Tootsie Roll is a 2-½ year old, male, chocolate Labrador/Retriever mix who at first blush appears to be a little overweight; but upon second glance I believe he simply has a small head for his body. Tootsie Roll came from a home with multi-pets so being at the shelter does not seem to stress him out as much as other dogs.
In his kennel he exhibits pure happiness and is a bit on the quiet side. But once you enter his kennel, he becomes more excited because you chose him over all the other dogs at the shelter. Given that he came from a multi-pet home, it is presumed he is pet friendly, and he also keeps a clean kennel and is well-socialized with humans. With his history, it was not surprising to see that he rode well in the car and took a nap.
At my house, he enjoyed having a yard to play in, but he did not want to be too far away from me. As with any Lab, he enjoys chew toys but preferred a rope over bones and appeared to be very friendly and affectionate. In my opinion, he is at the perfect stage in his life because he is not overly excited, yet has lots of energy to play, and when he is done with play time, he would be very comfortable becoming a couch potato.
His surrendering family reports that he exhibits signs of “resource guarding” with food and toys; however, I did not witness any of these traits in him and he allowed me to pet him while he ate and to take bones out of his mouth so it is very possible that his resource guarding does not extend to humans and perhaps is only exhibited when other dogs are present; but potential adopters should be aware of the likelihood of this trait and be willing to work with him regarding this matter.
Overall, Tootsie Roll is a very well socialized dog who needs training (he does not know basic commands) and would be a good fit for most families.
