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

Hi all, it’s Baloo here checking in. It’s been far too long I know. You can blame Foster Mom.  Anyway, not much new here, but the weather has been getting nicer so my walks smell even better these days. I guess people come out in the nice weather because we’ve had more visitors recently. Some come to hang out and meet me and some come just to help my foster parents with house stuff. I like everyone and I am super excited when visitors show up, but my foster parents say I need to be gentler with my greetings. I like to get as close as possible to make sure everyone smells ok! But at least I know four on the floor and I never jump on anyone. I think that’s perfect manners! Last weekend was the first time we had smaller visitors. Three children that were very interested in playing with me were here. I was told I was a really good boy that day. Foster Mom made me wear a leash to make sure, but I didn’t cause any trouble. Anyway, I slept really good that night.

I always love to have my toys around and greet everyone with them.

I love when people come in and I can show off my toys. I try to take them on my walks, too, but Foster Mom doesn’t allow it anymore because I won’t carry them the whole way. I think that’s a lot to ask, and I don’t know why she just can’t carry them for me, but it’s ok cause I still enjoy my walks. I was a little annoyed to find out I have toys that are hidden from me! Foster parents say sometimes I just make too much of a mess when I’m not being gentle with my toys. I couldn’t believe it when I was handed my missing ducky! I missed ducky so much! I felt very betrayed that ducky had been here the whole time, and Foster Mom gave me some lame excuse about green fluff all over, and she said if I rip up ducky she would have to throw him away! I love my ducky and I don’t know what she’s talking about. Come to think of it….I haven’t seen him in a couple days. Hmmm… I may need to nap on this…. Here’s some words from my foster mom.

Update from Foster Mom:

Baloo has been doing very well. I can tell his paws are a little itchy, but some occasional Benadryl has been helping with that, and we will keep an eye on it. As the spring progresses, sometimes those allergies pick up for all of us, so we will see how Baloo does and if he may need some prescription help. Baloo does really well on our walks. There is a nice quiet trail we walk on that’s pretty open. He still pulls when he wants to get to a smell. When we see other dogs he also pulls but we are working on focusing on treats. He is not to the point yet where we can easily walk by and he can focus only on treats but his reactions are improving. Other than those occasional moments, he keeps a nice loose leash through most of our walks. We will be making an appointment to have Baloo evaluated for a brace to help with his torn ACL and will provide more updates on the process.

Hi Everyone!

Sorry it’s been a while but it’s been real busy here. There’s been plenty of people that come over and do their work in our house. Sometimes my foster mom’s brother comes and helps at the house and I love him! There’s also been a stranger here this week that works downstairs, and that’s just fine with me as long as my foster Mom is ok with it. I like him too, and his shoes smell like dogs, so he must be a cool human.

I visited a doctor recently too. I didn’t like him so much. Doctors aren’t my favorite. They are always bothering me and I never know what they are going to do. Anyway, this doctor says I have ACL injuries in both of my back legs, which I guess is not the best news. So more to come on that, but I still get around here just fine.

I’m still enjoying the new neighborhood and ooh yeah the best news is my foster parents got me a new sofa. It’s so comfy cozy, and I love it so much.

I even have a special blanket I lay on just for me, and a nice view out the window so I can keep watch and let my foster parents know when someone or some dog gets too close to the house.

I told my foster parents I was willing to share with them, too. Comfort is very important to me. I love a good resting spot. I’m also a big fan of belly rubs and will give you a big smile in exchange for one. I am told I can be a bit pushy when I want attention. Well, I’m patient all day long while everyone works, so I just think when everyone is home and not working, the focus should be on my adorable face. Not the TV…not a conversation that doesn’t include me….and definitely not your phone…even if you are writing about me.

Well, that’s about all for now! Wishing you all a comfy cozy weekend with lots of belly rubs!

Hi Friends!

Hope everyone had fun holidays! I did but things have sure been different since my last story. Well, it all started after my favorite day with the turkey. All of a sudden all these boxes started appearing out of nowhere. Foster Parents kept walking around the house and wouldn’t just sit still and cuddle. It was all so strange. Then one day we went to this big empty house. Foster Dad left for a while and then came back and all these strangers showed up in a truck. I hung out with Foster Mom outside for a while that day. Then when we went back in….all our stuff was here and so were all those boxes! It was a crazy day. So now we stay at this house every day.

I kinda like it here and I think I know why we moved to this house. Almost all the floors are soft! They are much more comfortable than the floors at the last house. This house also has some fun stairs to run up and down. Foster parents were worried I wouldn’t like them, but turns out they’re the ones that aren’t so great at them. Another fun thing is that right near our house is a walking trail, and foster Mom and I love going for walks on it. I get to smell so many new things which is my favorite thing to do. And we like to go see these big weird birds that honk all the time. I like to watch them play in the water. They don’t bother me at all so I don’t bother them.

So not long after we moved to the new house, I woke up one morning and it was Christmas already! There was no tree in the house so I was so surprised. I got my own pile of presents and surprised foster parents with my expert present-opening skills!

I got a bunch of new stuffies to tear up and some delicious treats. That was such a fun day. I even have a new bed now. They said I deserved a nice big comfy one. So now I am even more cozy at night!

Anyway, so it turns out Foster Mom still works her boring job all day in her new office and Foster Dad still leaves all day so that part is still the same, but I like my view from the top of the steps so I can make sure to let Foster Mom know whenever I see another dog….or human….or truck. I think she appreciates it. Anyway, I’m back to getting some good snuggles at night so I’m happy about that. Well, that’s all for now. It’s a no work day and cold and wet out so I think I’ll try to get some early snuggles tonight. Hope you all get some good snuggles too.

So, my foster parents have been super busy around here, but they include me in most activities, which is how I like it. We all even got to spend a weekend together at the beach. We got to stay in this nice little house with a sofa I was allowed to lounge on and a big fenced in yard I could explore with nice grass to lay in.

I got to take nice walks on the beach and smell all the different things. It was so fun! Definitely quality family time.

And then the next week, it smelled so good in the house for a whole day and I saw giant bird go in the oven! Then lots of people came over to see me and eat the good smelling food and they called it Thanksgiving. I really like Thanksgiving. Turkey and pumpkin pie and lots of pets. It was really a good day.

Sometimes when foster parents are so busy running around the house, I take a nap and dream of that turkey. I wish everyday was Thanksgiving. I hope all of you got to have a yummy smelling house too!

It’s me, Baloo, checking in again! I have good stuff and not so good stuff to share. Well good stuff is I got a really cool new toy after my last bath time cause I was so good and not even nervous. Foster Mom says it’s an octopus because he has eight legs! Well, this guy only has seven legs now, and I can’t say what happened there. But I love to have a stuffy to greet when my favorite people come home.

My last news I shared was that my foot was bothering me, but that’s actually not quite right. It’s my knee. I went back to the vet and they examined my sore spots and heard a weird noise. So, they tried to take pictures of it. Well, I quickly shut that down. They sent me home with some medicine to take every day to help with pain. They also told my foster parents to give me some special pills before I come back and try again and it would help relax me. Well, it worked cause I didn’t really mind the next time. Foster parents thought maybe there would be nothing wrong because when I take the everyday medicines I am so much better. But they said the pictures show a tear in my CCL which is in my knee. So, I have to go to another doctor to see what to do about that. I have to say, I am kind of sick of all these doctors.

Anyway, I also got a little maintenance done while I was all relaxed, including a nail trim which I also rejected on a previous visit. Well, that was a long day so I am taking it easy this weekend and enjoying a little relaxation.

Baloo here checking in with another update. It’s been a busy couple weeks here. My foster parents had some special plans last weekend so I got to spend the weekend with an awesome Brookline volunteer who said that I was a really good boy. I love meeting new people so I was pretty happy with this …much better than being left alone. But I can’t say I wasn’t a little disappointed with foster mom and dad for not spending the weekend with me. I made sure to ignore them completely on the drive home so they knew.

Everything else is pretty much the same which is the way I like it. My favorite thing is when foster mom takes me for nice walks during the day. I love sniffing around the whole neighborhood. There’s so many interesting smells and I make sure to thoroughly inspect every one of them. I also like hanging out in the backyard on a nice day. I find it very relaxing to lay in the grass and enjoy a cool autumn breeze.

Foster Mom’s work is still pretty boring but I make sure to give her my best irresistible faces so she takes breaks with me.

I love snuggles and kisses and nuzzles on the couch. That’s my other favorite thing.

My itchies are so much better than they used to be and I don’t even have to take pills every day for now. One new thing is my foot has been bothering me. So, I heard I have to go back to the vet. I am not looking forward to that at all, but I hope they can make it better.

That’s all for now. It’s definitely time for a nighttime snooze. Sending lots of Lab love!

Baloo here checking in with you all for an update. I’m officially ready for my forever home, but my forever home hasn’t found me yet. It’s ok because I find my foster home to be satisfactory for now. I always get my meals on time and have great places to nap. The bare necessities of life, ya know?

I continue to be my foster mom’s favorite co-worker and she continues to be my favorite snuggle buddy. I am pretty fond of my foster dad too and I am good at spreading the love. I am happy as long as someone is here with me, not so happy when no one is here.

Today was fun because there were a bunch of people here. I was told it was a birthday party, but I was pretty sure everyone came to see me and I was so happy to have so much attention. I love to greet people with a toy in my mouth. I sometimes try to get a little too close and you have to watch your toes around me. I think everyone liked me must though.

Then after the party there was another sports game on and my foster mom and dad kept clapping and cheering. They even made me  wear this bandana for good luck. I feel like this is every day now with these noisy TV games, and it is very disruptive to my nap time. And I really needed a good nap after all the work I did entertaining at this party. Thankfully my foster dad likes to nap too, and I happily match him snore for snore.

I’m doing great on my prescription allergy medication and now taking every other day, with a regular allergy pill in between if needed. I’m so much less itchy now. I’m really good at taking pills because I love treats. You can just stick them right in a soft treat. I’m getting a lot better at taking gently, but I have to be reminded and it takes some concentration.

Well, that’s about it for now. I have to get my last snooze in before I retire for the evening.

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.