Dory Black Labrador Retriever Mix Female 1 Year Old ID#3234

Meet Dory! Dory was found as a stray on the streets of Philly and was brought to ACCT Philly.  She was pulled from the kill shelter and is now safe in a Brookline foster home.  Please read her blog from the bottom up to learn more about this sweet girl.

June 10, 2024

Hi Everyone!  It’s me, Dory checking in.  Well, I’ve had lots of adventures over this last week and met lots of new people and furry friends.  I’m finally back home in PA with some wifi and internet so I can fill you in on it all.

First of all my foster sister came to visit me again from Pittsburgh and this time she brought her boyfriend.  I remembered my foster sis from the last time she was here and gave her lots of kisses when I saw her.She gave her bf the message about how I’m nervous around guys and can you believe he actually followed directions and just ignored me and didn’t look at me or try to give me pets when I went up and sniffed him.  He just kept dropping some yummy treats when I was near him so I figured out he was a pretty good guy and didn’t mind sitting next to him. The next day, foster Mom, foster sister and her boyfriend and I all got in the car at 4am and drove to NH again.  Foster Mom thinks I’m the best car buddy.  I just lay down and snooze for the whole ride.  We got to stop once for a pee break and then I hopped right back in my seat, got some yummy bits for egg from FM’s breakfast sandwich, and went back to sleep. Finally after 5 1/2 hours, we got to the cottage.  I love it there.  We got to go on long hikes everyday on the trails.  One day I even found a turkey hiding in the long grass on our hike up the little mountain next to the lake.  I didn’t know turkeys could fly so high!

The cottage is little so I had to share my space and the couch with the new guy.  He was really nice so I got used to him pretty quick and I even let him pet me when we were all watching a movie together.

I really like my foster sister.  She went on walks with me, played with me, gave me lots of scratches and kisses and let me sit in her lap whenever I wanted!

I guess NH is the place to be for dogs because I met a lot of them on my walks.  There was even one nice furry 13yo Weimaraner gal that was at the cottage next door.  I went over and met her and her family and we hung out for a little bit while she was there for the day.  She was super chill and I just followed her around while we looked for chipmunks.  I’ve also met a lot of those poodle mixes in PA on my walks.  So far I’ve met at least 8 new furry friends and got along with them all!The weather was perfect when we were in NH and I supervised FM when she was gassing up the boat and when she went paddle boarding.One time, when FM was on the boat, I wanted to get in too but the boat moved before I could jump in and I landed in the water.  I didn’t mind too much since I got cooled off, but that water was a bit chilly so I swam right to shore and then I dried off in the sun in my lounge chair.  FM also took me out on her float and we just hung out for a while floating.  I really don’t mind what we are doing as long as I can be with my peeps!

Near the end of our time in NH, FM said we were going to go visit my foster Uncle and Aunt.  We took another car ride to go see them.  I got to meet my foster cousins and some furry foster cousins too.  As soon as I meet my foster aunt and cousins, I let them pet me and gave my aunt some kisses.  My furry cousins were fun to play with and they shared their dog bed with me.  My foster uncle was pretty cool.  It didn’t take me long to like him since he gave me some hot dog and took me to meet his chickens.

Those chickens were nuts!  There was one red hen that liked to chase after me.  My foster aunt said she doesn’t like anyone and even pecks her.  I made sure I didn’t get too close to the fence because there was no way I wanted to get pecked.

We stayed overnight at my foster uncle and aunt’s house, and I got some yummy bacon in the morning and played with my furry cousins again before we drove back to the cottage for our last night there before the long drive back to PA.

On the ride back, I even let the new guy pet me since he’d been dying to feel how soft my fur is.

When we got home, I was really happy to see foster Dad again!  I gave him lots of kisses to show him how much!

Foster Mom says that she hopes my new family likes to go on adventures too because I am a great little travel buddy.Well that’s all for now!  Catch you all later….  Time for some ball!

May 31, 2024

Dory is continuing to experience new things and places while she is hanging out here with us waiting on the right adoptive family to come along.  She is easy to have in the house and is completely reliable when we are not home and is a pleasure to foster.Dory is great in the car.  Last weekend, we took a trip to our lake cottage in NH so we really got to test out her car skills.  She did beautifully in the car for the 5 1/2 hour trip mostly sleeping and occasionally lifting her head to see if we were there yet.  She will be an easy travel companion and her small size is a plus in the car. When we arrived at the cottage, Sammy ran down to the lake and leaped right in.  Dory was hot on his trail and leaped right in after him, and then was like, Whoa, Wait, What is this???  She stopped dead in her tracks in water up to her chest staring at the tiny waves and pawing on the top of the water while Sammy happily splashed out deeper and took a swim.  She quickly high tailed it out and spent the rest of the weekend exploring the shore, and not going more than 3″ deep in the water.  I think this city girl never experienced a lake before.  She did like grabbing leaves out of the water so she has no problem sticking her face in.  We are going again in a few days for a week so I’m hoping we’ll get her out in the water for a swim.She loved going on our hikes around the lake and up the little mountain behind the cottage, and watching all the lake activities on the screen porch and hanging out in the sun on the deck. We all got to see the lake’s resident Eagle and spent our quiet evenings relaxing and watching the sunset while Sammy and Dory relaxed on the couch.

My husband and Dory are now good buddies, and she often actively seeks him out for scratches and kisses.

The ride home was as uneventful as the ride there. Dory has been doing great on walks, and did beautifully meeting a big Golden Retriever boy and his Dad.  We walked with them for about 5 minutes until they turned into their driveway.  She didn’t make a peep to this strange new man and was just focused on her new furry pal.  We have also come across the geese a few times on our walk.  She is interested so she has that bird dog drive but she continued on her way and wasn’t too concerned about them.

Sammy and Dory are co existing in the house wonderfully now that they know each other’s personality and tolerances.  Sammy is being gentle in his play, and Dory has now started initiating play with Sammy.

Dory is a sweet little girl and will make a great addition to a family that will take their time getting her settled in their home and routine.

May 10, 2024

I’m back to report in on how things are going here in my foster home.Well, the first big news is that it was my first birthday on April 30.  We had a great time celebrating and FM and FD got me some new stuffies and some yummy treats!After my birthday, foster Mom had the nerve to take a trip with her friends and left me for 4 days with the two guys that live here.  I’m happy to report that I survived and now me and foster Dad are good friends.  I slept with him and Sammy and he remembered to feed us when he was supposed to.He even gave me and Sammy tastes of his breakfast, lunch and dinner! He also took me on my walks which you all know I love.  The best part was that he gives scratches and snuggles just as good as foster Mom!

Now I like to get scratches from him whenever I can.

Me and Sammy are good friends now and when FM and FD leave the house, we just hang out together either on our favorite couch or FM’s bed.In the yard, we like to explore, and play chase and wrestle.

I also help foster Mom with her gardening!Now that the weather is getting warmer, I’ve been seeing a lot of strangers on our walks.  Foster Mom says I’m doing really good.  She was super proud of me when I walked by a bunch of workers, and didn’t ask them what they were doing.  I’m really good about minding my own business on walks since there are so many new things to sniff.

I’m still waiting for my forever family to discover me and apply to adopt me but in the mean time, I’m getting all the snuggles here I can.

April 26, 2024

Hi Everyone,

Foster Mom here to do a blog update while Dory is out enjoying this beautiful day.This past week, my husband was traveling so it was just me and my son here.  She’s been doing wonderfully with his comings and goings inside the house, and her barking has subsided.  She still is cautious of him, and usually comes over to me or Sammy when my son is around but it is a big improvement.

Yesterday, she was even brave enough to run up and retrieve her ball that he was standing next to without letting out a peep.  She did it with a couple of her favorite toys that he went and stood next to almost like saying, I’m still not sure about you so I’m going to go save my toy from your clutches…  My husband came back this morning and Dory was happy to see him and went over to greet him and get some pets.  He has given her space, time and treats and has always spoken and approached her kindly and it’s paying off.

Dory and I have been going on lots of walks.  For such a petite little girl, she can pull when she is super interested in her sniffari but will settle into the walk eventually.  Her nose doesn’t leave the ground the whole time we are on our 2 mile walk even when we pass by lawn mowers, garbage trucks, or cars.  We’ve passed by lots of walkers (both male and female) and if they don’t have a dog, her nose stays to the ground.  She is interested when a walker has a dog but doesn’t do any barking even if that walker is a man and the other dog barks at her.  One friendly poodle even pulled her female walker over to us, and the meeting went great.  Dory absolutely loves going on walks and I think she’d probably make a great running partner as she likes a very brisk walk.Dory absolutely enjoys being outside and lazing in the sun too.

She especially loves lazing if she has her special person and her prickly ball as well. Belly scratches are great too!

Dory is very affectionate.  Snuggling on the couch and in bed with a female companion is a must for Dory.  She loves all females but it takes her time to warm up to males so she needs a patient female adopter to help her learn that guys are okay too.  She has been very “male-trainable” here with the right approach and home life situation.Dory enjoys having a furry friend to explore, play, and hang out with but doesn’t need one if her human female companion is home a lot.

She is a wonderful home office mate since she readily entertains herself with toys and chews. She is the cutest when she is waking up from a nap while I’m working.

Dory would do great with or without a fence as she has great recall and just likes to be where her peeps are.  She’d do best with a family that likes to get outside and explore as she loves going on “sniffaris”  everyday as many times as possible!

Dory and I are both waiting for her perfect adopter to come along.  In the mean time, she is enjoying life and learning to trust.  She will be the best walking companion, ball playing, snuggle buddy for the right adopter.

April 22, 2024

I’m back!  I know, I know, it’s been a while since I last checked in.Last week, I tried out a new place with lots of new smells and people.  The house had a Mom, a Dad, a teen boy, and another black Labrador mix who liked to play.  Foster Mom thought it would be the perfect fit for me.  Turns out, even though foster Dad doesn’t make me nervous, I feel like I still need to tell strange men that I don’t like it when they get too close.  I didn’t mind playing ball with the teen guy, heck I even gave him a lick when I first met him, but I didn’t really feel comfortable when he brought his friends home.  I guess they all like to hang out at that house, and no one liked it when I told those boys that they needed to go home!Foster Mom says she going to start taking me out to new places where I see more those strange men/teen boy things.  I’m not sure if I’m going to like that but I really trust foster Mom and know she won’t let me get too scared.  I don’t mind having girls around.  I love to giving out kisses to the ones I meet, and love to cuddle with them too.  Foster Mom says that until I learn that those men things are okay like foster Dad, my new Dad will have to be really patient and take his time with me.  I told FM that I wouldn’t mind if everyone in the house was only a girl but she said sometimes that’s hard to find.I also wanted to let you know that I really like having another furry kid in the house with me. Sometimes, I can be bossy when it comes to my squeaky ball, especially if my furry friend is trying to steal it away from me.  I’d like a friend thats like me and doesn’t take my toys when I’m playing with them.  I never steal anyone’s toy or bone when my friends have it so I don’t want anyone to steal it from me if I’m not done playing with it.  Sammy, my friend here, can sometimes be pushy and try to take my things.  I let him know that I’m not ready to share, and he usually listens so that works and we get along really well.

I like tagging along with him out in the yard, and we play chase and do some wrestling.  I love going for walks with him too!

I just got back to my foster home yesterday but it’s like I never left!  I played a bunch with Sammy in the yard yesterday afternoon and today.  I didn’t forget that foster Dad was really nice and wagged my tail and got pets when I saw him.  He gave me some treats and I sat with him on the couch after we finished the yard work yesterday. 

Last night, I got my snuggle time in with foster Mom. Today, I was back to the old routine,  I got all the toys out of the toys box after breakfast, and chewed on my bones and played some fetch.  Foster Mom even gave me another furry ball so I’ve been having fun playing with that today.

Well that’s all for now!  I’ll check in soon.  Hopefully another family will come along soon and keep me forever!

February 23, 2024

Hello again! Foster Mom said that if there is someone out there that wants to adopt me, I might be smelling some new things soon.  I’m not sure what all this adoption business is about but FM says it’s going to be something really special for me!!Foster Mom says she is really proud of me because I’m such a good girl.  I like to hang out with FM all day, even when she does laundry.  The folding part is real boring so I usually just help her organize then take a nap.She really loves all my hugs and kisses and she is great to cuddle with after our busy days are done.  Sammy sometimes joins us, especially if its really cold out. Foster Dad was gone all last week, so when he got back I forgot who he was, and didn’t think he should be coming in the house, and let him know.  Foster Mom told me he was okay, and she was right!  He plays fetch with me, gives me treats and sometimes even sneaks me some of his lunch.  The last two days, he’s been working from home so I’m used to him again. We pretty much do the same things, around the same time everyday and I really like that.  It’s great that she trusts me in the house when she has to go out, and I have my foster fur brothers Max and Sammy to keep me company.  She not gone super long but I’m always ready to smother her with kisses and give her a great big hug when she gets back.  She always takes me right out side to play ball and walk the trail in the yard when she gets back, and that makes me forget all about her leaving.  I so used to her leaving in the morning now that today, I didn’t even go to the back door with her.  Sammy and I like to watch out the window when she leaves.Foster Mom has lots of different toys around here to keep me busy.  My favorite toys are balls, especially prickly ones!  Tennis balls are great too especially when someone plays fetch with me.  I love playing that game and it doesn’t matter if it’s inside or outside.  The best balls are those furry ones.  They always have a surprise inside.   The stuffy toys are pretty fun too.  The best part is pulling out the stuffing to find those squeaky things!  Foster Mom likes that I don’t eat all the stuffing like Sammy used to do!  Good thing FM has lots of these stuffys!Me and Sammy like when FM says it time to go on our hike in the woods.  We both like looking in those holes that smell like something is in there.  I usually make the holes bigger and see if I can fit in too!  I don’t mind getting a little dirty. Foster Mom says I clean up nicely! Foster Mom also says I’m very inquisitive.  I’m not sure what that means but I like to see new things and wonder what they are and what they do!  There’s this weird silver thing in the room where there’s always lots of food.  It makes a crazy noise then spits out my favorite!!  ICE!

Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I know I will.

February 16, 2024

It’s me again, Dory!  Hope you all have been having as much fun as me since my last check in.After it snowed, we all took a trek on the trail through the woods and I smelled one of those mice that Sammy is always telling me about.  The mouse was pretty tricky and went in a hole under the tree.  FM said I could try and find him under there but even when I dug real deep, I still couldn’t find him!  FM said I looked cute with all the dirt on my nose.

Also, I am super excited to tell you all about something new that I am just obsessed with!Foster Mom gave me this furry green squeaky ball and let me tell you, that thing was awesome.  It was love at first sight for me.  I played with it for a long time while Foster Mom was doing some work.  It was so fun squeaking that thing.

Those other furry things that I’ve played with always have some fun insides that I like to pull out, so I thought I should find out what was under all that fur.  Well to my surprise, it was this prickly ball thing. This thing was amazing!  I took it wherever foster mom went and when I dropped it near her she’d give it a toss, and I’d bring it back for more.  Foster Mom couldn’t believe how much I loved prickly ball.  She said that she didn’t know if I was something called “velcro” or if I was just following her around so she could toss that prickly ball for me over and over.  It might be both!  We’ve played with tennis balls together but this prickly one was special!  It had just the right squeeze to it.  I didn’t let it out of my sight and I wanted to play fetch with it all day, inside and outside.

The next morning, I loved it a little too much when FM was drinking her coffee. I think I was just so excited to see it again after my sleep. I was really sad when FM said it had to go in the trash.  FM showed me another prickly ball she had in the toy bucket but it just wasn’t the same.  It wasn’t as soft and didn’t bounce at all so I wasn’t interested!  Why did I chew that special one apart????  I had to make due with just regular old tennis balls all day.  It wasn’t the same and I didn’t play as much with the regular ball even if it was a squeaky tennis ball.  FM just didn’t understand the other one was just perfect.  Even though I didn’t have prickly ball, FM kept me busy and later I was ready for my favorite time of the day, snuggle time with FM.
Yesterday, FM said she had a surprise for me.  She said we were going on a field trip to PetSmart to look for a replacement ball.  FM said I was a great passenger on the ride there. The store was a little scary at first but I saw some kittens and some other little furry things and they didn’t look afraid so I figured, I should be okay too.

FM took me to the ball aisle but I didn’t see anything I liked, and we just decided to get my dog food and FM said she’d check online for my special ball.

Just before we got in line, we hit the jackpot of all jackpots!  There was a whole bin filled with prickly balls of all shapes and sizes near the checkout.  I picked this new pink one!  I think I love it even more than the other one.  I make sure I always have it with me even when I’m playing with something else. It’s great for fetch with FM.  She’s really nice because whenever I drop it next to her, she gives it another toss.

We play fetch all day while FM goes about doing stuff in the house until she has to do some office work and then I just take a nap with my ball until its time to play again.
FM said I must have been playing ball in my sleep too because I was dreaming I was running!  LOL

Well, that’s all for now.  Its time to get my fetch on!

February 13, 2024

Hi Everyone!  This is Dory reporting in.  Foster Mom said she thought it was time to introduce myself.So far I’ve been having a good time at my new foster home.  Foster Mom and Dad are home most of the day and I really like that.  My favorite thing to do is hang out with my people.  I really like to sit on their laps and give them lots of kisses when they are not busy.  I love to snuggle on the couch and in the bed all night!  I feel so warm, cozy and safe after my time running the streets in Philly with my brother.  That shelter wasn’t any fun either, it was so noisy there. There’s a lot to do here.  I have 2 new foster brothers.  Sammy loves to play and Max loves to sleep!  Sammy is bigger than me and likes to wrestle and play chase.  I like doing that too but Foster Mom says I’m really good at letting Sammy know that I don’t like getting tackled.  I’m no football player!  They have a big yard so I can show everyone how fast I am!

Today, it snowed and we had a great time together eating snow and playing chase and exploring.  I even rolled some snowballs with my nose.

We were both ready for a nap when we came in.Sometimes, Foster Mom works in the office, and I like to keep her company in there.  She has a bunch of toys for me to play with while she works.  I really like this furry squeaky ball that FM pulled out of the toy box today. Yesterday, I found a soft duck and I had a great time pulling all its stuffing out!  Foster Mom couldn’t believe how quickly I got it all out but said she was happy I didn’t like to eat stuffing. Today, I liked Mr. Squirrel and left his stuffing alone.

Foster Mom likes how I can play all alone and I don’t need someone to entertain me.  As long as I can play near FM, I’m happy.

When I’m done playing, I take a good nap on the cozy dog bed or right next to it, LOL.  You know that saying: Play hard, Sleep harder! Well that’s all for now!  Check back soon for more about ME!

February 12, 2024

Dory had a great rest of the day yesterday and was excited to meet her foster Grandma and her terrier mix, Jessie when they came over to watch the Super Bowl with us.  Dory was super friendly with Grandma and Jessie, and enjoyed getting some lovings.Dory is still learning her table manners but did pretty well following the other dogs lead and not begging at the table while we ate dinner.  After lots of playtime outside during the day, Dory settled very nicely while we watched the game.  She is definitely a love bug and will take every opportunity to get pets, snuggles and kisses. As soon as I sat down, she climbed right in my lap for snuggles.  We later moved to the couch and she slept cuddled up next to me while we watched the game. She also slept very soundly all night curled up next to me in bed.  She is the best snuggly bed partner and didn’t move the whole night.  When the alarm went off, she did a big stretch on her back and gave me kisses while she enjoyed a belly rub. She happy and content with all the cuddles.  She’s the perfect petite size and doesn’t take up hardly any space when she curls up. She is eating great and is very food motivated, and continues to do all her bathroom business outside and is very reliable in the house.  She wasn’t afraid of the vacuum, and seems to take new sights and sounds in stride.  The plumber visited today, and she did great.  She didn’t bark when he came in, and was comfortable with him in the house.Today, I took Dory and Max on a walk.  She did pull when we started out but by the end of the walk, she was understanding that if she walked right next to me a treat would come out of my pocket.  She smart and likes treats so she should be the perfect walker in no time.

Dory is great with other dogs, and takes dog cues very well.  She is playful, and confident with other dogs but will readily flip on her back and lick another dog’s face to show that she is friendly.

She follows along with Sammy in the yard and they’ll go off exploring together, but she always knows where I am and comes back on her own to check in.  

So far it seems like Dory’s favorite toys are balls and rope toys.

She loves to play fetch, and exploring in the woods but her most favorite thing is just being with her people and getting lots of love.  Dory is super affectionate, and a total sweetheart.  She’s going to make someone a perfect daily companion.

February 11, 2024

Today, I picked Dory up from a temporary foster who pulled her from the kill shelter in Philly.  She is an adorable, petite 9.5 month old lab mix weighing in around 40lbs. She was the perfect passenger on the ride home home and gladly accepted my pets and gave me some kisses.

Dory had no problem meeting resident dogs, Max and Sammy or my 23 year old son, and was friendly with everyone.

She liked playing fetch with the tennis ball and she is super fast!

Dory and Sammy have become friends already, and had fun exploring the yard and woods.

Dory is very friendly with the whole family. She was reported to be nervous with men but she came right over to my husband and son without issue.  She seems comfortable in the house already and she does explore when she hears something going on in another room and then comes back to me to check in and get pets.  Her other foster reported that she was potty trained and so far has done really well in the house and peed outside on demand.  She sat readily with the “sit”  command and takes treats very gently.

She enjoyed discovering the squeaky toys, and chew bones and was keeping herself entertained chewing on a marrow bone.

When she was done chewing, she hopped in the dog bed next to me and is currently taking a nap.  So far so good!