Elvis #2 Yellow Labrador Retriever Male 5 Months Old ID#3450

Meet Elvis!  Elvis is an adorable yellow Labrador from Mississippi.  Elvis and his 4 sisters came into Brookline through the help of one of our rescue volunteers who was notified that the pup’s owner was seeking good adoptive homes for the litter but had been unable to do so on their own.  Elvis is UTD on his vaccinations and will be looking for his forever home very soon.  Please read his blog from the bottom up to learn more about him while in foster care.

November 19, 2024

Elvis is on his third day with us.  His constant motion and exploring is starting to slow down as he is getting accustomed to his new home.Yesterday afternoon, we made a stop at the vet to do his fecal recheck.  He was a big hit with all the techs and soaked up all the pets and attention.  He is a very curious boy and checked out this strange new place with all the new smells. He did listen to correction when I said down. Last night, he was super tired after a lot of activity during the day and came and laid down next to me for some snuggles. The long walk on the road yesterday was a bit too rough on his baby pads and one foot was a little sore today so we stuck to the grassy back yard with leisurely walks around the yard, low impact jolly ball rolling and short tosses of the ball. He made quite a collection of stuff in the yard in a nice warm sunny spot.

Elvis tried out the belly band inside today so that I can “safely” extend the time on free roam inside.  I extended his potty breaks out to an hour and so far his band has stayed dry.  A big plus is that he doesn’t care that he has it on and goes about his activities inside without a care.I got him some new chews also so that he could expend his energy doing some chewing while I did some much needed house cleaning.  When I was vacuuming, Elvis decided that he would make himself scarce and took his first trip upstairs and brought his new bone along with him.  Everytime I turned it off, he made his way back downstairs to check in. Elvis now goes up and down the carpeted stairs without a problem. Even though Elvis didn’t have as much physical activity as yesterday, he has been settling well through out the day inside which is good to see!  He continues to like just hanging around with his people and playing fetch or getting pets.  He is never far from my side.

November 18, 2024

Elvis has been with us for 48 hours now and he is settling in really well.We have had a full 24 hours with absolutely no accidents in the house and he has been peeing on demand when I take him to his “spot” in the yard.  I’m still taking him out every 30-45 minutes when not crated or taking a nap to reinforce the potty training and will slowly start increasing the length of time during his active awake time inside so that we continue to have pottying success.Elvis loves fetch and will keep playing until you stop throwing.  It’s an easy way to exercise this busy boy and keep him occupied when he is in the house.  He brings the ball or toy right back to you every time to have another toss.

Today, we are back to our normal weekly routine.  He slept great all night in the crate, and we were up bright and early (5am) to start our day.  He did his business, ate breakfast and enjoyed a few ball tosses. We went for a short 1 mile walk with Sammy and then he entertained himself with a toy while I had some coffee.  After coffee, we headed back outside for 1/2hr of fetch and walking around our 4 fenced, wooded acres. After that Elvis entertained himself in the office while I did some work for a while. We went back out for another good 15 mins fetch since I had to crate him while I was out at my workout.  He complained in the crate for a bit but my husband reported that he settled down after about 5 minutes.  He was sitting quietly in his crate when I returned after 1.5hrs and waited patiently for me to let him out.

We went for a 3 mile walk around the neighborhood after my workout.  He didn’t like the noisy garbage truck and wanted to bolt but was easily distracted with some tossed kibble.  He didn’t seem too interested in the geese.  He’s still wanders from one side to the other and occasionally walks right in front of my feet but his leash skills are starting to improve.  He is not a puller which is a plus and mostly walks right next to me.

With all the activity this morning, he has not in constant motion when I’ve been working in the office today.  He chewed on a couple of toys, made me laugh with a blanket and then settled down next to me for a nap which is a BIG improvement from the first afternoon he was with us. Elvis is always ready for some scratches and kisses and is a happy, friendly boy!

November 17, 2024

Get ready because ELVIS is in the house!!This sweet boy arrived yesterday at noon after a 2 day trek on transport from Mississippi along with his 4 sisters, Reba, Loretta, Tammy and Dolly.  He was ready to be out of the van.  We took a little stroll on the grass at his drop off location and he was happily hopping around and sniffing.  Once he did his business, we had a 40 minute ride home.  I am happy to report that he rode great in the back seat and occupied himself alternating between chewing on a Whimzee bone, looking out the window and giving me kisses and soaking up head scratches. He met our resident dog, Sammy and they immediately hit it off and had a little game of chase and then helped my husband collect some sticks.

We spent a long time outside exploring the yard and playing fetch.  He is the quintessential retriever in that he will play fetch for as long as your are tossing something for him both inside and out!

We are just learning what keeps this guy busy and entertained but so far he is a fan of squeaky toys, balls, the big jolly ball, chew bones, playing fetch and chasing blowing leaves.

We started crate training him as he is a busy boy and unless you are playing fetch with him, he tends to wander and entertain himself with pulling on the carpets and stealing shoes.  This is his first experience with living in a house and we are only in his first 24hrs so he’ll eventually learn the rules through redirection and positive reinforcement. Having a full day of exercise will also help him settle in the house when his people settle.  In the meantime, you can’t get mad at that adorable face and his sweet personality!Elvis has a great personality.  He is curious, playful, loving and is proving to be a quick learner.

He is already getting how to pee on demand outside, and has only had 1 pee accident inside so far.  He was very calm in the bath yesterday when he needed to be de-stink-afied after transport.  After about 5 minutes of complaining last night, he slept soundly from 9pm until 6:30am in his crate with me near by.  This morning, we took him for a walk with Sammy and despite a little zig zagging, he did really well on leash. This boy is a bundle of energy, so he will need an adopter who is ready and willing to play fetch a lot and to take him on lots of long walks/hikes everyday.  I’m sure he would be a great running partner once he gets his leash skills down.  He really likes getting pets, and settled down on the dog bed next to me last night to watch some TV that he happened to be actually very interested in watching also.  After a long day, it was great to see him finally feel comfortable and tired enough to nap next to his new peeps!Stay tuned for more updates as we get to know this handsome boy!