Bentley #6 Yellow Labrador Retriever Male 8 Years Old ID#3291

Meet Bentley!  He is a handsome yellow Labrador who was surrendered by his owner when a family member developed a worsening dog allergy to him.  Please read Bentley’s blog from the bottom up to learn more about his time in foster care.

Bentley is now available: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/bentley-72451957/pa/warrington/brookline-labrador-rescue-pa06/

Bentley qualifies for our silver muzzle program: https://brooklinelabrescue.org/adopt/silver-muzzle-match-program/

November 16, 2024

Bentley has been with us for just a week and what a difference a week makes. The sheer joy and excitement in his step reassures us that Bentley’s move to a foster home with dogs was the right one for him. His former foster people loved him and took good care of him but some dogs just need the company of other dogs. Bentley loves the energy of the pack, and he easily found his place in ours.

Bentley will definitely need another dog in his forever home.  We doubt he will be fussy about the kind of dog he lives with. He would just love a canine companion that is as kind to him as he will be to them. He initiates play and enjoys running and exploring the yard with his fur sisters. One of his favorite games is playing tug with Leia.

Where early blog posts mentioned arthritis, he has shown us little sign of it. He will happily go on ten walks a day if we’d take him! Killing stuffy squirrels is a favorite pastime.

He loves the neighbors, all children, the UPS and Fed Ex drivers, and especially the mailman who delivers treats as well as the mail.  Bentley is a smart guy. He knows sit, down, settle, paw, outside, inside, and reacts with tail wags at, “Who’s coming?” Leash skills are a work in progress, but the more he walks, the more his skills improve.

Other than the occasional whining for more pets, Bentley rarely makes a sound. He does “talk” in a low grumble to let you know when he needs to go out. He will bark with excitement when he sees his leash and he is a wonderful greeter of guests. He happily accepts belly rubs and will fall sound asleep on your lap. His tail wags from morning until night.

After a day of playing, Bentley easily settles in for a well-deserved rest. He quickly claims his place on the couch but also loves the warmth of the fire.

Bentley loves his people. He simply wants to know that he is safe and loved.

Bentley is a joy to foster and will remain a part of our pack until the perfect forever home comes along. Whomever adopts him will be reminded every day of what a wonderful companion he is and what a gentle giant he can be with everyone and everything he meets.

November 11, 2024

The name “Bentley” is derived from Old English meaning “bent grass” and “woodland clearing”.  True to his name, Bentley loves lying in the grass and just watching the world go by.Also sharing his name with a classic automobile, Bentley may be a used model, but he is in good condition (we’ve kicked the tires!). While his paint job may have faded a bit over his 8.5 years, he has many good miles left on him and much love still to give to a lucky forever family.

In his former foster home, Bentley loved his people but longed for canine companionship. He craves both dog-to-dog interaction and he loves his people to be with him. At 90 pounds, Bentley is a sweetheart and a gentle giant. He carries his “babies” everywhere.Bentley originally lived with an older couple and, after his owner dad died, with two small dogs. By all accounts, he was very attached to his dad. After his dad passed away, Bentley was surrendered to Brookline and then placed in foster care. He has easily made the transition to our home and, true to his late dad, Bentley immediately took to FD. He enjoys the company of our two former Brookline adoptees: Abby and Princess Leia. Abby is a 10-year-old former breeder mama. Leia, soon to turn 9, was recently surrendered to Brookline by her owner. Both resident dogs are confident girls and good with Bentley. For Bentley, the girls have been a welcomed addition to his bachelor life.

In less than 48 hours with us, we have found Bentley to be your quintessential Labrador Retriever.  Bentley loves his toys; enjoys playing tug; doesn’t like being alone; is charming; loves his people and fur sisters; craves pets and hugs; is curious; doesn’t like squirrels, and he wags his tail at everyone he meets on our walks (especially our toddler neighbor with an ice cream cone).

To date, Bentley hasn’t met a dog he didn’t like.  He eats well, sleeps all night, and walks perfectly on his leash. We can’t say enough wonderful things about him, so please stay tuned for more!For now, as you continue along your own life’s journey, please consider doing so with charming Bentley by your side. He is a wonderful companion and will surely drive your passion for all things Labrador. As his name suggests, Bentley is a classic!

November 1, 2024

Bentley is getting used to his surroundings. He spends most of his days either outside, soaking up the sun, or taking naps inside.  Bentley is a very loyal boy and loves to be with his people and like to stick close to his favorite one.  He is not a fan of being alone so he’s looking for a home with either another doggie companion or where his person is home more often than not.

Bentley knows his basic commands, but sometimes he likes to make you work for it but with a treat and a little patience, he can do them all. We’re still working on car rides. He gets a little nervous when he first gets in the car, but he settles down after a few minutes as long as he can put his nose out the window. He really loves meeting new people, although sometimes he’ll jump up when he first meets someone, but he settles down quickly. He seems to get along with all the dogs we meet, but he’s not really a fan of cats.  Bentley previously lived with 2 other small dogs.Bentley loves going for walks but due to a little arthritis prefers shorter walks rather than longer. He’s comfortable with his normal walks and will let you know when he’s gone far enough. Bentley is a wonderful dog with a big heart.  He’d love to be your special guy and will reward you with his undivided devotion.

September 26, 2024

Bentley  continues working on his anxiety, he got to go for a car ride yesterday to the vet to have his ears checked. Everything went well and he got to meet a lot of dogs. He does seem to like the smaller dogs better than the large ones. He continues, enjoying the cool weather laying outside in the sun. His daily walks are getting a little longer as his arthritis seems to be improving. He he did enjoy meeting the emu’s.

September 4, 2024

August 12, 2024

We continue to work with Bentley on his training.  It’s keeping him busy, and helps him with his separation anxiety. We are continuing to leave him for small amounts of time each day, and rewarding him when we get back.  He really enjoys his snuffle mat.We have been getting in some car ride experiences with Bentley. He does need help to getting in and out of the car. He’s a little nervous at first, but once he settles in, he really enjoys the car ride with the window cracked. He enjoys it more when we get to the park and go for a nice long walk. He’s very happy meeting everybody we run across, especially if they have a small dog. Bentley seems to really like small dogs.Bentley is also getting better with his basic commands. At times, he can be a little stubborn and set in his ways, but whatever we do, he is always happy and eager to please, and his tail is always wagging.

July 11, 2024

June 15, 2024

Bentley had his neutering done yesterday and his back home recuperating. Everything went very well and as expected. When we got to the vet office, he was very excited to see the people and even more excited to see the other dogs that were there, I really think he likes to be around other dogs. this would definitely help with his separation anxiety to have a resident dog in the home.  He’s still pretty much a Velcro dog but we continue to work with separation times making them longer and longer each time and reward him with treats and lots of positive reinforcement. Right now he’s getting plenty of rest and lots of attention.We are still working on his diet, trying to find a dog food that is suitable for him. He is a very finicky eater.

May 19, 2024

Bentley is currently adjusting to a different lifestyle here. He is getting better on the leash walking two times a day. He knows basic commands but is hesitant right now. We are working on his separation anxiety. He doesn’t like it when his people leave which is understandable with all of his recent changes.  Bentley is reliable on free roam but when we leave he will pace from door to window and/or howl until we return.  We have a camera so we can see what he does when we do leave.  We have only been leaving him for small amounts of time and praise him when we get back.  I think he would do better with another dog in the home to keep him company, which is something we are looking into, there might be another foster in our future! He doesn’t seem to care for any treats right now, I’m sure this will change! So it’s mostly praise and “Good Boy.”Bentley is still waiting for a date for his neutering, still dealing with some GI problems and an ear infection. He is a great dog, we learn something new everyday. He does not act like a typical 8 year old, and has lots of energy.

May 8, 2024

Bentley‘s third night was even better than the last so we are seeing improvements little by little.  Now that he has seen the vet and has been treated for an ear and GI infection, he is eating a lot better and sleeping through the night.He listens to some basic commands but seems preoccupied at times as if he’s looking for something.Bentley has some separation anxiety so we are working on that by leaving for short stints and coming back with praise and treats. He’s had a really tough time and hopefully will become more confident of his surroundings over the next couple of weeks. We took a long walk today and he did much better on the leash but we are still working on his barking at things that he sees.Bentley is a talker and lets you know loud and clear when he needs something or if he is super interested in something. It’s still hard to believe he’s eight years old with the energy that he has.

May 7, 2024

Bentley’s second night has been a little easier. He’s starting to calm down slightly and becoming more curious of the yard and his surroundings. He does sleep through the night, but he does need a lot of play time to calm down.  When a stranger did come into the house, he became very excitable and did jump. It took some time, but  eventually he calmed down. These are all things we can work with and help him along.  We will be taking a short car ride tomorrow and we’ll see how that goes.

May 6, 2024

We picked up Bentley yesterday. He was very nervous on the ride home. I don’t think he spent too much time traveling in cars. Once we got him home, we took him on leash to walk around the backyard and then inside. He was very energetic and took quite some time to settle down at about 10 o’clock. He finally laid down and did sleep through the night. He’s a very good dog. I just think he’s very confused with what is going on in his life right now?  He did spend some time out in the yard today playing with his toys and he seems to be doing a little better. Hopefully tomorrow will be easier for us all.