Harley
Lab Mix | male | 3.5 Years Old | 79 Lbs
QUICK FACTS: ✔️ Good with other dogs! ✔️ Potty trained! ✔️ Crate trained! ✔️ Good in the car! ✔️ Walks well on a leash! ✔️ Good for beginner dog owner! ✔️ Could live in an apartment!
Updates
Check out videos of Harley here and here!
Usually when I write these bios, I have to gush about the many great traits about my foster dog so that I can qualify the few things he's working on. Harley is just Harley: a super easy, friendly, chill — but fun! — pup who so easily fit into our home that sometimes I forget he's only been here a couple of weeks.
Harley usually has bursts of energy in the morning, for about 10 min when he chases and wrestles the resident pup, then he's pretty content to sleep the day away. He'll keep himself busy by chewing on toys if he's not sleeping, and several times each day he or the resident pup will goad the other into a play session. Harley also loves going for walks with us, but he'd probably be just as well-behaved if I never took him on a walk. In fact, the thing I'm noticing about Harley is just how unremarkable he is. The resident pup is...honestly...kinda annoying compared to Harley! (and we adore our dog, so he's not really that annoying, which tells you how great Harley is). Harley loves to be near me, he's not standoffish or aloof or anything. But he's so nonchalant about it, like he's just happy to let me know he's there and lets me pet him and give him attention on my own terms. Harley is probably the perfect example of a "medium energy" dog: chill when you want him to be, but not boring at all, and would love to give you an excuse to go on walks.
Of course, a dog as good as Harley has to come with a catch. Harley was diagnosed with hip dysplasia :( It sucks that he's young and already has this diagnosis. But don't tell Harley he has it, because I don't think he knows! As soon as I got his diagnosis, I asked, "How do I keep him from chasing my dog and running up and down the deck stairs and jumping up on the couch and wrestling my dog to the floor and playing tug?" And the vet assured me that Harley would limit himself if these activities were painful. He has no activity restrictions, but he probably should not be adopted by anyone looking for a running buddy. He should continue low-intensity exercise, like walks, to maintain muscle mass and a healthy weight. His x-rays showed only mild arthritis, so Harley is on daily pain meds (carprofen, an inexpensive low-level pain med). The vet said he will need to be on pain meds for the rest of his life, and as he ages, it's expected that he'll need stronger ones. Any adopter should know that hip dysplasia does not improve, but it could very easily be manageable and barely noticeable for years to come. So for now, Harley gets to live like any other dog and continue to be the best of friends and playmates with our resident dog!
We just adore Harley, and we know that even though his hip dysplasia will disqualify him from being everyone's perfect adoptable dog, he will be someone's perfect dog, and that person will be so, so lucky to get Harley in their lives!