Jackson #6 Yellow Labrador Retriever Male 6 Years Old ID#3404

Meet Jackson! Jackson is a beautiful, friendly, and affectionate 6 year old English style yellow breeder male Lab. He was surrendered by his breeder as he was not producing.  Jackson had free roam on the farm during the day and was kenneled at night.  Jackson was well socialized and is easy going.

August 7, 2024

Hello! Jackson here again to give you an update on my progress. I had my surgery and am doing well. I now weigh 97 lbs! I’m looking very svelte these days if I do say so myself. I have a lot more energy on our walks and am keeping up with my foster siblings. I still prefer shorter walks, a mile or mile and a half at a time and then it’s time to nap.

Everything I told you about my personality, calm, quiet and loving all creatures big and small, 2 legged and 4 legged has not changed. I’m doing great with house training. Only one accident in the past 7 days – go me! FM has a little vacation coming up but after that, I’ll be getting ready to find a furever home! Paws crossed I’ll get a family who wants to spoil me and shower me with lots of love and affection. Thanks for keeping up with my story!

July 21, 2024

Hello from Jackson –

I am weighing in at 104 lbs today (down from 125lbs). The vet said my “normal” weight should be around 90 lbs – so I will remain a big boy once at a healthy weight. I can now do steps up and down like a champ. Steps are no longer a challenge.

My neuter date is 7/30/24 and it is expected that I will do very well. Plus, I’m certain I’ll lose a few more lbs’ in the next week and 1/2.

I continue to love all people and animals big and small. I’ve had lots of opportunities to meet friends and family. I went to an ice cream social in Ambler (mini-cup for me -to celebrate my weight loss).I walk very well off and on-leash… and, I have lots of pep in my step with the weight loss! A fence will not be necessary for my new home. All though, I am still a bit of a couch potato… so no to any hiking in my future – a less active family is ideal. I would love a family that is around most of the time. I spend my days laying on FM’s feet or at her heels.

I still don’t understand inside vs outside when it comes to peeing so I do need my male wraps during the day. I don’t need them at night in the laundry/mud room where I sleep on my comfy dog bed. I have learned about dog beds and I’m loving them… no more hard surfaces for me!Stay tuned for a post neuter update after 7/30/24.

July 4, 2024

Jackson here with an update. I went to this nice man call “a vet” who broke the rules and gave me several treats in one visit, and I didn’t even have to do anything to get them! FM says I’ve lost a good amount of weight (about 14 lbs), but I still need to lose some more. Looks like healthy food and exercise is working.

Other updates that FM is excited about 1.) I went to a park with a creek, and it turns out I love water. She is not sure I can swim yet, but I sure did love splashing and laying down in the cool water! I also loved a new friend; an Irish Setter I met while I was there.

2.) I did very well without a leash at the park and on several walks since then. FM has some woods behind her house, and I went on an adventure with her and her grandkids. No leash the entire time, I just followed my people. I would rather be with them, and I did not care at all about rabbits or deer. Which brings me to number 3.) I played with the grandkids (1 1/2 and 4 years old) and was super gentle. Really, I just laid down and rolled over so they could pet my belly; and when they ran, I liked walking alongside them through the wooded park. I was careful not to knock him down.

My entire foster family says, “I am a keeper”. If they did not already have 3 dogs and 3 cats, they would never give me up… but they know I will make some other family the luckiest folks in the world.

One last note, although I seem perfect, I’m still working on understanding about living in a house and only peeing outside. I don’t mind wearing my male diaper, but she says we still have to work on that. I’m trying really hard, and I don’t pee in the house the whole night (and I don’t wear my diaper at night) so it’s just the daytime… and we continue to work on that.

Thanks for checking back in on my blog. Take a look at my new pictures and videos I hope you enjoy!

June 25, 20254

I received a box with all sorts of fun stuff in it. I especially liked the hedgehog!  I carry it around and lay with it at night. I’m not a chewer, so I don’t chew on my toys, but I do cuddle with the soft ones. I also have a habit of grabbing one on FM’s shoes to lay with at night – she guesses I like the smell when she’s not in the same room as me.  I continue to be a good boy. I sleep soundly all night, every night. I still prefer a cool floor to sleep on. I don’t understand the idea of rugs or dog beds.

FM thinks I’ve lost a few pounds over the past 1 ½ weeks. I’ll visit with the Vet on Friday, so we’ll see. FM says I have more energy and have been going faster on our walks. I still don’t pull but I agree with her that I have a “little more pep in my step!” FM says I must work on my “spatial awareness”. If I’m not walking in front of her, I tend to walk into her leg or on the back of her shoes. The other thing we are working on is my manners with doorways. FM says it is not polite to push my way through when she opens the door. Who knew?

I continue to learn about “playing”. FM tosses me the ball and I catch it in my mouth. Sometimes I will chase it at a slow trot and bring it back, other times I just walk over to it, and they lay down with it. My foster dog-lings like to bow down and play-bark at me or pull at my jowls. I get excited and wag my tail real hard, but I still don’t understand this business of “playing”.  I met my neighbor dog friends, one male and one female. I really liked them both and followed them around the yard to see what they were up to. FM says I’m friendly with everyone two-legged and 4-legged that I meet.

I hope you enjoy my new pictures and video.

More to come after my visit with the Vet on June 28th

June 19, 2024

I experienced a few new things yesterday. First, some workers came to the house today and I just laid there wagging my tail. Foster mom and dad praised me for not barking. Then, FM trimmed my nails and I let her do that without so much as look in her way; I rested quietly until she was done.

We went for a walk later in the evening and I did a great job. No pulling at all! FM and my foster-dog sister are a therapy dog team. They visit schools, hospitals and nursing homes. FM says I will make a perfect therapy dog too. She says I have the perfect demeanor and am so gentle that I will be able to visit folks of all ages. Nothing rattles me. I just take everything in stride.I continue to be a good boy and sleep through the night. I have my own space to sleep that doesn’t have a rug and have gone 2 nights without wearing the belly band and I waited until morning to do my business outside. FM showed me a dog-bed but I prefer sleeping on the floor. During the day I just follow my people around and lay by their side quietly, well sort of quietly… I do snore a little; or so I’m told.My last thought for today is about cats. One little one decided to rub on my legs, and I just sniffed her. Her fur tickled my nose. I liked her and wagged my tail. I think she liked me too! Well, that’s it for now.

Thanks for coming back and reading my blog.

June 18, 2024

Hi Everyone!  It’s me Jackson.

Day 2: FM told me to sleep in this thing called a crate – I let my new foster family know that I do not like being in a crate by barking until I was allowed out of my crate. Then I stopped barking and laid down and went to sleep for the rest of the night. I did not chew anything, and I waited for everyone to wake up to do my business outside. FM says I will not need to go in the crate anymore, but I must wear these belly bands (male diapers) until I understand about living in houses and peeing outside only.My foster siblings like to bark at noises and sometimes humans.  FM says I’m a good boy and do not join in; I’m quietly curious. The rest of my day was great, I just followed my humans around the house and laid close by them. I went for another walk. This time I pulled a little bit but just because I was so happy to join my 4-legged foster siblings and wanted to keep at their pace.

Day 3: I continue to be an awesome house guest! I even backed up when one of the cats was coming in a doorway and I was going out. After the cat came in, I continued out the door. FM said, “thank you for being so polite to the kitty”! I met a neighbor today and followed right behind her as she walked around the yard. I sat politely as she petted my head.  I really like being petted.  My 4-legged (dog) foster sister and brothers try to play with me, but I don’t really understand what they are doing so I just stand there and watch them run around chasing balls and each other. It looked a little silly to me, but FM said I might like to join in some day… we’ll see.The only thing I have trouble with is when one of my humans is leaving the fenced in yard or the house.  I go as fast as I can to get to them, so they won’t leave without me. Sometimes they do. After that though, I just go about my business until they come back. FM has not left me for more than 30 minutes, but I’m all smiles and wags when she comes back!  I don’t have separation anxiety, but I would love a new family that is around most of the time because I really get attached quite quickly. I’m going to be a very loyal “best friend” when I have a new family to share my life with!

That’s all for today. FM says I’ll be meeting some very small humans soon so please come back to my blog to see how I do with them!

June 15, 2024

Jackson is a very handsome 6 1/2-year-old English lab, retired from breeding. He was picked up from the farm on 6/14/24. Jackson says he’s still a ‘stud’, but just in looks these days!

Here are his experiences through his eyes:

Foster mom (FM) says I was a good boy on the ride home, she tried to have me ride in the back, but I wanted to sit right up next to her and wormed my way right behind her seat. Then I was content to took out the windows quietly. My new foster sister (2-legged) was in the car too. I loved her because she gave me a treat! Upon arrival to my new home, I met 3 resident dogs. I was well mannered and greeted each calmly.

I also met the humans in the house and walked right up to them to be petted. I decided right then and there that this new life off the farm was definitely for me! I was a good boy and did not jump on the humans; but to be honest, I’m a bit overweight so I could not have jumped if I wanted to. FM says we have to work on that. So, healthy portioned food and walks it will be for me.

Turns out, I really like walks and FM says I did great walking 1/2 mile with a flat collar and no pulling. OK, back to others I met in the house… I met 3 cats, or at least that’s what FM called them. They just looked at me and I returned the favor but honestly, I really didn’t care one way or the other. I just went about my business of sniffing all the new sniffs in the house. FM says I have to wear a “belly band” until I learn to pee only outside, but she said she has the utmost confidence that I will learn quickly. She says I am smart, I know my name, sit and come. But let’s be honest, she doesn’t need to tell me to come because I follow at her heels wherever she goes. She calls me a “Velcro dog”. Last night after barking twice, I settled easily and slept for a full 8 hours.  The last thing I want to write about is the bath I had today. This is another thing I could take or leave but FM mom said I need to do that sometimes. Again, I was told I was such a good boy and got a small treat when I was done. FM says I’m such a “chill dog”. Nothing bothers me so far; I just like hanging with other dogs or people.

I did not react at all to the thunderstorm last night or the vacuum today – Go me! I’ll be sharing lots of adventures and videos over the next few days and weeks, so I hope you come back to keep reading my blog. —