Raven #8 Black Labrador Retriever Female 7 Years Old ID#3237

Meet Raven! Raven is a 7yo AKC certified black Labrador who was surrender by a breeding kennel since she had not produced any litters during her 4 years with the breeder or with her first breeder.  Please read her blog from the bottom up to learn more about her.

Raven is now available: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/raven-73995260/pa/warrington/brookline-labrador-rescue-pa06/

November 16, 2024

Raven reached another milestone on her journey from farm to family.  This week she had her spay surgery and can officially live life without worry of being used for breeding any longer!

She wasn’t sure what to expect but her foster sister Ruby reassured her that everything would be fine and over quickly and even let Raven hold her hand for comfort.Her surgery went by the book and the kind doctor and techs at The Bridge Clinic Bensalem did a great job.  Her suture site is small and clean and healing up quickly. Raven probably doesn’t understand why FM and FD keep dressing her up in a surgery suit, but she’s been a trooper about it and has been very good about not licking at her incision.  She’s a very good patient.Just like when she went under anesthesia for her teeth cleaning, Raven was pretty dizzy and unhappy for the first night when the room was spinning, but by the time the sun came up on day 2, she was back to her normal self.  She’s not a big fan of FM and FD telling her she isn’t supposed to run and jump in the back yard for a week, but she must have felt the need to find an outlet for some energy because this morning she surprised us when she picked up a tennis ball in the living room and began to play with it!We offered her a Kong and a small stuffed toy as well and she gave them all some chews and play time.  This is the first time Raven has shown any interest in toy play, so we are very proud of her and happy to see that classic lab personality break through in another new way.

Next milestone: finding her forever home!

November 1, 2024

Happy Halloween from our favorite Brookline foster dog!Raven definitely loves treats more than tricks (still working on teaching the basics like “sit”) but she humored FM and FD by tolerating this costume long enough for a photo.

She is now scheduled for her spay surgery and assuming all goes well, it will be time for us to find a forever home in mid-November.

October 29, 2024

Raven continues her journey from farm to family and has shown us some new sides to her personality this last week.

FM and FD had to make an unplanned trip to visit a family member and took the dogs to spend 3 nights out of the house.  We weren’t sure what to expect but Raven handled this new experience very well.  She was a bit anxious when we arrived and let her explore this house she had never seen before, but she settled in and did a wonderful job adjusting.  She ate her meals, went out on the leash for walks and do her business, and was even perfectly well behaved when several times when we had to leave the dogs at the house for 4 hours while we both had to be away.

This experience has shown us that Raven will be able to handle the move to a new home and also shows us that she can be trusted to behave when her humans are out of the house.  We think the presence of our resident dog Ruby surely helped her relax and behave, so we do think an adopter who has a confident dog to be her sibling would be a great fit if Raven will need to be home without humans during the work day. Once we got back home Raven seemed very happy to return to her familiar surroundings.  She demonstrated her joy by giving us a show as she ran around the back yard in a burst of the zoomies.  And then when we threw the tennis ball she surprised us by finally picking up the ball and returning it to us, marking her first true game of fetch!  She was so proud of herself!

We are so pleased with her progress and thrilled each time we get to see her true happy wiggly Labrador spirit shining through!  She’s making progress at a faster pace each day and soon will be ready for adoption.

October 19, 2024

This week Raven celebrated 2 full months here at our house (and almost 2.5 since her rescue ride in August). She continues to make steady progress learning the ways of the world as a house pet and we’re feeling very good about the growth we see.We took Raven out for a few hikes in this lovely fall weather and she clearly enjoys the outdoors and the new sights, sounds and smells she encounters.  She very comfortable on the leash and we’ve stretched her up to over two miles at a time.

She has met a few dogs and their people while out on walks or hikes and that’s helping with her socialization.  Seeing new people makes her nervous, but she has been great meeting other dogs.  We know that she’ll learn to relax around strangers as we get her more exposure during this process of socialization.

She has enjoyed the changing leaves and even romps in the yard with the tennis ball and her foster sister Ruby. Sometimes she just wants to stop and smell the roses… and who could blame her?Feeding time has seen her making improvements.  She’s eating her kibble more regularly and taking fewer nervous breaks to walk away from her dish and calm her busy mind.  Our goal is to get her used to 2 kibble meals each day without any overthinking.  That will improve her ease of success when she goes to her forever home.

Next up will be her spay operation once she has had enough time since she went under anesthesia for her teeth cleaning and then some convalescent time which we hope will have her ready to find the loving adopters we know are out there for her.  Stay tuned!

September 30, 2024

Since her last update, Raven has been reeling off an impressive string of “firsts” and new experiences.

These new milestones started when Raven attended the Brookline meet & greet event at Spenga in Spring House PA. We didn’t know quite what to expect but after some initial nerves when we arrived, Raven found her curiosity and bravery and joined the team at the event where she met several fellow foster dogs, was able to cope with passing cars in the parking lot to the point where she ignored them altogether, found a “safe space” near the building wall, and allowed many nice people to meet her, give her pets, and get to know her.  Maybe someone who got a chance to meet and greet Raven that day might even apply to adopt her!

She has grown to really love her daily morning car ride to the park (check out the video of her wagging tail!).

Another “first” for her was a deeper exploration of our local park where she found the dog park.  It was sunrise when we got there and she and her foster sister Ruby had the run all to themselves, but that was a great way to let her explore this new off-leash space for the first time.  Hopefully soon we’ll return when she can meet some more pups and run around a bit more.

Raven’s next first involved a classic fixture in the life of many Labrador retrievers… a tennis ball!  While Raven hasn’t learned the full scope of a game of fetch just yet, check out her enthusiasm as a beginner in this video!

It’s so great to see her playful side start to shine through!

The next new experience was Raven’s first sleepover when FM and FD attended a family wedding.  Brookline volunteers Jean and Joe generously welcomed Raven back to their house (which is where Raven spent her first full week off the farm before she came to our house in Mid-August) and into their pack with gorgeous yellow labs Abby and Leia.  Raven was a perfect house guest and enjoyed the time in the Labrador pack, which shows us that she will easily fit in any new forever home which has resident dogs.

And lastly, Raven’s final new experience this week happened today when she went to the vet to have her teeth cleaned. Raven’s former life on the puppy mill farm did not seem to have included any dental care and she had very heavy tartar built up on her teeth.  Once the doctor was able to scrape away the years of grime, he discovered that she had three damaged teeth which were then removed.  He told us that at the start of her cleaning he was worried it would be more than three extractions, but the rest of her teeth are healthy and now the tough part is over.  Raven now has a nice bright smile!

We are so happy to have addressed that issue and hope that any pain or discomfort she had been enduring is now gone.  We are very thankful for Brookline’s support in getting Raven the medical attention she had been denied on her farm.  It’s a wonderful thing when a rescue dog can find help and relief from hardships and begin a life of care, love and comfort!  She was a great patient and was even brave enough to meet this spooky plastic dog in the vet’s waiting room along the way!

Congratulations to Raven on all these new firsts, milestones and accomplishments!

September 20, 2024

September weather is bringing cool mornings with misty sunrises and our foster girl Raven has been learning how to enjoy them!  Our routine-building walks each day have helped Raven’s growing confidence and showing her how much fun it can be to go on a good “sniffari.”Each day she happily hops in the car with her foster sister Ruby and hops out at the park where we normally have the whole wide space all to ourselves.  Her tentative approach to walks has begun to fade away and we can keep her moving forward pretty reliably now.  Once in a while she’s hear, see or smell something that gives her pause, but we just patiently let her process the situation and then she’ll get herself moving again once she is satisfied that she’s ready.It’s a true joy to watch her work through challenges that would have sent her tugging back to the car and each day she’s up for longer walks and deeper explorations of the new world she finds herself in.Speaking of things that send Raven scurrying… she encountered a bunny the other day and we learned that she’s currently not the type of dog who wants to chase small animals.  She was pretty spooked by the little cottontail, but adorably so.  She got over it quickly though and FM and FD can now check off another item on her evaluation list (Level of Prey Drive?  Low-to-Nonexistent)

Another important evaluation question on that list is about Housetraining.  We’re very happy to report that Raven is now over 2 weeks straight without any accidents inside.  She has learned that her people want her to relieve herself outside and is doing splendidly to live up to our expectations.

Next up is a drive to Spring House PA to the Brookline Meet & Greet at Spenga this Sunday 9/22.  Raven will be there at 10AM, so if you’re reading her blog and would like to meet this beautiful black labbie sweetheart, please come see us!

September 11, 2024

Another week with Raven and we’re gently making progress helping her adjust to life as a house pet and blossom into her best self.We’ve been able to better establish some daily routines for her which we think are already helping her further decompress and relax.  She is a calm sound sleeper and will snooze for 8 hours in the bedroom with her foster sister Ruby sleeping on her dog bed next to her.  Then when we wake her up at sunrise we head downstairs and out to the backyard for the day’s first bathroom break.After that first pee break, we invite her to go for a ride in the car and she and Ruby hop into the backseat without pause.  This new part of the morning routine includes a short drive to one of the two nearby parks where we then get her on her leash and out for a walk until she goes #2 for us.

She’s still tentative on the leash and nervous about any unexpected sounds or sights, but each day seems to get a bit better and she’ll walk further as she learns both that it’s fun to explore and be out on a walk, but also that this is her time to go poop.

This repetitive set of activities each morning is paying off and that we’re building her confidence while getting her reliably house trained too!When we’re back inside the house, Raven still has her safe spot and comfort zones, but every so often she’ll try something new like hopping up on the couch for a snuggle with FM or sitting in the sunroom where she can look at the squirrels through the windows.It’s so nice to see her increase her confidence inside and outside the house and ease into this new life of hers.

September 3, 2024

Raven’s third week off the farm has allowed us to get to know her more each day.  We can now confidently say that she is a complete sweetheart and very gentle girl.  She loves pets and massages and there’s no better way to soothe away a nervous moment than some calm TLC from FM or FD.  Raven is the typical people-focused lab who will lean into pets and look deeply into your eyes to show her love.She had a visit to the vet where she got another dental exam now that the swelling and infection in her gums has cleared up.  She got the good news that her teeth may not be in the worst shape in the world and we’re hopeful that after a good cleaning to get the years of tartar off, she may get out of the proverbial dental chair without needing too many extractions or any serious repairs.  She’s got a teeth cleaning set for September 30th and will hopefully have her shiny smile back afterwards.

In her regular day to day life with us, Raven continues to be most comfortable in her safe places around the house and with at least one of her people nearby.  Going outside is her primary source of stress and at times she has been too spooked to go out even for a quick pee break.  We’ve had a few indoor accidents as a result of those moments, but she reacts to the verbal correction and we think she definitely understands that bathroom activities need to be done outside.  We expect she’ll be fully house trained soon.

We’ll be trying a new strategy to get her to relax and enjoy the outdoors where we sit outside with her foster sister Ruby and leave the door open so that Raven can decide when she’s ready to come join us.  A few days in and we’ve had a couple of victories, including a nice relaxing hang on our front porch to enjoy the gorgeous Labor Day weather.  Raven was calm as she sat and watched the neighborhood wake up and start its day.  She even saw a car drive down the block and didn’t flinch, so we’re very happy with that progress.Since she was doing so well, we put the two dogs in the car and drove up to the top of Bald Pate Mountain and showed Raven the beautiful views over the Delaware River and into Buck’s County.  She was up for some light exploration of the Strawberry Hill Mansion grounds up there and her curiosity to find some new smells, sights and sounds was enough to overcome her nerves for a bit.  It was a lovely little field trip and shows us that she is gaining confidence.  We’re very happy to keep that journey going in the days ahead. Raven is probably going to thrive in a quiet home where she can be with her people and pack most of the time.  She behaves very well with her foster sister but we also think she’ll be OK as an only dog. She will likely be more of a homebody and couch potato than she will be an adventure dog, but we know that there are many great homes out there which fit that bill.  Anyone following her story who would love a gorgeous, sweet, gentle girl to snuggle with and shower with love and pets… Raven could be the perfect lab for you!

August 26, 2024

Raven has now been with us for a week, and completed 2.5 weeks since she was rescued from her former breeder’s kennel. She still has more progress ahead of her, but she continues to learn all about this new lifestyle of hers and is settling in more each day.

Raven remains anxious about new sights and sounds so we are working on building up her comfort levels by continuing to show her these new things are normal and not a threat.  Leash walks are pretty scary for her (passing cars are her biggest fear right now), so we’ll be working on that little by little.  We are doing some car rides and she is learning to relax and enjoy them.She is most comfortable inside the house and happiest when she has both FM and FD nearby.  She’s definitely forming a bond with us and is showing us that she loves pets and affection (and will turn and give you adorable puppy dog eyes if you stop the pets before she is ready for you to finish).  There’s a snuggly lovable labbie in her beginning to come out and introduce itself to us.

Raven has mastered going up and down the stairs and is working on making herself comfortable at night on her dog bed in the bedroom, instead of requiring FM and FD to take turns sleeping on the couch.  She had a bath and although she was a bit nervous when the water was on, she did enjoy getting soaped up and rinsed and the towel-off seemed to be an acceptably pleasant way to finish up that new experience.  She politely humored us and wore her bathrobe afterwards to finish drying off her wet fur.  She’s looking and smelling great now! As we get to know her we feel like she’s going to be a wonderful pet for an adopting family who wants a snuggle buddy who might be a bit of a couch potato.  She’s probably going to do best in a home where her people don’t have to leave her alone for the workday and can make her a constant part of their day.  A nice backyard where she can explore at her own pace while her people sit nearby will also be right up her alley.Next up is a recheck with the vet to make sure she’s beaten the UTI and to discuss the care she needs to get her teeth clean and healthy. We’ll update again soon!

August 21, 2024

With 3 days of Raven under our belt, we’re happy to report that we have been learning a lot about her and she is learning a lot about us. She’s certainly anxious with her new situation, but loves reassuring pets and rubs and is very comfortable receiving attention and affection from her new people.Raven spent her former life in a breeder’s kennel without much (or any?) time outside.  Now that she lives with us in a house, exploring the big outdoors is intimidating for her.  So our first 3 days with her have been focused on gently showing her that the yard is a safe and fun place and that chirping birds, chattering squirrels and the neighbor’s car in their driveway are nothing to be nervous about.  Each time we go outside we make some more progress and we expect Raven will adjust and find her comfort levels soon.  We know that the changes she is experiencing contrasted with the life she previously lived in her kennel would be overwhelming for any dog, so every tiny step forward is a cause for celebration! Inside the house she has a coupe of “safe spots” where she likes to rest.  Having a couch to lean into gives her comfort, so her doggie bed is strategically placed in the corner where two couches meet keeping her comfy and calm. We can see her begin to trust us and look to her resident foster sister dog for cues and she will now follow us around the house without her leash and come when called.  This morning she came upstairs to our second story for the first time to see the rest of the house and we are getting started taking short walks on the leash down the block.The days ahead should deliver more milestones as she settles in and also feels the healing effects of the medications she is on to clear up her infections. There’s a beautiful happy Labrador soul in there waiting to blossom and we’ll share more soon!

August 18, 2024

Raven has capped off an eventful first 10 days with Brookline by joining us at our home to begin her long term foster life and prepare for adoption and her forever home.  Being completely new to life outside her kennel, Raven was understandably nervous about the change, but she met her new resident-dog sister Ruby, her new FM and FD, and got to explore her new house with plenty of bravery.In the days since she left her kennel, Raven was able to visit the vet where she was diagnosed with infected teeth and a significant UTI which were surely both making her life much less enjoyable than she deserves.  Antibiotics and anti inflammatory pain meds are now doing their thing to heal and soothe her.  We learned that her comfort levels have improved each day and look forward to her feeling better as we tackle those problems.  We’re very grateful that Brookline is able to get her the medical care she has needed and we suspect that she is too!Her first day with us has been filled with gentle pets and napping to allow her to get to know her new pack and decompress.  She found a “safe space” next to the couch where she’s getting her rest and it’s so gratifying for FD and FM to see her look into our eyes to request more pets and love.Raven has a gorgeous thick wavy black coat that does, indeed, shine like raven feathers.  We can see love and calmness in her eyes and can’t wait to see her begin to wag her tail once she feels at home here. She opened herself up to trust us right away and we’ll encourage that and show her what life with a family is all about.Welcome to our home Raven!  We’re going to have so much fun getting to know you and finding you an incredible forever family!

August 9, 2024

Sweet Raven took her rescue ride off the farm yesterday, with fellow Brookline fosters Angel, Cookie and Merilee.

Raven was very shy when it came time for her to be handed off to her new foster mom. Being outside on leash was scary but she did manage to relieve herself and was happy to jump up into the safe confines of the back seat of the car for the final leg of her journey.The first order of business when we got home was a thorough bath to wash off that farm smell! Raven hasn’t spent any time in houses, it seems, and going inside seemed pretty overwhelming, so we just hosed off, sudsed her and rinsed her clean right in the driveway. Her beautiful, thick, wavy coat was much improved!

Once she was nice and clean she consented to come inside, but not too far! She wanted to stay right by the door into the sunroom, so we let her rest and decompress right there for a while.We hadn’t planned to work on crate training her right away, but it seemed clear that she was going to be most comfortable if she had a spot that felt like it was safe and all hers, so we got the crate out of the garage. As soon as she saw it, she got more relaxed and interested and she could barely wait for it to be all set up before getting in!She’s been drinking a lot of water and she ate almost all of her dinner (along with her flea and tick and worm chews). She’s still anxious and uncertain on the leash but she is willing to relieve herself outside on leash when she needs to. She passed a quiet night in her crate and came out of her shell a little bit this morning, conducting a very limited exploration of the sunroom and sitting down near me for some head pets and ear massages, which she seemed to appreciate very much! It’s going to take a little time, but I think once she settled in she will really blossom into the sweet girl she’s meant to be.