Charlene aka Charlie Chocolate Labrador Retriever Female 5 Years Old ID#3233

Meet Charlene, also called “Charlie”!  Charlie is a sweet, active 5 yo chocolate Labrador who ended up in the Ocean County shelter by no fault of her own.  When her owner fell ill and was brought to the hospital, the police transported Charlie to the shelter.  As this shelter does euthanize for space, Charlie was transferred to safety to a Brookline foster home.  Please read her blog from the bottom up.

Charlene is now available: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/charlene-aka-charlie-75064399/pa/warrington/brookline-labrador-rescue-pa06/

Febuary 2, 2025

Charlene (AKA Charlie) continues to be a love bug and snuggle her way even deeper into our hearts. Charlie has adapted to the daily routines of waking up, going out to the back yard, having breakfast and then a walk. Truthfully, those early morning walks were a challenge in the single digit weather, but Charlie really enjoys getting out there and exploring the neighborhood as dawn is breaking, and it sets all of us up for a good day ahead.

Charlie continues to sleep in her crate every night. At this point, we trust her to have full run of the house at night and sleep outside of the crate, but we have not done that in case the family that is lucky enough to adopt her wants her to be crate trained.

Charlie is still new to leash walking and will pull (especially at the beginning of the walk, much less at the end). We are working on her leash manners, but she will need to be with a family that is willing to continue to work on creating and reinforcing good behavior- on and off leash. We continue to work on commands and are having even more success. Charlie knows “sit” and responds to the command both indoors and outdoors too. Of course, there are more distractions outside, but she is working hard on ignoring those. We have teamed the word “sit” with a hand gesture, and she is responsive to both. She is a work in progress, but more often than not will respond correctly to, “come”, “off”, and “no”. “Stay” is still a bit of a challenge- especially if we move out of her line of sight- but she’s improving each time we practice. Charlie is a very good girl and wants you to give her lots of positive praise and affection when she does the right thing. She is also happy to get a training treat too. Charlie will need a family that is willing to work with her command training and is willing to continue to practice and reinforce them.In the last couple of weeks, we have introduced toys and chewy bones into the mix with all 3 dogs. Charlie shares all toys and chewy bones without issue. Our resident dogs were always able to share that way, so it’s nice that Charlie is not possessive of those high value items. Charlie still loves to play pull/tug, and her favorite inside toy for that is a double handled stuffed toy that is around 2 feet long. She will hold one handle in her mouth and plop the other side into someone’s lap or she will put it near our resident dogs to try and get them to play. Charlie also has a favorite outside toy for pull/tug, and that one looks like a knobby, orange stick and is made out of rubber. I can stand on the porch and throw it into the back yard. Charlie will run after it and bring it back, then she will put part of it near my hands in the hopes that I will pull it and get into a tug of war. She is vocal when she plays this game, but she is wagging her tale and enjoying the fun. Charlie would do well with a family that has another dog that is calm and/or playful, but she does not need a family to have another dog in order to be happy. She loves her people.Charlie loves people and would benefit from joining a family where someone is frequently home. If you have to run some errands, she will miss you and if she hears your car in the driveway, she will run to the window to make sure it’s your car. Then she’ll run to the garage door, so she can be the first to greet you when you come back. Charlie can be very enthusiastic (and will sometimes jump) when meeting someone new. One idea, especially at the beginning, would be to have a leash on her when she is meeting someone. Another tip, since Charlie will be excited, is to have the person she is meeting being very calm when introduced. If the person is calm, it does not take Charlie long to settle down, and (of course) the good behavior can be reinforced through training. When we correct Charlie, we use a firm voice, tell her no, and tell her to sit (give her a treat when she does) or redirect her to a toy.Charlie is an active and athletic dog that would love a family that has a yard and is also willing to take her on a couple of good, longer walks a day. Currently, Charlie has a morning walk right after she gets up and has another one in the afternoon. We walk for about 2 miles each time. On the weekends, Charlie still gets up around 6 am, goes outside, eats, and then goes outside again, but her morning walk does not have to happen right away. She is more than happy to lounge around in bed or play with some toys until walk time. Charlie’s afternoon walk happens around 2 or 3pm, and she appreciates being able to share the big outdoors with her person. On the weekdays, Charlie is a big fan of teleworking and is the perfect office mate. She does not hog the WiFi, is always willing to take a break from lounging to have you pet her, and if you confide in her, she knows how to keep a secret! If you are frustrated, Charlie is a great listener and is always up for a snuggle or a hug to help you feel better.

January 20, 2025

Charlie has officially been with us for a week! She truly is a delight- goes right into her crate around 8pm and sleeps until 6:30am (breakfast), completely housebroken (she comes to us and nudges/gently barks if she needs to go outside), responds to her name, improving consistency with commands (especially “sit” and “come”), daily walk enthusiast, couch connoisseur (loves to lounge), strong supporter of telework days, lover of play (she will encourage you to join in the fun), and huge admirer of all who pet her.When we started fostering Charlie, we were under the impression that she was an “extremely energetic” lab who had developed some less-than-ideal-behaviors (jumping, repetitive barking) as a side effect. Now, a week later, we have discovered that Charlie is much calmer than she initially appeared, and those less-than-ideal behaviors have practically disappeared. The key to helping Charlie be her best self is to take her on two walks a day.

Charlie’s first walk is in the morning- not too long after breakfast. She has spent the last 10+ hours sleeping, so it’s no surprise she wakes up with enthusiasm (for breakfast) and energy (for a walk). We walk about a 30 minutes (a mile or two); Charlie particularly enjoys conquering a couple of the steeper hills in our neighborhood.

We live in a fairly rural area, and it is typical to see deer, squirrel, and other wildlife, as well as other people walking their dogs. Charlie is not very reactive to wild animals; she’ll notice them but is easily redirected. The exception to that is if the animal crosses right in front of her. Though she can still be quickly redirected, it takes a little longer than if the animal was across the street/farther away. Her behavior is not extreme and can likely be managed through training.

After we get back from the walk, Charlie drinks a little water and joins our resident dogs in whatever they are doing. Charlie’s second walk happens after her second meal- around 3 or 4 in the afternoon- and is also around 30 minutes long. When we get back from that one, it’s the same routine as the morning. In between those two walks, she alternates her time between lounging on the couches and playing with toys and our resident dogs.

Charlie definitely communicates with us in a variety of ways.
1- Charlie will come to us when she needs to go outside. Often we pet her, while she does appreciates being pet, if she needs to go to the bathroom, she will nudge us, gently bark and take a few steps away to let us know she needs to go outside.

2- Charlie will bring us a toy and drop it on our laps/at our feet to let us know she wants to play WITH us. Although she plays with toys on her own, when she wants us to play with her, it’s usually tossing a ball or holding on to the other end of a toy and playing “pull”.

3- Charlie will sometimes get a little jealous when our resident dogs are getting pet, and she feels left out. At first when that happened, she would come closer and bark a bit. Now, more often than not, she’ll just come closer and join the wiggle fest.

4- When Charlie can’t decide between lounging and petting, she chooses both! She jumps up on the couch, flops into our laps, and starts to nuzzle.

Other news about Charlie:

Although she would rather play than do chores, she is not reactive at all to brooms (for sweeping) or vacuums. In fact, if we are vacuuming, she does not leave the room, she simply jumps up on a couch or bed to  supervise.
She is a sharer. Charlie and our two resident dogs enjoy taking turns with the toys in the toy bin. They each grab one toy at a time, spend some time chewing it, leave it there, and then go get a different one.

This system means that it only takes them a few minutes to spread them all around the floor! If one of the dog grabs a toy that another one wants, they just trade. When the toys are spread all around, and we start putting them back in the bin, the dogs consider this a “game reset” and patiently wait for the game to start over.

January 16, 2025

Today was another banner day for sweet Charlie. After a restful night in her crate, she woke up, played a bit outside, and then enjoyed her breakfast before heading out on her morning walk.

When we attach her long leash to her collar, Charlie knows that she is going on a walk. Once it’s on, she heads to the front door and waits while the rest of us look for our hats and gloves. Once we are geared up, we head out. Charlie is super smart and has figured out that we always turn right out of the driveway. She also seems to know when we have gotten back home and eagerly heads down the driveway and up to the front door. Throughout the walk, she practices “sit” and “come”. She’s definitely been taught commands before, and the more practice she gets, the better she remembers them.

After the walk, Charlie got introduced to a new favorite thing–>telework! She was not at all interested in the computer, but she wanted to be supportive, so she occupied herself by lounging on the bed and making the occasional position change. As the day wore on, she appreciated that a lunch break was offered- lounging is hard work! Charlie is not very food-motivated, so unlike our resident dogs, she does not beg for food! We are hoping this good behavior has a positive impact on our resident dogs. After lunch, Charlie added some new moves to her lounge act- looking out the window and making she sure was available if we needed a snuggle or to de-stress by petting her oh-so-soft fur. She was also very willing to go outside and play fetch or pull with her favorite toy.Around 3:30, Charlie paused her work day in order to enjoy her dinner, and then it was time for her afternoon walk. Once she got back home, she hopped up on the couch to watch the news. It wasn’t really holding her attention, so she worked at perfecting her lab lean, and when her humans did well, she would nuzzle and give cheek kisses.

Charlie is a very loving, trusting, and gentle dog. She loves to communicate and she will sometimes vocalize to let you know if she needs to go outside, wants to play, or would like some pets.

January 14, 2025

Charlene (AKA Charlie) had another successful night sleeping in her crate with no accidents or stress responses. She was very happy when she heard us come downstairs and start the breakfast routine, but she was able to be calm while I attached her leash. We took her right outside to the backyard where she immediately relieved herself. She had a lot of energy, so I tried to get her to run around. This lead to us discovering her favorite toy (we will happily give it to her forever family!).

We came inside for breakfast and some water, and then Charlie spent some time sniffing Max and Gracie (resident dogs), and they returned the favor. Once it was daylight, Charlie and I headed out for her morning walk. During the walk, she practiced “come” and “sit”. She is more responsive to her name, and we noticed she seems to respond/alert if we make a clicking sound with the side of our mouths.We walked about 3 miles this morning. This was Charlie’s third time on this route, so though she was still excited about the smells, she did not pulling the leash as much. When she did pull, we would call her back to us, and she would circle closer for lots of pets and “good girls”.

Near the end of the walk, Charlie saw some deer and a couple of dogs. She was interested but easily redirected to keep walking. Once we passed them, she did not try to turn around and keep them in her sight.

Charlie’s other big event today was a trip to the vet because she had been licking her paws and has some bare spots. She hopped right into the backseat of the car and was easily buckled into the seat. She was a bit anxious at first, but that is understandable considering that the last time she was in the car was her rescue ride. She was probably a bit nervous that she would be going somewhere new, and that is understandable given the number of changes she’s had over the last two months. Charlie did try to chew part of her doggy seatbelt, but she stopped when I told her no. She tried to get into the front seat for some pets, but she compromised by resting her head on the console between the two front seats. It was easy for her to get some love and reassurance with her head there. The ride home from the vet was really good. Charlie got in the car, settled easily, and did not need as many reassurance pets. For the most part, she stretched her body out on the back seat,  propped her head on the arm rest/door handle area, and enjoyed the ride.

While at the appointment, she was her typical curious, interested self and was sure to check out as many new smells as possible with extra long sniffs at the base of every door. She got up on the table lift to get her weight and for her exam. She was her typical friendly self and did not object to any part of the exam- and happily ate a treat. The vet put her on a 2 week course of allergy meds to help with inflammation and this should help stop the paw licking.

When we made it home, she was excited to get out of the car and back inside. After an exciting start to the day, she is happily resting on the couch. Charlie definitely enjoys couch surfing and seems to be demonstrating her trust by showing her belly.

January 13, 2025

Charlene (AKA Charlie), a 5 year old pure bred chocolate lab that weighs 72 pounds. She came to be in Brookline’s care after being seized by the police due to her owner being taken to the hospital. She became shelter property in December. The information that we have about her name and age was given by the owner’s relative, but there is not a lot of information beyond that.Twenty-four hours ago, we made it to the Ocean County Animal Shelter, met Charlie,  and drove her to our home. She enjoyed the car ride, but we think she would have preferred to be in a jeep with the top down and doors off because she loves to stick her snout out of the window when it was rolled down a couple of inches. We buckled her into the backseat of our unglamorous SUV, but she didn’t seem to mind. She LOVED it when we were on the back road and she could look out window at everything.

Charlie is friendly, curious, energetic, and a keen observer- she figured out where all of the outside doors in our house were very quickly!  Yesterday afternoon and evening, she explored her new home and also enjoyed time in the backyard- lots of new scents! Charlie met our two resident labs (Max and Gracie). They were introduced slowly, but Charlie seemed more interested in the yard. The dogs are continuing to get to know each other, seem to be getting along, and are becoming comfortable with spending time together. After our morning walk, Charlie hopped onto the couch where Gracie was sitting and hung out for a bit. Charlie had a good night’s sleep in her crate. It took a couple of minutes to settle down, but she slept through the night with no accidents (even sleeping through my son getting home after the Eagles game!). A few times today, she has gone into her crate and spent a couple of minutes there before coming back to the family room. She is a big fan of furniture and has made herself at home on the couches. We have a two floor home, and while Charlie was happy to go up the stairs, she seemed a little confused about going down them last night. Today is a different story, and she happily goes both up and down the stairs.Charlie can be vocal at times- we are trying to piece together a pattern. It seems to happen when she wants to play or be pet, but it’s not consistent, so we will continue to observe. If we take her into the back yard, she explores some more and when we come back inside, she stops her vocalizing.

Charlie is fed twice a day and enjoyed her meals both last night and this morning. The shelter gave us some food, and we are starting the process of combining it with the food we already feed our dogs. She gets a combination of wet and dry food.We were told that Charlie only got a short (15 minutes) daily walk while at the shelter, so we have made sure that she has gone on two longer walks today. She likes having a leash on, but she does tend to pull when on a walk. We noticed that if you gently tug the leash to either the left or the right, she will “follow” that suggestion. This is great because for every step I took, she took about 5 more and got nice and tired. She also spent some of the morning exploring our fenced in yard and has shown an interest in fetching a ball.The evaluation noted that Charlie did not seem protective over her food, and we have noticed the same. You can remove it from her, and she does not react. The same is true with her water bowl. She does not seem to be food motivated (either that or we have not found a treat flavor she loves). We have barely known her for 24 hours, so time will tell as she continues to settle.Charlie has some bare patches on her legs that she will occasionally lick, so we are off to the vet tomorrow for an evaluation. She also jumps- to look out the window, when excited to see someone, to peek at what is on the counter. It’s a gentle jump, and she will go back to standing when told “no jumping”. When she jumps by a person, we are lifting and bending our knee while saying “no jump” and have had some success. The shelter says she knows some commands, so we are working with her and trying to reinforce them. So far, she has had some success with “sit”, “leave it”, and “no licking”.

We look forward to our time with Charlie and sharing all that we learn on her journey to find her forever home.