General Notes | Just as the story of Sampson took many turns, so has the life of this beautiful cream Labrador Retriever. After his time as a breeder, Sampson is now ready for a new chapter defined by peace, comfort, and the loving embrace of his forever family. His strength now lies in his gentle spirit and his capacity to give and receive love. Want to adopt this dog?  Please do not email us.  Please fill out the Adoption Application ASAP.  Personality | In just a little over a week, Sampson has become an entirely different dog. He has gone from cowering in the corner and refusing to walk without another dog to happily playing with a ball in the yard and even rolling over for belly rubs. Like most labs, he is very food motivated and loves to carry things in his mouth (don't worry he drops it quickly if you ask). He sleeps in the crate at night without barking, but he does like it to be mostly covered with a blanket. Sampson is also working on housetraining as he likes to mark, but his foster parents think he will stop once he is neutered.While he is really starting to come out of his shell, Sampson would benefit from a patient and loving family who will continue to show him the world and assure him that he is safe.Story | Other Dogs | Much to the chagrin of his foster sister, Sampson doesn't play much. While it did take him a little bit of time to warm up to her and he still sometimes likes his space, he will follow her lead and cuddle up next to her. Sampson may benefit from having another confident and calm dog around to continue to show him the ropes. We recommend a proper introduction with your dog.Cats | Sampson hasn't been cat tested. All of the dogs (3 of the 9) pulled from the same breeder that have been cat tested ignore the resident cats so Sampson would likely do well with a cat. Children | Sampson has not been around children, but he is very interested in them and gentle in general.Training | To Sampson the world is very new, and he is still just learning how to be a dog. He is a clean slate but very food motivated. He is starting to work on sit.Leash | Sampson was initially afraid of the leash and would only walk if another dog led the way, but now he gets excited when he sees the leash. With a little bit of encouragment, he is able to go for a walk as the only dog. He doesn't pull, but he may need a few treats along the way.Activity Level | Moderate. He will play with toys and likes walks, but in general, he is a big napper. He will be active when you are active and relax when you are relaxing.Health Notes | Thank you! | Adoption Donations |  Our adoption donations are $475 for dogs 8 weeks to 1 year, $425 for 1-6 years, $375 for dogs 7-10 years, and $250 for 11+ years of age. Purebred dogs regardless of age are $525. These minimum donations help to defer the costs of initial vet care, food, and supplies while in foster care that currently average over $700 per dog).Meeting Dogs | Foster dogs may have meet & greets by appointment to approved applicants only.  To become an approved applicant - please complete the application process.Please know | Available dogs are updated as soon as possible and we do our best to keep it up-to-date, but occasionally dogs shown may become unavailable without notice due to a pending adoption.We encourage you to put in an application even if you don't see your new family member currently, as once you are approved, we can place you on the waiting list for first priority on the selection of the dogs we do bring in. That means you can often meet a dog upon transport arrival and adopt before they even make it to this page!We can not guarantee that a dog you wish to adopt is available by the time your adoption application is submitted, processed, and approved.  Your application is good for one year from date of applying for any dog as long as it is a good fit for your family and your lifestyle.