Tikka Yellow Labrador Retriever Female 6 Years Old ID#3330

September 24, 2023

Tikka continues to do very well, and is all healed from her surgery. She’s very easy to have around. She has realized the comfort of dog beds.

Yesterday, for the first time, while we were away, she made herself comfortable on the couch (caught on camera). Though she has not ventured onto the furniture while we’re home yet.Tikka still loves her stuffies and will take them on walks, which usually ends up with FM carrying it back when she gets distracted with sniffs.Once in a while she finds her voice. It is usually when she wants the other dogs to play with her, which has the opposite effect, unfortunately. Otherwise, she is very quiet. While we haven’t had any close encounters with the cats, I’d have to say that Tikka probably shouldn’t go to a home with cats, as she’s just a bit too interested. Tikka also enjoys being around my 8 month old granddaughter. However, at 95lbs, she definitely has a knock down factor, so I wouldn’t recommend a home with small children.

September 16, 2023

It’s been a week, a lot has happened, yet it feels like Tikka has always been here. She continues to go with the flow, including being spayed this past week. She has easily adapted to our daily routine and will lounge around while FM is working either in her crate or very, very close by. She also LOVES stuffy toys, and almost always has one (or two) in her mouth.The fact that we’ve kept the resident dogs from destroying them for a week is incredible. When we go out for a walk, we’ll all head to the front porch while FM changes shoes, gets a flashlight (darn those early mornings), and puts on a jacket. Tikka will come stand there patiently waiting with her stuffy. She will, reluctantly, give it up and FM will set it on the high table. When we return from a walk, she instantly wants it off the table. Now that we can trust everyone to share nicely, we broke out the toy bucket, to Tikka’s delight! She had everything out in minutes and would go back and forth carrying different things around.Walks have become much nicer and more relaxed. We have to limit the trotting while she heals from surgery, but she’s content to just walk along and does so very nicely with just a regular collar. Well, at least until you take a new trail with new sniffs. Then you might get drug along a bit. We’re going to try to keep working on that as 97 lbs is tough to hold back. Along that same route, we’re trying to cut back a touch on food and may even go with a weight management kibble. Soon enough, to FM’s chagrin, we’ll be back to trotting and hopefully leave a few pounds behind. Other than being a bit on the chunky side, Tikka had a glowing report from the vet, from tip to tail.Tikka knows a few commands, sit, come, and is quickly learning down. She still tends to smell by touch but has started to relax and calm down more quickly.We have plans to get her out more and experience the world, meet strangers, and new dogs now that she’s mostly on the mend. Stay tuned for the adventures of Tikka!

September 9, 2023

Yesterday, just over 24 hours ago, Tikka came crashing into the foster world. She has a smidge of ‘bull in the china shop’ tendency going on. She just wants to smell and see and experience it ALL and tends to smell by touch. So we just follow along picking up items in her wake. When she arrived at her foster home, she was greeted by four other dogs. She was a model lady and everyone got along wonderfully. The first night was flawless. Tikka went right into the crate and slept all night without a peep. She is eating her kibble like a lady in her crate at meal time and seems to know the outside is for doing her business. As I am typing this, she just got up and walked into her crate to chill. While she’s doing better already with leash walking, there’s still room for improvement. So we’ll be working on that. She also knows her name and is treat/food motivated, which will make training easier. We’re looking forward to watching this gem as she comes into her own and settles into the good life.

Here are a few pics of this photogenic lady. The picture of her in the crate is while we were gone and she was home with our adult sons. She just chose to chill in her crate. The one of ALL the dogs was night one with the two resident dogs and our daughter’s two dogs (big black ones) we were watching. They have since gone home and things are a bit calmer.