Meet Lulu! She is a petite four-year-old black Labrador retriever. Lulu surrendered to WCLRR when her family found that her anxiety with strangers in the home was not a good fit for their busy lifestyle. Lulu’s left rear paw is slightly deformed, but it doesn’t impair her mobility. She can run and walk on three legs and uses that back leg when needed. However, she can sometimes have balance issues and will knock into walls or people.
Lulu is a medium-to-high energy dog. She’s happy with a few short walks a day and some fetch in the backyard and enjoys 5–7-mile walks or hiking. Lulu enjoys playing fetch with rope toys and rubber Kong toys that she can toss around and bounce and chase to entertain herself. She likes “stuffy” toys, but she needs to be supervised because she chews off bits of the toy and goes for the stuffing. Lulu does like Nylabones. She also loves riding in the car and can last many hours before needing a potty or walk break.
Lulu enjoys playing with other dogs that aren’t too aggressive in their play. She does well with one-on-one playdates and at dog parks. During walks, she will greet other dogs nicely.
Lulu is house-trained and has learned several commands, including sit, stay, down, come, and “drop” when playing fetch. Her foster reports that it was easy to teach her which areas in the home were OK and which were off-limits. For example, she likes to unroll the toilet paper roll when left alone, so bathroom doors should be left closed.
Lulu walks well on a leash. She doesn’t pull and quickly follows the walker’s pace and direction. She isn’t distracted by neighborhood sights and sounds. When walking on a path with other dogs, she is easy to walk. She does pull a bit on the leash when she sees a cat, but she doesn’t notice or chase squirrels or birds.
Lulu sleeps in a crate in a separate room. She is content to stay quietly in her crate until her foster gets up. After eating breakfast, she gets a burst of energy and will bring toys from her box until she engages you in play.
Lulu does have some resource guarding issues when it comes to people. She loves to be near her “person” and can be protective of them and their surroundings. However, lulu can also become anxious when strangers come into the home. Her foster is working with Lulu to help her be more tolerant of people and remain calm in stressful situations. Lulu is generally a happy and playful dog that loves going on walks and playing fetch and keep away. But she’s also content to chew on a bone to occupy herself.
Lulu’s ideal home would be with a single person or couple with a quiet lifestyle and limited visitors to the house. She would be an excellent walking or hiking companion and behaves very well with people and dogs she meets outside the home. She is also quite happy to hang out and watch television with her people. Lulu is fine being left alone in the house for long periods and would be a good fit for someone who works outside the home during the day. Since Lulu is a velcro girl, there is little risk of her jumping a low fence or trying to get out of a yard. Lulu would be fine with another dog if the dog is calm and is not aggressive or overly physical during play.
Lulu is spayed, up to date on her vaccines, and microchipped.