Sunny is an amazing dog looking for a human adventure buddy. He is a happy, active boy whose tail never stops wagging. He will jump into bed in the morning to remind you it is time for his first belly rub of the day and then remind you continually throughout the day that he is ready for more belly rubs.

Sunny loves his daily routines. After a 1.5 mile walk or 2 mile run first thing in the morning (temperature permitting), he comes home and sits nicely on his bed for his harness to be removed and for breakfast to be served. He waits to be called, and after sitting and making eye contact, he is released to eat his breakfast. He gobbles it down and then lets his people know he is ready for round two. He gets a baby carrot (the first of lots of healthy vegetable, fruit and berry treats throughout the day as he loves snacks) followed by his first licky toy of the day; a frozen Kong stuffed with peanut butter, carrots, pumpkin and kibble. About 20 minutes later he is ready to grab a toy to carry around and will settle down for a nap. At dinner time he will repeat this entire process, sit, wait, eat, licky toy (a Pupsicle at night), nap.

On the weekend Sunny loves to take his people swimming and on hikes. He has learned to jump off docks into the river, will retrieve the ball from the water all day and once he is cooled off, he will go into the woods for some miles and sniffing time. He loves his walks around his local park and will walk nicely on leash on familiar paths.

Sunny loves attention. In addition to belly rubs, he also enjoys his ears being rubbed and his rump scratched. He will even do a dance for you and stomp his back legs for those rump scratches. He prefers to be near his people and will interrupt their work day by bringing them a toy and vocalizing a few snorts to remind them it is time to take a break for snacks, play time or belly rubs. Have we mentioned he really loves his belly rubs?

Lastly, Sunny insists on carrying a toy or ball in his mouth at all times. He will rotate through chew toys, stuffies and balls throughout the day, always hoping his person will interact with him. He doesn’t typically destroy toys, but sometimes one will be too irresistible and it must be destroyed. Switching the offensive toy out for another less destructible toy usually fixes the urge.

Sunny does just fine at home for several hours when left alone especially when given a licky toy. After he finishes it, he typically just takes a nap until his people get home. He would prefer his people didn’t leave him home alone all day, but several hours at a time are just fine.

Sunny requests space when eating; please don’t try to take his food or food toys away from him. He also might take advantage of any food left within his reach as it just smells so good.

Sunny has met several wonderful trainers who have all sung his praises. He is very smart, eager to please, and will do almost anything for treats as simple as kibble. He has taken classes to help with leash behavior and his reactivity to people and dogs while on walks. He has made good progress and is now easily redirected. He has not had any opportunities to interact with other dogs off leash while in foster care. He has met some other pups while in training with barriers in place and was very polite to them. Sunny is about to take a group class to work on his behaviors around lots of dogs at a time and to reduce reactivity. Sunny has been uncomfortable around certain tall, burly, scary characters who may walk towards him during walks; it’s likely he is reacting to men who look like the trainer who used a shock collar on him before he came to Golden Bond. His new family should continue positive reinforcement training with him to maintain what he’s learned and continue to help him be more comfortable in everyday situations.

Sunny takes inexpensive medication to help reduce anxiety, and since starting this medication he has been much better at self-regulating himself and is able to be calm when it is not play time. He also gets several licky toys each day as licking soothes his anxiety. He understands when play time is and when he should relax. He sleeps soundly through the night. He is crate trained and also does great in the car.

Sunny is a typical wonderful young energetic lab. He would love to meet a lab savvy person to take him on adventures and to include him in everyday life. He would love a home with some land for him to stretch his legs and sniff. He will thrive with someone who understands his strengths and his limitations. He is a lover and will make the right people very happy with his great personality and big heart.