Myla #2 Fox Red Labrador Retriever Female 5 Years Old ID #3549

September 6, 2025

Like a fluffy, protein-packed omelet, Myla is oh-so-good for you!  She is such an easy dog, who actually would rather have pets than food.  While she would rather FM not work all day, she puts up with it.  But, want to hang out and watch TV?  No problem.  Want to go for a walk; that’s just as great.  Whatever you want to do, she wants it too.  She is an entire smorgasbord all by herself.

Myla had her spay on Tuesday and never showed any effects at all.  In fact, the very next day, she took a short walk and met a very young neighbor who had always been unwilling to meet the resident dogs.  He saw Myla and everything changed.  Giggling with excitement, he stroked her and touched her nose while she stayed perfectly still, except for her wagging tail.  It was so touching to see.  She still loves to visit the bus stop while her groupies wait for her to arrive.  Kids are Myla’s favorite humans.

FM took Myla to meet the neighbor’s cat as well.  Standing as close as two feet from the cat, she didn’t react.  She was nervous being in someone else’s home, but she may actually get along with a feline friend. When we walk, she does perk up at the sight of a squirrel or rabbit, but quickly dismisses it rather than pull.

At home, the hardwood is still her undoing.  Given her current recovery, she isn’t allowed to do the stairs, but she probably will be ok in a home that has carpeted stairs.  She does fine on the stairs into the house.

The nice people at Brookline sent Myla a box full of fun!  She went through every item carefully and finally settled on a yummy bone that the resident dogs wanted.  She didn’t mind letting them have it, which was nice to see. Sharing is important and is yet another great quality she has.

This girl has it all.  She is as serene as she is beautiful.  She deserves to be loved completely.  Myla will melt any heart and as long as you pet her and pay attention to her, you will be rewarded beyond measure.

Look for her to be searching for her forever home very shortly.

September 1, 2025

Happy Labor Day from your favorite redhead!  So much has happened in the last week that Myla has earned herself the full-blown continental breakfast status (FM reserves the breakfast buffet status for when she masters the stairs)!

After a week of playing “the hardwood floor is lava,” Myla overcame her apprehension and now moves freely about the first floor.  FM’s stairs are hardwood, so aside from a few paws up, those remain to be conquered. It was clear that the lack of a rug on the hardwood made her nervous, so all the rugs (previously rolled up for fosters who don’t have such wonderful potty manners) went back in place and the difference was instantaneous.  She even crossed the scary hallway. In her forever home, Myla will need to have some throw rugs at least until she gets acclimated.

FM had a full house for the holiday and well, Myla was the belle of the ball.  Everyone said what a remarkable and gentle girl she was.  She did not beg at all and stayed clear of the grilling.  She puts the resident dogs to shame.  FM’s young niece and nephew were over as well and she was drawn to them immediately. FM’s nephew whispered to his mom as he left that “Myla likes me best.”  He was not thrilled that he could not take her home.  She watched with the resident dogs as he left.

Myla’s affinity for children shows during our walks as well.  In the morning when we pass the bus stop full of kids going to school, she gravitates toward them and soaks up as many pets and hugs as she can until the bus comes.  Even the tots run out to see her and she has a wagging tail for anyone who looks her way. Myla actually walks very well on a leash at this point.  She’s not quite AKC show ready, but she makes the resident dogs look like rookies.  Myla has a habit of staying so close to FM’s legs that she often will drift into her or in her path, so she still needs a little work.

FM was almost ready to say that Myla is the perfect dog, when IT happened.  Yes, Myla did a thing that must be checked off on her questionnaire.  She tried to countersurf!  FM left chicken to thaw on the back of the stove and Myla decided to investigate.  FM quickly told her “no” and she dropped.   Similarly, Myla is curious about some things but when told to leave it or drop it she will and then doesn’t try again with that object.  She doesn’t harm anything; she just wants to check it out.  She touched the remote, a book and a pair of glasses but realized they weren’t for her and hasn’t gone back.  FM did notice a skein of yarn in the laundry room that had magically floated there, but it too was unharmed.  FM thinks that Myla would like stuffies if she had them (there are none here as the resident dogs do not believe stuffies should remain stuffed).

Although Myla will wander into the crate and snooze there, she has not been confined to the crate.  She is the only foster dog that has ever earned that honor here. She is completely reliable.

Myla will be spayed tomorrow and then, once recovered, she will be ready for her forever home.  Myla will fill up your whole heart and then some. She will make someone or some family incredibly happy.

August 25, 2025

What a week for this pretty girl! Myla showed how brave she is and had so many firsts, it’s tough to put it all in a blog.  Let’s just say that Myla is as sweet as a stack of fluffy, cinnamon swirl French toast smothered in syrup!

FM took Myla to the “spa” for a deep condition and nail trim.  She didn’t want to get into the car and then didn’t want to go in the shop door.  But once she was in, Myla showed how brave she is.  She was the perfect patron and the staff loved her.  When she was done, she trotted out and hopped right into the car.

Myla was so proud of herself when she got home that she raced right through the mudroom and into the kitchen without realizing how far she went.  It was humorous to see her put on the brakes when it dawned on her.  But once in the kitchen, she was ready to explore the adjacent dining room, at least a little.  That meant she could be FM’s work-from-home buddy, a job she and the resident dogs take very seriously.

The next day brought a trip to the vet and again, reluctance to get in the car.  But again, once there, she was a champ.  The staff “oohed” and “aahed” at how pretty she is.  When the vet, the first man she met in foster care, entered the room, she was a different dog.  She sashayed over to him and batted her beautiful eyes; quite the sight!  Myla got all of her shots and took her poking easily.  Once again, she left very proud of herself.

This time, Myla came home and took baby steps into the living room.  FM realizes that she doesn’t like the feel of the hardwood.  Throwing a towel on it changes everything.  Over the next few days, Myla went through the dining room, crossing the living room to get into the family room.  Ironically, she refuses to simply walk three feet through the hallway to get there, but she feels safe doing it her way.

Fur cousin, Demi, came to stay a few days and let’s just say, the house became a doggie mosh pit.

Everyone played and got along well.  Myla showed that she will play with any dog that comes along.  She also showed that she is a copycat.  Myla will not only follow Dolly’s lead, but she will copy what she does.  She let Dolly lead her into the living room and then decided she would copy Dolly rolling in the grass.

She is the sweetest girl and has such a wonderful disposition.  All she wants is for someone to pet her and tell her what a good girl she is.

August 20, 2025

FM has learned that Myla’s name may actually be “Mila.” No matter what the spelling, today, Myla/Mila means waffle.

Since we last met our lovely canine companion, she has remained in the exact same spots, the kitchen mudroom and the family room, traveling only across the outside patio to get to either. She continues to be a fantastic houseguest without any accidents. Moreover, she is not finicky at all when it comes to partaking of her meal offerings. No matter what FM puts in front of her, she will eat it. In fact, she has indeed become used to the fact that her bowl will be filled and she wriggles with joy anticipating its contents. Today, FM actually enticed her to put two paws into the main room of the kitchen in order to dine. Baby steps, but a huge success.

Another huge success was traversing the heretofore unnavigated, creepy garage that leads from the mudroom into the outside world. Mila did this with minimal coaxing, guided into taking her first walk around the neighborhood. The pack traveled together and navigated the forces of nature undeterred. It was quite the experience for FM who had not played such an exhilarating game of Twister in a very long time. Considering it was Mila’s first walk on a leash; she did very well. She does not pull and when she sees wildlife she is easily redirected with an “uh uh” or “no.” Baby steps, but another foot forward.

Another reason for the upgrade to a slightly fluffier breakfast food is that Mila has engaged more in play with the resident dogs, particularly Dolly.

Rather than simply watching the others play and run through the yard together, she now joins in the fun.

She also will lend to the choir when the others raise their voices to ward off anyone who might be within 50 yards of the house. However, mostly, Mila likes to sit at the edge of the patio and watch FM clean up the yard.

While it might not seem like a big difference, it is clear that Mila is becoming more comfortable in the house. She seeks out more affection and she is settling into a routine. She is gentle in taking treats and does not need to be first ever. When Mila comes out of her shell, she will be a phenomenal companion. In the meantime, we will patiently await her next steps so that she might graduate to a more elevated food level. Stay tuned.

August 17, 2025

Meet Myla! Myla actually means “merciful” but for today, Myla means pancake.

After the second leg of her rescue ride, this lovely lady met the resident pack in the backyard and quickly fell into place with them.  She is a sweet, wiggly girl who really likes to please.  Coming into the house though, was a completely different story. Myla clearly didn’t like the threshold and once inside, decided she wasn’t leaving the kitchen. The resident dogs and FM let her decompress there for a while. Lucky for Myla, there is another door from the backyard that leads into the family room. So, Myla spent the day going outside to get from room to room. After a few tries between the two doors, she didn’t hesitate to come in. The rest of the house though remains a challenge. The 20 or so feet between the family room and the kitchen is uncharted territory. Myla doesn’t want to budge, hence the pancake.

Because Myla wouldn’t leave the family room or the kitchen, FM and the resident dogs spent the night on the couch. Myla laid down by FM and the following morning, Myla was in the exact same spot. When FM needed to run an errand, she returned to find Myla in the exact same spot. In fact, whenever anybody leaves the room to come back in, Myla is in the exact the same spot. FM is confident this will get better over time. Nevertheless, the tail wags whenever she hears a human voice and she is always ready to get some love. When Foster Sister arrived home from work, Myla greeted her with a wiggly butt. She couldn’t decide who she wanted to pet her more.

Like most labs, Myla likes her food. She has a healthy appetite but she is not a gobbler like the resident dogs. In fact, she is the only dog FM has seen lay down to eat or drink out of a bowl.  She also has been accident free since she arrived, which is quite surprising but much appreciated.

FM has tried to find things to draw Myla out of her shell but she seems to be a tad stubborn. It was very surprising to learn however that Myla loves to play fetch. In fact, she is quite good at it. Not only does she go for the ball, but she will return it to whomever throws it. Watching her play like this, you would never know she was a pancake.

Stay tuned as we learn more about this pretty girl.