Lucy #17 Chocolate Labrador Retriever Female 6 Years Old ID #3200

Lucy #17 is now available please read her PetFinder post https://www.petfinder.com/dog/lucy-tag-3200-71198790/pa/warrington/brookline-labrador-rescue-pa06/

Lucy #17 – Tag # 3200 – Female Chocolate – 6 YO – Approx 100 lbs

April 25, 2024

This update is coming from FM Sandi! I cannot even begin to express what a great experience we are having with our Lucy. I have about 10 years’ experience with fostering dogs including several cases of hoarder house dogs. Our journey with Lucy has been very different than any of my previous ones. I also didn’t have to worry about her getting under a bed and not coming out. At 96 pounds she’s a little too big for that. Although she was quite withdrawn upon arrival, she is now sitting next to me looking at me with big golden expressive eyes, hoping for some loving or maybe a cookie. Her transition has been amazing as she went from scared of everything to becoming a confident loving and even a little playful girl. She is still trying to be as accepting of the boys in the house. For me the day starts when she hears me up walking around upstairs. She recognizes my footsteps and the shenanigans begin. I can hear her starting to squeal and dance around the kitchen, When I get down to the first floor I tell her she’s a crazy banana and she jumps and dances until we go outside. She practically launches off the deck and gets all wiggly in the back yard. I now get gentle kisses and she loves to engage my other 3 little dogs; She is a dainty eater and does not snatch treats. She takes them very gently. She spends a lot of time near me and is starting to venture to new locations in the house. The sunroom however  is her safe spot, She loves long petting sessions, hugs,  belly rubs and tushie scratches. We take walks every night and she enjoys them more and more and is getting more confident every day, She has started barking at night and we are working on correcting that. A firm No Lucy…go lay down does the trick most nights. She’s a great watch dog and alerts us to deliveries, anyone coming home and stray cats in the yard. This girl is going to be a great addition to someone’s family,

April 15, 2024

This sweet girl Lucy is still available. She is waiting for her furever home, and will make a great addition.

Lucy continues to thrive. She behaves more like a lab every day, especially with her FM. She works from home quite often, so they have had a lot of bonding time. When FM is heading down the steps in the morning, we can hear her excitement with her dancing, body wags and gleeful noises. When she is first let out, she has more interest in interaction with FM than with doing her business. Sometimes all out zoomies will happen right then and there. FM is getting kisses almost daily when outside, and has begun getting them in the house.

She ventures out from her safe spot in our sunroom and hangs with FM in the kitchen, or just on her own in the foyer. She has started approaching FD on her own when there’s an indication he may have high value treats. She still doesn’t like it when he wears a hat, or dark clothing, but is getting better about the dark clothing.

She’s proving to be a dependable indicator of when someone comes to the house. Will bark and alert appropriately when a delivery is being made, or someone unknown pulls in the driveway. Will settle quickly once she’s sure everyone is aware.

Weather and work schedules have not left much opportunity for socialization outside the house. Looks like the weather in this area is starting to cooperate a little more, so some more walks are in our future. Have a lot of walkers and dogs in our neighborhood, so we look forward to getting her out and about more.

March 30, 2024

With the weather in the Poconos this week we haven’t gotten out much with Lucy.

Tonight, we went to a local Ice Cream stand for a PupCup. There was no one there when we arrived, and Lucy hopped right out of the car with FM and headed to the window to order. She showed interest in the people inside, but once traffic started going by she began to get spooked. This stand is on a road with a 40MPH speed limit, and she was not happy with the cars passing by. She didn’t have any interest in her PupCup while at the stand, and we didn’t force her to stay long. Once we got back in the car she settled down, but you could tell she was ready to go home. Once we got home, and she was offered the PupCup, she was interested and ate about half of it.

At home she is starting to follow FM through more of the house. Whenever FM sits at the table Lucy stops by to see if there are any snacks available, will kiss FM when outside in the yard, and now meets her at the bottom of the steps in the morning for breakfast. She has ventured into the living room to seek out FM’s attention. We have to be aware of where FD and FB are sitting, as she is still timid with the boys in the house. She will interact with them if she is approached, but she will not approach them and engage. She has gotten more comfortable with FD over the last week and a half with the help of high value treats, and patience.

March 27, 2024

Lucy continues to become the Lab we know she can be. She now gets excited in the mornings greeting her humans for breakfast. She shows that she wants to interact and play with our resident dogs, but they are all littles, weighing no more than 10 pounds, and two are seniors. We believe that she would enjoy play time with other like sized dogs. We have a parrot who she has not shown any interest in, even when he’s talking up a storm.

Lucy now follows FM and seeks her attention. She is getting better with FD and her teenage FB. High value treats have done wonders for her relationship with FD, cooked eggs, bologna, cheese, dog treats and dog ice cream are some favorites. She seems to settle in the same spot in the house, her safe place I guess. Hasn’t really explored much beyond the sunroom and kitchen. She has not shown interest in going up the stairs to the second floor of the house, but navigates the stairs from the back yard into the house like a champ.

March 18, 2024

Lucy continues to blossom. Today we went for our first walk now that the weather in the Poconos cooperated. She did very well considering she probably doubled her time today walking on a leash. She does pull a little, but when corrected walks along nicely. She was checking things out along the walk, encountered another dog at a distance, and showed interest, but they were quite a ways ahead of us. She encountered a vehicle backing out of a driveway and handled it without any issues.

She’s becoming more interactive with FM, still a little wary of FD and the teenage son in the house. She will allow them to interact with her when she’s already relaxed and hanging out, but will avoid them if she’s up and moving about. She approaches FM for attention, and is excited to see her in the morning. She can navigate steps, but hasn’t shown interest in going up the steps in the house.

We had a crate available for her when she first arrived, but she showed no interest. We did not try to crate her as she has not had any accidents in the house, or shown any destructive behaviors. We do need to be aware of food on counters, she has counter surfed. She has not shown any interest in getting on furniture. She spends most of her time in our sunroom, but has free reign to move about as she chooses. She has started hanging out in the kitchen when FM is cooking or sitting at the table. She gets along with our resident dogs who are all small dogs, she has shown a little interest in playing, but we have to keep that to a minimum due to their ages and size. We think she would play with other larger dogs if she had the opportunity. She’s starting to understand treats are given for good behavior. She is vocal and barks when new people come into the house, but settles down after a little while.

She also took a trip to our Vet this week to be microchipped. She was great on the ride and time at the office. She’s weighed in at 96 pounds and our vet believes that’s a good weight for her, she is just a big girl.

We think it won’t be long and she’ll be ready for her forever home.

February 29, 2024

Lucy here checking in.

What a crazy couple days it’s been. I got picked  up from the farm on Saturday by Maija and her friend, who took me to meet my foster family. I got to ride in the back of the car to their house with Foster Mom, I was good in the car, and just looked at the scenery as the man drove. It was a little scary, but my foster Mom & Dad told me it was going to be okay, and they were right.

I now get to live in the house with the Foster Family. It so warm and comfy. I like to sit by the windows and keep an eye in the backyard. There are other dogs here too, and I get along with them just fine. I’ve learned how to eat out of a bowl, go outside to potty and haven’t had any accidents inside at all. Foster Mom & Dad say that’s great, and that I’m a good girl when I go outside to do my business, and I even get a treat when I come in. I didn’t even know what treats were, but I’m figuring it out, and liking it. I like to be in the backyard, I run around with my tail wagging and bark hello to the deer that pass by.

At first I was afraid to let the people touch me, but they give me great massages and tell me what a beautiful girl I am, and how good I am. I even like it when the teenage boy spends time with me, but I especially love it when my Foster Mom gives me belly rubs. I have started to follow Foster Mom around the house, especially around the kitchen. They tell me I’m acting more and more like a lab every day, I even do a little counter surfing, which I’m told is not a great thing. Mom tells me “Off” and I do, I’m still trying to figure this all out.

Also, I got mail. A box just for me. I don’t quite understand what all this stuff is yet, but Mom & Dad say they’re going to help teach me.

The last four days have been amazing and I can’t wait to learn more stuff about being a good girl.

February 25, 2024

What an adventurous 36 hours Lucy has had. She started yesterday in what she has only ever known, and now is quickly learning to be a family member. It took two car rides to get here, and she was a great passenger. Once she arrived in the Poconos she got a bath and a snazzy green bandana for St Patrick’s Day, that didn’t stay on long.

She has 3 other dog siblings here, and a noisy parrot to get used to, and she’s doing sooooo good. We introduced her to her new housemates, which went well. She was interested in her new pack, and even more interested in exploring the back yard. She navigated the stairs into the house like a pro, and started checking things out. Foster Mom slept downstairs in the sunroom with her, which she has chosen as her favorite spot, so she can keep an eye on the back yard.

She barked hello to the deer in the back yard when going out to potty, but did not obsess about them. She has really taken a liking to her foster Mom, still working on foster Dad. Definitely interested in him, just not quite sure yet. Mom sharing her eggs for breakfast today may have had something to do with that.

This afternoon she did take some boiled chicken from Dad. She has been doing great with going outside to potty, and ate her breakfast out of a bowl. Still timid, but relaxed and starting to think this may be a good change.