Rhodey’s original owner had raised Rhodey since puppyhood, hoping to train him to be his bird-hunting dog. However, when the owner started his own business, his bird hunting took a backseat, and with it, any time he had to dedicate to Rhodey’s training. With his busy schedule showing no signs of slowing down, he made the difficult decision to place Rhodey for adoption. As luck would have it, the owner happened to have a mutual friend with an SDF recruiter, and when the recruiter met Rhodey, he realized he might be looking at a potential search dog candidate!
Rhodey was accepted into our program, and we could see right away that this adorable yellow Lab was cheerful, charming, and very polite. He was so polite that for the first weeks of training, he would hardly bark! One trait all disaster search dogs must have is a strong bark—used by search dogs to alert handlers to a victim located at the scene of a disaster—so before he could go any further in his training, we needed to help him find his voice. Our trainers showed him that barking for his toy is not only allowed but heartily encouraged, and before long, he was barking with the best of them!
Aside from his training, we discovered that this super sweet boy is as happy, loving, and affectionate as they come. Rhodey’s exuberant personality can brighten anyone’s day, and his trainers couldn’t get enough of his ever-wagging tail and wiggly butt! He loves giving and receiving affection so much that it became a big part of his reward sequence during training, and after any training session, his favorite thing to do was climb into someone’s lap for a cuddle.
Rhodey’s list of loveable qualities is endless, so it was no surprise that when he was released from search training due to lack of focus, he was scooped up by adopters in the blink of an eye! His new family had been looking to welcome a new pup to their pack, and it was instant chemistry when they met Rhodey. Completely smitten, Rhodey’s new parents took him home that day to begin his new life and meet the rest of his family: two human siblings and one cat sibling named Mabel!
Now, Rhodey spends his days playing fetch, snuggling up with his humans on the couch for movie nights, and going on fun adventures. Earlier this year, Rhodey and his family headed up the central coast on a spring break road trip, where they did everything from hanging out on the beach to visiting an ostrich farm! He also joined the “swim club” at the local dog daycare, which he absolutely loves, and he even took up dock diving for fun!
A happy, adventurous, fun-filled life with his adoring family is exactly what we envisioned for Rhodey’s perfect placement, and our hearts are so full knowing he has everything we dreamed he would. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Rhodey and his people, and we look forward to following along with all of their adventures to come!
Click here to learn more about our Canine Placement Program!