Cuddle Monster

Meet Cuddle Monster; and yes, her name does say it all! This sweet and loving 5-year-old mini female black labrador came into Brookline's care after being surrendered due to no fault of her own. Her breeder/owner was having health challenges and becoming unable to care for her, so she was not being fed regularly and became both malnourished and anemic. Over the past two months in Brookline's care, Cuddle Monster has flourished. She is now at a healthy weight, no longer tests as anemic, and has found joy in her new role of being a family pet. She is fully ready to meet her forever family and become their loyal companion and best friend.<br/><br/>Cuddle Monster has quickly settled into her new "family pet" lifestyle and is enjoying the perks. She loves to be as close to her people as she can. She has some Velcro dog tendencies, but she doesn't show any separation anxiety when we put her in her crate to go out for a couple of hours. Home is her safe space, and she is affectionate, playful and friendly with all who enter. She enjoys her 2-to-3 mile morning walks and afternoon games of chase and fetch that she plays with the other dogs in the back yard. Leash walking has gone from "Why do you clip this strange line thing to me? You know I walk over it, and it weaves between my legs." to "Yay! It's time to get my neighborhood sniffs in; let's go!" She walks well- with no pulling. When she first started going on daily walks with her fur siblings, she would keep her eyes on Foster Mom and shy if she saw other people. Part of Cuddle Monster's process of learning to be a family pet has also involved trusting her family that- even when she's out on a walk and sees a stranger- she is safe and okay. The more she went on walks and learned that other people just keep walking, the more confident and secure she became. These days, she doesn't shy away when she sees other people on our walks.<br/><br/>Cuddle Monster loves when Foster Mom and Dad's adult children come to visit, but she has had limited exposure to younger children. She was introduced (on leash) to our neighbor's young children (all three of them under 5 years old). Cuddle Monster showed no signs of aggression when the kids said hi to her, but she did become very still when they pet her (one at a time under their mom's supervision). The kids were all very gentle, and this "freeze" response is not dissimilar to her early reactions when seeing adults during our walks. Repeated exposure has greatly improved Cuddle Monster's response, and she no longer goes behind Foster Mom and slows down or stops walking until the other person has passed. In the end, it is always safest to monitor and control introductions between children and dogs, and that is true here. I would anticipate that repeated exposure will relax her shyness towards children because repeated exposure has relaxed her shyness to adults.<br/><br/>Cuddle Monster does alert bark. It's usually only a quick few barks, and she can be redirected- especially if you throw her a ball to chase. Some of Cuddle Monsters quirky behaviors are just her personality, and some of her behaviors seem like they could be from the challenges she faced when not being fed. The good news is all have shown great improvement during her time with us, but they can still occur. If she poops, we pick it up quickly to prevent her from eating it. She needs a slow feeder when she eats, and the typical slow feeders were not slow enough. We found success with a more specialized one that she paws to spin a wheel and release food into an "open" circle where she can eat it. She has been known to chew on non-food items (especially socks), but she is responsive to redirection. We recommend that anything small and portable enough to go in her mouth be placed out of reach until she adjusts and learns the rules of your home. We also recommend having plenty of dog toys in accessible places to easily redirect her. Finally, she is almost 100% potty trained, but she does have an occasional accident. This is usually due to human error- not recognizing her potty cues and/or not slowly introducing new food items (food or treats). It takes time for the body to completely adjust after being malnourished, and in the meantime, new food items can create loose stools. When she came to us, Cuddle Monster was taking an over-the-counter daily probiotic to help her gut health and has continued that protocol. <br/><br/>Cuddle Monster enjoys her play time, but she also settles very easily throughout the day and at bedtime. In general, she is a very chill dog. When we take her to the vet's office and are checking in or checking out, they often say, "We can't believe there are two labs on the other side of this half wall; they are so calm!" Cuddle Monster enjoys that her foster family has jobs where they can telework because she loves stopping by for pets and to get the ball thrown a few times. She has inadvertently attended a few Teams meetings as an uninvited guest, and though she had a warm welcome, she now spends any meetings quietly lounging in her crate with her blanket and something to chew on (for an hour or so) until the meeting ends. <br/><br/>Cuddle Monster is a true gem, and she is looking forward to finding love, fun, playtime, and a best friend in her forever home.<br/><br/>To learn more about her while in foster care, please read her blog: https://brooklinelabrescue.org/blog/cuddle-monster-black-labrador-retriever-female-5-years-old-id3695/<br/><br/>PLEASE NOTE: While this Lab may not be available for adoption by the time you complete the adoption process, other great Labs are always finding their way into our Rescue. (Note: Sometimes a foster home falls in love and adopts their foster dog so the dog doesn't make it to Available Now).<br/>If you are interested in adopting this Lab or any other Lab from our Rescue, please visit our Website, brooklinelabrescue.org, for more information on our adoption process. If you need additional information about the adoption process or whether you are in our coverage area, please send an e-mail to our Rescue at info@brooklinelabrescue.org.<br/>Even if you are not ready to adopt, you can still help us help our Labs!<br/>Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue is a 501(c)3 non-profit volunteer organization funded entirely by donations. Donations are always needed to help with veterinary costs, transportation, and supplies for our dogs. For information on donating to BLRR please click brooklinelabrescue.org/get-involved/donate/. Donations are accepted via PayPal or you can mail a check to Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue.<br/><br/>Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue, Inc.<br/>P. O. Box 638, Warrington, PA 18976-0638<br/>BrooklineLabRescue.org<br/>PA Kennel License #05190

Meet Cuddle Monster; and yes, her name does say it all! This sweet and loving 5-year-old mini female black labrador came into Brookline's care after being surrendered due to no fault of her own. Her breeder/owner was having health challenges and becoming unable to care for her, so she was not being fed regularly and became both malnourished and anemic. Over the past two months in Brookline's care, Cuddle Monster has flourished. She is now at a healthy weight, no longer tests as anemic, and has found joy in her new role of being a family pet. She is fully ready to meet her forever family and become their loyal companion and best friend.

Cuddle Monster has quickly settled into her new "family pet" lifestyle and is enjoying the perks. She loves to be as close to her people as she can. She has some Velcro dog tendencies, but she doesn't show any separation anxiety when we put her in her crate to go out for a couple of hours. Home is her safe space, and she is affectionate, playful and friendly with all who enter. She en

Meet Cuddle Monster; and yes, her name does say it all! This sweet and loving 5-year-old mini female black labrador came into Brookline's care after being surrendered due to no fault of her own. Her breeder/owner was having health challenges and becoming unable to care for her, so she was not being fed regularly and became both malnourished and anemic. Over the past two months in Brookline's care, Cuddle Monster has flourished. She is now at a healthy weight, no longer tests as anemic, and has found joy in her new role of being a family pet. She is fully ready to meet her forever family and become their loyal companion and best friend.

Cuddle Monster has quickly settled into her new "family pet" lifestyle and is enjoying the perks. She loves to be as close to her people as she can. She has some Velcro dog tendencies, but she doesn't show any separation anxiety when we put her in her crate to go out for a couple of hours. Home is her safe space, and she is affectionate, playful and friendly with all who enter. She enjoys her 2-to-3 mile morning walks and afternoon games of chase and fetch that she plays with the other dogs in the back yard. Leash walking has gone from "Why do you clip this strange line thing to me? You know I walk over it, and it weaves between my legs." to "Yay! It's time to get my neighborhood sniffs in; let's go!" She walks well- with no pulling. When she first started going on daily walks