This is the story of Malcolm, a gorgeous chocolate Lab, who has gone from rags to riches. It was love at first sight for Jodi and Rocky when they met one-and-a-half-year-old Malcolm. After being swept away to his new home, this once timid boy grew confident through his family’s structure and kindness. He learned that the food was tasty, the playtime was endless, and the beds were warm. His forever home had everything he could ever want, but his favorite thing …is being a part of his own wonderful family.
When we saw Malcolm on the “Coming Soon” page, we knew that we had to be the first to meet him or someone would snatch him up in a heartbeat. We were so lucky to meet him first, and it was within 10 seconds that we knew he had to come home with us. So, after his hour-long freedom ride, Malcolm arrived at his new home and was able to greet the boys after they returned from school. After a quick discussion at the boarding facility where we met Malcolm, we determined that we were going to keep the name given by SHLR. He even gets compliments that it’s an appropriate name. 
After settling in, he spends his days on long walks looking for rabbits and squirrels, making the walk down to the dog park where he tires himself out trying to steal other dogs’ tennis balls, going to baseball practices and games (he still wants to get to a baseball for something to chew on and chase), and trying to get everyone to play rope tug with him (the boys still won’t go to that level yet). He’s well-mannered and will do just about anything for the homemade dog biscuits Jodi made for him. The taste of baked peanut butter and pumpkin is a huge hit. He leaves drool puddles all over the floor until he’s earned one. He managed to tear up the first chew toys in record time so we had to go to something a bit more rigorous for those strong jaws; so, we opted for hard bones filled either with peanut butter or bacon and cheese. He definitely loves those and will run away with a new bone so he can lick out the filling. It’s an extremely noisy event for us to witness, but when he rolls on his back to get at it or holds it between those huge front paws, we know he’s beyond content.
When we adopted Malcolm, he was scrawny and emaciated from his time on his own, but we knew that he would fill out nicely and thus far he’s gained about 9 lbs to cover up those ribs and joints. He’s made himself quite at home with getting couch privileges on a certain couch and making his way onto our bed (which was a change from our original intention to keep him out of the bed). Of course, he loves jumping in one son’s bed to wake him up on those early school mornings. He’s still a friendly boy who greets all dogs and enjoys the encounter, maybe except Huskies. He seems to have a thing against them. But he’s made himself at home and we love every minute of having him with us.