Match
labrador retriever Mix | male | 7 years Old | 79 Lbs
QUICK FACTS: ✔️ Crate trained! ✔️ Housebroken! ✔️ Can free roam when alone! ✔️ Good in car! ✔️ Good running buddy! ❌ No kids!
Match found his forever home on December 7, 2021!
Updates
It is that time of year again. The leaves are starting to change, football is in full swing and there is just a bit of chill in the air. This is the perfect time of year to add a new furry friend to enjoy adventures in the fall colors, pumpkin spice everything and to snuggle up with as the nights get colder. Match would love to be picked as your partner in crime.
Match has blossomed so much in the time he has been in foster care. He was a shelter dog before coming to Fetch, so he needed some time to really decompress and figure out life on the outside. As he has built some confidence, learned some basic obedience and become more comfortable in his surroundings, he is such a great pup to have around. He now seeks out pets, belly rubs and butt scritches from the humans. He also looks forward to morning snuggles on the bed.
A typical day for Match includes playtime in the yard with his bestie, breakfast, chasing critters in the yard, many hours of lounging/people watching while his foster people are gone at work, more play time, a longer walk and snuggles/playtime/training with the humans. Match has been fine being left uncrated while the humans are gone for a full work day, only occasionally getting into mischief. He is trained on a doggy door and does great in the car when out cruising to exciting adventures.
Like most pups, Match has some areas that need refining. We are still working on some leash reactivity. He does well most of the time when walked on a prong collar but will periodically bark/lunge at another dog. We advocate for him by allowing space with dogs he isn't familiar with and try to correct at the early signs of reactivity. He also really loves Thai food and will try to steal your leftovers off the counter. He doesn't counter surf all the time but he really can't resist Thai food. It's endearing, really.
Match has not lived with children in his foster home and with the lack of experience around kiddos and how quickly they move around, it would be best for Match to go to a home without kids. He has seen them pass on the sidewalk (including with bikes, scooters and wagons) and has not been reactive but the lack of exposure in closer quarters could be challenging/stressful for him to navigate.
He has definitely become more interested in making human friends since his arrival. He has visited new people in their homes and even stayed with a sitter, whom he had never met prior to being dropped off, and he did great. He sniffs around a bit and once he has become familiar with his surroundings, seeks out pets from the people. He definitely becomes more loving and affectionate as he settles in. He has done well at the vet and at the pet store for nail trims with just a little bit of nervousness.
He does have a BFF in his canine foster sister. After a slow introduction (a couple days of meeting through a baby gate and side by side walks together), they hit it off and love going on adventures together. They love long walks in the woods, swimming/running on the beach, protecting the yard from squirrels and people watching together out the window. We think Match would like to have a canine pal in his forever home, but it wouldn't be mandatory.
Match lives with a cat and while he does have a strong prey drive outside (rabbits, squirrels, woodchucks) he seems to have figured out that the inside fluff balls are different. He was initially pretty curious about the cat but with a very slow introduction, he is now relatively disinterested in the cat. He could do ok living with a cat but we do always suggest slow and supervised introductions with new furry friends.
The perfect home for Match would be one that appreciates his past, will advocate for his success in different environments and continue to train with him in areas where he needs work. They will take him on lots of adventures that allow him to connect with nature. Finally, they will appreciate all the things that a more refined, middle-aged gentleman bring to one's home.
So whaattya say? Do you think you can find some space on your couch during football games for this sweet guy? He promises not to hog the popcorn.