Lab Life: Owen may be a 2-year-old chocolate Lab, but he’s “Mr. O” to Tim Larke and Dan Dzatko. Dzatko had grown up with a chocolate Lab as a pet and Larke’s family had golden retrievers, so adopting a dog from the retriever family was a no-brainer after the married couple bought their first home together in 2018. Their pet parent advice? Patience. “Owen was a wild puppy but has grown into the most loving and gentle dog.”
Chew Chew Train: Dentastix, bananas and chicken are some of Owen’s favorite foods and he may have a few too many toys and bones, if you ask Larke. “He always gets several new toys, bones and treats in a Chewy box each month.”
Picture Perfect: The couple likes to dress Owen up in Halloween costumes, reindeer ears at Christmas and bunny ears at Easter. And you can bet there’s plenty of photographic evidence from those occasions and beyond. “We have taken thousands of pictures of Owen, including portraits on his monthly birthdays, lots of pictures of him cuddling with us, pictures with his grandparents, aunts and uncles and lots of his other dog friends.”
Doggie Paddle: During a visit to Larke’s sister’s house, Larke and Dzatko took Owen swimming in the lake. “He had only been swimming in a kiddie pool up until then, but after a few minutes and falling off the dock, he was leaping five feet off the dock and running back to do it again and again.”
Lesson Learned: What pet parent isn’t guilty of this? Larke says his biggest pet parenting fail is letting Owen on one portion of the couch. “Which has since turned into the whole couch.”
Follow them on Instagram: @owen_the_ chocolatelab
