Koopa - Choc Lab / Chesapeake mix

Meet Koopa! He’s a gentle, healing and nurturing Chocolate Lab / Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix who’s about 8 years old and a really good boy! His people are sad that they can’t keep him because of dog allergies, so they’re looking for a great forever home for their beloved dog. Koopa (sounds like Cooper) has grown up with kids and is very gentle with them. However, because of Koopa’s size (being a Chocolate Lab!), Summit Dog Rescue is saying No Kids under the age of 8, please and thanks. He originally came from the Humane Society as a puppy. We’re not sure of his history prior to that; he's great with women and kids but just needs a little extra time to warm up to men. Over time he’s learned to trust new people and now just barks if someone is at the door. He has a mildly bent front paw that keeps him from being an athlete (and seems to ache after long walks), so his walks need to be no more than 2 miles a day if possible. So far his paw doesn’t seem to bother him unless he’s been on a very long walk. Koopa is housetrained, does fine if left alone inside the house, and loves toys, his treat puzzle and stuffed animals. When his human mom recently had a baby, Koopa would line up his toys in the living room and lick each one while she snuggled with the baby (he loves snuggling with fleece blankets). Partly due to his Chesapeake Bay half, swimming and rolling in the snow are his second nature. His new people can have a lot of fun watching him splash around in water and play in snowy meadows and the yard in winter. He looks and plays like a puppy when in water and snow! His people are pretty sure he’d love to sleep with people at night — something he could never do because of the allergies in the family. He likes to sprawl out on the floor to sleep. He also likes to go for walks on trails and play fetch in the backyard. He has a big sweet smile on his face when playing with the neighbor’s dog. He enjoys his backyard but prefers when his people are out there with him. If his people go back inside from the yard, he’ll want to go inside with them. He’s good with other nice, gentle dogs but has been known to stand his ground when overwhelmed by territorial dogs. Kitties are unknown. He might do really well with a resident small dog in the house, or any mellow similarly easygoing dog. His ideal adopters would be very sweet, quiet, gentle and caring people who can appreciate Koopa’s empathetic and highly sensitive nature. For more info and/or to apply to adopt Koopa, send us an email at [email protected], telling us a bit about yourself, your home environment and your lifestyle. A volunteer will get back to you shortly.