Who was that Lab?

Forty eight pounds of bouncing Lab fur. Yep, that about sums him up. Then there was all of the food he consumed, or the items he destroyed. He is all puppy at this stage and not expected to be anything else. He also touched a lot of people's heart either in person or thru social media - though it was hard to get pictures of him - he just doesn't sit still.

I was professional and reserved with Manu, knowing that the slightest show of surrender of my heart would be meet with unbridled joy and that I felt that was unfair to him. How could I let him fall in love with me or our family to the point that it would hurt him to leave us, that he would yearn for us.

Such a handsome young man, a wee bit of anxiety in his eyes - he has been told of what is unfolding. What he comprehends of that I'm not sure but his eyes says he understands something is changing. He is awaiting his turn to be loaded onto the transport van that will take him to his next home - a foster home, and another step closer to his most awesome life.

Manu

My contact with the Lab Rescue LRCP text me on how the pick-up went. I responded when I stopped for a bite to eat. The pick up went fine. I didn't convey my only complaint of Manu having to ride in a crate that wasn't proper for his size. Manu had outgrown his crate with us a couple of weeks ago and only stayed in there for short periods of times. He just kept growing. You ought to see the legs on this colt.

LRCP Lab Rescue has received a piece of Gargoyle's heart, we trust them to provide him with the love of a community that is devoted to the betterment of the canines in their program.

Lab Rescue

Click on the above link and check out the organization.

Manu saying Goodbye

With mixed emotions this post is written, as Manu has been accepted into a breed specific rescue who is sanctioned and well established! This is awesome news, nothing could be better for him. The bitter sweet part is that he has become a loved member of Gargoyles. He will be missed, how could you not fall in love with this amazing guy?

LRCP

Lab Rescue has agreed to vetting Manu completely, he will go into a foster home while awaiting adoption. He travels onto his next journey next week and he is wished the very best from Gargoyles.

Manu Energy

Manu enjoying his exercise time, first comes the nose...

Magnificent Manu

Manu has been doing well on evening walks, we walk around on loose leash and allow him to get his nostrils all full of the different smells. After he has expelled some of that nose energy we start on 'heel' and work on keeping his head up and his shoulder by my leg. It's a work in progress. We walked by the pond for the nose fulfillment (there are ducks there). Then a brief walk around our immediate neighborhood. We live on a mountain and flat places are far and few in between - anything on an incline/decline is very difficult for me to navigate without the assistance of my Service Dog. So walking with Manu is very limited. 

On special occasions we will travel to our nearest state park for a level walking surface. It is very taxing on my energy level, thus the 'special' occasion.

Manu is 100% puppy, growing his mind and body. He is enthusiastic about all the things his amazing nose finds, the stories of the scents he has yet to learn. All of the scents we have no clue about - the dog, well his nose was born to read that scene and some dogs were specifically bred to strengthen that natural instinct. The Labrador Retriever is one such breed. So there is absolutely no reason in the world to try to train him anything until he has had a chance to explore what his nose alerts on. After 30 minutes or so we can begin a 20 minute exercise and training session. We are doing this in the evenings but will be moving this to mid day as the temps drop down below my comfort level. We are working on commands and behavior constantly so 30 minutes a day on nose exercise and 20 minutes of leash work will have to do for now.

Manu is a very high energy pup who loves the outdoors, it would be cruel to keep him inside all day long. Even in bad weather he loves his outdoor time and doesn't seem phased by rain or sleet. Haven't noticed any storm related anxiety, which makes me think he would be good for Search and Rescue work.

At this point in his life he can go in many different directions. Search and Rescue, Service Dog, Therapy Dog. The possibilities are there, all he needs is the correct guidance.