Walter

My story

Walter: 2-3 Year Old, Neutered Male, Yellow Lab, 81 pounds Walter Needs a Quieter Home, No Children/Teens. He Would Benefit from Having a Nice Canine Sibling in the Home. Hi, My name is Walter. Please take a few minutes to read my entire profile and don’t only look at my pictures. People tell me I’m so handsome and good-looking all the time but looks have only gotten me so far. I’ve been with the same foster family since I came into Lab Rescue over a year ago. I was adopted but returned after 5 months because I snapped at my adopters’ adult son who was visiting from out of town. I did get attached to my adoptive dad and I know he really loved me but he had grandchildren to think about. Even though I met and played with them when they visited, since I snapped at their uncle, my adoptive dad realized I needed more support than he could provide. I’m back with the same foster family. I do get nervous when new people come over, but once I have slow, repetitive introductions, I am one easy-going guy. I also love my canine foster brother and we play a lot. I have a canine foster sister, too, but she doesn’t like to play with me so I leave her alone. I love going to the beach, going on walks, car rides, playing fetch, chewing on Nylabones, Kongs, running around the yard and playing chase with my foster brother. What Lab Rescue Says: Walter is a special dog and will require a quiet home without a lot of comings and goings. New people coming into the home make him nervous. He’s fine when he’s out and about; it’s only in the home. With that being said, he should not be in a home with children/teens as they’re likely going to be having friends over. He’d do very well with another nice dog. My husband and I are empty nesters and have company over on occasion. Prior to Walter's adoption, we fostered him for a few months without any issues with guests. Since he was returned in May, he has snapped at a few of our guests (not all). We had a larger gathering during the Fourth of July with no issues. Walter's been going to doggie daycare once/week since his return in May and is reported to be doing well. The trainer, there, suggested muzzle training to keep Walter out of trouble. Once he gets to know you, he is a wonderful dog. Walter loves mealtimes and can get very excited, barking, jumping and drooling like he's been starved. With the proper commands "sit, wait, watch me," Walter waits until you give him the "okay" to eat. He is fed from a slow feeder bowl. Walter enjoys playing fetch and as mentioned previously, romping around with his foster brother. In the evening when everyone's home, Walter wants you to play fetch with him. We keep some of his toys in a drawer and when it's playtime, he'll bark at the drawer until you open it. Once opened, he selects his first Kong, or limp, shredded chew toy and will go through all of them until it's quiet time when everything goes back in the drawer. We would like to see Walter in a home that will love and appreciate him even though he has his quirks. He's young and exuberant and will benefit from a family that can help build his confidence through calm, confident, and loving leadership. Walter came into Lab Rescue in October 2018 from a South Bay shelter after being left in their overnight locker. After taking Walter to our vet, it was discovered that he had bilateral elbow dysplasia and mild dysplasia in one of his hips. Our vet recommended a series of laser treatments for the dysplasia. Walter has been given vet clearance to be a normal dog, to play and romp around (on soft surfaces, e.g. grass, sand) as he loves so much. He is on joint supplements and can always go back for laser therapy tune-ups if needed. Swimming would be great for him, as well. He is not a candidate for surgery as the surgery is complicated, very expensive, and has no guaranteed outcome that would put him in a better place than where he already is. He wasn't neutered when we acquired him and we think the former owners intended to use him for breeding but when they discovered the dysplasia, he was abandoned at the shelter. Medical: Walter is neutered, up-to-date on Rabies, DHLPP, and Bordatella and is heartworm negative. Walter is located in San Jose. Please email Rescue Rep Kris at krisellen.nm@gmail.com Please note our service area: GGLRR serves the greater SF Bay Area. Our volunteers donate their personal time & phones so please only call during reasonable hours (8am - 8pm). The Rescue Rep identified in the dog posting is the only person with information about the dog - please only contact the designated volunteer. We do call everyone back within 2-3 days so please be patient. We work very hard to make the right matches for the dogs and for the new owners. We get 3-5 dogs per week; we do not have a facility where the dogs are housed, they are in foster homes throughout the Bay Area.

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Walter, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.