Tucker
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Tucker Has Been Adopted!
Hi! My name is Tucker, and I am a super friendly, loving, and affectionate, 1 year-old, 50 pound, Black Lab mix boy! If you are looking for a goofy, happy, lovable and playful dog, I am your guy!
I am a very easygoing, happy puppy. I like to hang out and chew on dog toys and if someone will play with me, I am over the moon! I am a natural fetcher/retriever and I love other dogs and cats. I am living with 3 other dogs and a couple of cats, and we are all getting along famously. One of the other dogs is Daisy, another CDR rescue dog (check out her bio page!) and we are BEST friends! We play, play, play, play all day long and my foster parents say that it is hilarious and joyful to watch. Since I love playing with other dogs so much, the rescue folks say that they will do their very best to find me an adoptive home with at least 1 other playful, fun dog in it! That would make me so happy...both because it brings me so much joy, and also because it makes it easier for me when they leave to go to work.
One of the (many!) adorable things that I do…when I want your attention, I will come put my head in your lap and just gaze up at you. I am told it is heartbreakingly cute and that it is very hard to resist. I get very excited when you come home ("yay! you are home! I am so happy to see you!") and want to jump all over you to show my joy, but have been learning that a calmer greeting is preferred and I am doing pretty well with it! I am allowed on furniture and beds in my foster home, and absolutely love cuddling and snuggling in next to you, but if you don't allow this in your home, I'm sure you could teach me to ask for this privilege or to stay on dog beds on the floor. Just please be patient...I am a smart guy and am eager to learn things but new rules can be a bit confusing for a while!
I absolutely love to be petted and cuddled, and I will roll over for belly rubs any time you are game. I also smoosh my face into your lap any time you are near and aren’t too busy and might be up for a petting session. My favorite! I have been down to the Commons and have sat by my foster parents' feet (on leash of course!) at Viva Taqueria while they had dinner, and was wonderful! I soak up all of the happy attention from the people passing by and hang out in a very well-mannered way!
I came from a big crowded shelter in Kentucky where I had lots of friends (both doggy and human) but was a little afraid there. Going for walks and experiencing new things made me a bit anxious for a while--for instance, when I got to my new foster home, I was scared to go up and down the stairs! But I'm a smart guy and my foster parents didn’t push me, and I figured the stairs out in a couple days and now go up and down with no problem! When I encounter new situations, I just need a little patience and reassurance, I figure it out, and then everything is great.
I am housebroken, and have learned (mostly!) what I'm allowed to chew on and what I'm not, and mostly leave the counters alone, though I LOVE food and need to warn you that if you leave good smelling food out and then walk away, I make no promises. But I listen very well when I am called, and I always drop things when I am told to do so, and my foster parents are getting better at not leaving things out that are too enticing for a smart, food-loving pup like me. My foster mom is doing positive training techniques with me and they work wonderfully and are so much fun! The only behavior that is not changing too much is that I bark when my foster parents leave the house (why do they have to go?) and leave me in my crate. Sometimes I only bark once or twice (I am better if I have doggie company), but sometimes I bark for about 10-15 minutes, even with company, especially if I can hear people walking around outside. Frozen peanut butter bones are a pretty good distraction and I'm learning to focus on the treat more than the barking. I bark to try to get you to come back, but my foster parents smartly don't give in, because that would just reinforce my barking strategy. Even though I sound pretty upset during the barking, I am always absolutely fine (calmly resting, paws crossed, content look on my face) when they return, so no one is too worried about it.
I don't mind being crated as long as I get a good walk and play session in before you go, but I will soon be old enough to try being left out of the crate (for short periods at first) when my people are gone. I am also pretty good on a leash for a dog of my age… I don't pull if I am wearing my Sense-ible harness, which is pretty great! I like to go to parks and meet other people and dogs.
I have to mention again that I deeply love playing with other dogs, and even with cats if they are ok with it, so the rescue folks are very much hoping to find me a home where there is at least 1 other playful, young-ish dog in it, because I am so much happier when I have fun, playful doggy companionship!
If you think you'd like to adopt me, please fill out an online adoption application and live close to Ithaca , Syracuse, Binghamton, or Elmira. We do home visits on every applicant, and can't do home visits where we don't have local volunteers.
