Date into Rescue:11/7/2024
Reason for being in rescue: Stray from Anderson SC
Foster location: Dreamweaver Farms, Pacolet SC
Special Needs? None noted, Maple had her teeth cleaned.  Her age is a bit of a mystery. The shelter aged her at older but it may just be a hard life.  As she is getting healthier, she is sunnier and happier so may be younger.  We do not know for sure. 
Weight: 47 lb
Height: 24 in at the shoulder est
Spayed/Neutered: Yes

Adoption Fee: $599

Fence needed? Yes, Maple is a big girl and needs a fence four (4) foot tall or taller.  She enjoys walks but she is still nervous in many situations and a fenced in yard provides her a secure place to romp, play, go potty in private and feel like her world is secure.  

What kind of home would be best for me?   Maple is a gentle, mature but not a senior (best guess is seven ish-year-old) Labradoodle (that is also a guess, we have not done DNA but she acts labish all the time) searching for a calm and loving forever home.

Maple was a stray so we're having to figure out her background by her behavior.  Here is our best guess.  She had a tough start in life, likely coming from a neglectful background where she was a back yard dog or a breeder dog in a pen with many other dogs but not so many humans.  This start has made her a little shy around new people. 

If you take the time to win her trust, once she feels safe and comfortable, her loving heart shines through. She is never going to be a social butterfly. She is never going to qualify as a therapy dog. She also has no desire for new experiences and would be very content as a stay at home kind of girl.  She just wants her people to stay the same and be the same. Homebodies we are looking for you for Maple!  

Because of her past experiences, we believe Maple would do best in a home without young children. A quiet, structured environment with a single person or a couple who believe in routine and structure would be ideal. She needs time to build trust and feel secure in her new surroundings, but once she does, she becomes a calm, loyal companion.  

Maple would love a home with a fenced-in yard where she can safely romp and play.

Maple very much enjoys the company of other dogs, so a home with another dog could be a great fit.  She learns from them and appreciates their companionship. However, we don’t believe she would do well in a home with cats.  

No apartments please.  Maple is a large dog who needs the safety and security of a fenced in yard and a home.  

What is my personality like? Once she gives you her heart, it will be yours forever.  But she will need time to adjust and gain your trust.  With patience, she will gradually open up and reveal her sweet, laid-back personality. She loves to be by your side, and over time, her playful side will emerge.

Maple also needs some help with leash training. She is so much better on a leash now than she was at first but she has mostly been walking the trails on our property, not on suburban sidewalks.  She will need help learning what it means for a car or other humans to go by.  

Maple is still learning basic commands like sit, down, come, and stay. With patience, positive reinforcement, and consistency, she’ll catch on quickly. She loves her crate and will bounce up and down and go in and out of her crate in joy as she has learned that crate means treats and food and security. 

How do I act when I first meet new people? This is not a dog that is going to bounce into the room and say "be mine!"  Maple is a loving and affectionate dog once she determines that she will be safe with you. She will thrive in a calm, structured environment.  Early in the year, Maple came down with a mild case of HGE.  There was something about that trip to the ER and then being picked back up by her foster mom that meant all the difference to Maple.  She opened up after the trip, became more affectionate and more loving and more trusting.  It was like she said "they took care of me, they really took care of me and they came back for me" and it opened up her heart.  She's ready now to meet someone who will really always come back for her.  

Other tips and tidbits: Maple was a stray so her exact birthdate is unknown.  We think she was born around 11/04/2017 but this is just a guess.  She is an older, more mature dog, with a playful, puppyish side.  She is not a senior but she is not a youngster either.

Maple's foster mom is so hoping someone who is a chocolate lab lover will see the potential in shy chocolate lab  (for she acts more like a lab) with a splash of poodle and say "that's my girl."  Paws crossed here we can find you out there somewhere.

House trained? Dogs can be house trained if they are in the right environment and are allowed to follow a schedule if a physical reason doesn't keep them from being trained.  A dog house trained in my home may not be in yours. We will help you teach your new dog this necessary skill and based on your schedule.