Joy Black Labrador Retriever Mix Female 3 Months Old ID #3071

January 15, 2023

Joy continues to thrive. She is eating and drinking well. She walks well on a leash. We are working on “drop it” because she loves to pick up leaves and twigs from our yard to try to munch on.

We took her for a bath which she tolerated well at a Pet Supplies Plus earlier this afternoon. She was quite the little celebrity there. Seriously though who doesn’t love a puppy? Afterwards, we took her for a walk in the plaza where the store is located, and we had numerous people tell us how adorable she is which she already knows.

The house training is going much better. She still has an occasional accident if we don’t heed her signals. She is much less vocal about being in the crate. She may sometimes whine for a few minutes and then she is quiet. She typically sleeps through the night in her crate from around 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM.

She is an absolute little love.

January 13, 2023

It seems as though Joy is beginning to feel much more comfortable in our home. We really turned a corner today with the house training. She only had one accident today which I take responsibility for because I did not move quickly enough. When she starts to whimper, this seems to be her signal that she wants to go outside.

We went to the VIP PetCare Clinic today to have her microchipped which she handled like a little pro. She was quite the popular girl in the Pet Supplies Plus store. In fact, one of the employees asked about applying to adopt her. It also appears she has gained a half pound since she has been with us. She now weighs 14.8 pounds.

She did sleep in her crate last night from 9:30 PM to 3:00 AM. I took her outside at 3:00 AM and she promptly did her business. When we came back in the house, she slept beside me until 5:30 AM when Mark took her outside again. She was initially somewhat vocal before settling in last night. I thought I was going to need to invest in some earplugs, but I know it will get better as she becomes more accustomed to being in the crate. We have been feeding her in the crate which she willingly goes into to eat.

She discovered Molly’s toy basket today and helped herself to a few of her toys. I think her favorite was Foxy Van Gogh (Molly chewed her one ear off). For the most part, she is very good at entertaining herself with toys and chews.

These puppies really do seem so smart. I asked her to sit twice when I was preparing her food which she did both times. I was amazed she either already knew the command or picked it up so quickly.

She is fairly good on the leash because we need to walk her around our yard.

January 10, 2023

Joy mastered the stairs yesterday. She goes up and down like a little pro. She does have to be redirected with toys and chews because she has the tendency to nibble on things which are not hers such as getting into a basket of pinecones we have in our entranceway. I started to puppy proof our living room and dining room today which is where she spends the majority of her time while indoors.

She easily goes into her crate to eat her meals, but she is not a fan of staying in it for a period of time. I used a lick mat with some wet dog food in it while I went out for approximately one hour this afternoon. She seemed to enjoy it very much and it kept her quiet for a while (according to Mark). We did use the crate again a little later while we were eating dinner. Joy did eventually tire herself out and took a nap in it. We viewed this as a win.

We discovered yesterday that she seems to enjoy belly rubs. I let her sleep beside me on the floor last night and she slept soundly from approximately 11:00 PM to 4:00 AM. I am going to have her sleep in the crate tonight and I plan to sleep on the floor nearby so she can see me.

She really wants to be friends with our resident dog, Molly who at almost 12-years-old and lacks her enthusiasm to want to participate in a play session. I believe Joy would do well with a younger dog who enjoys playtime. She is such a sweet girl.

January 8, 2022

Our little bundle of “Joy” arrived from Mississippi yesterday. Fortunately, it was a short car ride home for her since we live close to Harrisburg. She was an excellent passenger. We found she can be quite vocal when she wants your attention. We have heard her bark several times and whimper. She loves to snuggle with either one of us. Mark slept on the floor in the living room with her last night. He kept her crate door open. When I let Molly outside around midnight, she was sleeping beside him on the blanket.

So much for the crate for the first night but she slept soundly until 6 am. She does go in the crate easily and we are feeding her in it. We are taking it slowly with the introduction to Molly, our resident dog. Joy is very anxious to meet her. We have kept their interactions to outside while separated by the fence around our pool and inside while separated by a child gate. Molly seems to be getting more accustomed to her. Joy is eating and drinking well. She has had a few accidents in the house, but we are learning with her as we go since she is our first puppy. We plan to give her a much-needed bath today. She seems to be very good at entertaining herself with toys and chews. Joy definitely had made good progress with a puppy Nyla bone. Although, I did find Molly putting the finishing touches in short order on it as well as a puppy teething ring.