My
name is Hershey. I'm an eight year old chocolate Labrador retriever
who was rescued from a puppy mill, and adopted two months ago by Matt
and Christine. When they brought me home, I wasn't used to living in
a house yet. I would bark at the people on TV, and at my reflection
in mirrors. I chewed up the bath mat, among other tasty household
items. I had a hard time on the stairs at first, and still trip over
myself when running down them sometimes! But, I have all my favourite
spots in the house now, and generally run the joint. Most of the
time, I like to snooze on my cushion in the living room, or play with
my toys. I really enjoy a good fuzzy toy, like my stuffed mallard.
(Well, it had stuffing at first!)
Since
coming home with Matt and Christine, I've proven that old dogs can
learn new
tricks! I've learned how to "sit" and to "come" when they call
me. They have been trying to
teach
me
to
"stay" but, so far, I'm winning that battle. I like to follow them
around everywhere, which is
hard
to
do
when
you're staying put. At first, I didn't really understand the whole
"treats" thing, but have
since acquired a taste for marrow bones and chewies. On special
occasions, I get liver treats. Life's pretty good here.
Every
Sunday, I have dinner with my beagle friend, Taylor, who lives with
Matt's parents. I like to jump in their pool, and see how long it
takes for Matt to fish me out. I also like to go for road trips. I
had a really good time in
New York City
visiting my cousins, Bo and Abe. They showed me the best doggie parks
in Brooklyn, and took me on a day trip to Central Park, where I had a
good roll in the grass.
Every morning, I go for a stroll in a nearby park, and like to watch
the people there doing Tai Chi. At night, I like to go to
another park nearby and hang out with the neighbourhood dogs. I
get along with everyone we meet along the way, but sometimes like to
just stop and stare into space. I'm a very thoughtful dog.
After growing up in a kennel, I wasn't used to getting much exercise
at first, and would stop for a quick nap on the sidewalk. But now, I
like to go for long walks, and even jogs once in a while. People
stop on the street and say I'm very handsome and well-behaved, but it
hasn't gone to my head.
On
the weekends, I really enjoy going to a doggie park at the river to
play with the other dogs, or just lie down and snooze on the grass
with Matt and Christine. I haven't learned how to "fetch" yet. I
don't understand why people throw toys around, rather than just chew
them. I like to go in the river, but never learned how to swim far,
so tend to stick close to the shore. I do like splashing all the
water out of my water bowl, though, and lying down on the floor with
my belly in the water. I'm not allowed in the shower stall, but that
doesn't stop me from trying to get in there every day!
I am
happy that the nice people at the SPCA rescued me, and found me such a
great retirement home. Thanks!
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