Sterling #2 Silver Labrador Retriever Male 8 Years Old ID #3447

November 2, 2025

FM Here – Sterling continues to shine! Our good boy got neutered this past Friday and did great! His blood work all came back in good range and he tolerated the surgery well. Kevin was slightly amused as the drunken 104-pound lab insisted on crawling up to the front seat to ride shotgun. He got home…did a quick potty break and came in. Tail wagging tongue out.  Grabbed a nice long drink and went to plop on his big bed.

FM slept on the couch downstairs with him because no one wanted to try to get him up the stairs in his condition. He got up a couple times for water and ate the food we left out for him.

Saturday morning, he was back to his goofy self. He’s been good about leaving his incision alone so for now no cone of shame for this boy.

He’ll more than likely be ready to officially become available by the end of the week! Here’s what potential adopters need to know about Sterling.

1. He’s a big strong boy. Would recommend no small children and adults should be sturdy. Sterling, as most Labs is not aware of his size and likes to be first in line and will push to the front if he feels the need. He walks well on a leash but can be distracted by other dogs and wildlife. I recommend walking him on a short leash and have treats to distract. He responds well to corrections but you definitely need to be on your toes.
2. He is super affectionate. He loves having his ears pulled, getting hugs, sitting on mom’s lap (see photo). He won’t get on the furniture unless I’m sitting on it and even then, he slowly inches his way up. He used to follow me everywhere but has recently become more independent and will stay on his big bed while I do chores.
3. He does not crate well but does not need to be crated. He does however need a smaller space to be secure in when left alone. We have a mudroom that is about 8×30. He spends time there with no issues and no accidents for up to 9 hours. When we gave him run of the house, he became frantic and damaged screens on the 2nd floor.
4. He can be reactive to other large dogs. He lunges and barks. With controlled slow introduction he is absolutely fine and best friends after obligatory sniffing. He doesn’t mind little dogs. Unsure about cats as we don’t have one but he does bark at the neighborhood cats. He pays no mind to our parrot.
5. He is stunning. His coat is thick and soft. His eyes sparkle even with the little bit of cloudiness that comes with age. He has freckles around his eyes that give him a unique look. He enjoys a good brushing.
6. He is medium energy. Enjoys being out in the yard but is equally happy lounging in the house. Counter surfs a little. He’s doing great with house training. Gets antsy when he needs to be let out. Just an overall good boy.

Someone is going to be very lucky to adopt this good boy

October 16, 2025

FM Here…

Sterling went on a new adventure today. He had his pre-op vet visit today to get ready for his neuter on Halloween.

He loaded easily into the car although he was pretty nervous on the ride. He’s not real comfortable with car rides yet. Once we got to the vets, he was fine. He’s such a stunning dog that everyone wants to pet him so I paraded him around the waiting room to be petted. He definitely loves attention. Even the staff wanted to pet him and every single person commented on how soft he is.

When it was his turn, he was a very good boy. He weighs in at 107 pounds of pure love. The vet techs said he was a good boy for them when they drew blood.

On our way home he decided to ride shotgun and pushed his way to the front seat.

At home Sterling continues to be a good boy. He definitely loves him some mom. I love to see him gallop towards me and his wiggle butt is beyond compare. He has reached the point where he doesn’t need to be right next to me and will lay in the next room, usually squished into a chihuahua sized bed, while I work on chores.

Sterling is definitely a good boy and is going to make one lucky family very happy.

FD Here….

Sterling continues to show us more and more of his personality. He’s more than happy to hang with me and seek out attention when FM isn’t available, and even sometimes when she is. One evening FM and I had the want for a little sweet treat from a local ice cream stand, and figured why not take Sterling for something he’s probably never had before, a pup cup. I’m pretty sure he approved, even though the car ride is not his favorite, he tolerated it like a champ. I’m pretty sure he thought the reward was worth the effort.

Sorry the pictures have a weird color to them; it’s an outdoor spot that has yellow lighting in their pavilion.

Look for Sterling to be available post neuter in a couple weeks.

October 2, 2025

Sterling’s foster mom here. Sterling continues to SHINE!! We are about 5 weeks in now and his personality continues to impress. He is definitely a family guy and loves to be around his people. Especially FM, but he will settle for FD if mom is not around. I was out of town a couple weeks ago and after the first night when he was a tad frantic looking for me, he settled back into his normal routine. When we are gone, he stays in the mudroom and is always a good boy. We leave him a blanket, fresh water and some toys. I have a camera in there and he is usually either laying down or looking out the window. We have found that he does better contained in a smaller space. When left free roam in the house he gets a little panicky. The first couple of times he went up to the second floor and pushed screens out. Knowing how well Labs, especially fat ones fly, we decided to not do that anymore.

He has found his voice and will bark at deer, squirrels and passersby. He also gets a little nuts about cats in the yard so we are thinking he would do best in a home without kitties. While walking he will pull now that he’s no longer afraid of his leash touching him. He’s a very strong boy but redirects easily. I usually put him in a sit and then he follows me. He has lost some weight and is not nearly as winded when we walk,  His coat has also improved tremendously. He’s very soft on his head and his sides. I love to tell him that he’s a big bunny rabbit and pet his soft spots and he eats it up. He has also started to roll over on his back for belly rubs.  I also have to mention that he has freckles around his eyes and on his belly. He really is quite adorable. Maybe not so much in the middle of the night when he decides he wants to kiss me…but pretty much the rest of the time.

Housebreaking is going well with no recent accidents and after his neuter I believe there will be no further issues.

He is scheduled for his neuter on October 31 (no treats for him!) and we feel he will be ready to move on to his forever home,  Keep an eye open for when he is posted available!

FD here – Sterling continues to come out of his shell. He is a happy and playful guy for being eight years old. Most mornings now, when my alarm goes off, he comes to my side of the bed to greet me with some nudges and wiggles. When FM was out of town we had a good time. Spent time in the backyard, with the resident dogs sniffing the smells and keeping the deer and squirrel in check.

We also learned that the largest dog in the house enjoys lounging in the smallest dog bed in the house. He is certainly quite the gentleman, putting up with the attitude of our Alpha chihuahua. He just moves along when she expresses her displeasure with his presence. Another thing Sterling has done to make himself at home is take blankets from a chest we have in our living room to use as a nice place to lay down. Can’t be just any blanket either, has to be just the right one. Usually starting with the blanket on the bottom.

September 15, 2025

Foster mom here. We have had handsome Sterling here now for 2 weeks. It’s amazing to me how much a dog can change in two weeks. It also makes me sad that so many dogs get returned before they have enough time to really shine.

Sterling started off shy and nervous. Afraid of doors, not willing to attempt the stairs to the second floor. He spent a lot of time pacing and panting. In just the short time he has been here he has become a confident, playful, silly member of the family. He loves to be around his people and gets as close as possible to be loved on. I work from home sometimes and on those days, he is in the den with me at my feet. He likes to come push up against me which usually results in my chair being rolled away from my desk. Not sure if it’s intentional or not but he usually manages to persuade me to get up…stretch and hand over a treat. He’s a smart boy. We have mastered sit already and are working on shake,

He is also a great walking buddy. He is an absolute dream on a leash. He walks right beside me not bothered at all by the deer or squirrels. He does like to greet other dogs we meet along the way but is really more interested in meeting people. He is a top performer in the Lab Lean category and isn’t shy about showing that off to new friends. All who meet Sterling comment on how pretty and well behaved he is.

Now that we can do the stairs like a pro we no longer need to sleep on the couch. Sterling follows the pack up every night and plops with a heavy sigh into his big dog bed right next to our bed. He accompanies me on midnight trips to the bathroom and sometimes rolls around on the bathroom rugs. He sleeps soundly through the night and snores with the best of them,  He is quite the groaner as well. Plopping down on the floor is usually accompanied with a loud grunt or groan.

Housebreaking has been a slight challenge. He has been having accidents in the house. Yesterday was his first full day with no issues. The evening before I caught him red handed and was not happy to be hollered at. We immediately went outside and when he finished his business outside, we made a very big deal and had treats. Now every time we go pee outside, I make a huge fuss about what a good boy he is and he gets treats, Seems to be working as he’s very pleased with himself when he gets praised. My neighbors probably think I’m nuts. When we are away, he stays in the mudroom and he has not had any accidents in there, I believe it is probably similar in size to the run he was kept in at the farm. I monitor him with a camera and while he does bark at passersby, he mostly just hangs out waiting for someone to come home.

Sterling is not super food motivated. He eats his food slowly and doesn’t always finish his kibble. I have been adding a squirt of vetoquinox Triglyceride Omega with fish oil. My vet recommended this over-the-counter  stuff for joint issues, allergies, and skin issues and coat care  for my little dogs. I’m not sure if it helps but I will say his coat is looking fabulous. His head and sides are so soft I have taken to calling him my Bunny Rabbit!

He also got a great box of goodies from Brookline this week and is totally loving his squeaky fox. He enjoys the tennis ball too but hasn’t quite caught on to fetch yet.

Stay tuned for more about Sterling as we continue to watch him grow.

September 4, 2025

What an eventful few days Sterling has had.

On Monday we had some friends over for the holiday, and Sterling just loved all the attention. He was quite the Gentlemen as everyone was moving about enjoying the holiday. He sought out attention from all in attendance and they all obliged. He was quiet and settled while everyone was eating. No begging or pestering anyone for food from their plate.

We can see he’s leaning towards being a counter surfer now that he’s spent a little time in the kitchen and realizes the bounty that our island sometimes holds.

Foster Mom slept downstairs on the couch for the weekend and Monday night as he wasn’t yet courageous enough to tackle the steps upstairs to the bedrooms. Well, that changed Tuesday evening. He got the courage to traverse the steps, because he wanted to be with his people. He’s not graceful, but he’s getting better, even in the 24 hours he decided the steps aren’t too scary.

Since he arrived on Saturday, someone has always been home with him, until Wednesday. Today was a big test to see how he would do left home alone. We attempted to crate him, but he was not interested, and we don’t believe the crate we have is large enough anyway. So, we decided to see how he would do alone in the house. Would only be for a few hours, from about 7:30AM to about 11AM when our son got home from school. We set him up in our mudroom, and he did really well. No destructive behavior, no accidents in the house. He was a good boy for being left in these new surroundings all on his own.

Housetraining is still a work in process, he has had a couple accidents in the house, but we continue to work with him on this.

He’s leaning towards being a Velcro guy. He has become Foster Mom’s shadow. Wherever she is, he wants to be there.

September 1, 2025

Sterling #2  8-Year-Old Silver Male, 100+ lbs.

What a difference 36 hours makes. Yesterday morning Sterling left the farm in Western PA, Somerset County, where he has lived most all his life. Thanks to multiple volunteers to get him 3/4 of the way across the state.

Sterling was a pretty nervous guy when he left the farm. certainly, understandable with it probably being his first ever car ride, and he didn’t even know it would be multiple cars before the day was over. When we met up with him, we were his third car, and latest folks to trust. It took a little coaxing and some patience, but he finally decided we would be okay to go for a ride with. He was a great passenger, albeit a little nervous.

Once we got home, we brought him to the back yard and let him do his business and explore his new surroundings.

He was intrigued by the deer in our back yard, but acted appropriately. He was introduced to our resident pack, which went well.

Then it was time to navigate the stairs, and door ways to make it into the house. Those tasks were a little daunting, but Sterling decided he wanted to explore the thing we call a house. He approved. He even met his current foster brother, our 17-year-old son. He approved of him as well. So much so they he showed exactly how brave he was and navigated down the steps into the basement to spend time with him. Getting back up was a little more of a challenge, but with bravery and patience, oh yeah, and a little cheese, he made it back up.

He has begun to relax already, which is wonderful to see. While he has been mostly going outside to do his business, there have been a couple accidents in the house. Being an unaltered farm boy, who didn’t live in a house this is understandable, and we believe it won’t be long that those actions will be a thing of the past. He has decided that the attention of his people is really cool. He is already seeking out attention when he wants it.

Today brought a bath, and a couple walks around the neighborhood. My goodness, what amazing leash manners he has too. Very important for a boy this big. Speaking of which, we estimate him to be over 100 pounds, with the need to lose some weight, but he’s still going to be a big boy.

We look forward to seeing his progression, and sharing his progress from farm boy to a beloved household pet.