Hi, my name is Max! I am a Lab mix, and my family thinks I’m possibly a Red Lab. I was adopted from Fox Valley Humane Association after being shipped up from Arkansas. I don’t remember much before I was adopted, but I was very shy and scared of nearly everything!
When I was first adopted, I didn’t really know how to interact with humans. I would sit and lick people’s hands, but I usually got scared if they’d approach me. I didn’t know much about being with a loving family back then. I didn’t even think it was okay to jump into the car!
A unique characteristic about me is my overbite. When I first arrived at the humane association, my bottom teeth were digging into my upper palette, which caused it to get infected. Because of this, they had to remove my bottom front teeth. It might look a bit silly, but my mouth feels much better now. I still love to chew on toys, but since I’m missing those teeth, slobber gets everywhere!
I had some issues in my new home at first because they had lots of cats! I didn’t know much about cats, so my family was worried that I might try to hurt the cats. Because of this, they had to keep me separate from them, and slowly introduce us to each other. Now, I get along just fine with my 3 cat siblings!
Even though I was guessed to be about 2 years old when I was adopted, it was clear that I had never had proper training when I was younger. I wasn’t even housebroken yet. Despite my age, I was able to attend a puppy class with a great dog trainer. I was able to work on housetraining, socialization, and basic commands.
I am still very hesitant around strangers, but I have become very comfortable with my family. I trust them very much and I know that they would never hurt me. I am so grateful that I was adopted by them because they helped me to grow and find out what it means to truly be loved!
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Mabel the Rescue Dog 