Seamus Silver Labrador Retriever 6 Years Old ID #2376

December 7, 2023

With the cold weather, Seamus has been VERY snuggly!

He has been enjoying lots of hikes in Wissahickon Valley Park. He is like a new pup, so energetic and happy. He can hike happily for miles–we even went for 5.5 miles the other day! Seamus has less skin and allergy issues in the winter. Additionally, we have been having wins at home–when he first came to his foster mom’s home, he panicked when she left, going to the bathroom in the house or barking in the crate for hours. Now, he enjoys a peanut butter bone and sleeps on his bed with the whole apartment to himself until she comes home! We are crossing our fingers that his streak of no accidents or mischief keeps going! He even has been getting along with the cat! This is a big win because when Seamus first arrived the cat and him didn’t get along too well. Seamus enjoyed all the yummy smells on Thanksgiving day and is respectful of the Christmas tree. He is truly settling in and becoming more trusting. He still is VERY Velcro and will follow you EVERYWHERE, but it is mostly out of love! Seamus’s seizures are still too often, and the vet just increased his medicine. When he is fully regulated on a dose of seizure medication that works for him, he will be ready for his forever home!

November 1, 2023

Seamus turned SIX! He celebrated with a long walk and cuddles with mom after heading to his favorite pet shop to find the perfect bone! Seamus is so well loved his friends from all over the nation send him treat $ to spend at the pet shop.

Seamus is a happy pup and loves visiting places in Conshohocken that he is allowed to go to. This Saturday he got to enjoy the sunshine with his foster mom at Brunch. They gave him a bowl of water and a PUP cup! He was a big fan. He finished the weekend going to Trunk or Treat at church and as always he was a welcome addition! The church members love Seamus! He is “the church dog.”

Seamus’s foster grandpop jokes that Seamus is more like a dog these days. Trying to eat everything he sees, wanting to play with other dogs, running around playfully. It’s been a treat!

October 16, 2023

Seamus had a sleepover with another foster volunteer in the rescue last weekend and enjoyed watching the Phillies game and going on trips with her. He is the best companion and wants to go everywhere with you. Seamus is a very Velcro dog, but is doing better when he goes to a new space with a new person. Seamus’s sitter took him to Chestnut Hill for a festival and helped sell doggie swag. He was the star of the show.

Seamus has been having an itchy fall! We went to the vet on Friday and treated his skin infection. Seamus is on sensitive skin and stomach food and takes regular baths, but because of his epilepsy he cannot take oral flea preventative. Unfortunately, his flea collar didn’t protect him from some fleas last month and he got a skin infection from the allergic reaction. Seamus is on the mend! The vet was so complementary of how much of a good dog he was.

Over the past two weeks, Seamus has had 3 seizures. We are still working out regulating his medicine so that he can be on a medicine with less side effects. He truly is a different dog now that he has been weaned off of one of the medicines. We see the light at the end of the tunnel and want to set him up for success. Until then, he continues to grow more comfortable with other people, dogs, and circumstances.

September 18, 2023

Seamus went to New England!

Seamus went on a vacation (again). He rode in the car like a trooper and saw the sunrise over NYC, had breakfast in Providence, RI (and wooed all whom he met) and finally landed in mid coast Maine for the week. Seamus loved playing in a backyard, swimming in the Maine Gulf, playing with four little kids and their large lab Weaver. Seamus was flexible, sweet and a big love bug all week.

At the end of the week, Seamus went on hikes at Acadia National Park, went swimming at Sand Beach, and sunbathed on the rocks–what a life!

The end of the week was a drive through New Hampshire with lots of fun views and new friends, a camping trip in the rain and a hike to a waterfall in Massachusetts. Seamus’s foster mom is trying to figure out who went on vacation-her or Seamus. What is beautiful is just how ‘go with the flow’ Seamus is! He handles long car rides with no anxiety or antsy behavior at all. He greets all the strangers and dogs with a smile and a wagging tail. One notable night was when we arrived at the campsite after a long drive. It was raining so Seamus couldn’t get much of a walk in. We put on rain jackets, walked to go potty, ate dinner, and hopped in the back of the Subaru and spent the evening reading by the lantern. Seamus slept right next to me all night, snuggling. The next morning, we woke up and went on a hike to a waterfall and he was so happy to experience all of his surroundings. Seamus truly is a one of a kind companion and is happiest right by your side like a true lab.

August 21, 2023

Seamus is being so flexible these days, which is teaching us more and more about his demeanor. Seamus has been having sleepovers and meeting new friends! The first friend is Scout, a young pup who loves to run and play. Seamus is a mouthy playful pup that can be intimidating for other dogs, and he doesn’t prefer dogs to immediately sniff his behind. So, as you can imagine it has been hard to tell when Seamus feels safe to play with a pup. But, with Scout he jumped right in and played a LOT! Seamus seems to get along best with female dogs.

Seamus got a chance to spend the weekend with another foster in the rescue Bronco. Bronco is a male young lab puppy. We slowly introduced them and they were napping together in no time!

This felt like a big win! Every day Seamus shows up to be a more predictable pup now that he feels loved, cared for, and safe in his home! A lot of shuffling has caused him to have anxiety and to be very Velcro. However, Seamus is a perfect example of how fostering can truly save a pup! Seamus is up for adoption soon; we hope you’ll consider him in your forever home if it is a good fit!!

August 7, 2023

Seamus has had an eventful month!

He went to Virginia with his foster mom and went hiking at two state parks: Grayson Highlands State Park in Mouth of Wilson, VA and the Natural Bridge State Park in Natural Bridge, VA. We stopped for a pit stop in Roanoke to meet our friend Scout! Scout is a rescue too and really wants a new friend. Seamus enjoyed playing with Scout and it was a great opportunity for socialization! Seamus gets along great with female dogs, and especially ones that are smaller than him.

Seamus likes to hike and explore with his people, but in the summertime can only really do about 2 miles. In the cooler weather he can hike 4 miles!

Seamus did great traveling in the car. Because Seamus likes to sleep he was a trooper on the ride home. Seamus makes traveling a breeze! Seamus is having the summer of his life- stay tuned for his next blog entry to hear about his trip to WNC!

July 18, 2023

Seamus has been on a vacation this past week! He was a trooper on the 10 hour drive to South Carolina, sleeping most of it.

When we got to Greenville, Seamus met his foster mom’s niece and nephew who are ages 5 and 7.

He loved playing with them and was so gentle with them. They have deemed him the “best dog they’ve ever met” and can’t wait to see where his forever home is. Seamus met a new pup named Lucy who was unsure of him because of his size. Seamus gave her plenty of space and they were able to be together in the house because of that consideration!

Seamus spent the rest of the week at his foster grandparents’ home and loved running around on the 6 acres and watering the garden each morning with his foster grandma. Seamus met two new cats on this visit. He is not aggressive with cats but VERY curious and will chase them. If he sees them through the door, he will lounge at the door. So, while he can be around a cat from time to time, it is likely best if he isn’t sharing a home with an indoor cat. Overall, Seamus had a great visit and was very flexible, sharing his love with all his new friends! Seamus is always up for an adventure!

July 5, 2023

A Special Fourth of July update for Seamus! Many pups find the week of independence day stressful because of all the fireworks. NOT Seamus! He barely noticed the fireworks were happening and was such a good pup all weekend long. He even was excited to get his nails cleaned at the spa for the special festivities. Lots of dogs were barking and he was so good for the groomer.

Seamus has been practicing his socialization with other dogs and little people. He is very gentle with kids and teens. He does like a calm space to come home to. It certainly makes going places with him easy, though!

These summer days have been hard for Seamus to stay cool so he doesn’t spend much time outdoors in the afternoon. Seamus is the type of dog that would go on a big hike or a long walk, or nothing at all if it is raining.

That’s a quality you want in a doggo! Seamus is very go with the flow. His priority is being with his people, nothing else.

June 23, 2023

Seamus has been experimenting staying home with a different set ups that works best for his separation issue, because his foster mom has been training out on her bicycle. He is doing great! Seamus sits by the door for the entire time his foster mom is gone patiently waiting for her return. The crate has been a source of great anxiety for him and leaving him out of the crate has created a better dynamic for everyone. Seamus is not destructive or snoopy. A dog owner’s dream lab! He doesn’t even counter surf!

Seamus has been learning to fetch! His foster mom is beginning to wean him off Phenobarbital and it has its ups and downs. We have had two seizures in the past 4 weeks but the vet says that is to be expected. But one “up” is that he has more energy (woohoo!) he has such big smiles, tail wags, and a playful attitude these days.

June 4, 2023

Seamus got to participate in his foster mom’s big fundraiser at work! She works at a church that sells parking for the Devon Horse Show for 10 days straight! So, Seamus got to go to work with her a lot and hang out with so many people!

He was patient and slept out of the way and didn’t cause a single issue, most people didn’t even know he was there! The patrons all loved the Horse Show Parking mascot and Seamus liked helping fundraiser for a good cause. He is having so many opportunities for socialization with other dogs and friends lately and he is handling it really well. Seamus has begun to wag his tail more often and smile a lot—we think he is getting very comfortable and “at home” after some stressful transitions. Seamus is an easy going laid back dog who just wants to be by your side!

May 22, 2023

Seamus had a sleepover in New Jersey in early May and did so great! It was his first time away from his foster mom and he was a good boy! He was so well behaved and made a new friend! After he came home, he had really missed his foster mom so they had to work on some training for separation anxiety.

On May 9, he had a 1 minute seizure and hopped up right after. This is only his second seizure (last one was March 27) since he’s been with me. His seizures are relatively short and he hasn’t gone to the bathroom during them, which is a plus! He usually is really energetic the day after his seizure and it is like nothing happened. It feels scary if you haven’t experienced it, but the vet reminds us that he doesn’t remember his seizures and our priorities are to just to keep him safe when he is having one.  Make sure he doesn’t fall down steps or anything during them.

We are still working on the right combination of medicine to help control the seizures.  Once that is figured out, we will have a better handle on his personality and he will be ready for his forever home!

May 6, 2023

Seamus went on an adventure!

A couple weekends ago Seamus and his foster mom tried camping together in Shenandoah  and he was a PRO (she thinks he may have done this before…). Seamus slept the whole 4 hour trip and laid down while we set up camp.

He kept away from the food and fire and laid on his designated towel as we made meals. At the end of the day each day, Seamus went straight to the tent, climbed in and snuggled next to his foster mom all night. He slept like a log and even slept in the next morning. He was good about going potty outside the campsite on our night and morning walks.

Seamus even hiked about 7 miles one day which ended with some playing in the creek to cool down. He loved every bit of it and smiled the whole time. Seamus is a very docile dog, but he showed us he can also be flexible and hang in all sorts of environments!

April 15, 2023

Over the past week, Seamus has been adjusting to a new medicine as he was experiencing side effects from the other medication. He is doing well, but is very tired. Still when he is awake he is a happy cuddly pup. He is so flexible; he could nap ALL day or he could go for a 3 mile hike! As long as he is by your side, he is a happy camper.

Now that Seamus is comfortable at his new foster home, we have been practicing crating! Seamus is learning how to be in the crate while I am at work in the mornings. We freeze peanut butter in a kong for him, and he goes in the crate while I am getting ready. Then, when I leave for work, he gets a treat and I turn on the television so he can catch up on current events and talk shows! He barks for a short time and then settles. He now can be crated up to 5 hours and doing a great job. This is strides better than his first week. It took some time for us to adjust to one another and for Seamus to learn that I come back and that he is safe. Seamus is a sweet laid back boy who has had to endure a lot of transition.

Seamus sleeps beside my bed at night and doesn’t get into anything while out of the crate. He is very concerned with getting his doggie z’s! He likes to start sleeping around 7:45 PM – 8:00 PM and wakes up around 6:45 AM – 7:00 AM but will mirror your routine.

April 8, 2023

Seamus is the king of Conshohocken! We start each day with a 1.5 mile walk by the river and smell all the smells and play. After we have breakfast with Seamus’s meds. Seamus sleeps all morning and in the afternoon goes for another 1.5 mile walk. Sometimes on his afternoon walk, he gets to play in the fenced in community garden. He loves to see the birds and squirrels, but still stays by his foster mom’s side. Seamus sleeps most of the evening and wants to be by your side. You can tell he is ready for bed around 8:00 PM. After is 9:00 PM potty break, he likes to roll around in his bed before he settles for the night. He is such a good boy! We are focusing on establishing a predictable routine for him since he has had so much transition lately. Last week the vet began his transition to a different antiseizure medicine after Seamus was showing some side effects to the original medicine. This is a gradual process, and he is a trooper! Seamus is such a good boy, and is so happy to be in Conshy. We are lucky to have him at Brookline!

April 3, 2023

Seamus spent Sunday learning his foster mom’s work schedule. He happily followed a peanut butter bone into the crate and slept while I was at work. He gets the zoomies when he comes out of the crate but it quickly subsides.

After work, we went outside and enjoyed the weather for about two and a half  hours!

He walked around visiting with all the people out enjoying the weather too. He spotted a small Boston terrier and walked parallel to him. Seamus LOVES small dogs! So far, Seamus wants to meet other dogs, but we make sure he sits and looks at us when walking by. He gets a little treat and a “good boy!” and we go on our way. Seamus learns fast and his people are definitely the priority. Seamus is great on a leash! When he sees dogs, he will pull toward them but with a quick “Seamus!” he comes back by your side and is attentive. He will change his pace to match yours!

March 31, 2023

Seamus’s first days were spent learning one another. His medicine for epilepsy can affect his sleep schedule so when Seamus woke up in the night he whined a couple times. But, I kept sleeping and then he went back to bed like a good boy. He sleeps next to my bed on his bed. After two nights, Seamus quickly learned to sleep through the night without a peep! He waits for me to get out of bed to get up and waits patiently to go for a walk. Seamus likes to greet the day with a walk by the river.

Seamus loves to explore new things by my side. One of his trips was to the community garden!

He loved smelling all the smells and seeing all the critters! He was curious and interested. His favorite part of visiting the garden was meeting new friends and sitting in the sunshine.

March 28, 2023

Meet Seamus! Seamus is a silver lab and 70 lbs of pure LOVE! Our whole rescue ride home.  When riding in the car Seamus likes his favorite thing to do – lay on your shoulder and look out the front with you. Seamus has epilepsy, but you wouldn’t know it seeing him and spending time with him. He is a very docile pup who mostly just wants to sleep at your feet all day, even if it is on the hard floor.

First, we went right to the vet to get blood drawn since Seamus has lost some weight recently. Luckily, he is a good size for his frame now but the vet wants to make sure everything is okay! Seamus saw lots of dogs, big and small at the vet and he did a good job. He wanted to play with many of them! Every time Seamus pulled toward the new dogs in the waiting room, I said his name and he looked back, sat and took a treat out of my hand. While he loves to see and pull toward dogs, Seamus knows his name and will return and focus on his people. Seamus took these smiley photos in the examination room and greeted the vet with tail wags and kisses!

After the vet, we went to see the folks at Ruh Roh’s Pet Shoppe in Conshohocken for a bath! Seamus loved the bath and tried to drink the water most of the time! He wasn’t concerned about getting wet and even liked it for the scratches!

Seamus welcomed himself to a treat (it’s a tradition) and took this cute pic!

Be sure to follow Seamus’s journey on instagram by searching the profile @Ridgleyfosters for more photos and chronicles!