Gus #5 (FKA Guy) Chocolate Labrador Retriever Mix Male 4 Years Old ID#3508

Gus is now available: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/gus-44a4d989-ba76-4613-8f1e-9682e3c9d980/pa/warrington/brookline-labrador-rescue-pa06/details/

December 22, 2025

Heading into Christmas with Gus

Gus is always on the lookout for squirrels and will climb over you to get the best view as needed.  We have a ton of squirrels in our yard and they MUST be kept to account!

Gus keeps his post, unfazed by Holiday décor.  However, … he found this Santa and couldn’t resist.  FM rescued Santa from Gus’s loving nomnoms in the “nick” of time. We discovered later that before snagging Santa from the box of decorations, Gus had deposited two of his precious balls.  Fair trade?

Gus is not a huge fan of snow or cold, but he made it work.

Gus takes on the snow

TBH, Gus prefers the fireplace. Cozy! Sofa snuggles,

This boy is waiting for the perfect family home with a fenced yard, children of all ages, people who are around more than they are away, pillows and yes, a fireplace would be great!

November 30, 2025

Thanksgiving Update

Gus enjoyed another sleepover at Foster Auntie Debby’s when FM & FD had a quick trip to NYC for a show!

Gus is very friendly!  He made pals with this landscaper who shared a little of his lunch!  Queso-flavored potato chips were much appreciated.

Gentleman Gus proved again to be a lovely guest at Thanksgiving.  He was interested in the hors d’oeuvres for sure, he is after all, a DOG!  And they were at eye level.  But tell him “not for you” once and he complies.

Gus also behaved beautifully in the kitchen around food prep.  No begging or counter surfing, just happy to be with people!

During dinner he sat quietly under the table enjoying his bone.

To be clear, there were no cats or other dogs present but if he can be the solo dog, he is a lovely guest!

November 17, 2025

I mean come on!

Another busy couple of weeks.  Here is what Gus has been up to.

Playing Mah Jong.

The weather has turned a bit so Gus got a new coat!  He is very cooperative about putting it on.

FD and FM had a new HVAC system installed.  Gus charmed the PSE&G technician.

Gus is not crate-trained but sometimes he will go in there just to hang out or to get a better view of his nemesis, the backyard squirrels.

I mean Come On!  Here you can see his hint of chocolate coloring.

Another aspect of suburban living that is new to city boy Gus, LEAF PILES. And apparently, every leaf smells like a squirrel!

This very good boy is waiting patiently for his forever family.

October 23, 2025

Foster Mom and Dad were away so Gus spent a week with Foster Auntie Debby.   He had a great time!

He played Mah Jong

He had a Facetime visit with his friend Baby E who is back in the UK.

He snuggled up with FA Debby.

“This guy is magnetic. Whenever I sit down, he has to be touching me.”  #velcrodog

He had lunch with the girls and was reportedly a perfect gentleman.

He had breakfast via Facetime with his little friend Baby E

Breakfast with Baby E – 1 & 2

Gus had a great week at Foster Auntie’s and was still glad to have FM and FD home.

October 11, 2025

Cooler weather is here and Gus enjoys a sunbath.

He also is very fond of this green stuffy and its squeaker!

FM and FD just turned on the fireplace for the first time and Gus LOVES it! Could he get any closer?

October 4, 2025

Gus has appointed himself chief inspector of the Halloween decorations in our, rather HIS, neighborhood.  He also has thoughts on the campaign signs popping up – strictly non-partisan, he pees on them all.

Gus continues to visit FA Debby almost daily.  He inspects her backyard and evicts any miscreant squirrels. Then he sits politely for a stinky treat, his favorite, Salmon Skins.

After all that work and responsibility, it’s time for a nap!

September 26, 2025

A Day in the Life of Gus as he waits for his forever family!

Gus came to us in May, rescued in “the nick of time” from the shelter in Philly.  Through no fault of his own, he wound up in the shelter after his owner passed.  He was a city boy, a little underweight and initially very confused by suburban living.  Grass, shrubs and trees, kids on bikes, everything was new to him.  It was a little scary!

Since then, he has adjusted beautifully and has done very well.  He LOVES his fenced yard and takes great pride in keeping the squirrels and especially those cheeky chipmunks, in check.

Gus is a great sleeper and a bit Velcro.  He wants to be where you are.  As foster parents, we generally do not let our fosters sleep in the bed with us, but this guy is such a pack fella.  He was just not happy in the dog bed.  Would get up several times a night to check on us, peering over the side of the bed, “you guys ok up there?”.  We found it was much better for everyone sleep-wise, to let him join us.  He sleeps great through the night and gets up with Foster Mom about 7 AM.  He happily checks all corners of his yard, does his business and comes right back in for breakfast.  After saying a polite thank you, he sometimes joins FM on the sofa for the morning news OR goes back upstairs to bed with FD for a bit.

He goes for a morning walk through the neighborhood between 10 and 11, usually about a mile.  He loves to call on Foster Auntie Debby – she has the best treats!   –  and will lead you right up to her door.  He has had a few sleepovers at Auntie Debby’s and is a perfect gentleman.  He also takes the security of her backyard very seriously and will inspect the perimeter.

Gus – calling on FA Debby

The rest of his day is very chill.  He will hang out on FM’s office, lying on his special mat by her desk.  OR he will sit near FD in the sunroom or on the deck.  He loves a good sunbeam.  We have left him alone for 1 to 2 hours at a time.  We give him a snuffle mat to work on and he knows that means we will be out for a time.  He will be waiting by the door upon our return.

Gus walks well on the leash and doesn’t pull.  He loves people and his happy to greet them.  He is gentle with kids and with taking treats.

He does not much care for other dogs. Gus has a “through the fence” friendship with a mini-doodle. They will greet each other through the fence and chase each other back and forth pleasantly enough.  When he first came to us, Gus was reactive to other dogs we encountered on the walk.  We have been working on that, and he has made great progress!  Typically, we will avoid another dog if we see one coming, either by changing direction or pausing behind a car etc.  When there is no way to avoid it, we ask Gus to sit, ignore the other dog, and pay attention to us because we have TREATS!.  This approach has been working very well.  Sometimes, he sits before being asked!  If the other dog starts something, Gus may react but we can hit the RE-set button with a Sit and Treat.  He may never be a dog park kind of guy, but he can be a civilized neighbor.

Gus is a champion snuggler, and will enjoy watching TV with you.  He gets a second, shorter walk about 9 PM and is then ready for bed.

Champion snuggler

This handsome boy would love to snuggle with YOU!

August 30, 2025

Gus is still patiently waiting for his forever family!

Sadly, Baby E’s visit came to an end and she returned to the UK.  Gus is still looking for her at Foster Auntie Debby’s house.

Gus has some questions before hopping down the stairs

Gus greets the day with enthusiasm

Gus had a sleepover at Foster Auntie Debby’s. He settled right in to snuggle mode.

August 14, 2025

Gus is patiently waiting for his forever family!

This snuggle bug would love to stretch out on the sofa with you!  He is excellent company for TV time.  He is also a good watch dog so if the doorbell rings or a dog, barks on the TV, Gus will spring into action, ready to protect you and yours.

Foster mom was traveling last week so to keep things interesting, Gus visited Baby E every day.  They really are good friends!

Baby E came to visit Gus at his house and shared a little rest.

July 27, 2025

Gus is looking for his perfect match!

He would love a fenced yard to run in, watch the birds and chipmunks and yes, sometimes chase them.  And sometimes just to sit and relax in the sun.

Gus enjoys twice-daily walks around the neighborhood.  He has really gotten the hang of suburban life!  He loves greeting people and getting pets.  Still not a big fan of other dogs, but he is doing much better with being calm.  Speedy bicycles are still a bit scary!

Gus and Baby Elizabeth continue to be good buddies.  They are both gentle with each other.

Gus is a Velcro boy and wants to be with his people. Makes him a great Work From Home buddy.  He will curl up next to you while you are working.

July 20, 2025

Gus continues to thrive as a Foster and is ready for his furever home.

Gus had a sleepover at Foster Auntie Debby’s and got to visit with Baby Elizabeth.  They got along just fine.

Sharing is caring!  But Gus wasn’t interested in her cucumber slices.

Which came as a surprise to Baby E!

Gus settled in for his visit and once again proved to be both a great snuggler and work from home buddy.

And continues to be great pals with Dan the Mailman.

Gus is friendly, gentle and loves people!

July 8, 2025

Gus greets every morning with enthusiasm.

Gus knows that Foster Auntie Debby lives nearby and loves to call on her and get a treat.

Even in this heat, our boy enjoys a sunbath.

Gus – may I sit with you?

Our GenZ-er was home for a visit.  Gus was more than ready to snuggle and be a soothing weighted blanket. And then hangout together on the deck.

Gus loves people – men, women and children.  He is gentle and generally well-mannered. Gus is reliable when left alone in the house for short periods. He is a champion snuggler and just loves to be close to his people.

June 21, 2025

Gus rules his domain.

He really enjoys running and playing in the yard, hunting chippies and playing along the fence with his gal pal Ruby, the mini-doodle.  He sometimes takes a toy out to show it to her.  So cute!

Gus enjoys twice-daily walks through the neighborhood, and as previously mentioned, we have been working on being less reactive when we encounter other dogs on the walk.  We have been making progress with this, so much so that we decided to do an introduction to Yellow Lab Taylor.  Things were a little spicy at first, but with some sits and some treats, progress was made.

We also met some kids.  A neighbor’s mom wanted her children to meet Gus because her husband is smitten with him!  Gus was very happy to go right to their door and would have happily marched right into their house!  But the mom called the kids out and Gus got plenty of pets.  He is very gentle and was happy to meet them.

We had our first food-stealing indiscretion.  We left Gus alone for about an hour and came home to him munching on a Ziploc bag of kibble we had been leaving on the kitchen island.  He certainly can counter-surf, but this was the first time he actually did, and boy was he remorseful.  He was scolded, and he was very sorry.  The good news is he knows he was wrong.  Can’t guarantee that he won’t slip again if tempted, so it’s on us to be more careful.

Gus has reached an ideal weight. No more ribs showing.

He continues to be a world champion snuggler.  If you need some dog therapy, then what’s better than a couch snuggle?  Gus is your boy!

June 7, 2025

Gus continues to thrive. Here he is making friends with our landscaper.

He is back to running the fence with his girlfriend, mini-doodle, Ruby.

Gus can be a bit reactive when we encounter other dogs on the walk.  Especially this one border collie that really rubs him the wrong way!  We have been working on learning to regain composure, having a sit and a treat.  Progress!

Gus is very gentle and well-mannered around treats and food.  Here he is waiting patiently but also keeping an eye on the drive-in window at Canes.  And here he is at the root beer place, Webers.  Polite!

We have been increasing the amount of time we leave Gus alone at home and we are up to about an hour and a half.  He is reliable and doesn’t destroy anything.  He would prefer to be with his humans at all times, but he manages.

Gus has a clean bill of health for the Vet at his follow-up visit to neutering.  He has gained a few pounds and could still gain a few more.

This lovely gentleman is ready for his forever home!

May 17, 2025

Gus came through his visit to The Spay Club with flying colors.  Granted, he was feeling a little queasy by the time we arrived, it’s a bit of a slog to DELCO from The Hill in morning traffic, so who could blame him!  Since he hadn’t had any breakfast, no harm, no foul.  As always, such an agreeable fellow, he happily went with the vet techs off to his appointment.  We picked him up that afternoon, cone in place, and he was happy to head back across the bridge, passed out on the back seat.  Gus didn’t like the cone, but he never fussed about it and let us put it on without a struggle.  We took it off at mealtime and on walks, as he was way too busy sniffing to worry about messing with his incision.

What he did object to was not being able to run the backyard fence with his mini-doodle girlfriend.     She came to the fence a few times, calling for him to join her, and that was hard!

Gus & Ruby running the fence.

This video was taken PRE-surgery.  They have never played in the same yard, but seeing the “play bows,” we think they might do well.

On that topic, the initial report from the shelter said that he did ok with other dogs, so maybe?  Our experience has been that he can be a bit reactive when we encounter other dogs on the walk.  He is definitely curious, and so maybe he just wants to have the chance to meet up, but as he wasn’t neutered, we didn’t want to take any chances.  Now that is behind us. we will see if we can make progress in that area.  He does recover quickly and directs his attention back to the walk.

Gus is always friendly with the people we encounter, adults and kids alike.  He wants to say hello, sniff, and get pets.  He is not particularly food-motivated and is picky about treats.  In fact, Foster Auntie Debby stopped her van and offered him a treat.  He took it, gently, then thought better of it and spat it out on the car seat!  NO THANKS

Now that he has settled in, had his surgery, and put on a few pounds, we are getting to know this boy’s personality, and he is fun, loving, sensitive, and playful.  He is a big-time snuggler!  He wants to sit with you and sit on you.  Too big for a lap dog, but he will get his head and shoulders, when he can, on your lap.

He hasn’t chewed up anything, but he will steal a shoe or a slipper and leave it somewhere for you to find. He will chase a ball and bring it back, but then he wants you to fight him for it.  He LOVES Tug-O-War and he is strong.

Gus plays TUG!

He is a good sleeper but also has lots of energy, especially when he first wakes up in the morning and right after dinner.  He gets 2-3 walks a day of .5 to 1 mile, which he loves.  And that little bit of Boxer trait – where he stands up on his hind legs?  He will do that at the fence if he thinks there is something interesting on the other side, and stand there thinking about how to get over.  So a sturdy fenced yard is a must.

Gus doesn’t enjoy car rides the way some of our other fosters have, but he will get in and out of the car easily and rides quietly in the back seat. He gets a car ride once or twice a week just for fun, so that it is not always about going to the vet.  He is a good Work-From-Home buddy, too.  I have to be careful where I roll my office chair!

Our next vet visit will be a follow-up on the neutering and to check his weight.  He has gained a few pounds, and his ribs are less prominent than when he arrived.

May 1, 2025

Show me a dog who knows they are safe and sound!

It’s been just over a week since his rescue ride and Gus has found his happy place.  And yes, I know I said we don’t let the dogs on the furniture!  Well under relentless pressure from his non-stop campaign to reallocate couch resources in his favor, Gus, with the full support of Foster Dad, has won the day.  Gus is a very snuggie fellow and although he is splayed out here – his usual couch position is head buried in the lap, arm, arm of his human.

This week we had a Vet visit.

Gus completely charmed the staff and was very gentle taking treats and letting them take a blood sample.

He checked out great!  Just needs to gain about 7-8 pounds.

Gus continues to enjoy the flowers in his new surroundings.

Gus had a bath this week and it was beyond chaotic so there is no visual record of the event.  Seems that baths may not be his favorite thing? Or maybe it was a new experience?  In any case, the vet recommends he be bathed weekly with oatmeal shampoo for the next little while to relieve dry skin which makes his back itchy.  He is so soft and silky now!  And after a bid event like that, especially one that involves a car ride, a trip to Starbucks is required.

Puppacino for Gus – SO GENTLE!!!

April 25, 2025

Show me a dog who knows they are going to a better place!Through no fault of his own, labmix, Guy wound up in the shelter in Philly after his owner passed and the police picked him up as a stray.  His time was running short! Brookline Volunteers picked up Guy from the shelter in the nick of time for his rescue ride to New Jersey!

On arrival in Cherry Hill, Guy inspected his surroundings carefully.  This boy is from Philly so a fenced yard with grass (well, ok, moss) and trees must have felt a little bit like Mars.Not interested in dinner or even treats.  Took a walk around the new neighborhood and marked everywhere!  Paid a visit to Auntie Debby and gently took a peanut butter treat from her.  Then back home to CRASH!The Suburbs – Day 2

A beautiful day in the neighborhood!  Guy – is now Gus!  He didn’t answer to Guy anyway and we found Gus was a lot easier to say?  He seems to have caught on to his new name rather quickly so maybe it is a better fit for him too?  He spent his first night sleeping on the bed in the family room – he was too tired to make the move upstairs so Foster Dad stayed downstairs with him.  He slept well.  Morning walk to explore the neighborhood and the landscaping a bit more.  Made friends with the Mailman! Still not that interested in food or treats but finally ate some kibble.  Pro Tip:  put a little shredded cheese on it.  That afternoon Gus found his crate.Day 3 and Gus greeted the day with enthusiasm and scampers!

Then he took some time to smell the flowers.

We don’t allow our Fosters on the furniture, leaving that decision to the adoptive parents.  Here is Gus attempting to negotiate a new furniture sharing agreement. Gus is very big on marking his new territory.  He thought it would be a good idea to mark inside the house too.  Foster Mom did not agree so he is wearing a bellyband for the time being until he catches on to acceptable indoor behavior. He has also been trying to dominate/mount his foster folks a bit but willing to bet as he settles in a gets more comfortable and confident that will go away too.  He is eager to please and very gentle.  Gus is very thin, ribs showing.  Until we have a vet visit, not sure what his weight should be but certain he could gain some pounds.  So now that we know he will eat kibble, we decided to try some chicken from Cains.