New Lab Puppy Yay!

[Red Fraggle]

It's been about 10 years since I've been in a position to be able to own a dog. I'm finally in a place where I could budget it in and I got landlord permission and we're planning to stay in this house for the foreseeable future, so I'm finally able to add a dog to my family.

So, I packed the kids up and drove to the nearest town with a humane society. We were somewhat interested in one female shepherd cross pup (she had rottie-like markings and a long coat), but when we met her, she was very bouncy, already had lots of bad habits and appeared to be super high energy. Also, she was going to grow up to be a bear. Normally I'd take the challenge of a huge, super high energy dog in a heartbeat, but with my 9yo son in a wheelchair the opportunity to get out and exercise a dog like that on weekends is very limited, especially in the winter when it's slow-rolling through the snow. So we asked to look at some other dogs. I was open to adult or puppy, but the shelter folks brought out the two other 3 month old labX? puppies before showing us any adults and I fell in love with both of them. They were calling them Marco and Polo. Marco was very sweet, calm and gentle. I would have liked to have chosen him, but my kids weren't very interested. Then they brought out Polo. He was gentle and sweet, but terrified and shaking. I was a little concerned about bringing home a dog that was so obviously anxious when his brother was much calmer, but since my 7yo son, Ethan liked him more and my 9yo who is really picky with animals (He's non verbal, but most animals he will push away and every now and then he takes a shine to one and accepts it) gave him a hug, I thought about it and realized that Polo probably wasn't cut out for shelter life anyways he needed us to take him home.

So, we brought him home and renamed him Wembley after Wembley Fraggle because he wembles about everything. He wants to come inside the house but he wembles about going through the door. He wants to go out for a walk but he wembles about the same thing. He wants to get up on the couch and cuddle but he wembles about that, then he wembles when it's time to get down again. He's afraid of his dishes and wembles about eating with anyone in the room. He wembles about his toys. He's interested but not so sure about actually touching them.

For the first day, he'd cry if I wasn't sitting and cuddling with him. He gradually started seeking out the kids for a cuddle if I had to get up. He's sleeping a lot during the day, probably because he's spent the last two nights up all night crying in his crate. He loves the snow and likes to follow me around, running in the yard. He's relaxing a little and starting to seek out things to chew (like my purse!). He's afraid to go up and down our wheelchair ramp at the front of the house with his leash on, but he's following me up and down off-leash. His re-call sucks but he doesn't go far yet anyways and he stops for me. He won't go through the back door at all and even tries to escape my arms if I carry him through it (there are 3 steps there). So far he's too stressy to be particularly interested in treats, but he has been liking dent-a-bones since he relaxed enough to want to chew.

Here's Wembley:

With Kids

Finally playing with a toy!


Here's his brother:

Probably LabXGSD given his brother's markings.

[deidra]

He is adorable! Glad your kids love him and thank you for rescuing!

[dek]

He's a cutie. Hopefully he'll settle into his new home quickly and stop wembling quite so much

[Sophiesmama]

He's a cutie! He's been through a lot in his short life, and will simmer down when he realizes he's home to stay.

[morla]

Hi! Welcome to the forum! I hope you like it here! Cute litte puppy!

[silverbyrd21]

what a cutie! Im sure he and your boys will be great friends!