Labrador Retriever (medium coat) : : Male (not neutered) : : Young : : Medium Learn more about the Labrador Retriever.
5/19/15: Blaze is up for adoption, BUT he needs to be tested again in July for Heartworm. 3/18/15 UPDATE: Blaze finished his final two heartworm treatments this week. We are so proud of how well he's doing! Right now, it's very important that he stay calm (no play or exercise) to ensure no adverse reactions. After leaving Blaze out of his crate for a few small test runs, it's clear that he gets into trouble when not crated. He found his way into my running gels (in a place he had never gone) and ate most of the box (don't worry -- he's fine!). Now, we always crate him for his safety and comfort. He hasn't destroyed any shoes, only a few socks and now the running gels. As I take all the things away that he normally gets into, he finds something else to replace them with. Blaze would do best with a family that will spend plenty of time at home with him. For fun: It's so hard not being able to play with Blaze because he's a playful guy. He loves playing ball and trying to get in a chase with my dog, Penny. But he's doing lots of chewing on Nylabones. He also enjoys laying in front of windows with lots of sunlight and soaking up the rays -- and he's doing a lot of that today while I'm working from home to watch over him after his shots. When he's not being a sun dog, he's cuddled up on or near my feet. 3/4/15 UPDATE: It has been a few weeks since Blaze had his first of three heartworm treatments, and I'm happy to report he's doing wonderfully! Thankfully, he is laid back and not nearly as excitable as our other chocolate Lab, Penny, which makes keeping him quite not too difficult. No side effects and no change to his personality (he may have been slightly more fatigued the following day). We were so happy to see he wasn't in pain! His next two treatments are back-to-back, March 16 & 17. Not sure exactly how long we wait before he is cleared of heartworm, but I believe a number of weeks. I'll report back after our next trip to the vet. In terms of personality, he is still the same sweet boy that he was when he first came into our home in early January. He still loves to carry/move/snuggle with boots/shoes ... and apparently stinky workout clothes (I need a taller hamper). Twice, however, he has retrieved and chewed two workout socks (when boots/shoes were put away out of reach). This seemed to be an anxiety response to my husband and me leaving the house to shovel snow. It's only happened twice, and it's been probably a month since he's chewed anything. Now that he's been with us longer, he seems to be getting more comfortable, although we also are crating him when we leave the house (anxiety issue and because he needs to stay calm for his treatments). The anxiety seems very mild compared to other cases I've read about. He has stayed in the house while we have been away without getting into mischief -- we just prefer not to take chances right now. On another positive note, Blaze is finally going into his crate ("house") on his own! We really struggled in the beginning getting him to feel confident and comfortable in his crate. It took treats/toys to get him in each day. But we kept working with him, feeding him in his crate, and putting blankets in there, and we've found him more than once snuggled in his house at night! Also, when crating him before work, he now responds to the command without treats! And just when you thought there couldn't be more great news to report, there is! His pawing issue (read about below) is essentially solved! When we first got Blaze, he obsessively pawed us to get attention. We simply gave him no attention and turned away each time he pawed us, and now he hardly ever does. Blaze craves love and attention from humans. He would be ideal for a family with kids/another dog, especially a family who is home a lot and wants to give this boy lots of LOVE! He is happiest playing ball or chewing on a Nylabone or Kong (He's quite the aggressive chewer, so no fufu toys!) or simply snuggling with you while watching television. Currently, he is an early riser (my fault!) at about 4:30 a.m. He often wakes me up before my alarm walking around the house, often traveling up and down stairs looking for shoes/boots. He has a comfy bed in the bedroom with us, but will often stay downstairs on the "big" bed. He often moves around in the middle of the night moving between his beds. Feb. 2015 First Entry: Blaze is an extremely sweet chocolate Lab. He lives to be near people and get as much love as he can. (He loves giving kisses.) In fact, when we leave the house, Blaze often grabs one of my Ugg boots and carries it to his bed. So far, he hasn't chewed or destroyed anything (but see later entry) -- he simply wants the boot near him. He occasionally has taken to maneuvering a single boot upstairs to his bed (in our bedroom) while we're asleep. I've now started putting my boots away in a closet to see if we can break the habit. In attempt to ask for even more love than he's getting, Blaze often "paws" us for more attention. We're working on his "off" command to stop the pawing. (Updates to come.) When we first brought Blaze into our home, he was petrified of the stairs (upstairs and downstairs). After five days of working with him, he is now master of the stairs. Blaze is living with our 3.5-4-year-old female Lab, Penny. Blaze enjoys laying near Penny, being groomed by her, and playing ball with her. Playing ball is definitely his favorite pastime, although he can't play much now until he is heartworm free. In addition, Blaze has interacted with my 6-year-old niece, and he was wonderful with her -- staying completely calm and acting the same as he does around my husband and me. Also, when people come to the door, he has not barked. He remains calm and does not rush the door. He has warmed up immediately to all new people who have come into our home. Blaze is a smart boy. He knows the commands: sit, stay, and come. I think he knows "down," but doesn't like to do it -- a work in progress. While we can get Blaze into his crate, he doesn't like to go in on his own. We use treats to lure him in. Blaze is also not a fan of getting into a car. I have to pick him up to get him in the back. He gets scared when he's put into the car and starts trembling. I think this can be fixed once his forever home teaches him that a car ride can have a great end destination, like a dog park instead of a Vet or yet another new place to stay. More about BlazeGood with Dogs, Good with Kids, Good with Adults, Somewhat vocal, Requires a yard, Cratetrained, Plays fetch, Likes to play with toys, Likes to be in your lap, Timid, Affectionate, Eager To Please, Gentle Videos of Blaze:
   Other Pictures of Blaze (click to see larger version):
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