Bo Black Labrador Retriever Mix Male 1.5 Years Old ID#2961

Bo (FKA Bobo) is an 1.5 year old, 65lb, black Lab mix.  A long standing resident Chihuahua didn’t get along with Bo, so his owners moved him to a kennel.  The kennel owner took Bo in, and got him some needed care, but life in a kennel is not optimal for a young lab mix.   Thanks to some dedicated volunteers, Bo has now moved in with a Brookline foster family.  Please read his blog from the bottom up to learn more about him.

Bo is now available:

https://www.petfinder.com/dog/bo-52628447/pa/warrington/brookline-labrador-rescue-pa06/

August 11, 2021

Bo has been with us since the end of July and laps up all of the attention he can get! He is very sweet, but has clearly been through some rough times in his short life and so he needs some reassurance and lots of love. Bo is also Lyme positive and will complete his antibiotics by the end of the month, but there are no systemic impacts as a result of the Lyme.Bo loves to walk and he does well on a leash, especially considering his age. He needs some redirection when other dogs are near, but on a leash he is easily redirected. Bo is happy to see us every morning, but settles quickly and is content to sleep at our feet. Bo is a bit shy of new people, but with some reassurance he warms up quickly. When he’s nervous he’ll stand next to you and lean on you for comfort. After a few gentle words and pets, he will reengage. He is happy to let you check his ears, teeth, paws and belly, he just seems grateful for the attention!

Bo would do best in a home where:
-He is the only dog or in a home with a laid back dog and an owner with a lot of experience handling a multi dog household.
-He can be walked often, as that is his favorite activity

August 8, 2021

Bo has been with us for over a week now and he has blended so nicely into our family and our routine. Bo had his vet visit on Thursday and while mostly everything went well, he did test positive for Lyme disease. This will be an easy fix, but might explain why he loves to sleep most of the day away!Bo has met most of our neighbors by now and seems to be hesitant meeting new people at first, but warms up very quickly. He spent a Friday afternoon with a handful of adults and three small kids (ages 3 and 6) and did great! He even tolerated the small kids touching his tail, feet and ears! He needed some extra assurance at times, as he is still unsure of new sounds, people and experiences. When he was feeling insecure he’d come and hide behind my legs, but a nice belly rub and some soothing words did the trick and he was back to socializing and getting lots of attention from his new friends in no time.Bo continues to be great on walks. We have to be aware of other dogs while we are walking as he still has some fear-based aggression towards small dogs, but keeping him distracted and moving helps him ignore distractions. The more we walk, the more comfortable he gets with the other dogs in the neighborhood. Bo and our resident lab have been warming up to each other and are happy sleeping in close proximity. I can see him slowly realize that he won’t be hurt by other people and dogs, which bolsters his confidence and eases his anxiety. I think with more exposure he’ll continue to blossom.

Everyone who meets Bo comments about how good of a boy he is, especially considering he’s only a year and a half old. We work every day on basic commands like sit, stay, shake and leave-it so that he has good manners when he transitions to his forever home. He has been picking things up quickly and I think he would really enjoy advanced training in obedience or agility.

August 1, 2021

Today we took Bo for his first long walk around the neighborhood. He is very unsure of noises, dogs and people. The first part of the walk was a bit chaotic as when he is nervous he likes to be touching one of us for reassurance. That made for a difficult walk for the first 10 minutes, but after he started to warm up to the new smells and sounds, he relaxed and did great! He’s learning some walking manners, like sitting before crossing streets, walking beside us and staying on the sidewalk. By the end of our 2 mile walk he picked up on the “stop” “sit” “cross” commands and was feeling really confident! We still haven’t found any toys that he likes very much. He has no interest in bones, squeaky toys or tennis balls. He does love treats and between that and his eagerness to please, he is turning out to be really easy to train. He and our resident lab are warming up to one another and I think once Bo is fixed they’ll get along even more. 

July 29, 2021

July 28, 2021

Bo came to us today with the help of the amazing Maggie. This sweet boy was so good on the 1 1/2 hour drive back to our house from Harrisburg! He was a bit hesitant at first as he’s experienced a lot of change over the past month, but once he settled in and met our resident boy, StanLee, he is seeming much more at ease.He did exhibit some fear-based behavior upon coming to our house, but with some gentle coaxing, calming reassurance and lots of treats, he has settled in nicely. He is so sweet and clearly just wants some reassurance and love, and is grateful to get any attention that comes his way. He is VERY food motivated, so I think that training will be a breeze once he’s more comfortable here.He ate some dinner a bit ago and is now passed out at my feet, snoring away. Clearly a sign that he’s content and relaxed. We look forward to learning more about this sweet boy!