Brutus #4 Chocolate Labrador Retriever Mix Male 1 Year Old ID #2973

April 19, 2022

Hi everybody! Brutus here to update you on how life is going here. Well, I am still trying to get used to the weird weather in this place. It’s always a surprise…some days start out warm and end up with snowflakes, some days are sunny and bright, and other times I wake up to find a lake in the backyard! This is so confusing! Foster Parents say that soon it will be warm and stay warm for a few months straight. I hope so… I like to go lay outside in the sun and also dig for treasures. I don’t so much like to stay outside in the cold and rain.

I had a fun day this weekend when some of my extended foster family came over and the whole house smelled really good. I love when my foster family comes over because I get lots of love and some extra special treats. I try to be extra fun and cute! I really wanted to jump in their laps and play and give kisses! I love my foster parents, but it’s so much fun to see more people that make a fuss over me. I was so happy and excited all day that by night time I was exhausted and slept like a baby. When Foster Mom opened my crate the next morning, I told her I needed a few more minutes. Who gets up that early the day after all that excitement? That’s ridiculous!

Anyway, I’m back to being an only dog now so I can play with all my toys at the same time if I want or curl up for a nice relaxing nap! I love my days at home with Foster Mom and our walks together, and I love to snuggle with Foster Dad on the couch at night, and I really love if I can sit in the middle and get double pets.

It’s a good life. Foster Mom says I’m going to make a lucky home very happy. She says I make her smile because I have funny faces… Is that a compliment?

I don’t do it on purpose. Anyway, I like to make people smile, cause I like to smile, too! Well, hopefully my forever home is coming soon. Thanks for reading about me!

April 7, 2022

Brutus here, with another update!

I’m patiently waiting for someone to want to give me a forever home. I had to take some sprinkly powder medicine with my food last week. I didn’t argue. Breakfast still tasted good. Foster Mom says I win the prize for the easiest boy to take medicine for her.

My foster bro, Chance, is also looking for his forever home too, so I guess we won’t be spending much time together soon. I have mixed feelings about that. Little guy is almost growing on me. Just don’t tell him I said that. He still can’t play with any of my toys.

Well, I hope someone out there wants to meet me soon. I have a lot of good qualities that you might be looking for in a friend. I’m sweet and lovable and I learn pretty quickly. I’m really proud when you tell me I’m a good boy. I’m real friendly I settle if I get regular exercise. I find walking enjoyable and usually won’t drag you around with me. If I get enough activity, I am very quiet by 7:30 or 8 at night which makes me a great TV partner on the couch! Although, I’m still getting used to the TV so I get a little excited when dogs bark on it ’cause it sounds like they are in here with me! I can sleep quietly in my crate at night. If I’ve already had some activity, I don’t mind staying in there for a bit during the day or evening if you have to go somewhere. I think I would love being a part of some family adventures, too! Also, I’ve been told I am a VERY handsome boy.

I know I’m not perfect and still have some learning to do. My foster parents say that’s ’cause I’m still a baby really, but it’s easy to forget because I’m not really baby size. But the good news is I really love treats, and I am easy to teach ’cause I really wanna earn those treats.

So anyway, I hope to meet someone soon who wants to love me forever and ever. But until then, I will be here, enjoying my foster life

March 24, 2022

Hello there! This is Brutus here to update you on what has been going on in my life. Things have changed recently. Remember when I said things can get pretty boring around here? WELL, the foster parents came home one day with this new dog that they say they are going to help find a furever home too. They call him Chance. Well, I’m not so sure about this little guy. I liked it better when it was just me. So here is a list of things that I am not fond of sharing:

#1. Mom

#2. Dad

#3. Food

#4. Treats

#5. Water – I’m a thirsty boy. Both bowls should be mine

#6. Toys

#7. Beds

#8. Bones

#9. Sticks

#10. Windows

Everything else is ok, I guess.

But he’s always getting me in trouble! The little guy starts everything!  Anyway, I guess it’s kinda ok to have a sidekick. I mean, there’s a lot of shady dogs on this block. I gotta keep an eye on EVERYTHING around here. But now, I’m missing my quiet afternoon naps cause I gotta keep my eye on this guy too. And I have to help him with everything! When Foster Mom says Sit, she means tushy on the floor pronto. I do it so good right away and FM tells me what a good boy I am….but then I gotta sit there and watch this goofball stand up and flap his arms around and it really holds up treat time. I mean I guess it’s sorta ok cause I get extra treats for my good listening skills. But this new kid is gonna have to pull himself together!

Well Foster Mom still lets me sit by her while she works. She even pulls up my own chair sometimes so I can help, and she gives me extra special hugs and kisses.

And I still get fed on time. So, I guess it could be worse. Foster Mom says I’ll be ready for my furever home soon so I hope someone out there will want to give me extra special love too!

That’s all for now. I’m totally exhausted.

March 13, 2022

Hi Everyone!

This is Brutus here to update you on my second week in foster care. Things can get pretty boring around here during the week when my foster parents are working, but I make sure they take breaks for play time and walks. I am getting pretty good at playing fetch in the house! My foster mom is trying to teach me to catch a ball but I still need some practice with that!

Anyway, this Pennsylvania place is really weird. Some days I’m lying in the back yard with some nice warm sunshine, and other days are so cold! And then this one day, I go outside and the whole yard is like one big snow cone! I didn’t know whether to eat it or run around in it, so I did both! Normally, I take my yard time very seriously, but this was so much fun! My foster dad says he thinks my legs are almost too long for my body. But I don’t know what he means…. except maybe sometimes I get really excited and lose control of them!

Speaking of excited, what a day I had today! My foster parents took me to a park and I got to run around in all the mud and run back and forth with a playful doggie with a fence in between. I had so much fun running! She kept yelling at me but I didn’t yell back. I only yelled at the birds that were making lots of noise tapping on the trees. I find them very annoying.

Well then, I went and got a bath.  I really didn’t want to, but I wasn’t given an option. I don’t know about this store when we go. These doors that open by themselves are super creepy! But once I got done my bath, I met these nice people who gave me treats and said I did so good! I really liked that! So now that I’m back home I think I’ll be taking some nice long naps for the rest of the day. I’m pooped! I hear I have to go back to the vet one more time in a couple of weeks. To be honest, I would rather get another bath at the scary door store.

That’s all for now! Hope you like my fun videos! I’m off to curl up in Foster Mom’s lap. Hope you all had a fun day too!

March 6, 2022

Brutus has had a great first week in foster care. Even though he was found as a stray, he is almost a natural at being a house pet and is a joy to have around. He still has a few things to work on, but is very responsive and falls back to a sit very easily when being corrected for his naughtiness; like when using his mouth to play with hands and arms, or trying to jump up to reach food. He has learned the counter is in easy reach and the crock pot produces very good smells. He will need some training to really work on puppy habits, but for a young dog he is much easier than expected. Walks are his greatest enjoyment. Brutus loves to stop and take in smells, whether he is picking up other dogs’ scents in the grass, or a neighbor’s cooking wafting in the breeze that he will stop to inhale in the middle of crossing a street. Sometimes he trots along, other times he seems to be out for a Sunday stroll. He mostly stops and stares at people and dogs. He only becomes a little excitable when they bark at him excessively and may hop around a bit, but he has not yet been barking back at them. No matter what the distraction is, we have been using “Move on” as the command and rewarding with treats as he does. Brutus generally wears himself out pretty easily and even tends to retreat to his crate for a nice quiet nap when he is tired. He is allowed to take a break from the floor for a nap

on the couch when he’s a good boy and he also occasionally enjoys being a cuddly 80 lb. lapdog. This boy is solid and built for sporting, but so far, I see couch potato in his older years.

Note from Brutus:

Hi all! I just wanted to tell you about my special fun day. My extended foster family came over to meet me today and I had so much fun! They all brought me toys and treats! All for me! They all thought I was super handsome and sweet. They said what a good boy I was! I sometimes got too excited and tried to climb up on people but I tried really hard to listen…except about the table. It was really hard not to investigate the good smelling snacks. I thought I was secretly trying to get a taste of something good, but I got busted sticking my tongue in the Garlic dip. It did not taste good. Anyway, I was super happy to have so much love today, and when Foster Mom remembered to put on my fancy scarf, I looked doubly handsome! I think everyone loved me! Anyway, that’s all for now. That was a lot of action today. I see a good long nap in my near future.

March 1, 2022

Brutus really seems to be enjoying the indoor house pet life. He is not into spending a ton of time outside. Maybe because he is used to weather a little warmer than what we have been having in PA. Due to a ton of ice and water in the back part of our yard, Brutus goes outside on a long lead, and he very politely waits while we hook and unhook his collar. He doesn’t charge out the door or in, and doesn’t seem like a huge flight risk.

Yesterday we took a quick trip to Pet Smart to get some salmon oil to try to combat the itchy, flaky skin. Brutus looked a little nervous on the car ride, but sat quietly in the back. We were in and out of the store pretty quickly, but he enjoyed sniffing around. The sight of other dogs did not seem to phase him. When we pulled back into our driveway, we got some excited tail wags. At dinnertime we mixed the oil in with the dry food and Brutus had no problem at all with the new flavor in his food.  We are using slightly less than the recommended dosage and splitting between two meals to make sure his tummy can tolerate the oil.

This young boy definitely has some puppy behaviors to work on… swiping shoes, trying to steal dog treats out of your pocket, taking a lick of your drinking glass, and trying to pick up the lid of the toilet bowl… to name a few. He clearly has an advantage with his height, so it will be important to keep things pushed back on tables and counters. He has a little mouthiness that we are working on. With consistently pulling away hands, we think he will improve on this. Brutus has also started trying to figure out how to get the lid off his food storage container to help himself. Needless to say, he will not be trusted with free roam anytime soon.

However, Brutus is a very quick learner, so with the right training and lots of treats to motivate, we have no doubt he will be able to kick the bad habits in time. In three days, he has already started learning command training and has demonstrated an understanding of Sit, Down, Stay, and Come.

Regular exercise will also help keep this boy out of trouble, and it doesn’t seem to take a whole lot to make him settle.

Stay tuned for additional updates as we continue to get to know this handsome pup!

February 27, 2022

Day 2 with Brutus went well! He is continuing to learn new things. He enjoys his post at the door being the Neighborhood Watch. I don’t know how much the neighborhood appreciates it. This boy has quite the mighty bark, and uses it for every sound that is unrecognizable to him, or when the other dogs on the street are also being vocal. We are now working on the Quiet command. Brutus has been a quick study with commands, as long as they come with rewards, and he is super fan of training treats. If you keep some in your pocket, you can be sure you will have a slobbery wet pocket all day long. But this morning he learned Down in a matter of seconds!

We went for our first walk yesterday, all prepared with a trusty harness and expecting the worst with an 80 lb. puppy. Brutus trotted right along with us, happy to explore his new surroundings, without pulling at all! Knowing the amount of body strength, he has; we were amazed that he did not drag us down the street while we held on to the leash for dear life….and we appreciated that! He has a sort of timid manner about him that I think may have helped because it seemed like he felt more comfortable being by our side instead of plowing ahead. Brutus does need some work on his sudden stops and crossing over, or at least a good set of brake lights. I think this will be fixable, because we started tossing treats straight ahead on the sidewalk, and it kept him more focused.

Brutus had another good night of sleep in his crate. He has been resting quietly until about 6:45 AM, and then he starts getting antsy, but that’s long enough for us to get a good night’s sleep. Brutus definitely still has the itchies so we may need to follow up on the condition of his skin. Other than this, he has been eating and drinking regularly, with a healthy appetite, and has not yet had an accident in the house. This morning Brutus got half his breakfast in his bowl. He is the perfect height for our elevated feeder. The second half he was given in a slow feeder, which kept him busy for a bit.

He has not so far shown us the bounce-around zoomie energy of a young pup, but we will need to continue working on manners so he understands that EVERYTHING in his sightline is not for the taking. And we will need to stand firm on that…even when we get the sad puppy face.

February 26, 2022

Brutus made his long journey from the South yesterday and is now enjoying the foster dog life in PA. Brutus was found as a stray in Alabama where he was kindly taken into foster care, neutered, and treated for fleas. He has now been transferred north to our foster home to complete his care and get ready for his forever home. When we met his transport yesterday, Brutus hopped out and did a little prance in the parking lot, happy to stretch out his very long legs.

So here is what we know so far. Brutus is about 12 months old, according to his vet records. He looks to be a chocolate lab mix. He is tall with long legs. He has a beautiful set of white teeth and a big happy smile. He eats and drinks with typical lab gusto, so hopefully our slow feeder will come in handy here.

Brutus will definitely need to work on some manners, but for a young dog, his first day was fairly easy here! He is quite curious, as young labs usually are, but he hasn’t used his height and strength to his full advantage just yet. So, he knows he smells the best stuff on the counter tops, but no surfing for now. The trash can is especially interesting to Brutus, since he discovered he can reach his head pretty far down in there, so now every time we lock the lid, he looks like we’ve just crushed all his hopes and dreams. He also thought “Let Me Show You Your Shoes” would be a fun game to play, and proudly displayed quite a few for us as he explored the bedroom.

These were traded for a Nylabone which has been thoroughly enjoyed on and off for hours.

Brutus seems like he is going to be a quick learner. He seems to be food motivated and likes to please. He has already completed some successful sits!

He is learning No and understanding redirection. He is already used to a crate, so at bedtime he entered with very little hesitation. We heard a total of two soft whines and then hardly a noise for the rest of the night. Of course, that long trip could have had something to do with it! And the best news of all….no accidents yet! Brutus seems to understand that outside is the place to do his business and is quite happy to be told what a good boy he is each time.

We are looking forward to sharing the rest of this handsome boy’s foster journey. Stay tuned for more updates!