Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/playful-koa/

Meet Koa, a handsome young male Lab who’s approximately 1 year old and weighs about 45 pounds. He is definitely on the small side for a Lab but he makes up for it with boundless energy. Besides, you know what they say about good things coming in smaller packages. Well, that’s Koa!

Koa is currently living in foster care in central Arizona while he awaits his forever family. He is house-trained and gets along well with other dogs. Koa is also crate trained, however, his foster says that he does not like the thought of being away from his people, so he needs noise in the background and reassurance of your return.

He knows a few basic commands like sit and come, but he’s smart as a whip and could learn many more with a little consistent training. Koa radiates love and adores everyone he meets! Sadly, his original owner learned she had a terminal illness soon after adopting him. Koa stayed with his owner until she passed and was then turned over to Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue by his owner’s nurse, who had promised to find him a great home.

Since most of Koa’s one year of life was living with a terminally ill patient, Koa believes it is his responsibility to snuggle as much as possible. He LOVES to SNUGGLE. He will get comfy with his person on a chair or on the couch, which has been a unique experience for his foster family, who do not even allow their house dog on the furniture!

Since he’s had an unusual life so far, there are a few bad habits he’s developed: Koa will jump on the counter and on people when he is excited. Koa rides well in the car but wants to be close to his family. He will need a little work walking on the leash. His foster mom knows Koa will be easy to train because he displays a desire to please his person and he is very food motivated. In fact, he is a voracious eater, so a slow-feeding bowl is a must for him at this stage.

Koa has respected the non-food items in his foster home to date, and he has had plenty of opportunities to pick up a shoe or some other non-food item to ruin but he has not touched any of it. Not surprisingly, Koa has bouts of high energy and excitement but he settles down pretty quickly for a 1-year-old.

Koa would be a great companion to a daily walker, hiker, or runner. An active family with children would work well, too. His foster mom believes Koa will become the best dog ever in a consistent environment with some fine-tuning to his training. In the short time, he has been with them, he has picked up on their schedules and adapted well. If you would like to meet or adopt Koa, please reach out to DLRR.

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog