“Cookie (Betty) is a beautiful, friendly girl who has clearly had a tough time before coming to Yappy. She was given the name Cookie when she was found, but didn’t respond to it so we’ve renamed her Betty, it definitely suits her and she responds well to her new name.

She arrived with a terrible itchy, scabby skin with bald patches across her body, especially on her back and bottom which the vet thinks is most likely due to a severe allergic reaction. Whilst in foster care she has responded really well to initial treatments for both this and her itchy inflamed ears, but could possibly need ongoing treatment for this. She has a lump on her side which is possibly due to a bite and it does appear to be getting smaller so the vet is happy to observe this at the moment. She had clearly had a litter not long before she was found.

Betty is friendly towards, and interested in everyone she meets. She is very gentle and loves to be stroked and to snuggle up on the sofa for a love. She has met several different people over the Christmas period including my 4 year old nephew and has been perfectly behaved with them all. She currently lives with older teenagers.
When she first arrived, she was on high alert for several days and she does suffer from considerable separation anxiety, although this has improved whilst she’s been with us. She is our constant shadow so definitely needs to be in a home that understands this and has the time to continue to work on it. Having said this she does settle at night and sleeps downstairs with her foster brothers now, so with time and patience, and as she becomes more relaxed and confident this separation anxiety will hopefully start to resolve.

Betty gets on very well with our 2 resident labs and would definitely benefit from a forever home with a similar sized dog. She loves to play with Ron and can get a bit boisterous!

As she has become more confident we have noticed she has started to mouth a bit, but will stop when told, this is something that will need to be managed in her new home.
She can follow simple commands like sit and lie down, and is learning to wait for her food, like our other labs, she has benefited from a slow feeder bowl.

She walks well on a lead when walking next to another dog but can become anxious when out and about and is triggered by car doors slamming and seeing other people. She does settle quickly though with reassurance, so again this will hopefully get better with more exposure.

It is clear that Betty had never lived inside before and so house training is a work in progress. We’ve started as we would with a puppy, and take her outside for a ‘wee wee’ every hour or so and has progressed really well. We have not had any poos inside but still have the occasional wee if we are not on the ball, so this is something that any potential adopter needs to be mindful of and continue to work on.

Betty has clearly had a tough life, so a calm, patient household is essential, ideally with someone who has had experience of having a dog who has had a traumatic past and who is prepared to give her the time and attention that she deserves.
Betty is going to make a wonderful and loyal pet for her new owners who will be very lucky to have such a beautiful girl”.