Winnie #6 Yellow Labrador Retriever Female 4 Years Old ID #3689

Winnie #6 Yellow Labrador Retriever Female 4 Years Old ID #3689

Winnie’s owner had to start traveling for work and needed to leave her alone for 8-10 hours a day, so it was not an ideal living situation for Winnie. Please read her blog from the bottom up.

August 26, 2026

Winnie has been getting out and about a bit more, and we’re finding that she does really well in public settings. She seems to enjoy being included in whatever we’re doing and is always happy to come along for the ride—literally! She loves car rides, sniffing around the neighborhood, and checking out wherever we happen to be.

We took her out to dinner with us last night, and she behaved very well. She settled in nicely and seemed happy to hang out while we ate. She really does seem to enjoy being included in the day-to-day activities of her people.

One thing that has become increasingly clear, though, is that Winnie does not seem to be comfortable being left home alone. Based on what we’ve seen so far, her separation anxiety appears to be fairly intense. She has gotten into things when she realizes she is alone, including some counter surfing, and because she cannot be crated, we’re hesitant to leave her by herself for any significant amount of time.

For Winnie, I think this will be an important consideration for her eventual adopter. She is likely going to need someone who is patient and willing to be creative about managing her alone time—whether that means bringing her along when possible, arranging for someone to stay with her, or gradually working on helping her become more comfortable being alone. She seems happiest when she knows her people are nearby, so this isn’t something I’d want an adopter to underestimate.

The good news is that Winnie has proven herself to be a pretty good companion when she gets to come along. She enjoys outings, car rides, walks, and generally being part of whatever is happening.

At home, Winnie also really enjoys a lick mat or something appropriate to chew on, which has been a good way to keep her occupied. And we’re happy to report that she hasn’t had any accidents in the house for the past couple of days! 🎉 We’ll keep working on that and hopefully keep the streak going.

Winnie continues to be very loving and very interested in being involved in everything. She definitely has some things she’ll need her people to be patient with, particularly when it comes to being alone, but we’re continuing to learn what helps her feel comfortable and successful. ❤️

August 24, 2026

🐾 Winnie’s First Foster Update 🐾

Winnie has been settling into her foster home, and we’re getting a better sense of her personality and quirks each day!

She is a sweet, loving 4-year-old Lab who likes to keep track of what everyone is doing. She has taken a liking to my dad and brother and seems to enjoy having people around. She also recently spent several hours at my brother’s house with two adults, two teenage boys, and two other dogs. She handled the busy afternoon well and seemed comfortable with all the activity.

We’ve been getting her out for walks and errands, which have given us a chance to see how she handles different environments. She’s friendly when she sees other dogs on walks and will usually give them a few sniffs before moving along. She does pull on walks, though, and can be pretty persistent about stopping to investigate every interesting smell. She responds when redirected, but leash manners are definitely something we’ll continue working on.

We took her along to Home Depot and Harbor Freight this week. She did okay overall, but the new environments were definitely more challenging than a quiet walk around the neighborhood. She pulled quite a bit, and when a cashier approached us quickly at the register, Winnie became startled and barked several times. She settled once things calmed down, so we’ll continue giving her opportunities to experience new situations at her own pace.

We also discovered that Winnie needs some supervision when left loose in the house. We stepped into the garage for about five minutes and came back to find that she had jumped onto the counter and pulled some things down. 😂 Since she cannot be crated, this is something we’ll need to keep working on and will be an important consideration for her eventual home.

At home, Winnie enjoys relaxing on the couch and playing tug with her rope in the backyard. She also seems to like having other animals around and has done well with the dogs she has encountered so far. We’re curious to see whether having another dog around might help her feel more comfortable when left alone, since we haven’t had enough time to really assess that yet.

Overall, Winnie is settling in, and we’re still learning what situations make her comfortable and where she needs a little more guidance. She definitely has some things to work on, but we’re enjoying getting to know her and helping her adjust. ❤️