Molly Chocolate Labrador Retriever Female 1 Year Old ID #3178

Molly isn’t spayed so, she will come with a spay contract for the adoptive family to sign that she will get spayed while in their care.

September 4, 2023

Hi All,

Molly has made huge progress the past couple of days.

She goes through doors without fear. Runs out to the car. Still scared to get in. She needs a little assistance but does jump in. She jumps out with a little coaxing and a treat. She is very good in the car. She is not nervous once in.

We took her to play group where she met more dogs. She didn’t play much but was content to walk around or lie down with them. It was pretty warm out so no one was running much. She was more interested in scoring treats and scratches from everyone. She had no issues with men or men in sunglasses and hats. No more fears with men.

She is extremely affectionate. She loves foster dad. She will lean against him and put her head on his chest. She loves to snuggle with me as well. She is a big love bug.

There are times when something new will scare her. I try and show it to her so she can see it’s nothing scary.  The other day was the sound of aluminum foil. I showed it to Phoebe then Molly felt safe and checked it out. She is still young and wants to put everything in her mouth. I usually ask her to sit then trade her for a higher level reward.

It makes me happy to see her come so far. Molly is available and is looking for her new home. She is making huge strides and becoming more confident. She is such a wonderful girl.

September 1, 2023

Hi Everyone,

Molly is doing great. We took her to the drop in play group that Phoebe attends. Molly seemed to have a good time; she was nervous but handled it like a champ.

I put her harness on and she ran down the basement steps out the door all on her own without issue. Of course, she did not want to get into the car so I had to lift her in. Once in she was fine. It is a door thing with her. I also had to hoist her out. She walked really well to the gated area. She doesn’t pull I tend to coax her to keep moving. She did go through the gate; she was nervous but did it. Yay Molly!! She met a lot of dogs and people. She went up to every person to get attention and she was not scared. Big change. She was a little nervous with the dogs.  There were 5 dogs she had never met. Very understandable, she had a little string drool going. She did some exploring on her own, that takes confidence. I was really proud of her. She jumped in the car with a little coaxing; the same thing exiting the car. Huge progress. We plan to do it again on Sunday.

I think it’s time for Molly to find her home. I can push her further along but she is becoming very attached.  Her new family can work with her on these same things. She will regress a little they all do but they tend to come back faster. She is a wonderful, affectionate girl. She is very gentle for the most part but can take treats a little rough sometimes when she is excited. I tell her easy and I always make her sit before she can have the treat.

What does Molly need in her home?

Easy things

1. A fenced yard no electric fence, she was shocked prior I will not have her ever be shocked again. This is why she is scared of doors and gates.
2. A resident dog that is friendly and confident. I am not stuck on age. Molly loved to rough house with Nickel but does not want to play with Phoebe. It will be dependent on the dog. Probably not an overbearing dog. that could scare her.

Harder thing

3. Molly needs a family that will be patient and gentle. Someone that will help her become confident. She does not do well with loud voices, just be soft and sweet. It is critical that she trusts her family. With Molly you will have to earn it.

Molly has changed so much since she first arrived. She used to run away from us,  now she greets us happily. It feels good to see her grow, trust, and love. I want a home that will give her all these things.

August 27, 2023

Molly has made great progress She is able to walk down the basement stairs end exit through the door. My basement is on ground level. That was pretty amazing! We have practiced going up and down the stairs with and without the harness on. She did great.

She is still not a fan entering or exiting the car. I even tried going through the back hatch. As soon as we got close she flopped down. This harness has a handle so I was able to keep her upright. She is great once she is in the car. No issues it’s just going through the doors.

Molly and I went to a Brookline event on Saturday. She really did a good job. Of course, exiting my car was scary. We walked to the tent mostly upright. She got scared a little with screaming kids and the generators which were loud. Once in the tent she was a little nervous but after 30 minutes she began to relax. She enjoyed meeting the dogs that came by. It didn’t matter what size she was great with all of them. She also liked meeting all the little kids. They all asked if they could pet her. She was very relaxed with them.  On the way back to the car she walked nicely no pulling but wanted to give wide birth to the noisy generators. When I opened the car doors she started to collapse but I lifted her up with the harness and she jumped in on her own. She crashed in the car on the drive back.  When it was time to get out of the car she went back to her usual self. I also had to help her towards the basement door. Once in she climbed the stairs.

I would say Molly did an amazing job. We will continue to work on getting in and out of the car.

Molly really needs a family to continue this work with her. They need to be sensitive to her fears and help her overcome them. I can’t stress this enough. She is a work in progress. She will regress when she goes to her new home. Her family needs to be patient, encouraging and soft with her. Someone that has experience with shy dogs would be ideal. Even if I get her in a perfect place it’s because she trusts me. Her new family would need to earn the trust.   from her. Even though the dogs regress some they tend to come back faster..

Molly needs a fenced in yard no electric fences. She needs a confident friendly dog. It does not need to be a young dog. Molly would benefit having a confident dog to guide her no matter what the age is.

She really is an amazing girl. She is sweet and loving. She is my shadow. I will keep working with her.

August 24, 2023

Molly has become a huge snuggler. It amazes me that this is the same dog scared to have us come near her. She loves to get close and get love. She curls up close to us in bed. She wakes me up by giving me frenetic face kisses.

She knows sit.

She is walking through new doorways. We have a sun room on the house there are 2 doors to enter. Molly is walking through them now. She was a little nervous the first time but now she is a pro. How great is that!

She is not interested in playing with Phoebe. She will sit on top of her or lie on her but no playing.

She used to play with Nickel;  they would get pretty crazy. Phoebe is loud and will bark to entice her to play offer her toys as well. There is zero interest from Molly. Maybe in time she will want to play. Phoebe can come on too strong. Molly established a bond with Nickel but not enough with Phoebe.

Molly is a great dog. She is a big wiggle butt. Loves to play ball and chew on bones. She has never had an accident  in the house. She isn’t fearful of thunder, fireworks, or the vacuum. She is petite at 59 lbs. and has a big puppy face. She does get in trouble since she is younger.  I attached a video with her sitting on command and walking through the doorways. Ignore all the crap in the room.

Things for us to work on not being afraid to get in the car. Not being fearful going out our gate. I would like to try a little crate training. I am not going to worry about walking out our front door. We have 16 steps to walk down that’s a big ask.

We are going to be at an event on Saturday in Langhorne the  Rotary Club Pet Fair & Family Fun Day Mayor’s Playground, Intersection of Rt 413 & Rt 213 Maple Avenue and Pine Street Langhorne, PA 19047.

Molly will be there between 10-12.  Come meet this sweet little girl.

August 17, 2023

Molly continues to relax in the house. I can put her harness and leash on without any issues. She gets excited when I get it out because she associates it with getting treats.

We have a cherry tomato plant on our deck and Nickel has taught Phoebe and Molly how to pull  them off. Also, how delicious they are.  Nickel sigh. Molly and Nickel are getting additional snacks.

I see how Molly is changing. She loves being snuggled, getting belly rubs, and scratches now. She loves to give kisses and be close. She sometimes gets nervous but she is learning we are safe.

She is also a wicked counter surfer. She stole some tomatoes off of our counter. Sigh Nickel. She has a good reach and a long body. She can move when she has something you want to take away. She is now a big wiggle butt. She is happy to see you when you walk in the door.

Today we had her follow-up appt for her vaccinations. We had some meltdowns and many victories. She still is nervous to walk out the door. This translates to fence gate, car door, and door to the vet office. She was vastly improved over our first visit. This harness has a handle which really helped. I had to use it to get her to go through the gate, the car door, and the vet office. I coaxed and lifted. She walked up the stairs no problem and she walked upright once inside the vet clinic. The vet tech had to help me with her our first visit. She was impressed with Molly’s progress. Me too. Molly weighs 59lbs. She relaxed a little in the vet office and even wanted belly rubs. She walked up all the stairs to our front entrance (16 total). Was nervous to walk in the door.

All in all, it was a good visit with the vet. She needs some practice with car rides. She also needs to experience the real world. Something to work on. Molly has been here almost one month a has made tremendous progress. She went from the dog who was petrified to come in to the house to a dog capable (sometimes scared) to walk through a door.

So, way to go Molly. You are a rock star. Shine on you crazy diamond (yes I am quoting Pink Floyd).

August 14, 2023

Great news FD and Molly are buddies now. She no longer barks at him unless he is wearing a hat or headphones.

Molly has become super affectionate asks for belly rubs. Loves to snuggle and give sloppy wet kisses. She is very sweet.

I am practicing putting her harness on and off so it isn’t so scary. She ran away from it the first time I ever tried. This time I put the harness on the floor and gave her treats when she approached and sniffed it. When I put it on her I gave treats every time I fastened a clip or put it on her head. We did that twice and we will repeat the process later today and tomorrow. This harness is more like a saddle. She could back out of the 2 hounds which scared me. She did a great job with the harness. We went outside to play ball, always a favorite. She soon forgot about the harness.

Lots of baby steps get you to the same place. Molly needs baby steps right now. She is nervous to go out our door to the backyard if we are near it. We have to step outside the door before she will come out. Going inside is better. She hesitates either way.

Since Molly has been here she has had no accidents. We have a crate which she will lie in. I have not shut the door yet, baby steps. I am working with her on basic obedience. Sit is a work in progress. She knows leave it  and no. She doesn’t seem to be a counter surfer right now but I see potential. She does occasionally put her paws up to see what’s going on when I am cooking. She  chewed a hole in a dog bed when I was away. That’s the only destruction so far. Bitter apple seems to work. She is a baby still and needs some guidance.

What does Molly need in her new home.

1. She must have a confident resident dog.
2. She must have a physical fence in the yard. When she gets scared she wants to run.
3. She needs a family that is patient and will help her learn to trust.

We need to do some work together now that she is almost out of heat. We will go for rides for ice cream and go to Phoebe’s play group a couple of times.  I am hoping that will help her gain confidence.

That’s all for now.

August 8, 2023

I am getting ready to leave for a mini vacation so Molly will be hanging with FD for 5 days. I think this will help Molly be less nervous around men. I had my friend’s college age son watch the pups while we caught some music last night.  Molly approached him and licked his hand. She was nervous but still a big step forward.

I have been trying to teach her sit. We have more work to do but when she comes over to me outside and I go to pet her she sits. I think I am making her nervous. I will back off until she trusts me more. She does love to snuggle with me. She is very sweet. I mentioned last post she was a pro catching the ball.  I have attached a video  to show her ball skills. She can also fit 2 balls in her mouth. Quite an impressive feat.

That’s all until I come back. I will leave you some pictures so you can get your Molly cuteness fix.

August 5, 2023

Molly is more comfortable being a house dog.  She and Nickel like hanging out on the couch together. Everyone sleeps in bed with us, I don’t know how this happened. Molly is still nervous when FD enters a room. She barks at him.  We are working on that. I am away next week. It will be interesting to see how that relationship changes. I can approach her but she is still uncertain. If we are sitting she is fine . She will come over to us for attention.

She is in estrus in her heat cycle. She keeps offering herself to Nickel. Doesn’t work that way thankfully. She does love Nickel.

I have been doing walks in the yard with her on lead. The lead is clipped to the collar. She is doing okay. Lots of treats are involved. When she first arrived it really scared her but now I can put her leash on.

She does not trust people fully yet especially inside the house. She feels safe with dogs. She loves to play ball. Molly is an avid ball player brings it back, does not drop it all the time but I can take the ball from her. She can catch the ball as well. She is impressive. She and Nickel both go after the ball. Molly is starting to beat Nickel.  Phoebe interacts with Molly a little but has more of a relationship with Nickel. Nickel will be going to her forever home soon. I imagine Phoebe will begin to play with Molly.

So, we will continue her work. Once she is ready she will be posted.

July 31, 2023

Molly is slowly beginning to relax. She still barks at FD but will sit or lie next to him. Mostly when he approaches her she gets scared. Same is true with me but not as bad.

We are still doing diapers; she does not like them but tolerates it. The only way I can get them on is if she is on the couch or bed. I can hook one side without issue. Then it becomes a wrestle match to hook the other side. On the bright side once it’s on she doesn’t remove them. One time I had them on perfectly and Nickel took them off her. It was a lot like the old Coppertone ad when I was young.

She is very nervous to have a harness on or a lead. We will work on that and help her with her confidence. I am hoping a little Phoebe will rub off on her. She loves to sit close to me with her head on me. She loves to snuggle. She is very sweet. She needs a resident dog to help her along.

She weighs 59lbs. She is eating well. She loves playing with the girls. She is an avid retriever and can catch the ball. She brings it back and lets you take it.

Trust takes time and her previous interactions with people were not the best.  She is a beautiful girl inside and out.

July 26, 2023

Molly has come a long way since her last update. She enters the house on her own no issues. She is exploring all the downstairs. She is eating all her food with minimal coaxing. No more ground chicken mixed in. Dry kibble, pumpkin, and some wet. That’s what all the dogs eat here. I have been adding cottage cheese only to use it up.

She has her vet appointment tomorrow. She did go into heat so Molly will come with a spay contract.

I have not done any crate training because she still gets nervous with new things. Because she has to wear a diaper I wanted her to relax before I threw another new thing into the mix. There have been a lot of changes in a week. I would rather wait and be successful. I have to say she has not gotten into anything yet. She is house trained no accidents since she arrived.

She is super sweet loves to sit close with her head on me. She has been sleeping with us at night. She is good. She loves Nickel. They lie together and she uses Nickel as a pillow. They are always together.

She is improving with FD. She is no longer barking at him. He has been sitting near her and giving her treats. She is learning he is safe. It takes time.

Molly is very beautiful. Her coat is amazing; shiny and thick. She loves to play fetch. She plays with Phoebe as well but is really drawn to Nickel. Nickel has softer personality. I do believe that Molly will be happier living with a playful resident dog in her new home.

I will update soon. I do need to work with her on basic obedience like sit and loose lead walking. I have a new harness for her. We will practice in the yard.

Stay tuned!

July 22, 2023

Hi Everyone,

Molly is beginning to relax somewhat. She will get there. I have no doubt because of her size and beauty she will be extremely popular.

She has had no accidents since she arrived. She and Nickel are best buddies. They wrestle and chase each other around. It’s wonderful to see them have so much fun. There is truly nothing better than watching the transformation of both girls. Nick has been so sweet with Molly. She and Phoebe play tug and bitey face.

Molly is beginning to eat. She needs some coaxing. Right now, I am adding pumpkin, scrambled egg, cottage cheese and cooked ground turkey to her kibble. This morning she ate all with a little hand feeding. She loves peanut butter so it’s easy to give her the antibiotic. She got wise to the pill in the string cheese. Peanut butter it is. She is smart.

She likes to get attention from me and lays close by. If I get up she runs off. She is still unsure of foster dad. She needs some time to trust us.

She is beginning to explore the house. She goes into the kitchen but not the other rooms yet. It will happen soon. The other morning, she went up and down the stairs. No carpet on them I might add. Her biggest obstacle is entering the house all the way. She goes through the doorway and won’t go any further. But today she came through twice. She was nervous both times and kept barking. I went into the kitchen to get treats and her little face appeared.  That’s happened twice. Once it becomes habit I will take her harness off.

I think she has made great progress in short time. She has her vaccination appointment next week. Then I will schedule her spay.

July 20, 2023

Big welcome to Molly a 1 year old chocolate lab. She is a petite very little girl who weighs 60lbs. She is  nervous but doing well. She was good in the car. She was afraid when we arrived she is slowly getting more comfortable. The girls greeted her nicely. Nickel seems to be very interested in playing with her but Molly is not ready yet. She didn’t want to come inside but I kept coaxing her to get closer with treats. I was finally able to get her in. She is nervous being inside. I am giving the time she needs to relax.  Letting her wander around, investigating  the house. The goal is to crate her tonight. She is very food motivated so that will help in training.