Luna #6 Yellow Labrador Retriever Female 9 Years Old ID#2965
June 21, 2022
Luna has been here with us for 5 days now. Each day things get a little easier for her and she is coming out of her shell more and more.
I have noticed that when it is dark out and we’re going to do the last potty break of the night, Luna is more apprehensive to come outside or move back inside. Also foster dad is more “scary” to her at these times. So, I send foster dad to the other room and I encourage Luna to come out with me and the other dogs. She does, but it seems harder for her to do that at night rather than during the day. Although last night, foster dad was able to take her out without my help. So even that is improving!
Luna is taking short leash walks here with us and is doing so well with it. I have a pretty typical suburban neighborhood, but we have been walking when it’s quiet to set Luna up for success. We started out walking around the school on the corner. Since school is out for summer, it’s very quiet there. We have graduated to walks around the block in the neighborhood and Luna is handling it all very well. Here is a video of Luna starting one of her walks.
We have found Luna likes it if you narrate what you’re about to do. I will say, “Luna, I’m going to put the leash on you now.” Then I bend down and attach the leash so she isn’t spooked by that. Foster dad will casually narrate his movements. He will say, “Luna, I’m just going to walk by you now. Good girl.” That seems to help her process our movements and not be so spooked by them. She still is skittish with sudden movements from humans. The other day I had the window open and a gust of wind blew a paper off the desk. I instinctually quickly reached and grabbed it. Luna scooted quickly to the other room. I told her it was ok and I was just getting the paper. She seemed to understand and was fine again. We joke that she understands English and our full sentences.
Luna is definitely an alert barker, but so are the other 3 dogs here. My neighbor came over to the fence to drop off mail that had been delivered to his house by mistake. Luna barked and kept her distance. We know strangers are scary to her, but she shows a lot of progress, as we were strangers just 5 days ago. She is almost seeking out affection from us now too. Foster Oakley, who can’t get enough attention will be getting some love from me. Luna is always watching and just recently, she’s coming over to get some pets too.
We are also seeing her tail wag, which makes us so happy for her.
Look at her playing fetch with Pepper and Oakley!
Luna is still looking for her very own furever family. She is so sweet and so gentle. She just needs a quiet home with calm, confident and patient, adult only household who can help her continue on her journey to trusting and being a beloved family member. 🥰
June 18, 2022
Luna’s foster family is away on vacation, so she’s staying here in DE with resident labs Pepper and Colin. We also have foster Oakley here. Luna is wonderful with all the dogs and likely takes comfort from them. She likes being part of the “pack”. She seems to have a fondness for foster Oakley and has even been seen grooming her. Too cute!Luna came here on Thursday afternoon. The transition went smoother than expected. She is still a scared and skittish dog, but she’s so gentle. She’s also beautiful as you can see in her photos. Luna is freely moving from room to room on the first floor of the house. She has no interest in the stairs, or as we like to call them, the “scares”. Oakley hasn’t attempted the stairs yet either, so they have each other to keep company. When I go up the stairs, they are both curious and follow me to the landing, but no further. They patiently wait for me to come back down. It makes me laugh when I see their faces staring up at me. I got a photo of it to share.Luna went into Oakley’s big crate to relax the first evening. I did move her to the smaller crate when it was time for bed as Oakley is much bigger and needs the bigger crate. I put a leash on Luna and guided her and she willingly moved to the other crate. She gave one bark when I turned the light out and I told her no, that it was time for bed. She settled and slept the rest of the night without issue. The second night, not even a single bark. Good girl Luna.
When we woke up the second morning, it was like she had to start again. She was more skittish first thing in the morning. Darting away when I approached, but allowed me to leash her to move her outside to potty and back in. It reminded me of the movie 50 First Dates where every day Drew Barrymore has to start from scratch as she doesn’t remember the previous days events and interactions. Luna was back to her previous night’s demeanor fairly quickly though.Luna is eating and drinking well. She is doing all of her potty business outside too. She doesn’t ask to go out, but we have a schedule here and she just follows along. She often, not always, but often will take a treat from my hand. The dogs get a small treat when we come back into the house. Today she even took a treat from foster dad’s hand. That was a big break through for Luna! Men are more scary than women to her. She still likes to keep her distance from foster dad, but she has even approached him when he’s sitting quietly to give his leg a sniff. That’s a very brave girl!
She has given my hand a little lick, which was so sweet and gentle. When foster dad and the rest of the dogs were out for a walk I sat with Luna nearby. I quietly spoke to her and got a tail wag. Baby steps.
Luna is here for 10 days and we are happy to have her. I will update later in the week.
May 8, 2022
It’s been a while since I have updated Luna blog so here we go…. Luna is moving right along. She is progressing at her own pace and we are encouraged at how she is doing. Luna is now exploring the 1st floor all by herself and seems comfortable in doing this. She has been found all over the first floor relaxing in different spots that she enjoys. Luna has even started coming into the living room with everyone gathered around which felt like a huge step forward. Luna does not run away when she see foster dad or sister as much now and slowly seems to be getting more comfortable. She even took food directly from her foster dad for the first time recently. She is still cautious but does not seem like she wants to run to her nest for comfort. For some dogs these happen in hours or days but for Luna it is taking longer and she is moving at the pace that works for her. We are all encouraged by her progress. Luna still loves to be outside and can often be found in a shady spot in the grass snoozing the day away. She seems to be happiest outside and can sometimes be tough to get inside when she wants to stay out. She seems like she’d be happy outside all day, every day. She occasionally will find her way into flower beds but responds well to prompts to get out. Luna loves spending time with both of my resident dogs but Natalie (yellow lab) is by far her favorite dog. Maybe they know they have something in common with each coming from a breeder after years of having puppies. Natalie seems to enjoy taking new fosters “under her wing” and showing her the ropes and Luna seems to enjoy having a dog around as well. We feel like a broken record at times with Luna because her progress isn’t nearly as fast as our previous experience but she is a beautiful dog and is slowly showing her personality. She loves food and we’re convinced that the way to this dog’s heart is DEFINITELY through her stomach. She has just started to even show a desire to be petted but has to overcome her caution and fear to get there. Until next time…
April 5, 2022
Luna is continuing to make progress in her new life as a family dog. Each day is getting easier for Luna. Luna has moments of being spooked or being scared of a sound or a sudden movement. Luna handles it much better than she did 3 months ago. Luna is even exploring the house more and more!! Each week she is getting better and better. Luna still loves her outdoor time each day and loves to sniff the backyard as she follows the other female resident dog around. Luna could stay outside all day long if allowed. Luna is getting better at not being so scared around my kids. Luna is not aggressive with my kids, she just gets very uncomfortable around them at times. I am thinking that kids can bring sudden movements or loud sounds, so it can make her uncomfortable. If Luna feels uncomfortable with the situation, she does have a tendency to bark and run away to her safe spot. Luna will at times let my kids pet her especially when Luna is on her safe spot. Baby steps!Luna does like treats of any type! She never turns down a treat and is getting better at taking them from your hand. If she isn’t comfortable at that moment taking a treat from your hand, Luna has a great eye for catching the flying treat! This picture shows Luna enjoying a treat! Tongue out and all!Luna is still looking for her forever home, these are very important must haves in her forever home:
- An experienced couple or single person.
- This potential adopter must be calm and patient with Luna.
- A quiet household
- No kids. Luna is very unsure of kids so it would be best if no kids lived in the household on a daily basis.
- A fenced yard as she loves to be outside. It’s her happy place.
Luna does not need a resident dog in her forever home but she does enjoy the company of my 2 resident dogs! Luna does not need someone home all day as she is very content being on her own for a couple of hours each day.
March 24, 2022
Luna is still looking for her forever home! While we wait for her new family, Luna keeps making steps to adjust to her new life. Luna as of late has been having good days over bad days, which is wonderful to see that she is becoming more comfortable in her new life. She still gets spooked easily but she recovers from these moment much better than before. That’s all we can ask for!Luna is exploring more of the house, takes treats from our hands more willingly, and comes in from outside with less anxiety.Luna still likes to be outside when the weather allows. Luna would be outside in the rain if I let her, it is her happy place. Luna is getting better with foster dad and foster sister. Luna has learned not to bark at either one of these people when come inside of the house. She is now allowing them to pet her especially when she is on her nest. It progress!!
March 6, 2022
Luna keeps plugging along in her new life and slowly making progress here and there. She is still very skittish and cautious. Her favorite places to be are her little area in the house or outside. Luna loves to lay outside and enjoy the weather, regardless of how nice it is. We’re working on getting her to come back in but she seems unsure of coming through the door at times and will take several minutes. Sometimes we leave the door open for a few minutes and she will eventually walk in on her on.
Luna loves treats and has a great eye for catching them. She seems to get along great with the resident dogs and would do well with a confident companion in her forever home. While she still prefers the “nest” she established when first arriving in the house, we’re working on getting her to wander and check out the rest of the house more consistently. Luna is a special dog who will require compassion and understanding but she is incredibly gentle and enjoys receiving pets in spite of her anxiety. Over time we can only hope she continues to slowly develop and grow more comfortable with the new world around her.
February 20, 2022
Luna continues to make small steps in her journey to become a family dog. I decided to take Luna back to the vet and discuss how Luna was coping with her new surrounding and what we could do to help her. The vet decided to start some medication for Luna to help with her anxiety. Luna has been on this medication for almost 2 weeks and the jury is still out on if it is helping her. The vet said it could take a month before we see any change in Luna. We have an adaptil calm defuser by her bed to help her too. Luna has a new pink collar that was made by one of our wonderful volunteer. This new collar has a scent intended to help calm her. I am hoping with all of these new changes to help her with her anxiety, she will become more comfortable in her new life. Even though, Luna has been with us for just over 6 weeks, she is often unsure of her foster dad and human foster sister(age 13) in the household. When Luna is feeling overwhelmed by the presence of them, she will retreat to her “nest” to decompress. She has not shown any aggression just alert barking at times. We have another male adult and young child in the household and she does not react to them. We are not sure why she reacts this way with them but we will just continue to work with Luna.
Luna is getting better at coming in and out of the house without too much prodding. She does enjoy being outside and is in her element when outside. Since its been nice outside as of late, I will find her either laying in the grass or the deck just relaxing. Luna likes to follow my resident lab Natalie when checking out the backyard. Just like any dog, Luna loves treats but her favorite treat is carrots. She has a great eye for catching treats especially carrots!
February 6, 2022
Another week down and Luna is still unsure of everything related to living inside, trusting people and being part of a family. We have bad days and good days. With all of the rain of this past week, we found out Luna does not like the rain and will come inside without anyone going outside to retrieve her, coaxing her inside or bribing her with a treat. When it is sunny outside, Luna loves it and it is very hard to get her to come inside. Being outside seems to be all she knows, so its going to take time and effort to change her mindset. Luna loves mini carrots. She has even learned how to catch carrots. She does enjoy treats of any kind and is right there in the pack when treats are being given out. Luna takes treats gently for the most part but she does like her carrots so she can take them with a bit of gusto.
January 29, 2022
Slow and steady will win this race! This is the case with Luna. We are going into our fourth week with fostering Luna, and she has had a couple good days and a couple of not so good days this week. Some days Luna seems more relaxed with her new life and other days you can tell she needs her own space. When Luna is having a difficult day, we just let her relax in her safe space.
We are working on basic everyday skills like walking thru doorways when coming in from outside, having her come when being called by her name, eating with the other dogs in the kitchen, and spending time in other parts of the house with everyone. These skills are not easy for Luna, but she is trying and that is all we can ask for!
January 23, 2022
Luna is into her third week of retirement and is slowly starting to come out of her shell. She ventures out from her “nest” more and more each day. She has not shown any interest in going upstairs but has handled the small sections of stairs between some rooms without too much issue. She has started to spend some time in the kitchen with her foster Mom and she will allow anyone to pet her and will not recoil when getting pets from the family. She still isn’t totally sure about her foster Dad but they are making progress slowly. Her world expands every day. She gets along very well with the other dogs and has even started to go outside and move around the house with the pack. Luna loves to be outside as she is very comfortable spending time soaking up the fresh air and sun. Although she still has a long way to progress, she is an absolutely gentle soul showing a particular love of soft toys that she loves to surround her bed with. She has even stolen fluffy socks on occasion, causing no damage but just gently carrying them around with her. We found out she loves to play catch and retrieve with tennis balls. Luna does not know the command drop but she has no problem taking the ball from her.
Although slow to come out of her shell, Luna seems like a dog that will need a calm, quiet life moving forward. We are excited to see how she continues to grow!
January 16, 2022
After much discussion and debate in my household, we have decided to change Jackie’s name to Luna. She did not respond to Jackie since day one so we thought a new start in life means a new name for her. She seemed to like Luna the most and is starting to respond to her name more each day. Luna had her vet appointment on Friday evening. Since Luna is extremely scared of anything new, I asked my mom to join me in case I needed extra help with the appointment. You could tell she was scared and unsure of everything but overall she did okay. The doctor checked her over and did a thorough checkup on her. Luna is about 80 pounds, spayed, and chipped but she has a pretty bad double ear infection which I will be treating for the next month with medication. I had some concern about her back legs but we are just going to keep an eye on her walking and going down stairs. The vet thinks she didn’t get a lot of exercise so she is a bit stiff in the back legs. All things considered, a pretty clean bill of health for Luna!Luna is starting to follow my dogs and is learning from them on how this new life works. Luna has her spot in the house when she feels overwhelmed but she is checking out the rest of the house more and more. Luna loves soft toys and is starting to collect a fair few of them. I think she thinks these are her puppies. They keep her company and keep her safe. She sleeps peacefully at night among her bed, blankets and toys and seems to be growing into a pet every day. Stay tuned for more about Luna!
January 12, 2022
Jackie has been here for almost a week and she is slowly starting to acclimate to her new life. Jackie is still sleeping in the same spot just inside our house but she has a dog bed with multiple blankets to keep her extra warm. We have found out that she likes stuffed animals so they are keeping her company when she is laying on her dog bed. Jackie is starting to follow the rest of the dogs and her foster mom around the house when she is feeling comfortable in the moment. Jackie gets along with all three of my resident dogs. She will retreat to her safe spot when she gets spooked, hears a loud noise or just overwhelmed in the situation. Baby steps…. Jackie finally got a warm bath today. She did amazing! We had to help her into the bath tub but once she was in the bath, she just stood there and let us give her a bath. Overall she was not too dirty just a bit smelly. She did not mind the whole process of getting a warm bath, getting dried off by multiple towels and getting her fur brushed. We have a vet appointment on Friday evening to have a check up. Stay tuned…
January 9, 2022
Jackie has been with us for three nights and it has been a slow process of her getting used to domestic life. She arrived Thursday afternoon and fortunately didn’t require an immediate bath with the frigid temperatures and her timid nature. A bathtub may have been a bit much for her at that point. She quickly established a spot just inside the house from our garage where she could get into a corner and feel safe and comfortable. It took her another 24 hours or so before she ventured further into the house but those were always short and well-coaxed. Sunday morning we saw the tail wag and she nonchalantly followed her foster mom up to the kitchen. Although two little things, they are BIG steps for her! In the few short days she has been with us, she seems to be a sweet dog who is just very shy and cautious but hasn’t shown a lick of aggression with people or other dogs. She shows signs of being a typical affection and food driven English Lab, especially the food part. We have no doubt that with some time and patience, she will turn into a great family dog. Stay tuned….
January 7, 2022
After a long day of travel yesterday, Jackie is here! She is a beautiful yellow 9 year old English lab. She weighs around 75 pounds. Jackie met my dogs this morning and did very well. Jackie will need a lot of time to adjust to her new life. More to come about Miss. Jackie!
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