Java #3 Black Labrador Retriever Female 5 Years Old ID #2553

June 2, 2020

Hi everyone it’s me Java. My foster family is finally letting me sit down at the keyboard and type up this thing called a “blog”! They told me I’m just supposed to talk about myself so here goes…

What can I say? I love it here. I never realized that my humans would do so much for me–feed me, walk me, take care of me, let me sit on the couch with them. We never did these things before where I came from. Life is so much different now, but in such a great way. I really like living with a family.

I have a fur brother and sister here that I try my best to get along with. I would say more than 90% of the time everything is great, but sometimes I let the boy one knows I’m here with a little grumble. Thing is, I never learned before how to trust other dogs. When you spend your whole life breeding puppies and fighting for food scraps, you sort of develop a rash response to new dogs, you know? But my foster parents have done their best to let me meet new dogs. I’ve figured out that if I take things slow and easy, eventually I warm up to most dogs. It helps when they give me treats and tell me I’m a good girl. Sometimes they have me walk next to or near the new dog for a bit so we can get to know each other first. I like that.

Other things I like? Hanging on the couch–I watch television sometimes. Food. Treats.   Car rides. Leash walks. Hikes in the park.

A splash in the crick.

Hanging on the couch–I watch television sometimes. Food. Treats.

Well, maybe that’s enough for now. I’m actually pretty shy, so it’s kind of tough to talk about myself. I’ll be sure to check back in real soon. In the meantime. I’ll just be over here being the luckiest girl in the world to have found myself into a safe and calm home with my humans.

Love and doggy kisses …

Java

xoxo

May 20, 2020

Sweet Chocolate/black Java has been with us in foster care for 6 weeks and she has really become one of the pack here. She continues to be a delight in our home, surprising us to no end with her adaptability. There is some anxiety in this dog, but that is to be expected from a former farm dog breeder momma. Despite her background, though, she has fit in well with living in a house.

Java will require a firm, confident handler. She needs slow introductions to other dogs. We are just not sure what if any interaction she had previously. When we have been able to socialize Java, she definitely feeds off the energy of the other dog. All of this tells us that she can live with other dogs, it’s not essential, but if she does, it will take some time to settle into a routine.

But most of all, Java is just such a sweet affectionate girl who is eager to please. We are going to start working on training soon, and we think she will take to it quickly. She is already excellent on the leash and she knows “harness” is time to sit and put her harness on to go out for a walk. She also is easily re-directed when she exhibits anxious behavior i.e. on her walks when she sees another dog or a person.

The last bit of update is that we are thinking about what kind of home will be best for Java’s continued growth. We will check back in soon. In the meantime, you can be assured that Java will wait patiently in her favorite spot, sitting at the edge of the kitchen looking for her foster dad.

April 20, 2020

Java will be with us two weeks tomorrow. ❤We are still learning a lot about her.

Amazingly, Java does well with leash walking, thresholds, hard floors and even car rides.

We are learning, however, that new dogs should be introduced very slowly. For one, Java growls and barks out the window in the car at other dogs. When we are on walks, she takes interests in squirrels and notices every dog on the walk. Both of those things say she is pretty aware and a little reactive to her surroundings. But we also had a visit from a former foster dog recently, and Java did some posturing that we were not comfortable with. We put her back inside for the rest of the visit. But these are things that some farm dogs have to work on.

Another farm dog trait Java has is no concept of personal space. Java loves to be on top of you or in your face. We are working on that, but I think she will be a great cuddle partner if she can start to control the LICK LICK LICKING of her human’s face 😂

Java has not had one accident in the house which is amazing! She does not know how to tell you when she needs to go out, so we take her out back often. She is picking up on going potty on her leash walks! Yay Java.

Java is a great watchdog! She has a pretty deep bark and she is very alert to sounds and things going by as mentioned above. With her stature and color, I think she can probably be a bit intimidating to strangers, but up close she is a big teddy bear.

So those are just some things we are learning. Java is a gorgeous, big, beautiful lovable lab which I think most of our adopters will relate to. She gets many inquiries when we are able to be out, and when I post her photo on Instagram.

She loves her walks and is really great on leash. We took her out on the trails this weekend and she really enjoyed that. She even plopped down in the water. This girl is the first farm girl of SEVEN farm girls we’ve either owner or fostered that really seems to like the water. I wonder if she’ll even be a swimmer! She did not hesitate going in the creek and it was “deep” where she went in, probably 4 feet.

That’s all for now!

April 16, 2020

Java has been here almost a week and she really is an easy foster especially for a farm dog. We are all still getting to know each other but Java has really worker her way into our hearts as do most fosters 😉 We had kept Java separated from the residents while everyone was getting comfortable–however they are all out together now and co-existing nicely. Java is even sleeping on the floor of the bedroom now at nights.

Java is way more socialized than most foster dogs. She is comfortable going across thresholds and walking on hardwood floors. While these sound-like mundane things to most of us, these farms dogs sometimes have no experience with that kind of environment, and they usually have had little to do with humans. It’s a good bet that Java got to live around humans previously.

This girl is on the bigger side, if you can’t tell from the pictures. She’s not large in stature, but she needs to lose a little weight. She has taken to the leash well, which is again unusual … but also a great surprise. We’ve also started to introduce some vocabulary words (obedience commands) and Java is showing some signs that she is learning.

It’s early still and we are learning some cool things about Java. For instance, she loves to play ball–well, the will is there, but the endurance is not.

What else? Java’s a howler. She was out in the backyard when some sirens went by in the distance, so she stuck her nose up to the sky and kept perfect pitch.

Java also is apparently ok with going in water, yet another novelty among farm dogs. We were out on a long(ish) walk and passed by a crick. Most of the fosters just ignore that whole thing altogether, but Java jumped right in.  Just before we started rolling, Java actually laid down in the water. She’s a ham. Check out her videos here:

April 9, 2020

Java #3 arrived in foster care on a beautiful sunny warm spring day.

When we saw her photos from her “rescue ride” we wondered why her name was Java when she was clearly a black lab, but now that we see her in the sunshine her coat is actually a deep dark brown 🙂 She is a beautiful dog as you can tell by her photos. She is also a bit portly. Weighing in at 95 lbs. 😱 girl can stand to lose some weight.

Java is a former breeder momma off of a farm but she is spayed and much more socialized then our similar former fosters. She is very happy and loving and does not seem skittish or frightened of humans including males. She has taken the usual spot up on our couch next to her foster dad and is enjoying the time decompressing and learning to be an indoor dog and family member.

Java had a bath outside yesterday. See her video attached. She was a good girl and I think when it was all done, she was happy to be dirt free!

Java does grumble at our residents especially our male resident lab but can you blame her? I’m sure her only interactions with male dogs was to breed so I’m sure she feels a bit protective. However, they have been spending time outside in the yard together and everything is fine. Java even knows how to fetch. She can only do it maybe 3 times because she is definitely out of shape, but I’m sure in no time with walks and a good diet she will have some more stamina.

Java was exposed to children on the farm and I believe she would be good with children however her size would make her a knock-down hazard so small toddlers probably would not be a good fit. Like most farm dogs she is very clingy and clumsy so she will barrel into you some and could get under foot easily.

Java is healthy, UTD on vaccinations and HW and Lyme negative.

We look forward to getting to know Java and watch her blossom with each passing day. She is a sweet beautiful big chunk of Labrador.