ADOPTED!

Meet Ranger! He is a beautiful one-year-old black Labrador Retriever mix with big floppy ears and a gorgeous glossy black coat. Ranger was surrendered to WCLRR when his owner had an accident and surgery that left him unable to care for Ranger during the recovery period.

Ranger is a medium-to-high-activity dog. He has a lot of energy and loves to play with and chase other dogs. However, Ranger also settles nicely in the house and will nap throughout the day. His foster mom has taken him on three-mile runs in the morning, after which he will sleep for much of the day. But he’s always ready for another walk or play in the afternoon or evening!

Ranger loves his toys, and his favorite is a small stuffed dinosaur. He will run with toys in his mouth, toss them up in the air, and run again with them! Ranger occasionally gets the zoomies and will RACE around the yard, which is entertaining to watch with his goofy, gangly puppy body! He will also find a sock, hat, or other small pieces of clothing left on the floor or bed and be very proud of himself for presenting this (often soggy) gift to you! Ranger has not become comfortable enough in his foster home to cuddle. He has yet to get very close to people. However, he seems to be more accepting of the pets in the house, and it may take a little time for him to warm up to his family entirely.

Ranger enjoys being with other dogs and plays appropriately with them. Ranger has also been exposed to birds, rabbits, squirrels, and lizards and has not reacted at all to them. He is comfortable with his foster’s 18-year-old dog-savvy cat. The cat comes out regularly to see Ranger, gentle with her. They sleep peacefully together in the same room.

In addition to playing with other dogs, Ranger will play a bit on his own with a ball or stuffed toy. He will chew a Nylabone or marrow bone for a short time, and he likes bully sticks. His foster is teaching him to fetch.

Ranger can be a bit fearful. He is worried by sudden noise or movement by a person he doesn’t know well. However, while he has been in foster, he has become more tolerant of unexpected noises. Ranger is shy with new people and may bark a little when new people come into the house. However, he is better with people when there are other dogs around. He has been around toddlers and is gentle with them.

Ranger is house-trained and hasn’t had any accidents at his foster home. He knows “no” and “out” and has reasonably good recall (“Ranger, here”). His foster is teaching him “sit “and “stay.”

Ranger was also afraid of the leash at first. His foster mom has done a great job of working with him to help him feel comfortable with the leash. Now he knows that a leash means a fun outing! He gives people walking on the street a wide path but doesn’t bark at them. He pulls a little on walks but does very well on runs with his foster mom, glancing up at her occasionally for confirmation he’s going in the right direction.

Ranger has puppy curiosity and will counter surf for toys, food, or other items belonging to his people. He is easily corrected with a gentle “no.” He is not destructive but has found and chewed an old slipper. His new family should make sure he can’t get into anything that could be dangerous to him if he’s left alone.

Ranger sleeps on a dog bed in a small hallway adjacent to his foster’s bedroom. He sleeps quietly through the night but wakes up around 6 a.m., although he usually goes back to bed if told to. Ranger has a lot of morning energy and is eager to start his day. He doesn’t eat right away, and sometimes his foster takes him on a walk or run first.

Ranger seemed to be fearful of the crate when he came to WCLRR. His foster is working with him to overcome this fear by putting his meals and toys in it. He has been left alone for up to four hours with toys and a bone or toy to chew on. Ranger does very well as long as he has had some exercise in the morning. His new family will need to find a secure place for him to stay if they need to leave him alone. He usually sleeps quite a bit during the day.

Ranger’s ideal home would be with an individual, couple, or family that lives in a quiet environment and can give him plenty of exercise. Ranger would do well with people taking him on long walks, runs, or hikes daily. He has a lot of energy, so kids over the age of eight would be best for him. He would enjoy having another dog around to play with and run off some of that puppy energy! If he doesn’t live with another dog, he should have play dates to allow him to socialize with other dogs. He doesn’t seem to need to be near people constantly and does fine with alone time. He would be fine in a home with a cat or other small pets.

Ranger is up to date on his vaccinations, neutered, and microchipped.