Buddy

HELLO HANDSOME!  Pictures just do not do this little guy justice –
from his beautiful cinnamon-colored coat, to his gorgeous hazel eyes to his
cute little pink nose, he is a gorgeous 3-year old Lab mix with a friendly
and playful personality to match.  Buddy loves walks, car rides and pup
cups (but not in that order).  However, what Buddy really loves are
other dogs.  Our boy came from a family with three other dogs (including
two small dogs) and he is really looking for another "pack" to romp
and play with.  He was owner-surrendered to the Santa Cruz County Animal
Care Center (due to landlord issues) and according to the prior owners, he is
also good with cats and children (we've seen evidence of the latter from
his friendly interest in neighborhood kids playing in the
street).  

Buddy is fully house-broken and crate-trained and behaves excellently
on car rides.  He is a fairly good walker but has a hard time resisting
the opportunity to meet other dogs we encounter on our walks.  He
often requires distraction (aka treats) on those rare occasions when the
other dog is not interested in a sniff.  Buddy loves cuddles and back
scratches but sometimes wants to play a little rough (we suspect he is used
to rough-housing with his canine siblings).  To redirect all that
Labrador energy, we are working on teaching him to play fetch.  He
has proven to be a quick learner with the basic commands that we have started
teaching him and exercising those commands also helps calm him down. 
However, Buddy likely has healer or another hunting breed mixed into his DNA
(he actually "points" when something catches his interest) and
while he doesn't react much to bunnies or birds, he is really triggered
by the sight or smell of the javelinas which frequent our neighborhood. 
As such, Buddy might not be well-suited for hiking or other typical
Arizona outdoor activities in wildland areas.  

Buddy will be a wonderful addition to an active family with one or more
other dogs and even children to play with so he can rebuild his
"pack."   If you think you might be the right family to
welcome Buddy into your pack, please reach out so you can meet
this beautiful pup in person. He will steal your heart!