Meet Duke! A young couple who saw him running along I-85 saved this handsome Lab mix. It was a harrowing experience, and it took them 3 hours to get him to safety. After posting on lost and found and notifying the local shelters, no one came forward to claim him. They graciously took Duke in, and he lived with their Australian Shepherd and 5-month-old baby until a foster home could be found.

Duke was in his SC foster for a month before coming to the DC metro area living with Lou, Scotty, and their two GSDs, Knox and Dozer. Duke did well as part of a pack and found a playmate in Knox who is close in age. He loved to play chase in the yard and shared toys well. Duke is an energetic but not a roughhouse player and was very respectful of their senior dog, Dozer. 

We think Duke is about 1-1.5  years old and is a long, lanky 66 pounds. He has a medium-high energy level and has the classic, lovable Lab personality. He is both housetrained and crate-trained and is allowed free-roam privileges at night. He is a more submissive and compliant pup who is easy to bathe and has no issues with nail trims.  

Duke, has been in his local foster home for almost a month now, living with foster parents, Jackyn and George, and their three-year-old daughter, his new bestie. This country boy is now living in the burbs of Alexandria and adjusting to a more active community with lots of sights and sounds to navigate.

 

FOSTER MOM UPDATE - 3/3/24

“Duke has entertained us and kept our daily steps well above 10K for just over one month. He is a goofy, fun, and lovable dog. We’ve fostered or temp fostered several dogs and Duke, by far, is the one that has made it the hardest not to be a foster fail. Duke is amazing with our daughter. I can't say enough about how gentle he is with her inside the house. The integration was effortless and pretty immediate. Outside in the yard, he is a little more energetic around her and wants to play so we have to be a little more careful to make sure he doesn't accidentally knock her down.

His house manners are on point. He has not had any accidents, he stays off the furniture (except the one chair we allow him to sit on), he does not chew on any of our three-year-old’s toys (which are plenty and always on the floor), and he doesn’t take food off the counter or table or anywhere else our daughter leaves her snack bowls. Although we do keep a watchful eye on him. When we leave the house, we usually crate him. The crate is not his idea of a spa day, but he will go in on command if we have a treat. We’ve also left him out of his crate and he was non-destructive while we were gone – just slept on his chair.

He has a big bark so nobody is coming inside uninvited, but he is a pseudo watchdog because he really is just a gentle (mid-size) giant who takes about a minute before he invites you into his circle (dogs are automatically in – no delay). We are working on his barking – he is still getting used to ‘city living.’ We redirect him when he barks. He is eager to please and responsive.

Duke is an active young dog who loves to spend time in the yard. He likes to dig, lay in the sun, play fetch, and run around the yard chasing all wildlife. He can jump a 4ft fence so we keep an eye on him. He gets three long walks per day and he would gladly take more if offered. He is non-reactive to other dogs on leash but will want to say hi and play if you let him. He attends doggy-day care weekly, which he loves. He also loves going to Home Depot.

Duke would do best with an active family with a decent-sized yard and a 5'+ fence. He would do fine as an only dog but really loves other dogs and would love to have a buddy. He’s a young pup who is still building his confidence, so it is important his forever family continue to expose him to a variety of settings, dogs, and people. Duke is such a special dog. And if the timing were different, we would 100% adopt him.”

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Duke is such a sweetheart and will make an excellent family dog. We are looking for a fun, active family for him in the burbs. He would love a home with other dogs and kids in the mix. 
NOTE: Preference will be given to active families with some large dog experience. Having a pup playmate in the home is a bonus!

 

Apply today!

BREED ESTIMATE: Black Lab/Great Dane Mix
GENDER: Male
APPROXIMATE WEIGHT:  64 lbs (needs to gain 4 to 5 lbs)
APPROXIMATE AGE: ~ 1 to 1.5 years old
COAT TYPE:  Medium-thick Lab coat
ADOPTION FEE: $425
OTHER INFO: utd on shots/neutered/microchipped
LOCATION:  Alexandria, VA

 

FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADOPT: Please go to https://adopt.worthydog.org and complete the application.

You can also help save dogs like this one by becoming a foster, providing a rescue dog with a temporary home and giving them the love and care they need until they are permanently adopted. Every person who fosters is directly responsible for saving the life of a dog, because we can only save as many dogs as we have foster families available to welcome them into their homes. If you think you might be interested in becoming a foster and want to learn more, please go to https://foster.worthydog.org and fill out an application.

Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue that primarily adopts to families in the DC Metro area.