This is Amber, a 94-pound yellow lab ‘puppy’ who will be 2-years-old March 7th. We were told that labs are puppies until they are two years old. I think this may have been a vast understatement.
Amber is a very sweet, affectionate dog. She regularly comes to me or my husband while we are in our recliners in the living room, putting her head down at our feet and doing a somersault so we’ll laugh and rub her tummy. She has her foibles, such as continuing to take ONE piece of trash out of the can beside my chair. Only one – I think just to show us she knows she is not supposed to do it, but wants to anyway. She regularly checks in the pantry to see if Molly’s bowl is still on the floor to lick. It never is, but she still checks every morning and every evening, like clockwork. She regularly reminds us WHY we spent the money and went to the work of putting up doggie gates that she can’t open in almost every doorway on the first floor.
She is one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever known. She LOVES going in the car – anywhere – anytime – and never knows a stranger.
For example, we had three errands to run this morning. It took me a bit of time in the post office, and my husband said that SEVERAL people had come over to the truck to say “Hi” to her and pet her. She LOVES it. When I was in the drug store, the people inside with me could hear her crying. I told them she wanted to come in and see everyone. My husband said that everyone who came out came over and talked to her. I got into the truck and the pharmacist came out, saying she HAD to meet the dog! Amber leaned as far out of the car as she possibly could, covering the sweet lady with kisses. She went back into the drug store, laughing, to wash her face. :0)
We have worked really hard to train Amber. She is so big and she has no clue that she is able to mow you down while you’re standing there, or that she can hurt you in any way. She minds really well when we’re home, inside the house. When someone comes over, though, all bets are off. She has never met us before and becomes ‘deaf’ ignoring our commands, just like a kid when you HOPE they’ll behave when company comes….
She is a challenge – particularly since we’re long in the tooth around here – but a joy.
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