Hank #6 Yellow Labrador Retriever Male 5 Months Old ID#3376

Hank arrived into Brookline’s care from a breeder that was looking to rehome Hank and his littermates (Lou, Sherman and Tug) since he wasn’t able to sell them.  Please read his blog from the bottom up.

June 29, 2023

If you are looking for your next “Ride or Die,” Hank is your guy! He’s got an easy laid back personality and loves to just be near his people both inside and outside.  Where I go, Hank goes and settles down next to my feet. I think he wonders why I move around so much.  Just when he gets comfortable I go somewhere else…LOL.

Hank will keep you laughing with his goofy ways.  He’s got the nickname “Hanky Panky” around here because he is very inquisitive and likes to check out all things human that you are using, or putting on, especially shoes! The good news is that he is easily redirected to a dog toy or chew and he is very reliable on free roam with the other dogs when we leave the house.  He is only interested in non-dog items when his person is using them.Hank is great with the resident dogs, and defers to them readily.  Hank is in the monkey see, monkey do puppy stage so when he is outside happily follows the other dogs around the yard.  He runs tree to tree with Sammy while he is looking for squirrels but has no clue why they are checking the trees out.  Hank just thinks the trees are a good chew.

He’s great about not stealing someone else’s toys while they are using them and waits for them to be done before grabbing it.

He’s not bothered at all by another dog approaching him when he has something.

Hank even puts up with Sammy’s obnoxious play style in stride.

Hank has no problem with vacuum cleaners and followed me around from room to room while I was cleaning and actually decided to take a nap and didn’t stir when I vacuumed around him.

When I’m working in the office, Hank makes himself comfortable under the desk.  He lets you know if he’s bored with little whines, and mouthing the desk legs but can easily be redirected and entertained with squeaky toys and chews, and after a few minutes of solo play, he settles in for a nap until I’m done working.

Hank enjoys his daily walk, and does a great job on leash.  He doesn’t require a lot of exercise to settle in the house.  He will retrieve the ball and bring it back for another toss but is usually content after a few throws and will just sit and chew on the ball or stroll around the yard sniffing. Hank seems to enjoy the water and has started to dip his toes in the pool and likes to put his whole snout under the water!

Hank will be the best-est of a friend for any type of adopter!

June 24, 2023

This is foster Mom with update on Hank.  He is a wonderful pup!  He is huge at 5 months old.  He is taller than my resident 12 yo lab and just about the same height and weight (69lbs) as foster Sammy.  I can imagine he is going to be a big boy when he grows up!! He is great with both dogs and respects their cues and happily tags along behind them.Hank has not had any accidents in the house and can hold it like a champ!  For the first two days, he was only going once every 10hrs even though he was drinking a lot of water.  Today, and yesterday, he did all his business first thing in the morning, and then pee’d again around 1pm so I think he’s realizing it’s okay to go and he doesn’t have to hold it in. Hank had dirty ears when he arrived so he got a good ear cleaning.  He was a great patient and allowed me to get them clean and didn’t try to run away.  He has quickly mastered the carpeted stairs and has no problem going up and down them now.He’s not really interested in kibble even when I mixed in sardines but devoured a can of wet puppy food.  Today and yesterday, he did better eating with a mix of 1/2 kibble and 1/2 wet.  He’s a somewhat on the chubby side so I’m not concerned with his eating.His favorite toy by far is the tennis ball and playing fetch outside.  He will occasionally chew on a soft toy or hard chew but it doesn’t hold his attention very long.  His main focus is staying close to people and interacting with them and getting lots of loving,  so I’m using pets and kisses and ball throwing for his rewards for good behavior instead of treats as he’s not really food motivated.He loves being with his people, and is not far from me or my husband.  He is our shadow both inside and outside and doesn’t get too far away from us.  He is very loving and likes getting kisses and belly scratches.  He’s learning how to entertain himself and has discovered the paper in the waste basket in my office is pretty fun to rip up.  When I’m in the office, he’ll come over often for attention – kisses and scratches and a couple of ball/toy tosses but then will settle under my desk at my feet.

We currently have construction going on in the house and Hank has done really well with all the activity.  He greets everyone with a wagging tail and readily accepts their pets.  He also met some of our friend’s last night and was very interactive and made fast friends with them.Hank is a curious boy, checks out new things readily.  Last night was the first time since he arrived that we have had the TV on and oh boy was he interested.  My husband put on a Rocky music video and Hank gave Rocky some cheers while he was doing his rope jumping and squats.  LOL.

Hank is wonderful on leash and does really good on our daily walks.  He likes to follow along behind me and never pulls even when he sees deer and squirrels.  He’s not bothered by passing cars or people.  So far we haven’t encountered other dog walkers on the walks we’ve taken but I anticipate that he’ll do great passing them by.

He does still have puppy antics like stealing shoes, clothing, and investigating everything but he hasn’t chewed any non-dog items and gives everything right back and is easily redirected to something else.Hank is a big, goofy, loving boy who is going to make any lab lover super happy!

June 22, 2023

Hank here!  This is my first update and boy do I have a lot to tell you!

Yesterday two nice ladies came to my farm and made me and my brothers do all sorts of tricks and things for them.  They said they were evaluating us so they could find us nice homes.  Well after that, they split us up and took us to this place called the vet.  We were all really excited to see where we were going but they said we did good in the car.  I was a good boy at the vet but they stuck some sharp things in me and I didn’t like it but I didn’t say anything about it. The vet said I was a super handsome boy too!When we were all done, I met two more nice ladies took me for another drive with my brother Tug.  When we got to there house, there was another nice lady there who told me she was my new foster mom and that we had another hour to go before we got to her house.  Well, she was wrong because there was traffic so it took an extra half hour.  Foster Mom brought me some new toys so that kept me busy and I really liked looking out the windows.  I didn’t lay down until foster mom said we were almost home.When we got there it was already 6:45pm.  FM let me sniff around the yard and then she said she had a surprise for me.  I was going to have two new fur brothers to play with!  I met Max first and then Sammy.  FM said Max is really chill and he was.  He let me sniff him and we walked around the yard together. Next I met Sammy.  He’s got more energy than Max so I tried to follow him around but boy is that guy fast.  He disappeared into the woods so me and Max went hunting for him.

I also met my foster Dad.  I really liked him and walked around the yard with him while he was picking up sticks and looking for “landmines.”We stayed outside for a long time.  We all got along really well and FD was fun to hang out with.

I loved playing fetch with the tennis ball and then FM said it was time for a bath.  She thought I should clean off the mud pie from a cow that I just happened to sit in before we left the farm before it was time for bed.  I’m not sure why she didn’t really like my farm cologne but I figured I better be on my best behavior because this place was fun so far!

I was really good in the bath.  I didn’t try to jump out or anything.  I didn’t mind when FM said she had to shampoo me a few more times to get rid of that cologne, the scratches felt good. So when we went to get a bath, I climbed these tall stairs but after the bath, FM said we had to go down.  There was no way I was doing that so FD carried me down. After that FM took me to my room and said that Max was going to stay with me and her.  Sammy stayed upstairs with FD.  I tried out the dog bed just like Max but decided I wanted to snuggle with FM instead. I was glad when she didn’t really mind.  We had a good sleep and I woke up around 4:30am.  FM said we should go outside again since I hadn’t peed since I got there.  Well, I still didn’t have to go, and we came back in to sleep a little more.We got up around 5:30am, and me, Max and Sammy went outside and I still didn’t pee!  I’m just used to holding it.  FM gave us breakfast but I wasn’t hungry yet.  Her food is not like my old food so I think I’ll hold out to see what else she has. After breakfast, I met my human foster brother.  He was nice and we played some fetch. I brought my ball with me, and FM thought it was funny when I fell asleep on the ball. FM took me out again at 7am and she was so happy that I peed.  I didn’t know peeing was such a big deal!  We went back inside and FM said that she had to go.  She left me in my bedroom and I didn’t like that one bit and I let FD know. When FM got home we went for a walk.  She said that I was a great walking partner for Max as we both walk the  same speed behind her.

It’s been a busy day, and FM said she had to get some work done so we went in her office.  It was so boring…  FM gave me toys and expected me to play by myself.  Piggy is fun to squeak and he reminds me of the farm because the farmer called me “Porky.” LOL!

Well I wanted to help her with her papers but she kept telling me I couldn’t take them off her desk so I figured I’d just take a nap under her desk.FM said she was going to try giving me my food again soon and I’m getting a little hungry now so I’m going to get off the computer.  Talk to you all again real soon!!