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My name is Stella!

Posted over 10 years ago

My basic info

Breed
Labrador Retriever
Color
Tan/Yellow/Fawn
Age
Young
Size
Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg) (when grown)
Weight
Sex
Female
Pet ID
014-0214

My details

Checkmark in teal circle Good with kids
Checkmark in teal circle Good with dogs
Checkmark in teal circle Purebred
Checkmark in teal circle Shots current
Checkmark in teal circle Spayed / Neutered
Checkmark in teal circle Housetrained

My story

Here's what the humans have to say about me:

Stella is a sweet, gentle and playful girl who adores being around her people and is very eager to please. She is likely a purebred lab and behaves like a typical lab. She has been so happy to be a part of a family and would love to be included in yours! Stella is approximately 1 1/2 - 2 years old and currently weighs just over 60 lbs.


Here is what else her foster family had to say:


Stella is still a bit too bony for a lab and needs to gain some more weight. She is otherwise a healthy girl with some shine coming back into her sandy-coloured coat, and an overall lovely dog in appearance. She is fully grown but still loves to play and has a "puppy" look about her. Stella's energy is moderate. She is pretty low-key around the house and will collapse on the floor beside you whenever you are busy doing something in the house (cooking, on the computer, reading, etc.) She loves to play enthusiastically with her dog friends and that is the highest energy we've seen from her. She needs daily walks and enjoys frolicking around at the fenced-in park.


Stella is timid of new people when they come to our home. She will keep a safe distance from them until she sees that we are okay and that they are welcome in the home. She then warms up to them and will come over for pets and maybe give their hand a kiss. Treats also help her to overcome her fears. She is particularly wary of men, and it took her a couple of days to warm up to my husband, but she loves him now! Stella has no fear of children when they come to the house and will play with them right away. When we pass people out on walks she has no issue with them.


Stella loves playing with our dog (sometimes more than he can keep up with!) She is very socially appropriate with other dogs we meet on walks and wagging her tail wanting to play after greeting them. Stella has not been around cats with us. We have not taken her to a dog park yet but think she would love to go regularly and meet some new friends, especially if the home she goes to doesn't have any dogs for her to play with.


Stella does not like when her people leave the house without her. We have trialed and erred with leaving Stella at home when we go out. She broke out of her crate, so we no longer try to crate her. We tried keeping her in a bedroom while my shift-working husband slept, but she did not like being away from our dog Charlie (who couldn’t be in the bedroom with her because they would play loudly and keep my husband awake). We find if we leave her on the main floor of our home with our Charlie for company she is pretty good while we are out. She does not chew or destroy any of our belongings. We make sure that the garbage can is safely put away and leave no food on the counter, because we made the mistake of leaving food on top of our microwave once (which we didn’t think she could reach) and she ate it all. Stella is still new to our home and routine and is learning that we will always come back. Once she settles into her forever home, she will likely become less anxious being left alone. The longest Stella has been left without us is 7 hours, but is usually left for about 4 hours on a regular basis. If you are away from your home for long work hours she would not be the best dog for you.


Stella shows no fear of loud noises, except for when we bring out the vacuum, which she will just avoid. Her favourite thing to do is play with a doggy friend, which she is always up for unless her foster brother refuses. Otherwise, she is content to chew on a bone, roll around the floor with her Kong, or come over and rest her chin on your knee for some attention. She is also pretty good at playing fetch and loves to be engaged in training and activities with her people, and she is highly food-motivated. No matter where you are, she wants to be with you, but she is not too needy. If there’s nothing really going on, Stella loves to take naps on our couch!


She is good at announcing someone near our territory and thinks she is helping to guard us. However, she is getting better at listening to us when we tell her to be quiet. She can get barking a bit when playing with dog friends. She does not bark back at other dogs barking in our neighbourhood when she is in the backyard. She is not a constant barker. Because she has a deep and loud bark and reacts to environmental noises, we would suggest an apartment would not be a good home for her.


Stella listens well when you say no and now will usually only counter surf if she smells something good to eat, so we don’t leave food or dirty dishes on the counter. She is very intelligent and learns quickly. With more training and consistent leadership in her forever home we think she will be amazing. Stella knows "sit". She will fetch and bring the ball back, but you need to take it from her gentle mouth because she hasn’t learned "drop it" yet. We are working on "paw". She waits outside until you invite her back into the house after going in the backyard to do her business. Our routine is to then have her sit so we can wipe off her paws, and she cooperates willingly. She is learning "off" (as in "off the couch, you're in my spot!") and "down" (to lie down). She has learned her name and will come most of the time when you call her. Stella is now house trained and knows to do her business outside. Stella walks fairly well on a leash with a regular collar. She is strong and will pull at times so I now use a Halti collar for her which allows for more control over her if she decides to pull or go a different direction. She would need a home with a high enough fence, and we always supervise her in our backyard. She has not tried to bolt out the door, but would gladly follow you out if you let her!


Stella is the ideal combination of relaxed and lazy in the home when you want to be, but ready to play or set out on walks whenever you’re ready to go! With more training and help overcoming her fear of strangers, I actually think Stella would make a really great therapy dog, if that is something her forever family would be interested in, as she has the right energy and a very gentle nature. Stella would love a great big fluffy dog bed for naps. Currently she's been using our couch, which she lazily sprawls out on, leaving room for very few humans! A Kong toy is an essential for Stella as she often occupies herself trying to get treats out of it, or just playing around with it if it’s empty, and it is durable enough to withstand her chewing.


A home with a decent sized backyard to explore would be ideal for Stella. High fences would be a must as she has proven she can climb! Stella will bond more quickly to a woman, but as mentioned she has warmed up to my husband so would be ok with men too, as long as they give her the time to get comfortable, and then she will just be a big suck! Stella would love kids to play with her and snuggle with, but due to her larger size and sometimes inability to know where her big tail is landing when she is wagging away, she would be best suited to a home without small children or babies. She plays gently with kids and would be good with school-aged kids that can be confident leaders and playmates with Stella. She would love to go to a home that has another big, playful dog like her, if her forever family doesn’t mind a lot of doggy play, but Stella would be just fine going to a home without another dog as long as she has lots of opportunities to get out and socialize with other dogs. She is a big bundle of love and we would keep her if we could. She is an absolute joy to have in our home!


If you think Stella would be a good addition to your family, please submit an application for consideration.

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