Happy Gotcha Day Doug!
MEET DOUG!! This super handsome, adorable boy is Doug! Doug is around 1-2 years old and just the happiest boy ever! He LOOOVES people and is excited to meet any new friend! He just came to us from a kill shelter where he was running out of time, and we can’t see why; Doug is just the sweetest thing! He knows how to “sit” and is very food motivated. He has an appropriate amount of energy for his age but is not crazy. He was well behaved for his transport and sat calmly in the backseat with one of our volunteers. Doug seems to get along well with other dogs too.
FOSTER UPDATE 1/16/19!! Doug is doing really well! He’s a sweet boy and just wants to please. Highly food motivated, which is helpful when working on manners. He’s great inside the house: calm, just busy. Unless he is just completely wiped out from playing, going for a long walk, or other exercise, he has a hard time getting settled. Like he’ll lay down for a minute, then get up and walk across the room to check something out, then lay down in a different spot and so on. That is also part of getting used to a new place so kind of expected and no big deal. He’s definitely a chewer so we just have to do a really good job of making sure there’s always something near him that is appropriate to chew on. We’ve only had to leave him alone once so far and he did just fine in the crate. No accidents in the house and he’s great about letting us know when he needs to go out.
DOUG UPDATE 1/15/19!! Doug has finished doggie boot camp and is doing well. He has shown that he has been able to retain and keep his improved behaviors intact, but he will need someone willing to continually reinforce his training and make sure he keeps up his manners. Doug’s focus has also improved. He really wants to please, and he is doing great with his leash work, so he is much easier to handle in an environment with moderate distractions. He is going to be a great dog for someone with an active lifestyle.Doug has moved into a foster home where he will start to learn how to be a well-behaved boy in the house. So far he’s been doing well and is enjoying all the love and attention he’s getting. We have had a lot of people ask us how Doug is with cats, and we finally have some insight for you. Doug was able to be introduced to a cat the other day.
When the cat meandered into the room, Doug was definitely very curious. He went right over to her and sniffed. The cat didn’t care at first, but she swatted at him when she decided she’d had enough. He immediately backed up and went to check out something else. After this, the cat left the room and wasn’t around much, but Doug never went to search for her so that’s promising. When she would come back around, he’d sniff again but nothing really significant happened. Based on that one experience, it seems like he would be fine with a dog-saavy cat. It is unclear what his reaction would be if the cat were to run from him, but we think we can tentatively say that Doug would be okay with dog-saavy cats who will stand their ground if needed.For more information on Doug, please go to: https://labradorfriends.com/2018/11/18/doug/
PLEASE NOTE: Doug is a high energy dog who needs room to be able to run around and someone willing to continue to reinforce his training at home. **He must go to a home with a fenced in yard.**
IF INTERESTED IN ADOPTING: Please go to labradorfriends.com/how-to-adopt.
Update from Trainer 12/07/2018: Doug is a sweet handsome boy. He has a friendly personality and does not meet a stranger. He is currently in training and learning new behaviors such as sit, down, place, properly greeting people and leash work. He is a very excitable boy but shows great focus and likes to please. He has made great improvements in a short time, however he is still a work in progress. At this time I would say that he needs someone that could be a strong leader to keep him on the right track. He has a lot of fun energy and would be his best with an active family. He is good with other dogs.
DOUG UPDATE!! As we’ve spent more time with Doug and learned more about him, we’ve determined that he is a very strong dog, and he needs to go to a home with a more experienced dog owner who can handle his size and strength. Doug is around 65-70 pounds, and he can easily pull someone on leash if given the opportunity. He would likely do better with an easy walk harness or a gentle leader. Doug’s future owner will need to be willing to continue to do some obedience training with him so that he can learn manners and structure but also to form a better bond.
Doug can be mouthy when he’s excited, like he just doesn’t seem to know what to do with his mouth sometimes, and that can understandably be overwhelming for some people. We are working on curbing that behavior, but with training, we are confident he will learn appropriate manners. He is very food motivated, which helps a lot with training! We feel that he would do best in a home with a fenced in yard so he can run around and get his energy out. He is a young dog, estimated between 1-2 years old, and as such, he has a lot of energy and will need plenty of exercise. We think he’d make a great running partner for someone. Because of his size and energy, he would likely do better with older children so as not to accidentally knock over a small child.
All in all Doug really is a good boy. He’s just a typical, active lab looking for a home where he can get appropriate exercise and have the structure and love he needs.
Does Doug do well with other dogs? Does he get along with cats? Does he like the water, boat, beach?
Doug does well with other dogs, but he likes to play and if he goes to a home with another dog, it will need to be another dog that likes to play, otherwise he may pester that other dog too much. We don’t know how he is with cats. We don’t know if he likes water, there’s no way for us to expose him to those environments.
Where is Doug located please.
Hi Barbara, Doug is in Atlanta, Georgia.
Where is the 12/8 adoption location in Atlanta?
We will be outside Starbucks on 2955 Bethany Bend Rd (@Cumming Hwy) – from 10 – 1:30pm.
We have been approved, but haven’t met him — Will he need a fenced in yard? Can he be home alone for normal work hours for 3 days a week?
Yes, he needs a fenced in yard. He is crate trained, not sure about house training yet, as we have not had him in a foster home yet, and as such we don’t know if he chews things in the house. We would recommend crating for when you are not home until you can trust him to be left alone.
Interested
Will Doug be at an adoption location this weekend? Or will he still be in boot camp? Also, how would we test him with a cat?
We have adoption events once a month. Our next adoption event will be in January. Doug is still in boot camp. We do not know how he is with cats, and unfortunately we do not have a way to test him with cats at this time.
Any update on Doug’s availability?
Doug is available but still finishing his training. If you’re interested in fostering or adopting Doug, please follow the links below!
Foster: labradorfriends.com/foster-2
Adopt: labradorfriends.com/how-to-adopt
Email labfriendinfo@gmail.com with any questions!
Is he allowed to be adopted outside of Atlanta, like in Jacksonville Florida?
I live in Charleston. I lost my 14-year-old yellow lab two years ago. Is Doug still available?
Yes, Doug is still available, please read his requirements and update above..visit labradorfriends.com/how-to-adopt to fill out an application.
If you have any questions please email labfriendinfo@gmail.com
thank you
I have just submitted application for Doug. How long does the approval process take? Thank you
It can take anywhere from a couple days to a week or two, depending on how long it takes our adoption coordinators to process–check references, home visit, etc. Most are processed within a week. We are all volunteers with full time jobs in addition to rescue, so we ask for your patience and understanding while we process your application. You can check the status of your application by emailing labfriendinfo@gmail.com. Thanks!
Doug sounds exactly like my Bo. Thank you for being honest about needing his forever owner to be a strong leader with previous dog experience. Even though it took Bo 5 years of training to be ready to start therapy certification it was worth the wait. The time that is put into a dog like Doug will be well spent. You never know who will be touched by the unconditional love of a dog. Thank you for all that you are doing to make Doug a great dog.
Is Doug still available ?
I’m interested in Doug as a service dog. Do you guys do the Volhard aptitude test on your dogs?
Is Doug still available?
I am interested in adopting Doug. Can you please call at (904) 806-9292. Angie Smith