Princess #9 Black Labrador Retriever Mix Female 3 Years Old ID #3457

April 19, 2025

Princess was definitely overwhelmed this week with all the recent changes in her life. But everyday, little by little, she is starting to gain a little more confidence, and her personality is coming alive. She thankfully conquered her fear of going up the stairs on Monday, coincidentally the first day Foster Dad was not around to carry her up.

Everything in a house is new and strange and scary to a dog that has not had this experience before, so we are hoping to help her conquer a few more fears, like the TV and the hallway. But for now, we are so proud of her for coming out of her crate more often, even if she does feel the need to expend some of her nervous energy pacing in circles. Most sudden noises startle her, but she is now recovering and moving on from many of them instead of quickly retreating to the crate.

The quirks are to be expected. The real surprises have been pleasant ones. For a dog that has not lived in the house, she has instinctively known that she does her business outside, and there have been n0 accidents so far. She will go potty either on walks or in the yard. Even though we have had a tough time teaching her focused commands, she does seem to follow directions. When we are done out in the yard and call Princess over to put on her leash, she trots over and stands still to let us clip it to her collar and walk her inside. Princess does well on the leash and is pretty easy to walk with just a regular collar. She does pull occasionally when something has startled her. We are lucky to have a nice walking trail that is pretty quiet but still has a few people and dogs to catch her attention. She will notice other dogs, but does not have a big reaction at all, even if the other dog is a bit more excited. Princess does well walking with resident dog Abby, but she does not seem to want to hang out with her in the house, even though she previously had a kennel partner.

Princess just loves her outdoor time. We love to watch this version of her running around freely with her tail curled up and her happy ears flapping in the breeze. She has the time of her life sniffing out the best spots in the yard to scratch her back. She has also spent some time out on the deck with us. She will not go out on her own, but when led out on a leash, she will come join us. She spends some time pacing in circles but takes a break to get some pets, and her expressions are much more relaxed. She will even touch her nose to our nose if asked for a kiss.

We are still trying to get Princess on a schedule. She is eating better, but only canned beef chunks in gravy. She has not been interested in most treats, toys, games, or puzzles, but hopefully someday, after she has had some time to adjust to the life of a house dog, she will relax a little more. The fact that she is enjoying affection and attention is a great step, and we think she will be a loyal friend to a lucky family for years to come.

April 14, 2025

Princess has been slow to acclimate to her indoor house life. She is clearly overwhelmed at times with so many new noises and new people and just a new way of living. When she is stressed, she definitely needs her space as she is still trying to decompress. She still has not eaten a full meal but some grazing here and there. We also have not found a thing to entice her to learn going up the stairs, which is necessary in this house.

Princess is much more relaxed in the outdoors, so we were thankful for a beautiful Sunday. We made sure to spend some time in the backyard, starting with a stroll first thing in the morning. We tried a game of fetch, which was not too successful but cute anyway.

We went for a walk with the whole family, including Abby, which went pretty well. Then Princess helped pick up sticks in the backyard for a while, or at least supervised by trotting back and forth. She definitely was enjoying the cool sunny day and would trot back over to share a sweet smile.

Inside, Princess is definitely most comfortable in her crate, which we have set up in the living room. We leave the door open during the day, and she will often choose to curl up on her blanket. When we are hanging out in the living room, she will come out and pace a bit, then stop over for some pets and sometimes even offer a kiss on the nose. Hopefully, just a little more time will help this sweet girl adjust to her new life.

April 13, 2025

Princess had a good first night and slept very quietly in her crate. Day 2 started with a much-needed bath at the doggy wash. Princess trotted nervously into the store, and once she was lifted into the tub, she stood still and quiet and cooperated through the whole process. Was it her favorite experience ever? Probably not, but she didn’t seem to hate it.

Back home, it was clear that Princess still needed some time to come around to being in the house. She spends some time pacing, some laying in her crate, and a little bit looking for pets. Today, we left for a birthday party for a couple of hours. Princess definitely isn’t ready for a large group setting, so she stayed at home in the crate. The pet cam showed she was resting comfortably with the house all to herself as resident dog Abby joined us on the trip.

So far, we have not had a successful meal. We aren’t sure yet if it is still nerves or if we have a seriously picky eater on our hands. So far, the rejected pile includes dry kibble, kibble with chicken broth, chicken cuts, pumpkin, and carrots. The acceptable list includes mozzarella cheese. So, we have some work to do.

Princess is opening up a little on walks outside, so we are looking forward to some better weather soon to hopefully bring out more of her sweet personality.

April 12, 2025

Princess is a super cute petite lab mix who made the long journey from Mississippi to Pennsylvania on a rescue transport. After two additional car rides, she finally landed at her foster home destination. While she clearly felt extremely nervous after exiting the vehicle, seeing resident dog Abby’s friendly face at the door may have provided a little comfort. Abby and Princess met outside, and while the rain was not really ideal, they seemed to like each other.

Princess was very nervous about entering the house and really needed a nudge. Once inside, she chose the corner of the foyer to lay and rest, obviously a bit overwhelmed with the day. After giving her some space for a while, foster Dad took her outside for a successful walk. When she came back in, Abby showed Princess how it was great to come upstairs, and Princess seemed much more interested this time but couldn’t manage the steps just yet. She pretty much turns into a statue when she is nervous, so foster Dad carried her the rest of the way.

Princess relaxed in her crate for a little bit and started checking out different corners of the living area.

So far, she has not touched food or treats but did finally take a nice drink of water. Once the initial nerves wear off, she will do fine. She has already gladly accepted pets and encouraging words from everyone, so hopefully, she will feel comfortable soon.