Shade Silver Labrador Retriever Female 7 Years Old ID #3803

Meet Shade! She is a former breeder momma who turns 7 years old tomorrow. Shade came into foster care in the beginning of July. Please read the blog from the bottom up.

July 13, 2026

Just a quick update on Shade. This sweet girl is just about ready to find her forever home. She is more comfortable in the house every day and loves to play with resident dog Kota – here is a video of them playing bitey face.

She also found time to enjoy a frozen peanut butter Kong outside with her friends for the first time. She has been offered Kongs before but was never interested.

July 10, 2026

Pretty Shade is settling into our routine and getting more comfortable in the house. She loves her 2-mile walk each morning and does well on leash. She loves everyone she meets and is getting a hang of the potty training.

Shade was in heat when she entered foster care, and she has been very energetic and interested in our neutered male dog. The hormones seem to have also affected her appetite, as she is not eating well. Since she is acting normal otherwise, the vet isn’t worried about it (and she could stand to lose a few pounds!) She has been tolerant of the panties she needs to wear and looks super cute in them!

Shade is my constant companion when I am working at home and she is learning to enjoy the mat instead of the floor. She sleeps in our room in a crate at night and wakes when the first resident dog stirs. Now that her heat is coming to an end, we are looking forward to seeing her true personality emerge.

July 3, 2026

Shade celebrated day 2 of her new life in foster care and her 7th birthday! with a trip to the vet and her Brookline gift box. In true lab fashion, she enjoyed both experiences. 🥰

Shade was a very good patient at the vet. She gets excited to go in the car, prefers the front seat, and rides nicely. She loved meeting everyone in the office and was well-behaved during the exam. Shade was treated for infections in both ears and will go back in 2 weeks for a re-check. She is also starting to get a cataract in one of her eyes, which is not unusual for a pup her age. Other than that, the vet thought she looked great! Here are some pictures of our pretty patient.

After her visit to the vet, we went home to celebrate her birthday by opening her Brookline gift box to see all of her presents. Shade enjoyed going through the box. She sniffed out the treats right away and was curious about the squeaky toys.

Like most farm dogs, this was a new experience for her, as she most likely didn’t have toys on the farm. We look forward to seeing her learn to play! Thank you to all who donated!

July 1, 2026

She rode beautifully in the car for the hour ride to our house (she had already driven 2 hours when I picked her up!) Once at home, she had a much-needed bath and met the 2 resident dogs. Introductions went well, and the pups are peacefully coexisting. Shade was reported to do well with other dogs on the farm, but she is much more interested in human attention right now. I am sure that will change as she settles in a little more.

Shade is a sweetheart who seeks out attention and is already getting comfortable in our home. She is the proud momma of 8 litters, but she is ready to put that life behind her! She has already warmed up to Foster Mom (FM) and Foster Dad (FD), as you can see by the pictures.

Shade has a vet visit tomorrow, and we are hoping to get some relief from her constant ear scratching and possible UTI.