Bella #20 Yellow Labrador Retriever Female 5 Years Old

August 22, 2019

Hi everyone, it’s Bella here. My FM said that it’s time I say something to the group. I don’t really want to cause I’m pretty shy, but I’ll try anything if you give me lots of patience and encouragement. I’m pretty happy here at FM’s house just relaxing with foster sister Sadie. Sadie is great and doesn’t bother me at all. Sometimes I get a little excited when she’s running around and I try to keep up, but she’s pretty fast. I love going on walks and smelling all the weeds and bugs and dirt. My FM says that I can do whatever i want, so when I decide that I want to run in the breeze she just runs with me. Sometimes she says that she’s not dressed for running, but I don’t know what that means so we just keep going. She tells me that I’m allowed to do anything that is dog. She’s always telling me that there’s a dog inside me somewhere. I don’t really know what that means but FM gets all weepy and smiling when she tells me that I’m being a dog, so I guess it’s a good thing. Yesterday I spied a bee and wanted to get it and FM got all weepy and so happy that I chased a bee.

Then later last night we went for a walk before bed in the dark and I saw a stick that I wanted, so I picked it up and carried it with me. FM seemed like she wanted it too, but I didn’t want to give it up. She wasn’t mad at all. She did that weepy thing again and kept saying I was such a good girl and that I was being a dog again just for having a stick in my mouth. She might be a touch crazy, but she’s so nice to me.

When FM and FD have to leave for something called work, I just lay on the nice carpet and relax with Sadie til they get home. Sadie lays on the big cushiony looking things in the living room, but I don’t really need to jump up there so I stay on the floor. I’m not real sure of the slippery floor so I try not to walk on that unless FM is with me. I get so excited when FM comes home, she’s always excited to see me too and tells me to come to her, but….I don’t like that slippery floor. I sit up some and tap my feet on the carpet to tell her I’m glad she’s home. FM must like that cause then she’ll come and shower me with pets and rubs.

I’m not really sure what else to say but FM says that I need to tell everyone all the stuff that I’ve learned and the things that I’m still trying to learn.

Things I still need to figure out, says FM

FM says that I’m a picky eater. I’m not. I like all food, but sometimes I’m nervous and I don’t like to eat when I’m nervous. FM says that if I need her to put the food in front of me and walk away to give me space, that’s ok. So I scooch up to it and when I relax I eat it all up.

Sometimes I get nervous when new things or people are around. I try to get away, but FM just holds on to my leash and talks to me very nicely. I want to run away but when she won’t let me and she helps me to be calm then I’m ok.

FM says I cannot be off leash unless fenced in. I just like to lay around but if I get nervous or scared of something I want to run away. FM says this is bad so she always has me hooked up to something if I’m outside.

They have these things called cars. I don’t like them, at all. I don’t want to get in but they make me sometimes. I still don’t like it but I just lay down til we get where we’re going. FM says I drool a lot in the car, but that’s because I’m nervous. I’m all too happy to get out of the car when we get someplace.

The good stuff I do and things I’ve learned

FM says I’m the sweetest dog EVER!

I love to go on walks (and jogs) and FM tells me that I do very well on leash with the freedom harness (that must be this things she straps on me)

They all tell me that I’ve lost weight and I’m doing really good. I just like that it’s not as hard to get up anymore and I it’s so fun to run.

I have zero food aggression, not sure what that is, but my FM tries to give me treats, sometimes I eat it but sometimes I’m a little nervous so I let Sadie have it.

I have never gone potty in the house.

I get free roam (but I don’t know how to roam) when FM & FD have to go somewhere

I don’t chew anything. I am not real sure about those colorful things Sadie runs around with. Sometimes I’ll smell it, but I just watch Sadie play.

I am not afraid of doorways and sometimes FM takes me to the basement where I can chill while she is working out.She gets all sweaty then we go back upstairs.

I don’t bark, I’m not sure I have a voice. FM says I talk with my eyes. FM also says I snore, but I don’t know what that is. I still think FM is a little crazy.

Ok I’m tired and I need another nap. FM says she’ll finish up and send some pictures and videos. That must be what she’s doing with that thing in her hand all the time.

Thanks for listening, Bella

From FM:

Bella will be posted as available as soon as I can get the form completed, hopefully by this weekend. She is very timid and will need the right family to be committed to helping her but we know that family is out there. Bella just wants to be loved and allowed to continue to figure out this whole dog thing. We feel that another dog in the home would help her, but it isn’t a deal breaker. We have not had a chance for her to be around a cat. I would guess, however, that she would not give a single care about a cat. She’s been ‘around’ (in the same yard), with a 2 year old, but they didn’t interact much, cause she didn’t seem to care about him. We feel that families with children that can understand to move slow and give her space would be best.

Bella still has a lot to learn and she will backslide some going somewhere new. So we feel now is the time to find that perfect family that will allow her the space and time to adapt to a forever home. Not a loud/rambunctious family, but a quiet one. One that likes to go on short walks, but doesn’t expect her to run 3 miles. One that likes to chill on the porch with Bella lying nearby. One that will continue to challenge her a little at a time and slowly help her on her way to being a dog. And most importantly, one that will be patient with her as she will certainly be very shy and withdrawn at first.

July 28, 2019

July 15, 2019

First: Bella lost 8 lbs!! Yay Bella!!

July 7, 2019

July 4, 2019

More good news on the Bella front.  Foster mom and dad don’t even had to pick her up to get moving.  And look how she’s doing on her walk.  She’ll be down several harness sizes in no time.

July 1, 2019

Bella is still settling in so there’s not a lot to report. However, with very little direction she will go up or down a couple of steps and enter/ exit the house and go thru doorways! Yay Bella! We had a quick visit at the vet for a couple tests today and she did great and was a big hit….. when she came out from under the bench 🙂  Bella sure knows how to use a scale too, as she stood very still, it ticked all the way to 111 lbs! We spent the day taking many,  many small walks and resting in between.  Bella in motion is a good thing, if you keep her moving. If she decides she’s done and lays down…. well, I’m getting a workout picking her up that’s for sure!  I’m sure we’ll have much more to report as Bella begins to come out of her shell. Here’s an in motion pic and a resting pic (Bella’s on the floor, Sadie on the couch) I finally got her to come into the living room and not be curled up in the corner in the laundry room! Yay Bella!

June 30, 2019

Meet sweet Bella.  Bella’s breeding days are over and she is looking forward to a life filled with fun, love and leisure.  Bella isn’t available yet as she needs to shed a few pounds, get spayed to make sure there are no more puppies in her future, and to get used to living in a home.  Stay tuned for updates.