Ember #4 Black Labrador Retriever Mix Female 7 Months Old ID #3432

Ember is now available: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/ember-73938673/pa/warrington/brookline-labrador-rescue-pa06/

November 15, 2024

Hi Brookline fans!

I have a big announcement – I’m ready to find my furever home! FM says that they have loved having me with them, but it’s time for me to spread my wings and fly onto a home of my own! I’m looking for:

– a place where people are home most of the time. I am young and have a good bit of energy so I have to have lots of walks and playtime during the day. I am ok to be in my crate for 2-4 hours during the day, but once I get out, I am ready to MOVE and interact with my people!! And I LOVE kids – all ages!

– a person or family that gives lots of pets and belly rubs! And treats!

– a person or family that is active and likes to go on long walks and hikes. I also like to play fetch!

– either a fur sibling that is calm, playful, and confident, or no doggy brother or sister is ok too

– cats are ok with me – I live with one in my foster home

– a fence would be nice because I love to be outside, but it isn’t necessary.

– lots of doggie toys – you can see in my photo that I like to have a variety of chewy toys to choose from!

FM says I still need to work on:

– not chewing anything that isn’t a doggy toy

– counter surfing

– barking at unknown dogs. My new family should get me into training to help with this. I can make friends with new dogs if the introduction is slow and controlled.

So, contact Brookline if you have any questions, or you think we might be a match!

November 6, 2024

Hello friends!

It’s me, little Ember, letting you know about the new adventures I’ve had! Last weekend I went with FM and FD and foster fur brother, Archie, on a long car ride to a place called the “mountain house.” I was nervous when we first started off because I was thinking about my super long car trip when I first came into the rescue, and my tummy was upset. But I ended up riding quietly because that’s what Archie was doing. It was worth the trip because oh boy! What a lot of new smells there were! And we got to take several long hikes, I met a new doggy friend and several humans, and on the way home we stopped for ice cream!

I am getting much better walking on a leash, and I’ve learned to sit. I also like to chase a tennis ball and I know now that if I bring it back, a human will throw it for me again! I’m really enjoying this warm weather we’ve been having because I can be outside as much as I like!

Notes from FM:

Little Ember is really coming out of her shell. Looking back now, I think she was still traumatized from whatever her previous life was like, compounded by the long transport trip, for the first 10 days that she was with us. Now she shows us constantly how happy she is with her wagging tail, makes good eye contact, invites play and interaction with Archie and humans, jumps up onto the couch to sit with you so you can pet her more easily, and has settled into the household routine very well. She still watches Archie for her cues on what behavior is expected, and checks back over her shoulder on me while on our walks. We don’t need the 2-point attachment leash any more, although we still pull Ember in close when passing another dog. Since her anxiety about new people has improved, she has started jumping up on people when greeting them, so we are working on extinguishing that behavior.

The “mountain house” has 12 steps to get into the front door, and after some initial confusion, Ember tackled them easily. She did get carsick on the first part of the 3-hour drive, but the ride to the hiking trails and then the return trip home went off without a hitch. She loved her pup cup of vanilla ice cream! So, she will want her furever home to be generous with the vanilla ice cream!

October 28, 2024

Hello again Brookline peeps!

I’ve been in my foster home for 10 days now and understand the routine pretty well. We have our long walk in the morning after breakfast, then it’s play time either inside or outside for Archie and me. When my little people arrive for the day, I’m always happy to see them. They are very gentle with me so I wag my tail and snuggle into their hands to let them know that I love the way they pet me! Sometimes they forget to pick up their toys and boy, would I like to have 15 minutes with those toys to really chew them up! But FM keeps an eye out and takes the toys away from me pretty quickly so I’m stuck with chewing the dog toys. FM and the kids come and go during the day and I go into my crate when they are gone. I like my crate and hang out in there sometimes even if I don’t have to. The day goes by pretty quickly and before I know it, it’s dinner time, then family time, and then bedtime! Everyone who has met me tells me what a pretty girl I am, and how soft my fur is. I’m starting to think meeting new people is OK after all!

Notes from FM:

Ember is making great progress with her leash walking. She is getting very good at avoiding my feet and legs now (she was always underfoot for the first week or so, making me fearful of tripping over her.) She also doesn’t get tangled up in the leash like she did at first. She is not nearly as frightened by a person or person and dog coming towards us as she was initially. She has her nose on the ground most of the time too, as you would expect a lab to do.

Ember initiates play with Archie now, and loves a good game of keep-away. She continues to chase a ball, but doesn’t return it. She has had no accidents in the house. Good girl!

Ember is at the height of her chewing stage. If given the chance, she will seek out shoes, the kids’ toys, and anything she can reach or find that smells like her people or food. She’s had a bath, which she didn’t mind, and she likes to be brushed.

This sweetie is really coming out of her shell!

October 21, 2024

Hello Brookline world! Let me introduce myself to you! My name is Ember (I know, 2nd Ember in the past few weeks!) and I am a 7-month-old lab mix puppy who hails from Mississippi. Today is my 4 th day in my new foster home and wow! So many new things to get used to! What my life was like before I ended up in a temporary home in the south is a little fuzzy, but I did get spayed and got all my shots while I was there. Then I took a loooooooooong ride in a crate in a minibus to get to my new home. I was nervous and very shy at first – so many changes! But here I have a furry foster brother who is about my size and he wanted to play with me so I started to relax pretty quickly. Now I am spending my days going for walks, playing with my brother, having 2 meals a day plus lots of treats, napping, and getting lots of pets from these new people in my house. This is the life I was dreaming about! I will keep you posted on any new developments as I adjust to being a “northern” girl!

Notes from FM:

Ember arrived a few days ago after over 24 hours in her transport from the south. She was understandably exhausted and anxious about what was going on! It must have felt wonderful to stretch her legs and move around once she got into our fenced back yard here at her foster home. She explored a bit, and then met her furry foster sibling, Archie. They are close to the same size and Archie is very playful, so it didn’t take them long to become pals. Ember didn’t hesitate to come into the house from the patio, and she doesn’t seem too fazed by normal household noises (although she doesn’t like the vacuum.) She clearly watches Archie to get her cues. Our first walk seemed to be her first time on a leash, and she was confused about how far the leash would let her go. But she is improving every day. Right now, we are using both a harness and a collar with a Freedom leash (2 points of attachment), not because she’s a strong puller, but just to be sure she doesn’t get spooked and slip out of a collar.

Ember’s paperwork says she is 31 lbs. and their estimate was 6 months of age in September. I doubt that she will get much bigger because she has smaller feet and a slight build.  She has a beautiful, shiny coat. Twice a day she eats her dry kibble with a tablespoon of wet food mixed in without complaint, and likes to rest in her open crate or on a dog bed in the kitchen when she’s inside. She is in the puppy chewing stage, and rips up the stuffy toys so we stick to Benebones and Nylabones for her! She will chase a tennis ball because that’s what Archie does, but has no idea what to do with it once she tracks it down. So far there haven’t been any potty accidents in the house and she has chosen one area of the yard to do her business. She hasn’t yet caught on that walks are for potty stuff. She is confined to the kitchen when indoors if no one is actively watching her. When we retire to the living room after dinner, Ember is on a leash to hang out with us and Archie, get pets, and chew on the various doggy toys. She has discovered the comfort of the couch! At night, Ember is sleeping in a crate in the bedroom. She’s had to go out once during the night but I suspect that’s because she doesn’t yet understand what “go potty” means, so she doesn’t take advantage of the 10:00 pm before-bed trip to the yard.

Ember is rather timid when first meeting someone new. But she warms up quickly and is very sweet. She doesn’t jump on people, but she is curious about whatever is on the kitchen counters and can jump up and reach anything close to the edge. She is just learning the meaning of “NO!” She has met the resident cat and was appropriately curious, with a wagging tail and nose-to-nose contact. She has also met two young children, 5 and 3, and was happy and comfortable around them. On walks, Ember is very alert to other dogs and squirrels, and is not sure what is expected. I pull her close to me and keep walking, with a firm “NO” if she starts to attend to the other critter. She likes to walk right next to Archie because he is giving her confidence.

So far Ember has been an easy going and sweet foster dog. She warms up fairly quickly to everyone new – men, women, and kids!