Abby #14 Chocolate Labrador Retriever Female 6 Years Old #3459

Meet Abby.  Abby is a super social and sweet 6 yo breeder Mama.  The time has finally come for this chocolate chunk of sweetness to leave the farm. Her farmer no longer wants to breed her so her breeding days are finally done. Abby is a beautiful and easy going English style pure bred who has had 6 litters during her breeding days.  Please read Abby’s blog from the bottom up to learn more about her time in foster care.

April 21, 2025

It’s Labby Abby back for a quick update.  I met a miniature me yesterday!  FM’s neighbor had friends over who had a 16-week-old English Chocolate Lab puppy.  His name was Moose and I gave him lots of kisses through the fence and my tail didn’t stop wagging the whole time.   If I didn’t know better, I might think he was one of my babies.  Every time I went out yesterday, I ran over to the fence to sneak another glimpse of the puppy.  FM didn’t have her phone on her so there’s no pics to show but I know I saw a very miniature me.    In the morning, my routine is to jump a little – maybe a quarter of an inch off the ground and do a little happy dance when I see everyone.  I wasn’t liking the crate too much – being all by myself without my fur foster siblings so I am now sleeping in the family room with them.  Each of them picks a spot on the sofa or the ottoman to sleep and I find a comfy doggy bed on the floor.  I haven’t quite figured out how to get up on the sofa yet – I can get my front paws up but my back end needs a bit of help.  I’m still a work in progress on learning commands – and am not the biggest snacker/treat eater.  My foster fur sibling Hollie loves the remnants of the treats I leave behind.  I am pretty smart though when it comes to FM disguising pills – not a fan of the pill pockets or yogurt.  I was eating canned food mixed with some dry and decided that didn’t tickle my fancy so FM is feeding me shredded chicken with some dry food and chicken broth.  I gobble that right up and I think my pills may have been mixed with the chicken but I’m not 100% sure.    Meanwhile, I’m hoping for some Brookline mojo as I am set to have my spay surgery and my pearly whites cleaned on Wednesday, April 23^rd.   The vet will also check the progress of my ears – hopefully, whatever gunk that was in there is gone with all the ear cleanings I’m receiving and he’ll also check and make sure my uti is gone.  FM tells me that after that, I will be ready to find my forever home and I can’t wait.   I plan to attend the Kendra Scott event on Sunday if everything goes well with my spay so maybe there, I’ll meet my forever family.

I’ve nudged FM a few times to get on my paperwork to tell everyone about me and she’s working on it so stay tuned and look for more updates after my surgery.

April 14, 2025

It’s my birthday today – April 14th – I am officially 6 years old!  After dinner I had a party with foster siblings Hollie and Jack and shared my birthday treats but am keeping my stuffed cupcake to myself for at least today.  I am so excited to let everyone know that I am doing well and after getting some meds from the vet for a uti –  I’ve been accident free in the house for the past 6 days.   Woohoo!  FM is VARY happy about that and I’m VARY happy too – whatever makes my humans happy, makes me happy. Since it was my birthday today, foster mimi took me to work and I was able to do what I do best – wag my way around the college campus and meet sooo many nice students who wanted to do nothing more than pet me and take my picture because they missed their dogs from home.  I was told I was making so many people smile on an overcast day and then the sun came out.  Everyone said it was because I was outside and I think so too!I am a very strong gal and tend to pull when I see squirrels and birds – maybe deep down I’m a hunting dog but I just want to play with them.  FM is trying to work on my leash skills and really needs to eat her Wheaties but I am easily distracted by a firm no or by FM whistling.  I know she’s whistling at me because I’m soooo beautiful and give lots of kisses to everyone I meet – men, women and children and even men and women in baseball hats.FM is arranging for my spay appointment soon and I will be ready to be someone’s forever love very soon.  So until then, wiggles, waggles, water drool and love – Abby.

April 10, 2025

Good afternoon everyone – it’s Labby Abby back after an exciting road trip this morning.  I do love lounging in the back of the car and hop right in with no problem – treats aren’t needed.  I enjoy leaning my head on the back seat as my chauffeur drives.  I met four new people today and a little dog at the vet’s office.   I was all wags and kisses to everyone and hopped on the table/scale and weighed in at 99.5 lbs of pure beautiful  chocolate.  My exam went well – I am a very solid young lady who turns 6 on Monday – April 14th.  Foster Mimi already has a stuffed birthday cupcake and some treats for my party.  My fur siblings will help me celebrate the occasion and I can’t wait!I am a pro now going up and down steps – and take them one at a time descending and sometimes take two at a time going up.

I love to play with anything that squeaks and in usual retriever fashion, play fetch with tennis balls.  I either drop them at FM’s feet or she can take the ball right out of my mouth – I don’t feel the need to hold onto the ball and it’s just sitting in my mouth waiting for someone to retrieve it :-).    FM calls me a gentle giantess.   I am excited to meet all sorts of new people and especially pull/chase after birds and cats when I see them.  A dog savy cat might do okay with me but just know that I will pull a human along with me so I can see the birds and cats.I slept in my crate again last night.  Bedtime was 10:30 pm and I let out one bark to let everyone know I was going to sleep and woke up around 7 am.  I did have a few chew items in my crate that I played with until I fell asleep.That’s all for today but I promise to share more exciting stories about my birthday party on Monday and my next big appointment at the vet to get spayed so my puppy days will really be behind me very soon and then I’ll be ready to meet my new family.   I can’t wait for my forever family – so until then…..

Dribbles and kisses,

Abby

April 9, 2025

Labby Abby is back for another day of sniffing and exploring.  Although the rain stopped yesterday, it was a bit windy and chilly and I preferred the warmness of being inside.    One of my humans was on the computer yesterday in the kitchen and I hung out beside her.  I am settling in more and more with each passing day however last night I heard a loud sound outside and it took some ear rubbing to help calm me down.  I do love the ear rubs though :-).   Sometimes I make loud noises all by myself with my tail hitting things.   I am an extremely happy girl who is easily redirected and love  giving lots of kisses.  I had a tug of war with my fur sibling Hollie.  FM says Hollie isn’t use to losing  and was pouting when I didn’t even have to stand up and pull to win.I am a very solid and strong girl who is also very sweet and gentle.    I like exploring inside the house too and if the dish gloves are left over the sink counter I will reach up and grab them.  I don’t chew on them, I leave them on the floor for FM to collect.   I thought I could help FM with the papers on the table yesterday while she was on her computer so I reached up and pulled them off the table.   I heard something about that’s one way to make me sort the papers, and went off to find the tennis ball in the family room.   If there is paper left on my level, I do like to shred it and will leave little pieces for everyone to pick up.   I like this hanging with humans thing.  FM says I will make a new family soooo very happy and shower them with lots of kisses, companionship and of course water dribble.  There are three and sometimes four sets of water bowls here so I tend to take a little drink from each one.  One more update – My first two nights here I slept in a room with FM in a bed and I slept on the floor near a crate.  For the past two nights, I slept in the crate all night!  I barked a few times to let them know I didn’t quite like being by myself but they put a bone in the crate and I chewed on that until I fell asleep.  FM came in at 7:30 am and woke me up and I was ready for the new day to start all over again.   Today I’m taking a ride to Foster Mimi’s work to visit for a few minutes and then I’m off to get another bath.  Something about the first was a “start” but another one is needed.  I don’t think I’ve had so many baths in one week EVER.  Stay tuned and wish me luck!

April 7, 2025

I’m Labby Abby! Thanks to Deb Hagan for springing me from the farm on Saturday.  I went on a car ride with my two farm mates, Libby and Colby.  I met my foster mom, Jacqueline, and foster mimi, Betsy, at VF Park and after getting into the car, they made a bee-line to petco to get me a bath.  Boy did I need that bath!  I relaxed and enjoyed being scrubbed down and most of the farm smell was  washed away.  FM says I’m going to need another bath this week if the rain ever stops.I met my foster fur siblings, Lila (former Brookline Foster – Bella), Hollie, and Jack.  They all were – okay so maybe just the white dog that looks like me and the other brown dog – were happy to meet me.  Jack did his thing – FM says he’s getting older and just finds his own little place to stay.  I am so happy to be in the house and I go up steps (and there are alot here) with no problem.  Going down is another story.  I need lots of coaxing and FM figured out that the deck steps are a bit slippery for me so she takes me down with my leash going step by step and that way I don’t slip down the stepsI am getting more comfortable each day and learning new sights and sounds like the TV, doorbell and chiming from a grandfather’s clock – never heard that sound before. Foster Miimi turned off the chimes so it doesn’t wake/startle me when I’m trying to nap. I am a typical velcro dog and I love to be where people are.My housetraining is going ok – I had two accidents yesterday but out came the little green machine and made it all go away.  I also felt comfortable yesterday to finally eat dinner.  Everything was so new on Saturday I  didn’t my eat dinner.    I’m also learning (very quickly thanks to my foster fur sibs) where the snack cabinet is and head there every time I come inside.    I’m also learning “sit” like my fur sibs and have quickly picked up a good “down”.   I like sleeping/leaning up against my foster family and playing with the toys and stuffed animals in the house.   Everyone says I snore very loudly and have a cute snort like a little piggy.I show my appreciation for everything by leaning in and giving lots of kisses.  I took a walk yesterday around the neighborhood and saw a few dogs across the street – I wagged my tail to say hi and kept walking.  I tend to zig zag a little on the leash but FM said I did pretty good on the leash.I’ll check in more as I get settled and will report back soon on my adventures and all the new smells.  FM said she’s working on getting an appointment with the vet to get me checked out, up to date on shots and schedule my spay.