Pearl, Silver Labrador Retriever Female, 2 Years Old

November 11, 2018

Pearl is doing very well. She has learned how to sit and shake and she has learned what treats are. That is a good thing since she’s recently decided she would rather not sleep in the crate at night. However, if we toss a treat in there she goes in and sleeps all night long with no issues. She has also proven that she can be out of the crate for short periods with no issues as well. She will just curl up on the floor and sleep. Pearl also comes when you call her name and knows what NO means.

2 year old silver lab — I will wait as long as I need to for that treat!

Pearl has also become comfortable enough to eat alone. She will finish all her kibble without someone having to stand next to her. We can walk out of the room completely and she’ll stay and finish every morsel. She also gets fish oil on her food, so her coat is starting to get thicker and softer.

Pearl has also started to initiate play with Sadie. They play well for short periods, but it’s not crazy intense nor for long periods. Pearl is perfectly happy to lay on the floor near (or on) her people. She’s a very chill dog.

We had a vet visit this past Friday and Pearl is now UTD on shots and has lost 5 pounds (a very solid 75lbs) We were also happy to hear that her ear infections are gone. However, due to the hematoma she had (which narrowed her ear canal) she may need some extra attention to her ears for the rest of her life. But she will lay there completely docile and allow you to clean them with a tissue for as long as you’re willing to do it.

We’ve had a lot of interest for Pearl already. In case anyone is wondering what type of family will be best for Pearl, she’ll need a confident resident dog that can continue to teach her and bring her out of her shell. Having another dog that can show her when things are ok and how to do new things, will be monumental as she continues to grow. Another thing to consider is that she still will not do steps. She will jump up a short distance or jump over only a couple steps but will not go up a whole flight. We had a successful session where she went up a about four steps and then jumped back down, but she doesn’t do it consistently. Unfortunately, we don’t have steps at home to train her on, so it’s tough to practice. Interested families will need to be aware of this and be willing to continue to help her.

October 28, 2018

2 year old silver female lab — Cool Pearl

Pearl had such a wonderful, even if wet, weekend! Each day she comes out of her shell even more. She will now roam around the house (without me) and sniff the counter (not jumping up, just nose in the air). She has also started to do her snoozing out in the open in the middle of the floor rather than tucked back in a corner.

Saturday she joined Sadie and me on her first long woods walk. We went over three miles and she did wonderfully. Sometimes she will walk immediately behind me, which makes getting pics difficult.But I did get a “smile” from her once. She walks very well on leash and only needs slight correction once in a while.

Today we made it a mission to try to get her into the car. She would not get in. She would put her paws up on there though, so it seemed she wasn’t afraid. We just left the hatch open and went about our chores in/around the garage. Sadie would jump in and out and sometimes she’d just get in there an lay down (hoping to go somewhere I’m sure.) After about a half hour, I heard thump and there she was in the car with Sadie!! YAY Pearl!!

After a nice long nap, I figured I might as well strike while it was fresh in her mind, so I decided to be brave and see if I could take the dogs down to walk rails to trails. I was a little concerned that she wouldn’t get back in the car after our walk, but she proved me wrong and did just fine. We even tried out my new double leash for a short time. Now we can go anywhere! Yay Pearl!

Next on our list will be steps, but I think that will be more difficult. It hasn’t been an issue yet since we have a ranch house and the only steps she’s had to do were the two to get in the house (although she just jumps over them.) This will be a team effort, since everything I’ve read says to start at the bottom and I can’t carry her, let alone down steps. We’ll keep you posted.

October 20, 2018

It’s been a few days since my last update on Pearl.She now goes in and out of the crate like a pro. She is doing well on walks too. She often looks up at her people for approval while walking.

2 year old silver lab Pearl — Learning how to do steps

Pearl showed us that she knows how to play fetch as well. She loves to run after a ball and will bring it back, but then she lays down on the ground and chews on it. So we’re going to keep practicing that part. We try some simple commands (sit, come) but she’s not used to getting treats, so doesn’t understand the correlation that if she sits she’ll get a treat. Sadie however, enjoys trying to show her over and over and over.

We are going to have a little extra time to begin practicing getting in and out of the car since Pearl is now in heat and we have to postpone her spay. But that’s ok, we’ll use the time wisely and enjoy every moment.

Pearl had a bath the other night as she was still a little bit smelly and she was the model pup in the tub! She’s such a sweetheart!

October 17, 2018

Pearl is doing very well. She slept fairly soundly all night with only a few noises here and there until almost 7am. However, she wasn’t thrilled with the idea of leaving the crate and it took her nearly 2 hours. But she finally came out on her own with just a little enticement (chicken). The day was mostly uneventful, as Pearl was very subdued and just laid around close to wherever I was. However, we went all day with no accidents in the house at all!! YAY Pearl!

In order to leave for a couple hours, we had to put Pearl back in the crate (she still didn’t go in on her own). BUT when I got home she came out in under 2 minutes (NOT hours)! YAY Pearl!! AND, she then gobbled up her first cup of straight kibble.

Pearl is getting ear cleanings and drops to hopefully get rid of her double ear infections. And now that she’s starting to eat, we’ll introduce some fish oil and see if we can’t get that shine back to her coat.

We are still keeping a close eye on Pearl and Sadie, but they are doing well. They aren’t playing together yet, but they are agreeing to be cordial at least. One day at a time.

October 16, 2018

Meet Pearl. This pretty girl was surrendered to Brookline by a breeder because they couldn’t get her pregnant. Good news for Pearl because now she can learn what her life is supposed too look like as man’s (and woman’s) best friend! Look for updates on Pearl as she settles into her foster home. The foster home has a resident young lab who will be instrumental in helping Pearl relax.

2 year old silver Labrador Retriever Pearl — Finally getting some shut eye

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If you are interested in adopting this Lab or any other Lab from our Rescue, please visit our Web site, www.brooklinelabrescue.org, for more information on our adoption process. If you need additional information about the adoption process or whether you are in our coverage area, please send an e-mail to our Rescue at info@brooklinelabrescue.org

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