Larson Chocolate Merle Labrador Retriever Mix Male 2.5 Years Old ID#3582

May 25, 2025

Larson has become just the best boy as he relaxes into home life. He’s such a sweetheart of a dog, with just a bit of sass.

We’ve learned some of his quirks, like that his favorite show of affection is getting head scratches, with both hands. If he feels like you haven’t done enough, he will raise his paw and do a bit of a wave. If you’re close enough to him he’ll gently put the paw on your leg as if to say “Keep going.”

He loves to lay out in the cold sand each morning (after some digging in the sand), the cold patio pavers in the afternoon, and while inside prefers the laminate floors over the rugs. He’s started to enjoy some dog beds though. He loves to help with watering the plants, but he isn’t the most careful of gardeners and sometimes he mistakes a garden bed for a walking path.

We’ve been letting him sleep free in our closed bedroom at night, because he wasn’t a fan of being away from people. We’ve tested his trustworthiness a couple times during short daytime outings, and only had a small issue on the one day we were in a rush and couldn’t give him time to exercise the zoomies that morning. He has calmed down quite a bit while we’re in the house, but still gets his daily adolescent dog energy bursts outside. He loves to be chased. He has started to warm up to toys more, and while he seems to understand that he is supposed to chase the ball during fetch, he’s still missing the key component of picking it up and bringing it back. I’m really just playing fetch with myself and he’s playing a game of chase. While he hasn’t been aggressive during play, he doesn’t seem to know his own size and can have some body checking against those he is playing with.

He is still at an awkward stage with the cats. He is not aggressive towards them at all, but he doesn’t seem to understand that the cats want their own personal space. He just wants to be friends and sniff them because that’s what friends do, right? He’s easily redirected just by talking to him and telling him to stop and let them be.

Overall, he has been a joy to have. He’s a playful dog who will need the leadership and confidence of a sibling dog.

May 19, 2025

Another day, another sand nap.

Today started with an early day, starting up the smoker for some sweet, sweet-smelling meats. While we were on the patio getting everything ready, Larson took the lazy route and left me with all of the work as he assumed his favorite spot back in the sand. The tree shades the sand pit through the early afternoon, and the nice, cold sand must be super comfortable for him to prefer it over anywhere else. Maybe he really just likes the Dune series? I’ve asked him, but he never seems to respond. He likes to dig if he’s feeling playful and will burrow into his new (small) trench. He’ll only do this in the sand, though, never the dirt, so far. Is he trying to be the sandworm? It’s making sense now.

Larson becomes less of a Velcro dog as he gets more comfortable. Sometimes he’ll be at my hip as we go in and out repeatedly for the smoker, other times he’ll hang out in the sand or living room and chill for a bit. He always seems to be down for a small co-op adventure, but he’s willing to be his own as well.

He is starting to respond to his name, which I assume was provided by the shelter. He doesn’t have much response to basic commands, but he’s getting more familiar with the “crate” command, and will walk into the crate after some convincing. As he has become more comfortable in our house, it’s not his favorite spot but he will go in on his own. He was restless (but quiet) in his crate last night, so we let him spend the second half of it loose in our bedroom, and he did very well. We’ll continue to keep him accustomed to his crate but test his trustworthiness outside of it.

He hasn’t been destructive at all, except to a stuffed dog toy. It had a pre-existing condition, thanks to Bear, so I think Larson just took advantage and helped relieve the bear of some stuffing. He hasn’t shown much interest in toys, so we allowed this under supervision. It’s been nice to see him become himself again and not a shy shelter dog.

May 18, 2025

Today was another great day for Larson.

We start and end our days with a walk down our street. He’s doing quite well! He’s still a little unsure of unfamiliar situations, but he is doing better than expected on his harness leash. We’ve had a handful of walks so far, sometimes short, sometimes a little longer. He likes being in a group, though, as he will walk further and with more confidence when he has three human friends with him. When he’s confident, he’s walking at my side with a loose lead. He can be a bit of a sidewalk hog, though, walking against my leg and nudging me towards the grass. If we come across a dog saying hello from their house, he tends to pull just a little as we walk back home.

Crate training is going well. Sleeping through night 2 was just as easy as night 1, and we had our first midday shopping trip leaving him crated and alone with (free-roaming) Bear. He settled after a couple minutes of complaining, as soon as I reassured him through the camera. He spent the remainder of the 2 hours napping peacefully.

We’ve tested food, toy, and treat aggression, and he’s just the best of boys, showing zero hostility. He gave us full cooperation for a much-needed brushing. He had his first face-to-face encounter with one of the cats, who still seems a bit mysterious. He’s certainly curious and was trying to sneak a sniff, but showed no prey drive towards her. We’ll continue to monitor carefully and safely as they interact, but initial meetings were good. This cat is stubborn, fearless, and stands her ground, so we’re not sure how a scared or running cat would intrigue him. We had another human visitor and a couple more deliveries, both of which were uneventful. It was only after Bear barked at me when entering my own house (the audacity, right?) that Larson joined in as they ran to the foyer to see who I was. He seems to pick up on the queues from other dogs well.

May 17, 2025

Larson has found a foster home with Brookline Lab Rescue!

Larson has made quite a journey this past year, but we’re happy to have him in our household as we find his forever home.

He was pulled from a shelter where he was taking up residence with two of his brothers, Shooter and Happy. If you’re a fan of comedy movies, you’ll notice the Happy Gilmore reference with their names.

In the shelter, Larson was quite shy and uncertain of his surroundings. He would look to his favorite handlers to make sure everything was okay when he wasn’t sure himself. I can’t blame him; they’re generally not known for quiet resort-like features. I can say, though, he’s warming up to home life and is enjoying the change of scenery. Things are still new to him, but he’s adjusting very well. He’s discovered a love of nice cool sand in the backyard and will lay there over anywhere else.

Not too long after his rescue ride, he met the resident Brookline rescue Bear and they became quick friends. At first sight from across the yard, play mode was immediately initiated. He would do very well with another adolescent dog that can match his energy levels. While Bear isn’t old, he does have some bad joints that slow him down. Bear’s desire to play is there, but his body says otherwise. I think we can all relate to that in some way. Larson will calm down nicely, though, hanging out in the living room, sprawled out across the floor.

Crate training began on night 1, and he was not a fan at first. He did not like being on his own, especially in a new area after an extended stay at the shelter. I slept on the couch in the same room, and he didn’t make a single noise after I came back into the room. He loves company. I know for a fact that he slept better than I did, as he was snoozing away with his legs straight up in the air when I woke up through the night. What a goofball. With the thunderstorm that rolled through the area today, we got hit pretty hard with some of the severe parts. I think Larson is learning the benefits of his own personal safe space, as he went and hung out in the crate to ride out the storm and eventually took a nap once things calmed down. I believe he’ll adjust to crate training very well, but time will tell.

So far today has been pretty quiet. We’ve had a delivery driver knock on the door, a bus stop full of kids with a dog out front, and a visitor come into the house. None of these bothered him at all. He really is just a good boy. With this unique brownie batter/cookie dough coat coloring, he’s quite a looker, too!

May 14, 2025

Larson is currently looking for a foster or a foster to adopt family through Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue to spring him from the shelter. Unfortunately the longer he is in the shelter, the higher the risk that he will be euthanized for space. Larson arrived at the shelter after he was found stray with two littermates.
Larson is about 2.5 years old and has a beautiful Merle coat. He is shy with new people and just learning about toys and how to walk on a leash but has that typical sweet Lab personality with those he trusts.
Larson is looking for that special someone who will patiently help him build trust, and he will give that love back tenfold. Larson is just learning to walk on a leash, so he will need a fenced yard, and someone with experience in leash training an adult dog.

If you can help Larson, please contact Brookline at info@BrooklineLabRescue.org or go to https://brooklinelabrescue.org/application-for-volunteering-fostering/ for more information.