Labrador Retriever / Great Dane / Mixed (short coat) : : Male (neutered) : : Young : : Large Learn more about the Labrador Retriever. Learn more about the Great Dane.
Vader is on medical hold and currently in treatment for heartworm. LEARN would greatly appreciate any sponsorship for Vader's ongoing medical expenses. 9/18/16 VADER HAS A PENDING ADOPTION; we are no longer taking potential adopter applications for him.
Update: July 28, 2016: Hi there folks! It's me, Vader. My foster mom has a few updates about me now that I've been with her for about a month. First of all, I have gained about 10 lbs, and I am looking much better! I still could stand to gain about 5 more pounds, but we are making good progress. My foster mom has also determined that I really love kids! I have met different children on several occasions and have been gentle & sweet with all of them. When my foster mom went out of town, I actually stayed with a dog sitter who has 2 young children, and the dog sitter reported that I loved her daughter and followed her around a lot. As I've gotten more comfortable in my foster home, my foster mom has realized that I really do not tolerate being crated. I am a little like Houdini and can get myself out of a crate! The good news is that I don't really need to be crated, because I don't potty in the house, and I'm not destructive. The only thing I've done after my foster mom leaves for work, and I'm out of the crate is explore her counter tops to see if maybe she forgot and left some goodies up there. My foster mom is also recommending that my forever family has a fence that is 5' or higher or will commit to monitoring me if they have a shorter fence. I have never attempted to jump over the fence at my foster mom's house, but I have managed to jump a fence at the dog sitter's where the fence is only about 3.5'-4'. The good news with that is that I really only do that to be with my person...I don't run away or take off, I just like to follow my person around and be with them. I am very friendly with everyone I meet; I don't get skittish or shy about much of anything. I've gone through fireworks & thunderstorms at my foster home and don't seem to give a fig about either one. I ride pretty well in the car; sometimes I just get a little panty, but I don't make noise or bounce all around. I'm not a good guard dog as I don't make much noise in general. I rarely bark, even when people come to the door. I'll be starting my heartworm treatments in about a week or so -- please send me good thoughts, and I'll be waiting here for my forever family! ************************************************************************ OOOOOOKLAHOMA where the wind comes, sweepin' down the plain! Hello, Everyone! I'm Vader, and that's where I'm from...yes, Oklahoma! I'm a very handsome black Lab mix, about 3 years old. My foster mom thinks I might have some Great Dane in me, and when I saw the nice vet this week, he agreed! I'm definitely not as large as a Great Dane -- in fact, I'm pretty skinny right now. I'm working on filling out as I could gain about 10 more pounds. I am very excited about gaining weight because that means I get to eat a lot! I love food! I am Labbie after all! The vet thinks a nice weight for me will be right around 85 lbs, but I should not be heavier than that. I was transported from Oklahoma to Chicago where I ended up in a shelter downtown, but I tested positive for heartworm. So, the shelter couldn't adopt me out and asked LEARN to step in so I could get the treatment I need. Now I'm in a nice foster home, and I am preparing to begin heartworm treatment so I can get healthy and find my forever home. So far, my foster mom thinks I am a very nice dog! I am affectionate and sweet; I have not shown a mean bone in my body. Even though in my past, I might not have always had all the food I should have, I have zero food aggression, either with people or with my foster Lab sister. I am respectful; if I get too close to my sister's food, my Foster Mom will tell me to back off and I do. The other day, I got my mouth on a freshly baked loaf of banana bread (c'mon, can you really blame me??), and as soon as Foster Mom said NO, I let it go, backed away, and looked mighty chagrined. I seem to be nicely housebroken, and it is very easy to get me in a crate. I do tend to bark for a bit when first in my crate, but I will settle down and then lay quietly and fall asleep. Since I've been pretty well-behaved, my Foster Mom let me sleep in her bedroom out of the crate for the first time, and I did great. I laid right down on my dog bed and didn't move or make a peep until my Foster Mom got up in the morning. I really like my foster Lab sister, and I give her lots of kisses on the face...even if she doesn't always appreciate it...hmmph! She is an older girl -- nice & friendly but not really into playing. I am respectful of this and don't pester her too much, but I would probably enjoy playing with another nice dog that will reciprocate. There are also 2 cats & 2 small creatures called gerbils here! I have not met the cats face-to-face yet, but I have seen them through a window, and I had zero reaction. I am fascinated by the gerbils! I don't quite know what to make of them! I enjoy watching them run around and dig. I am friendly when meeting anyone and am not skittish or shy. I'm not very protective and don't bark very much. There are no small humans in my foster home, but my Foster Mom will make sure I meet some nice children to see how I do. She doesn't think I will have any aggression or fear issues. However, I am a larger dog, and one of my not-so-polite habits right now is something my Foster Mom calls "air nose bumps" where I like to jump up and bump your face with my nose. This is apparently quite rude, so we are "working on it." Anyway, I may unintentionally scare or knock down a toddler/small child. Also....I have to admit.... I may take food out of a small child's hand not realizing they aren't intending to feed me. My other "not-so-polite" habit includes MAJOR counter surfing. My Foster Mom does not leave anything out on her counters, but if you do, I will most definitely get into it. Maybe this will change when I learn that I will always have food to eat and once I gain weight and am not so hungry. I have medium energy -- I'm pretty content to go on 1 or 2 slow walks, lope around the backyard a bit, and then lie around. Some cute things about me: I like to carry a stuffed toy around the house in my mouth, and I snore when I sleep! So that's me, Vader...and just like my birth state, I have plenty of heart & plenty of hope...hope that my perfect family is out there waiting for me! More about VaderGood with Dogs, Good with Kids, Good with Adults, Quiet, Does Good in the Car, Plays fetch, Needs special care, Playful, Affectionate, Eager To Please, Even-tempered, Goofy Special Needs: Heartworm+ Other Pictures of Vader (click to see larger version):
|
||||||||||||
