Nala #8 Black Labradoodle/German Shepherd Mix Female 2.5 Months Old ID#3597

Meet Nala! This adorable girl was part of an accidental litter between neighbors in Arkansas.  Their Mom was a pure bred German Shepherd and Dad was a chocolate Labradoodle. Nala was 1 of 9 in the litter, and grew up with her Mom and siblings until she was transferred to foster care with Monticello Second Chance Fur Dogs Rescue at 8 weeks.  As they are inundated with litters of abandoned puppies and adult dogs, they reached out to Brookline to help place the puppies into loving homes.  Nala is now in a Brookline foster home.  Please read her blog from the bottom up to learn more about this adorable girl!

Nala is now available: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/nala-639aa90c-8e9d-402c-95dd-f9070762f5ea/pa/warrington/brookline-labrador-rescue-pa06/details/

January 13, 2026

Nala had a great night 3 last night. She slept a full seven hours in her crate without a single peep. I woke her at 6:30 this morning, took her straight outside, and she immediately did her business—then happily ran back in for breakfast with our crew.

About 15 minutes later, we headed back outside and she took care of her “number twos” right on schedule.

Nala is already proving to be a very predictable puppy when it comes to house training, which has been such a gift. It really speaks to how smart and intuitive these puppies are—and how eager she is to do the right thing.Nala’s leash skills are coming along nicely. Since she has to be on a leash here, it’s turning into a great little training experience for her, and she’s getting very used to wearing a harness.

At the moment it’s a bit like walking a ferret—lots of enthusiasm, random directions, and tiny bursts of speed—but it’s all part of the fun and she’s learning more every day. 

Nala is doing really well with crate naps. She may whine a little at first, but if she can see you, she settles right down and relaxes.

We’ve been popping her into the her crate while we take our dogs out for their walk, as she is not ready for that experience yet .

She does yelp briefly as we leave, but when we return about 30 minutes later, she’s calm, quiet, and relaxed.

This is a really excellent start and an important skill if she ever needs to be crated for short periods when her family steps out.

She’s still just a baby, so we’re keeping any alone time short and positive for this sweet girl. 

Nala is still figuring out how to play with our two dogs, and yesterday Frank gave her a quick little “that’s not yours” redirect when she tried to take his toy.

Lesson learned! Now Nala approaches Frank by sliding across the floor on her belly and rolling upside down underneath him, clearly saying, “I’m so sorry… are we still friends?”It’s absolutely hysterical and very puppy—she’s already learning dog manners and social cues.  These puppies are something special—clever, observant, and definitely NCIS smart. You can practically see the wheels turning as she watches everything, takes it all in, and figures things out faster than you expect.

January 12, 2026

Nala is such a sweet little girl.

We spent yesterday watching football, and Nala happily entertained herself by playing with her stuffed toys or simply relaxing—either in her crate or stretched out on the floor by everyone’s feet.

When I’m in the kitchen cooking, Nala settles herself where she can keep an eye on me—either snoozing or happily chewing on a puppy Nylabone.Nala has officially started playing with our dogs and has developed a special crush on our Ellie. Our dogs, meanwhile, are still adjusting to this tiny nugget and look at her like, “Excuse me… who invited you and why are you biting my tail?”House training is going well and really comes down to us being consistent. We take her out after naps, about 10 minutes after eating, and at regular intervals—especially after she’s been playing. She’s catching on quickly.

We take Nala outside on a harness and leash, and you might wonder why—after all, she’s “just a puppy.” Well, Nala weighed in at a dainty 11 pounds today, and that tiny little body can easily slip right through the rails of our fence.

And for reasons known only to her sweet Southern soul, Nala has decided it’s on her foster-care bucket list to squeeze through the fence and go on a solo tour of the neighbor’s yard. So for now, leash it is—because adventure is fun, but staying put is safer! 🐾😄

On her second night here, Nala went into her crate around midnight after the football and I slept on a mattress next to her crate. During the night, she stirred twice, and all it took was me stroking her head through the cage door—she gave me a little kiss and settled right back to sleep.I actually had to wake her at 6:30 a.m. to go out for a potty break. She went immediately and then ran straight back in for breakfast. 💕

Nala is such a sweet, easygoing puppy—especially for only 11 weeks old. She’s social, confident, incredibly soft, and already showing how quickly she’s going to learn.She’s a lovely little soul, and we’re so excited to watch her continue to grow. 🐾💛

January 11, 2026

Nala came home with us yesterday after a long trip up from Arkansas. We also transported her sister, Kiara, and the two of them slept curled up together the entire way—so cute.

After a (much-needed) shower together—not fans!—they both ate and then took a long nap wrapped around each other in the crate. During the day, the sisters played and did everything together, so we were a little worried Nala might miss Kiara. But once Kiara was picked up, Nala quickly redirected all her attention to us and our dogs.Nala is confident, playful, and absolutely loves people.

So far she hasn’t been overly “puppy” with our dogs, though I’m sure that will change once she realizes she can convince them to play. She eats well and has already discovered the water bowl!

With the rain and darkness, potty training yesterday consisted of trips onto the deck. Nala already sits by the door to let us know she needs to go out, and we noticed she prefers to do her business in a corner near the fence. It makes us wonder if, with her litter, they were trying to keep their main area clean.

Last night, I slept downstairs with her. She started off in the crate and did well for a few hours, then needed a potty break and spent time gated with me until about 4 a.m., snoozing and playing. After another potty break, I put her back in the crate and she slept until 7 a.m.—not bad at all for her first night! I did put a Snuggle Puppy with a heartbeat in the crate, and she laid right on top of it—absolutely adorable.

This morning we harnessed her up and took her into the backyard for the first time. She loved it, did her business right away, and promptly tangled the leash in everything she could find.

Right now, Nala is napping in her crate next to me. She settles easily as long as she can see you. These puppies are incredibly cute, very social, and confident. Their fur is unbelievably soft, and they seem like they’re going to be quick learners.