Gracie #11 Silver Labrador Retriever Female 7 Years Old ID#3524
Meet Gracie! This beautiful silver farm breeder mama is 7 years old and was surrendered as she was no longer needed for breeding after having 3 litters. Please read her blog from the bottom up to learn more about her.
November 10, 2024
It’s been a busy week but we wanted to check in to say that Gracie had her teeth cleaned and her gums checked and that she ended up not needing any teeth pulled! Phew! Her gums are looking better already, her breath is fresh, her teeth are pearly white and she is eating comfortably though I’m still softening her kibble in case her mouth is sensitive.
She took a day to rest and recuperate with Bella.
But then the girls were back at it and ready for car rides and walks. Gracie has learned to lay by the back door (or block it) and wait until it’s time to leave.
Gracie loves car rides and is happy to go anywhere! Here we are on our way to pick up the kids!
And here we are at the park practicing our leash walks which are going well. She never pulls, has shown no interest in squirrels and is always happy to meet other dogs. She is a shy girl so she happily trails behind Bella and follows her lead.
Gracie has also become the master at making sure she sneaks something into the yard. Mostly it’s shoes, but sometimes she takes her babies. She never hurts anything and thankfully is always sure to bring her treasure back inside.
Gracie has made so much progress in such a short time. She is the sweetest, happy girl who just wants to be with people and pups. She will be looking for her forever family soon. Stay tuned!
October 26, 2024
Well, it finally feels like Fall and Gracie has a pep in her step and is feeling great after her long recovery from spay surgery. She had her sutures removed so she can run and play and really stretch her legs. She never goes far though preferring to walk right beside me in the backyard even when she is not leashed. She likes to have someone outside with her and loves to run back to the house to go inside almost as though she is proud to call indoors home. She has been enjoying some cool mornings and warm afternoons in the garden helping me to cut back some plantings and clean up the beds. She paws at us for pets and of course we happily stop everything to snuggle her.
She is proud to be on the lookout in the front of the house with Bella guarding the yard from the big, loud blackbirds.
And of course, she loves to nap while all is quiet.
We continue to learn about Gracie and in the last couple of weeks we found out that she loves car rides and going on adventures! She rides in the back with the pups and is happy to be a part of the pack.
Gracie is a rather shy gal. She warms up to women right away but seems more hesitant around men. She loves my husband and son but when a few of my son’s friends came over, she barked a lot. She settled after a few minutes but lots of big voices and tall men made her feel very alert and anxious. They went about their business and let her just circle around and sniff and she eventually went and settled on the puppy bed with Bella once she understood that no one was threatening. As with all these farm pups, it’s impossible to know what they’ve been through but with patience and time, she is learning that she is in a safe and loving environment. A confident resident pup and/or a family that is home often or a retired family would be good for Gracie to help her continue to know that her life is forever changed and that she will only know safety and love forever. She needs a confident companion who can show her the ropes.
Gracie’s appetite seems to have improved but she does have a broken and rotting tooth that needs to be addressed. We are going to schedule that soon. I’ve found that softening her kibble and adding canned food or chicken or hamburger is very enticing.
Gracie makes great strides each week and while she is uncertain about going up the stairs and needs some help and encouragement, she goes down quite easily. She has learned that once upstairs, comfy beds and Saturday morning snuggles await and that makes all the effort worth it.
We’ll be address Gracie’s dental needs next and after that she will be ready to find her forever family! Thanks for following along. We’ll check back soon!
October 17, 2024
Hi Everyone,
We’re checking in with Gracie to report that her mandatory rest and recovery from her extensive spay surgery is going well. She has been a compliant patient and is taking it easy. Maybe too easy as she has claimed the corner of the sofa for her resting spot. She is guaranteed to have multiple pets from everyone who passes by. Bella caught on that’s how to get some extra love so they make themselves comfortable on big blankets and each other! 
Gracie’s UTI came back so she is on another round of antibiotics that are thankfully working. Our bigger challenge these days is getting Gracie to eat which is stressful for a Foster Mom who has never had a pup that didn’t inhale food! I can hear my Italian and Jewish grandmothers saying “eat, honey, eat!” I have resorted to cooking mini meatballs and pastina, chicken noodle soup with carrots and matzo balls, soaking small breed kibble in chicken broth, grilled cheese sandwiches and quesadillas! She is like a toddler! One day she loves something and I think I’ve got it and the next day, she pushes it away! The other pups don’t help as they watch to see if she’ll actually clear her plate! We think the real issue is that her teeth are bothering her quite a bit. She needs a good dental cleaning and an evaluation to see the true health of her teeth. That’s our next order of business as soon as the vet feels she’s safe to have another surgery. In the meantime, I’ll keep thinking of things to entice her to eat.
Gracie continues to learn about life indoors and has our routine down. She barks to go out or paws at the door and of course she can’t do steps while she has stitches so she waits for the kids to come down in the morning and greets them at the gate eager for some love and kisses.
Other than recovering, trying all kinds of new meals and learning about family life, she is pretty much doing what she does best, looking as cute as can be!
She is such a sweet girl. A little shy at first, she warms up to sweet voices and gentle pets. She loves the other pups and the kids. She is very happy for companionship, both pups and people and mixes right in with the chaos!
We’ll check back in soon!
October 9, 2024
We’re checking in with a Gracie update! She was spayed on Friday, spent the night with the vet and came home Saturday morning. She is recovering but it’s been a little rough for her. While she was in surgery, the vet discovered quite an infection that needed to be cleaned out. She has medication for discomfort but she’s still out of sorts. The good news is that she has been getting better every day and has been enjoying some cooler fresh air with her baby.
She also graduated from the hard floor or rug to a giant puppy bed! Bella has been keeping her company and Gracie is happy to have her friend and a big cushiony bed.
She has also discovered the sofa much to my dismay. But she watches and learns from Bella who sometimes sneaks up there so now we’ve caught Gracie doing the same. She takes her babies, fluffs up her blankets and falls asleep. I can’t help but let her just stay up there. She is calm, happy and resting while her body heals.
It’s so hard for these poor farm girls. They have such an adjustment to make to indoor living, learning new things like different kinds of floors, stairs, people, etc. it’s such a big change but Gracie is taking it all in stride and learning to live the good life indoors with a family and pals that love her. She is a trooper and open to it all. We’ll check back in with another update soon!
October 2, 2024
Hi Everyone!
We’re checking in between breaks in the rain! As you can see the grass is very long but that’s not stopping Gracie! This little lady loves running around the yard and then dropping down for a roll and a rest.
We are pleased to see this happy gal blossom more and more each day. We’re learning that Gracie is much like a typical lab in that she likes to carry around her babies. She gets so excited and runs around with her prize making sure no one tries to steal her lovey.
Another sign that Gracie is a typical labbie is her love for getting loved on. She paws for pets and loves when someone snuggles her.
She is also very much part of the pack and makes sure to keep her pals company by staying nearby. She has yet to lay on a puppy bed or beanbag chair but at least she likes a fluffy rug. 
Where Gracie is not a typical lab in how food motivated she is. While breakfast is a first thing in the morning event for everyone else, Gracie prefers to give a big smiley greeting and get lots of pets first.
She does eat once everyone settles but she is a slow eater and likes for me to stand with her. She does need a good teeth cleaning and I don’t know if kibble is hard for her to eat. To make it enticing, I add warm water to soften the kibble and then add some cheese and chicken. She loves her food this way but when I tried adding broccoli and carrots, she was not having it!
Sweet Gracie will be spayed on Friday so we’ll check back in soon to report on her recovery!
September 26, 2024
Well it’s been a week since we picked up sweet little Gracie and it’s safe to say that she is loving home life. She continues to acclimate to our routine and is picking it all up perfectly! She knows the morning is very hectic with getting the kids ready for school and is very much a part of the kitchen shenanigans where everyone piles in right where I need to walk. She is always nearby or at my feet ready to help with anything we’re doing.
She follows the other pups around and is particularly fond of Bella. Their favorite day time spot to lounge is by the front door where they keep an eye on the birds, mail truck and anything else that passes by. I am still working on touching up the front door but they insist on helping too so everyone is sporting some paint splotches.
Gracie’s UTI is clearing up and potty training is going well. She goes in and out several times a day with the other dogs though she likes for me to come with her. She is happy to roam the yard and even in the rain, is happy to go out but I don’t think she wants to feel alone outside. I give her lots of praise when she goes potty and it makes her so excited!
Speaking of excited, Gracie flashes a million dollar smile every time she sees you (you can walk out of the room for 5 minutes and the reaction is just as eager) but to see it you might be concerned because she like to curl up her lip and show all of her pearly whites! A video is necessary to explain this unbeatable greeting.
Well, we’ll check back in soon! Next up? Spay surgery.
September 21, 2024
Happy Saturday! We’re happy to report that Gracie is settling in nicely and is enjoying the day at home helping me to do some painting and much needed organizing. Gracie and Bella follow me from room to room and in true lab fashion, they find the spots to lay exactly where I need to be.
Yesterday we went to the vet for a visit and she was a favorite among the staff and waiting room patients who were in awe of her beautiful color. Gracie does in fact have a UTI so she is now on antibiotics and after she finishes that course, she can be spayed and then a bit after that, will have a good dental cleaning to ensure her teeth and gums will be healthy for years to come. Doc says that she can see out of her right eye after being told that she’s blind in that eye. He says that she can see movement and objects and though it might not be as clear as her other eye, it is healthy.
Gracie is wasting no time getting used to living with a family. Bella seems to like her though it means she has to share getting loved on with Gracie. She’s a good sport and doesn’t mind sharing.
We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! We’ll check back in soon.
September 19, 2024
Well it’s been nearly 24 hours since Gracie left the farm and from what we can tell so far, getting loved on is her favorite! She wiggles her whole little body anytime someone leaves the kitchen and comes back in. There are lots of new things to get used to including steps, going potty outside and comfy puppy beds. She seems to prefer the cool tile and maybe that’s simply because her luscious fur is thick and hot. We did give her a bath and she sat patiently in the shower as we washed away her old life. She is model ready after her spa appointment. 
We are working on potty training with lots of praise though she goes little spurts frequently. She may have a UTI which we’ll have checked at her vet appointment tomorrow.
I slept on the sofa last night so that I could keep an eye on her and let her outside if she needed. She took a long time to settle but eventually stole a pillow and carried it to the tile and slept next to it. She was up bright and early, had breakfast and helped the kids get ready for school and took her time sniffing around the yard. Today we are working on getting her more comfortable with our routine.
She likes the company of the other pups but so far seems most happy with love from people. She is very happy and very wiggly and she might just be a goofball with her silly faces. It’s funny that this is the same girl!
We’ll check back in soon with another update!
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PLEASE NOTE: While this Lab may not be available for adoption by the time you complete the adoption process, other great Labs are always finding their way into our Rescue. (Note: Sometimes a foster home falls in love and adopts their foster dog so the dog doesn’t make it to “Available Now”).
If you are interested in adopting this Lab or any other Lab from our Rescue, please visit our Website, brooklinelabrescue.org, for more information on our adoption process. If you need additional information about the adoption process or whether you are in our coverage area, please send an e-mail to our Rescue at info@brooklinelabrescue.org.
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Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue is a 501(c)3 non-profit volunteer organization funded entirely by donations. Donations are always needed to help with veterinary costs, transportation, and supplies for our dogs. For information on donating to BLRR please click brooklinelabrescue.org/get-involved/donate/. Donations are accepted via PayPal or you can mail a check to Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue.
Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue, Inc.
P. O. Box 638, Warrington, PA 18976-0638
BrooklineLabRescue.org
PA Kennel License #05190