Lawrence Black Labrador Retriever Mix Male 6 Years Old ID#2789

Lawrence was in a shelter in South Carolina after being found as a stray.  Lucky Lawrence was pulled from the shelter by a volunteer who made arrangements to send him North to become part of the Brookline family.  He is approximately 6 years old, and weighs in at about 50lbs.  Lawrence is safe in a foster home.  Please read Lawrence’s blog from the bottom up.

April 2, 2021

Larry is very affectionate, easy going, calm, sweet and behaves well.  He loves to be loved.  He is love motivated but he is not a Velcro dog.  He will take what he can get then snuggle up on the couch on his own.  If you tell him you are done, he seems to understand and lays down.  Larry is very trainable.  He understood his new name within a few hours and is eager to please for a kiss.  I’ve had many dogs over the years and, by far, Larry is the easiest dog to care for.  Some other positive traits of Larry are that he doesn’t beg, doesn’t bark (may whine when walking because he wants to play), loves other dogs, walks well (likes to smell everything!), doesn’t chew (he will carry things to his bed like a shoe but won’t chew it), cat friendly, house trained and crate trained (although not necessary). Sometimes he will go in his crate on his own, but I don’t lock it.

Now poor Larry went through quite a rough patch, prior to arriving at Brookline.  He was a stray in SC.  Shelter workings realized how special he was and took him in, until they could ship him north.  When he arrived, he was not that pretty but NOW has a full body of fur.  He cleaned up very well, for an old man.  He still has a few spots under his belly, neck and elbows which may not grow back completely.  He is as cute as can be and, when he looks at you with those big brown eyes, you can’t help but to hug and kiss him.  He has learned how to use those eyes to his advantage.

Larry does suffer from allergies.  We have the allergies under control but, unfortunately, he will need to remain on Apoquel his entire life.  This expense is monthly and approximately $100.  Ask your vet for a 58 lb. dog and rewards program for exact cost.

Larry will immediately become a part of any family. A daily walk and a fenced in yard will make life easier for you.  I have three dogs and I do not have a fenced in yard.  We take several walks throughout the day.  Larry loves to explore and, if you don’t have a fence, you may be spending some time untangling leads or running after him (I’m exhausted).  He loves to sit outside on our hill and just enjoys being out in the fresh air. Larry loves life.

Please consider bringing this loving, terrific dog into your home.  He deserves a forever home!

March 15, 2021

Larry, who we now affectionately call, “Oh…Larry, Larry Larry, everyone love’s Larry”. Larry makes a great first impression and it doesn’t stop there. This little guy has become a part of our family and his brothers, who are all twice his size,  will miss him as well.  Larry loves to roam on his long lead which leads to me fetching him every-time he goes out being wrapped around a branch, chair, trees etc.  He loves to go out in the mornings and sit and soak up the sun and sniff.  Larry loves exploring and taking in his surroundings. He just seems  to enjoy nature and life!  He seems very pre-occupied sniffing and not realizing his surroundings.  In my opinion, this is probably how he ended up as a stray. He just knows to many commands to not have been taught earlier.  He is just now getting the hang of eating out of his bowl without me telling him it is ok.

Larry likes to play but preferably with other dogs his size.  His siblings start to play and, because of their size,  he runs to a safe place.  He is a gentle soul and rather not play rough.  He has played with and enjoys smaller dogs in the neighborhood.

We have had Larry for about two months.  He has just now started to play with humans and go to bed upstairs on his own.   He was attached to our hip, but he is now more independent.  Whomever adopts him will quickly realize that Larry is very sensitive.  He only wants to please his human.  I don’t think he would respond well to being reprimanded. That said,  I don’t think you would ever have to.  He’s such a good little guy!

This past weekend, we had a house full of teenagers.  He loves people.  He blended in very well.  Everyone loves Larry.  He sat right in the middle of all of them at the fire looking for droppings. He doesn’t really beg unless you are my husband because he knows he will give him something.  He also doesn’t hang at my feet while I’m cooking hoping to receive a little which is a nice switch from my other dogs.  Maybe Larry can teach my dogs a thing or two.

Larry doesn’t have much of a voice.  He rarely barks.  If he does, it’s to the dog next door to say hi.  Even when my dogs start howling at sirens, he looks at them like they are crazy.

Last week I took him to the vet.  Vet just loooved Larry! His fur is growing in nicely.  The Apoquel was working great but we wanted to try Cytopoint which might last longer and be more cost effective to manage his allergies.  Both products have controlled his scratching.  The vet found some bacteria still remaining on some bare spots so he is on antibiotics.  It should be cleared up within a week.  I’m hoping with a month, Larry will be ready to adopt.  He will have another vet appointment at that time and we can decide which medicine is best for him.

Here is a picture of Larry driving.  He doesn’t mind the car at all.  I had to pick him up to get him out.  He is just a sweetheart.

February 13, 2021

Larry has been, as usual, sweet, easy going and snuggly. He has started playing with the resident dogs this week and also realized that a couch and bed are much more comfortable than the floor.  He actually won’t get up unless asked.  He is very polite that way.  Sometimes, he gets the courage to get up without permission but he looks at you with those brown eyes and kind of slides up waiting for us to say something . He still prefers his crate at night but during the day I leave him out since he has shown he can be trusted.  Sometimes when I come home he will be in his crate sleeping.

I bought Larry an Easy Walk harness where the leash hooks on his chest.  It worked wonders.  He hasn’t pulled at all.  When we walk by other dogs he whimpers a little, because he wants to play, then goes on his way sniffing.
He walks in pace with the resident dogs and prances proudly like he is part of the pack.

Attached are some photos of Larry’s fur (before and after pictures). His fur is coming in nicely and is now shiny, soft and black thanks to some salmon oil and good food. He is well on his way to a full body of fur.

Larry has some playful attributes. He likes to take his toys to his bed and hide them from the resident dogs.  He doesn’t chew on any of it and it’s almost like he is cleaning up. If only my children would clean that well. He also won’t eat his food unless he is given permission. Larry loves to prance when he is excited. He loves to be with us when we are watching tv. He’s a snuggler and will curl up in your lap in an instant.

Larry is just a wonderful dog and has been a joy!

February 4, 2021

The first full week with Larry has come and gone so quickly. He has settled in nicely and it seems like he’s been with us much longer. Larry has lots of energy, mostly in the morning, for a six year old. My Newfie’s just don’t have the energy to keep up.  He enjoys playing with his toys and just seems to enjoy life. His tail never stops wagging. He enjoys our walks and the fresh air, new smells, people and other dogs he wants to meet. He met a Golden named Harley and played very nicely.

Larry did find his voice this week.  Edith lives next door and she and Larry like to talk to each when they are both out. Edith will be leaving the neighborhood this weekend so he will have to find a new friend to “talk” to.

The one big thing we learned about this sweet guy is that he loves to snuggle. His fur is growing in nicely since his scratching has subsided. 

January 31, 2021

Larry has been getting along well with his new siblings.  He likes to grab up all the toys and store them in his bed. We have the itching under control for now, but we’re still trying to uncover what he is allergic to.

He has quickly learned how to snuggle. He seemed timid at first, like he was going to get scolded, but then snuggled up after a few attempts.  He loves to eat but will wait until I put his bowl down.  He doesn’t touch the other bowls of food that sit out 24/7.

He won’t bother you at the table but sitting on the couch with food is a different story.  It’s a good way to teach your family to eat at the table.  He has settled into our routine nicely and seems comfortable.

January 30, 2021

After the van ride from South Carolina, Lawrence (Larry) settled in pretty quickly. Larry is a mix, weighing about 50lbs and is about 6 yrs old.  He is very friendly, sweet and his tail that doesn’t stop wagging.  I’m told he gets along with cats and I’m sure he is good with kids.

He loves to be pet but doesn’t snuggle as of yet.  I’m not sure if he knows what a couch is yet due to him being a stray.  The introduction to the resident dogs went quicker than expected due to Larry’s great nature.  It took only a day to settle in and he is very easy going.  He has spurts of energy but settles in the dog bed in the sun nicely.

Unfortunately, Larry was itching non stop on arrival.  We got him to the vet and we are working on clearing up his allergies.  Larry is house and crate trained and listens to being asked to sit. He loves to explore so we will have to be careful he does not stray. He needs some work on a leash as he pulls. We are happy Lawrence has arrived here safely and looking forward to finding him a great forever home.