Spunky Labrador Retriever Mix Male, 13 Years Old

March 10, 2019 Spunky, the awesome 13 year old back lab mix with the energy level of a 7 year old, is available for adoption. Spunky was an owner surrender who sat in a shelter for 6 weeks because his owners were moving and said he was in pain. He had a severe ear infection, so yes, he was in pain! Duh!!!!!! After a day or two of adjusting to a home again, he has become a wonderful part of our family. He is loving and playful but settles quickly. He loves loves loves walks and shows no sign of being a senior walker even though he is said to have some arthritis. He takes medication daily and it really doesn’t show. He also tested positive for Lyme and will need a retest in April. We currently have a resident dog and another foster dog and he gets along with both and often initiates play. He definitely lives up to his name. Although our daughter is 11 years old, we are told he has lived with children of many ages in his previous life. It is also said that he has lived with and loves cats. This dog meets the trifecta. March 7, 2019 Spunky continues adapting well to life inside of a home after being in a shelter for more than 2 months. We have learned much more about this sweet boy! Mostly that his name fits his personality perfectly. His previous owners said he is 13, but honestly, we just don’t see how that is accurate. He seems to enjoy long walks and is so well behaved on a leash and loves to initiate play with the resident dogs. He really enjoyed the snow and made a few Lab snow angels. He is so happy when we reach for his leash. Although there are not many walkers out in the colder weather, he seems fine with the ones we have encountered. He also ignores dogs that bark from indoors and yards. The only questionable behavior we have noticed so far is he is very protective of his yard. We suspect he may have spent a lot of time outdoors and finds this behavior amusing. Spunky will spend some time Friday with a professional trainer so we can better understand this behavior. He has the cutest teeth chatter when he is excited. When you come home he greets you with something in his mouth, a very Lab trait. He loves bananas. He eats very fast; we are working on that! He sits and gives paw. When he comes in from a walk, he is still so excited and wants to play. He will let you know what he wants with a firm bark! We are loving getting to know this handsome boy! He will make somebody very happy soon! We will update after we meet with the trainer tomorrow. February 27, 2019 Although Spunky is supposed to be 13 years old, as you can see in this video, he certainly does not act his age.  This senior boy is proving that he still has a lot of “spunk”!

After a workout like this, all the dogs are enjoying some chill time in the living room! Spunky is the black Lab on the left hand side of the sofa, with foster dog, Mojo, chilling on the floor, and resident dog, Max, claiming the other sofa. February 21, 2019 Spunky received his Brookline goodie box and his new bed today. His tail and Max’s and  Mojo ‘s tails were wagging as they investigated the contents. Spunky has settled in very nicely! He loves his twice daily walks and treats. He loves to sleep at the bottom of the bed. He also try’s to attack the vacuum! I spoke to the shelter staff today about his Lyme disease. We have a vet appointment scheduled for next week to make sure his Lyme test is negative since that was not done at the shelter. The staff were so pleased to hear how quickly he adjusted to his foster home. Kudos to the Humane League in Lancaster County for taking such good care of him. I have the most detailed Vet records that I’ve ever received from a shelter.               February 18, 2019 Spunky has had a rough 2 months. His previous owners brought him to the shelter in December because they were moving. They told the shelter to euthanize him because he was in pain. Well, yes, he was in pain!  He had a severe ear infection and tested positive for Lyme and has a bit of arthritis which he now takes a pill for daily. Thankfully the shelter didn’t give up on him and instead took excellent medical care of him!  Now, this lively 13 year old is ready to spend the rest of his golden years in a loving home that will care for him and is deserving of his love and affection. We have had Spunky for 2 days and he gets along well with our resident dog and our other foster dog. He knows his commands–sit, stay, down. He walks  well on a leash, has a great appetite, loves belly rubs and back scratches, and treats. He loves to play but also settles nicely for a nap. He prefers to be in or next to our bed at night. He does get vocal (barks) when he plays. I believe it is him trying to entice the others to join him although they seem uninterested at the moment. He has acclimated nicely to being in a home again after all of that time in the shelter.  He does not counter surf or trash pick. He likes playing tug of war the most. He lived with other dogs, cats and children! I also think he would love to be the only dog and would adore the limelight and attention he probably never had. We will update his blog again soon.         February 17, 2019 Spunky arrived at his foster home yesterday.  He is a little more on the aloof side, similar to resident dog, Max. Foster dog, Mojo, on the other hand, is like the mayor and wants to be best friends with everybody, so Mojo is a little much for Spunky right now. We stayed outside doing introductions for quite some time and did the walk-bys until everybody got comfortable with each other. Spunky does not act a 13 year old dog. He walks briskly, plays with toys, jumps, etc. We find it hard to believe he’s 13.  It will be interesting to see what the vet says.   Today, it is a peaceful morning.  Spunky is just so happy to be out of the shelter.