etiquette a long time ago. I also came in knowing basic commands so I already have a good head start.

My foster mom laid a blanket across the couch and said I could come up. I gave her lots of smiles and some gentle kisses and she told me what a good and handsome boy I am. I already knew all that, but I enjoy the validation.

My fosters say so far I have sweet loving eyes and a laid back personality. More to come on my foster care adventures. Today I am taking some “me” time to rest and take it all in…..and also trying to determine the most comfortable position on this couch.