Tate A504797 • 3-yr-old • Male • Labrador Retriever • Arrived 28-Mar-2008
5/16/2008 Update: Tate was adopted by a wonderful woman with a lot of dog experience yesterday. He did great his first day in his new home. He went on a long walk, played with the neighbor's labs, and had fun swimming in the pool. Tate may finally get the life he missed out on for so long. Good luck Tate!


Tate came to the shelter hungry and in need of medical care, but his hard luck in life hadn’t spoiled his good nature. His initial evaluation said he was calm and gentle. We hoped his luck would turn around when he was fed and cared for, but after being confined for 6 weeks – and 3 with no walks while his health needs were treated – his behavior has deteriorated. Now that he feels better, it is especially hard for this still-young boy to deal with life in the shelter and he is expressing his frustration by jumping and mouthing hard enough to break skin. The staff does not think it is fair to keep him at the shelter much longer, so Tate needs to find a home, by Sunday May 18th at 5 pm.
Tate can go only go to a foster home through a TLAC-approved rescue group. We have the rescue group, we need the foster home. Because he is still learning how to behave, he must go to a home without young children, and with someone who will be kind but firm in teaching him how to act. Tate loves treats so much – no doubt because he knows what it is to be hungry – that he should catch on quickly to treat-based training. He is smart and eager to please the volunteers who have earned his respect. Tate seems to be housebroken and he knows how to fetch. He did well in his walks on the trail and in his professional evaluation. He also loves playing in the water. Low-cost training options are available for Tate. You can help write a happy ending to the hard-luck story of Tate’s life. He will pay you back with all the love in his big heart. To speak with a volunteer, email Tate@townlakedogs.com or call 961-6519.
Photos by Steve P.

5/14/2008 update. We had a professional evaluation done on Tate so we would know what we were dealing with. Tate did great at the evaluation and on the ride over. If anyone wants more details, here is the evaluator's report.

Evaluation Report on "TATE" TLAC
Young (18-24mo) recently neutered black male mixed breed.

Tate was calm and relaxed on approach of both male and female adults
(no children present for evaluation).

Tate easily engaged in a game with a toy and remained appropriate even
at high levels of stimulation/frustration. He is quick to recover
from that intensity and settles quickly. He is confident but has no
knowledge of what is expected of him. He has no aggression
tendencies. I feel based on third hand reports of the bite incidents
that is was situational prolonged frustration. He has no intent for
aggression. He is willing to share both food and toys and shows no
tendency toward possessive behavior even when challenged. He handled
grooming and examination with minimum hesitancy and offered no
resistance. He has great potential for an active pet home or working
position. Training is highly encouraged to elicit proper behavior in
play. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions.

--
Shari Elkins, CPDT
Lead Behavior Consultant and Trainer
Lee Mannix Center for Canine Behavior
http://www.leemannix.com