Champ #6 Black Labrador Retriever Male 2 Years Old ID #3290

Meet Champ!  This handsome boy came to Brookline’s care by no fault of his own.  He was surrendered to the rescue by his owner due to changes in their living arrangements and an impending surgery that would greatly limit their mobility and ability to care for Champ.  Please read Champ’s blog from the bottom up to learn more about his time while in foster care.

April 26, 2024

Champ has had a wonderful week with us since we last checked in! I really feel like he has a good routine going. Here’s a summary of his big week!

Saturday – We left Champ on his own for about three hours on Saturday afternoon, and we came back to a house perfectly intact. He did so well on his own! We were so proud of him.Sunday – We took Champ to visit two of my friends from college. Champ was THRILLED that they had a fenced in yard, and he took advantage of that time to run around without a leash. We brought his tug-of-war toy, which he happily threw up into the air to himself and subsequently chased. He loves to play fetch with himself, which is incredibly entertaining to watch. He also met their neighbor’s dog through the fence, and very much wanted to play. We were happy to see that his only intentions with other dogs is to be their new best friend!Monday – I changed my work schedule this week to go into the office in the morning, and then work from home in the afternoon. Champ was on his own from 7:30 until 12:30 and, once again, did a great job by himself! It seems like he just sleeps when he’s alone, which leaves him with energy in the afternoon, but I was proud that he handled being alone so well. I gave him a peanut butter Kong before I left for work in the morning, which distracted him long enough that he didn’t notice I had left.

Tuesday & Wednesday – Champ’s new favorite activity is staring out the window. He loves to sniff the air and rest his head on the windowsill.

He also has been joining me on jogs, and does an excellent job at keeping with the pace. He seems to love it, since my jog is essentially his preferred walking pace 🙂 He loved seeing the “Champion Ale” I had in his honor afterwards.Thursday – Champ’s puppy energy is showing! His new obsession is playing with a Penn State blanket. He chews it and wraps himself up in it. This guy can entertain himself! We took my favorite picture of him today too – he peeked his head up onto the couch as my husband and I ate our ice cream. He wants to be a part of the action! Friday – Champ was lucky enough to go on a long walk with my mom late this morning while I was out. He walked really well for her and loved spending time with her when they got back to my house. He is the friendliest boy!

April 19, 2024

We had another good day with Champ! He is really settling in, getting comfortable, and letting his personality show.

He has been sleeping through the night, which is awesome.Like yesterday, he laid with me while I worked from home. He loves to check in with a paw on leg or head in lap.

He dramatically listened to the new Taylor Swift album today. He’s listening to “loml” in the video, but his favorite song is “The Black Dog” (I wonder why?!)

He has a new favorite toy every day! Today’s favorites were his bone and his tennis balls.

He also has a ball with a bell inside that he loves.

He has gotten more curious about things around the house, but is pretty good about giving back anything he picks up (especially if it can be traded for a toy).

April 18, 2024

Champ has been… wait for it… a champ! We were concerned about his sleep schedule after his first night with us, but he settled in much better last night. He does not like the crate at all, but enjoyed sleeping on the carpet and/or in a dog bed.

Champ had a chill day today. We went on two short walks, supplemented with some additional trips outside for him to pee quickly. He had a short energetic spurt this morning around 8:00 AM, when he played with a Kong stuffed with peanut butter (he looooved it).

Champ was an excellent coworker today! He would put his paw on my leg to check on me, lay his head in my lap for a quick snuggle, or sleep by the office door. He stays by my side whenever I’m in sight.

He helped with the laundry too – not a huge fan of the washer/dryer noises, but he learned to ignore them pretty quickly.

This evening, Champ has been chewing on a new favorite toy, his rubber chicken. He loves toys with noises! He can really occupy himself for a while.

Champ is overall settling in nicely and had a very cozy day!

April 17, 2024

The first 24 hours for Champ are in the books!

I picked Champ up after work on Tuesday from Hickory Springs Farm Kennel. He was neutered yesterday, so I was unsure what his energy level would be like. He was great in the car for our drive to another volunteer’s home to pick up a crate and some toys, and subsequently to my home. By the end of the car ride, he was a little whiny, but was very happy as soon as he got out of the car.Champ was excited to get the lay of the land in our townhome. He did a GREAT job with the stairs. He made the rounds around our first floor for a while, and then played a bit with one of his tug-of-war toys.

I gave Champ a small dinner around 6:30pm. About an hour or so later, my husband and I took him for a walk around our neighborhood. He did a great job on the trail – he pulls at his leash when he’s excited. He is very interested but not overly excitable other dogs. Our neighborhood dog park was empty, so we brought him there to hopefully get some energy out, but he was mostly concerned with sniffing the perimeter of the park.

Champ had some trouble settling down last night. He was panting a lot, and didn’t lay in one spot for very long. He did play with his bunny toy as we watched some TV, which he loved.

Champ’s first night was tough for him. He had no interest in the crate and would not let me put the cone on him to prevent him from licking his stitches. My husband and I tried to bait him into the crate with kibble and peanut butter, but he wouldn’t get close. As a result, I stayed with him in our guest room to keep an eye on him/hopefully calm him down to the point where he could sleep. He slept from about 12-3am, but then was up and pacing/whining. He was clearly in pain from his procedure, so I eventually took him outside and then gave him an early breakfast with his first dose of pain meds (around 4:30am). He fell asleep after that.

My husband took Champ for a quick walk around 6:00am this morning. He peed and pooped on that walk. I took him for a longer walk at 7:00am. We walked the Trail, which is about 2.5 miles out and back from my home. He peed a lot (marking his territory) and tried to poop again, but it was a “phantom poop” situation. I think it may be due to his medication. He slept in the office as I worked this morning.

My mom did stopped by early this afternoon to drop off a bed and some toys, and Champ LOVED meeting her. He got really excited when she was here, pulling out all the toys and testing them out.

Since she left, he’s been sleeping behind my office chair as I work. He’s a Velcro dog for sure!

April 16, 2024

Handsome 2 year old Champ got neutered today and is off to foster care after spending a few days at a kennel. He quickly became a staff favorite, and after meeting him today I can see why.

This strong, handsome boy is very sweet and will thrive in his foster home. He rides quietly in the car and enjoys hind end scratches. Stay tuned for more updates!