Holly #9 Black Labrador Retriever Female 6 Years Old ID #3380

December 23, 2023

Holly was spayed earlier this month and is completing her recovery. Now she doesn’t have to worry that someone will kidnap her, bring her back to the farm and make her have puppies. Her breeding days are over and now her body gets to focus on fun and relaxation.

Pre-surgery bootcamp really helped Holly. In the last 6 week, Holly has lost nearly 20 pounds. FM was determined to take weight off of her to reduce the strain and risk of anesthesia on her body. Holly did not seem bothered by the reduced calorie diet or extra exercise before surgery. She has more weight to lose but she is well on her way.

FM purchased a onesie for Holly so she wouldn’t have to wear the cone of shame.  Holly likes the onesie and is happy when FM puts it on, but at night, she has proven to be a real Houdini. After a couple of nights in the onesie, Holly managed to take it off while FM was sleeping. Since then, she has to sleep with the cone and the onesie. Wouldn’t you know it, Holly gets out of the onesie with the cone on! FM doesn’t know how she does it, but her escape artistry is impressive.

The pain meds caused Holly to lose her appetite for a while after the surgery. To make sure something was in her belly, FM gave her some new foods:  eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, turkey and rice, wet dog food, peanut butter. She loved each for a couple of days, then snubbed them in favor of something new. When her appetite should have returned, FM noticed that Holly was not eating her kibble with her previous gusto. Since FM is a sucker, she continued to give Holly these extra good foods. That is, until FM realized that Holly was scheming. Holly shunned the kibble believing (correctly) that if she passed on it, she would get the goodies. Now FM puts down Holly’s bowl and walks away. (Being a polite girl, Holly still sits for her food.) Holly doesn’t eat right away like she did before surgery, but returns to the bowl when she realizes that the gig is over. Holly is finishing her course of medication for Lyme and has learned to fish the pills out of the bowl, so FM indulges Holly with some extra yummy foods to hide the pills.

Holly has the best house training skills of any dog FM ever encountered. Unless she is on a long walk, Holly will only pee once a day. Since surgery, she has been on exercise restrictions and her walking has been limited. FM brings Holly out periodically to do her business, but she will routinely go 24+ hours without relieving herself. FM eventually decides that relieving herself is more important than the exercise restrictions and walks her up and down the street until she goes. This often takes 15 minutes or more! Holly’s bladder strength is enviable.

Holly is very friendly and continues to enjoy visitors. When she sees a stranger, she shows off a bit and looks closely at them for attention. She loves her cuddle time and is a sucker for belly rubs. You know she is frisky when she offers a front paw, twists the top of her body around and onto the floor while keeping her hind legs in standing position. She does this while making a funny grunting sound and then drops to the floor to offer unimpeded belly access. It’s hysterical!

Holly is looking forward to going to the dog park for a good romp when she is released from exercise restrictions. She is spending extra time with FM due to Brookline’s holiday shutdown. FM knows it will be very difficult to part with Holly. Whoever adopts her will be hitting the jackpot!

December 4, 2023

After 3 weeks of retirement, it’s hard to believe Holly was ever a farm dog. She is thriving!

Holly has had many visitors and greets them with delight. She is always appropriately, saying hello but not getting too close or jumping.  She asks for affection from those who offer it freely, but ignores others.  Visitors always comment on what a great dog she is, that she is super sweet and very laid back. FM agrees.

Holly has not had any “accidents” in the house. She has been learning quickly. She now sits for her food and waits for the ok to eat.  She goes into her crate easily and is relaxed there. Except when we encounter another dog, Holly is great on the leash. When she is not permitted to greet another dog, Holly stops being her laid back self.  She cries and complains. FM finds Holly’s drama quite entertaining and is confident that Holly will soon realize that not all dogs are her domain.

Belly rubs continue to be Holly’s favorite activity, who can blame her. Nighttime is belly rub time and Holly signals she is ready by swishing her back on the floor like a snake. She is so very cute.

Holly seems to be making progress on her diet and the beginnings of a waistline is show it self. She will surely be prepared for swimsuit season when it arrives.

November 26, 2023

It’s hard to believe it’s been less than 2 weeks since Holly left the farm. She seems fully adjusted to home life and is loving every bit. FM suspects Holly spent her days on the farm imagining her retirement. Now that it has begun, she is living out her dreams.

Holly loves attention. She doesn’t demand it, but relishes it when offered, always with her tail wagging. Just looking at or petting her is enough to bring her joy.  On walks, Holly wants to say hello to all she encounters. She seems to know she is a good looking girl and soaks up the admiration from strangers. Holly also likes the company of other dogs. FM thinks the one part of living on a farm she misses is time with other dogs.

After a week on a harness pulling FM around, Holly began walking with a gentle leader. Holly has adjusted to it well and her leash skills have improved dramatically. She occasionally tries to rub her face on the ground to pull the gentle leader off her face, and she gets frustrated when she can’t greet every dog she sees, but she loves her walks and seems to understand that the gentle leader is part of the bargain. FM is thrilled with Holly’s increased stamina on walks and believes her weight loss is going well.

Holly is very obedient. She sits and stays for her food and takes the time to chew it. She takes food gently from others.  Holly obeys when she is told no and, so far, has not persisted in trying to break the rules. Holly has not had any accidents in the house and likes her crate. She recently discovered that the dog bed is more comfortable than the bare floor, but is still uninterested in toys.

When Holly first came home, FM turned on the news while sitting with Holly. Holly didn’t like hearing about all of the awful things happening in the world and very vocally told the TV to stop.  Since then, she has accepted that the world is a harsh place and chooses to ignore the news while FM keeps informed.

Evening cuddle time is Holly’s favorite part of the day.  She may not have had a belly rub before retirement, but she is now savoring each and every moment.  When Holly gets frisky, she offers her paw as if the shake. It’s very cute and she could not be sweeter.

Included among the pictures are those taken on black Friday, which Holly celebrated as a day just for her. FM agrees.

November 18, 2023

Holly has doing remarkably well. In the last 4 days, she has quickly settled into life in a home as if she had never lived on a farm.

She started boot camp on Tuesday and it is going well. FM has increased her exercise over the past few days to build up her stamina. Today she walked 2.5 miles and made FM proud. She loves when we encounter other people and gets very excited when she sees other dogs. She has also taken an interest in squirrels. We are working on leash skills and she has adjusted nicely to the harness. FM is working to acclimate her to a gentle leader and will soon give it a try.

Holly is relaxed and confident. When FM works from home, Holly stays in the same room, but takes her own space. She relaxes on the floor across from the desk or goes to sleep in her crate. The sound of her snoring is soothing. She loves cuddle time in the evening, but if FM is up too late, she puts herself to bed in her crate.

On Wednesday, Holly went to the vet. She was excited to get into the car and loved meeting everyone in the office. Her checkup was great and she did well when she got her vaccines. She is set to get spayed in a few weeks.

FM started receiving visitors later in the week. Holly is friendly and enjoys meeting new people. When we are out, she wants to meet a lot of them! Holly does not demand attention, but relishes it when offered and wags her tail with delight whenever someone pays attention to her.

Today, Holly has her debut at Brookline’s fundraiser at Kendra Scott. She enjoyed the attention from everyone who admired her, but especially small children. Holly loves kids, and is very gentle with them. She liked it when people told her what a looker she is. Holly also enjoyed meeting foster dog Laura, whose fragrance was particularly enticing.

Holly is a fabulous dog!  Every day she amazes FM.  She acts as though she has be

en waiting her whole life to retire to a life of relaxation, fun and pampering. Her new family will be very lucky.

November 13, 2023

Meet Holly, a six year old, black purebred farm girl. Today she left the farm and began her new life. She is already off to a great start.

Holly is very friendly and had her tail wagging when she first greeted Foster Mom. She jumped into the car without hesitation and soon settled in for the ride. Her next stop was to the dog wash where she patiently tolerated the suds, puppy massage and squirting water. It helped that she was handsomely rewarded for her good behavior. After Holly got to her foster home, she explored the yard and then walked into the house without hesitation. She was allowed to explore and liked everything except the dog in the mirror which she found threatening, but made Foster Mom laugh. While we were going to save the lesson in stairs for tomorrow, Holly couldn’t wait. Without hesitation, she bounded upstairs to check out the rest of the house. She hesitated a bit going down, but not very long.  Holly’s afternoon walk was a bit of a challenge and she will need leash training, along with weight loss. Puppy boot camp starts tomorrow.

Holly is already very obedient and wants to please. She is sweet, affectionate, and brave. No longer a handmaiden, Holly shall from this day forward be a fair maiden of leisure.