GABBY - Standard bernedoodle (standard poodle/bernese mountain dog)

STATE: near Rochester, NY
AGE: 4 years
DOB: 12/20/21
WEIGHT: 68 lbs.
SEX: female
NEUT/UTD: soon/yes
COAT COLOR: black & white
CHILDREN under 4: no (no history)
CHILDREN OVER 4: yes
SEPARATION ANXIETY: no
OTHER DOGS: Yes
CATS: yes w/dog savvy catsCRATE TRAINED: yes
HOUSE TRAINED: yes
OBEDIENCE TRAINED: No
LEASH TRAINED: yes
MICROCHIPPED: Yes
ADOPTION FEE: $675

4/19/26-Happy-go-lucky Gabby continues to be great in her foster home!  Her tail wags nonstop except when she’s sleeping and she is up for doing anything with people.  And any people, not just us.  She even curled around and sat on the vet’s feet at her exam, and accepted lots of pets and cuddles from her.  So many people who have met her comment on how calm and affectionate she is. With the weather getting nicer, Gabby took her first trip to a busy public park along the lake.  She did fantastic!  She was alert, curious, and well behaved.  She did bark once when there was a barky dog across the park, but she settled right down when we told her to.  She loved just sitting and watching the birds, people, and other dogs. She did just fine when some young children asked to pet her.  She sat still and was her usual calm self.  She was very polite when adult strangers approached her as well.  She was curious about the lake, but not curious enough to try dipping her feet in the water.
One of Gabby’s favorite ways to relax is to lay on the rugs by the door and look outside.  She has been just a little nervous when there have been loud claps of thunder nearby, but not panicked at all.  She just wants to be a little closer to us for some reassurance when she hears it.  She has gotten very used to cohabitating with cats and barely pays any attention to them anymore.  She gives them a little sniff and keeps walking.  One of our cats now likes to rub up against Gabby and she usually just lays there and ignores her.  One of our outdoor cats even swatted at Gabby’s face when she got a little too close and Gabby just turned around and walked away.  She got the message from that cat loud and clear!  She’s still very perky when she sees rabbits outside though. Pretty sure she was dreaming of chasing them when she was napping today and her feet were going like crazy and she was making snorting / barking noises!  She doesn’t seem interested in other animals when walking though…there were some geese close by on a walk and she did nothing. She now goes into her crate on command all of the time.  She just likes to have a treat when she does it so that she knows that’s what you want her to do.  She is also well on her way to learning to lie down on command.  And she’s doing pretty well with “sitting pretty” which is adorable!! She is getting spayed on Wednesday 4/22 & then is ready to be adopted.  Whoever is picked for Gabby will be so lucky to get her!

3/30/26-Gabby had her pre-spay vet appointment today.  Even though we finished all of the meds for her original ear infections on March 17th, they found that her right ear still has an infection and prescribed some additional antibiotics for that ear only.  The vet said that she likely has had ear infections on and off throughout her life, that she will need ongoing attention to her ear care (regular cleaning), and that she may continue to experience occasional ear infections, especially in the spring and summer months. The vet said that bernedoodles are prone to skin problems, which can sometimes manifest in their ears.  She wondered if that was what was going on for Gabby. Other than that, she got a clean bill of health.  She weighed in at 68 pounds, which is less than she came in at but that was when she was carrying that super heavy coat of hair.  She has a very good appetite, and the vet said she’s at a healthy weight and had no concerns.  Cat update… our indoor cats finally got brave enough to spend more time with Gabby today and she did great!  She politely sniffed noses with them and then ignored them.  So I would say she’s fine to cohabitate with cats!  See the new photo with cat.  Due to vet backups her spay is scheduled for Wednesday April 22nd & then she will be ready for her new home.  

3/26/26-Gabby has continued to be a wonderful foster pup in our home.  She is so easy going and quiet (we have only heard her bark twice), and she is just full of love for everyone.  We had some visitors over the weekend who she had not met, and she cuddled on our visitor’s lap for over 30 minutes, soaking up every minute of affection that he gave her.  Gabby loves to ride in the car.  She looks at the car every time she walks by it with a hopeful look.  She jumps in and lays right down in the back of the car.  She stays settled throughout the ride.   She is fully housebroken and has asked to go out a couple of times by jumping on the door.  She listens when she is told “no.”  She also comes to us when we call her when she is on her leash.  She is fine in her crate, even on the few occasions where we have had her in her crate for a few minutes while we were home.  She goes into her crate on command about 75% of the time.  She is scared of the vacuum cleaner.  She sailed over the top of our couch, through a doorway, and into the kitchen like The Flash to get away from it.  Lol As far as getting along with other animals, she continues to get along great with our resident dogs.  She even snuggles with our golden doodle. One recommendation for consideration would be that if she was in a home with another dog, she might do best with a dog who weighs at least 25-30 pounds.  She and our 15 pound girl get along just fine, but Gabby sometimes doesn’t pay attention to where our little girl is and has come close to stepping on her or running into her.  She would probably do best with a more sturdy doggie pal.  She does fine with our 35 pound dog.  I can’t say for sure how she will do with cats.  She has not shown any tendency towards aggression with any of our cats, but she definitely perks up and is very interested in them when they are around.  She might chase them, but when she has lunged a little towards them like she would chase them, she has stopped right away when told “no.”  So I would say at the very least it would take some training for her to learn not to chase them.  I think may would do fine with a very dog-savvy cat who would stand their ground.  She has also shown interest in chasing animals like rabbits when we are out walking her on leash.  Again, she would need some training to not chase, but she listens well so I do think she could be trained.  Gabby enjoys chewing nylabones once in a while, but hasn’t shown much interest in other toys yet.  She has the most expressive eyebrows and she gives sweet little kisses to let you know how much she loves being petted and hugged.  If you are looking for a dog who has endless love to give, Gabby is your girl!  Her pre-spay appointment is next Monday.3/12/26-Gabby feels like a whole new dog after being groomed yesterday! We had her hair trimmed very short to remove all of the burrs, straw, and mats from her very thick coat. And she smells so much better! Our groomer said she was very well behaved and was just a little nervous about the clippers. She will do best with a groomer who will take it slow and be patient with her until she gets more used to being groomed. She’s all ready for a fresh start to grow out her beautiful wavy coat. She is almost all black and white, with just a few tan tufts in her eyebrows and near her nose. Gabby has a good appetite, but doesn’t eat as much as you might think she would for a big dog. She gets a total of 2 cups of kibble per day, with some treats in between meals of course! She’s extremely gentle when accepting a treat from your hand. She’s at a healthy weight for her size. She is very smart and easily trained. She arrived knowing how to sit and walk well on a leash. She’s learning to go into her crate on command. She is very polite when we are sitting at our table eating. She lays down nearby without being asked and she does not beg while we’re eating. She is eager to learn more. She is food motivated and eager to please. She loves to romp and play in the yard. She is working on remembering not to jump up after we let her out of her crate when we get home from work. She just gets very excited to see us and wants tons of love and pets! She is polite when greeting people who come into the house when she is out of her crate though. Just be ready for her to flop on your feet and lean into you for cuddles. Her head is right at your hand level when you’re standing up so it’s very convenient for you to give her continuous petting while she’s walking alongside you. She also slipped up and put her paws on the counter once (oops!), but quickly put them down when we told her to. She’s working on not being pushy when it’s time to get treats with our resident dogs in the same area. No squabbles at all and she’s not grabby, she just pushes her big nose in to let us know she wants a treat just like the other girls. She is becoming more pushy for affection as well, so she is working on being polite and sharing attention with the other dogs. Gabby’s tail is often blurry in photos because it’s always wagging!
She arrived to us with double ear infections and anaplasma and immediately began treatment for both. She is a very good patient. She is calm and quiet when we treat her ears which is definitely very uncomfortable for her. Hard to get anything done on my laptop with Gabby around! Lol

3/8/26-Gabby is settling in well already & doing amazing! She is a big beautiful girl! Her first full day with us has been fantastic. She has transitioned to our home with ease. She definitely seems like she has been in a house before. She hasn’t had any accidents and seems to know that she’s supposed to do her business outside. She hasn’t shown any fear or anxiety. She gets along great with our resident dogs. Gabby was kind of trying to play with Roxanne, which Roxanne didn’t really like so she gently growled at Gabby and Gabby walked away. She perks up when she sees the cats, but we’re not sure if that’s because she’s curious and wants to be friends or if she wants to chase them. Time will tell on that.
Gabby arrived very smelly and her coat is full of mats. So our first task yesterday was to take her to a dog wash and gave her a much needed bath. She tolerated her bath very well, just hid her head in our arms while we were bathing her. We trimmed the hair on her face a little bit so that we can see her beautiful brown eyes. We are working on getting her in for a grooming appointment as soon as possible. I reached our groomer and she’s willing to take on the challenge! In the meantime we’re clipping out her mats a little at a time to help her feel more comfortable. She is very relaxed when we’re working on her. We know there’s an absolutely beautiful girl under all of that hair! Poor thing must have pretty nasty ear infections because she cried when we were petting her head and got close to her ear. We’re being extra gentle petting her head now. Gabby is an absolute love bug though & already trying to be a lap dog! Lol Gabby is friendly, loving, sweet, and affectionate. She wants to be with us all of the time. She’s polite when greeting people coming into the house. She was quiet in her crate for her first night. She did well when we left her in her crate for a few hours today as well.

03/6/26-Gabby is a very beautiful 4 year old female Standard bernedoodle (standard poodle/bernese mountain dog). She came in from a commercial breeder as they just didn’t need her anymore. She arrived safely into rescue today thanks to her transport & overnight volunteers. She is a big girl at 79 lbs & definitely got more of the bernese size! She is being treated with ear medication & ear cleaner for an ear infection. Also on doxycycline antibiotic for Anaplasmosis, a tick-borne disease (not contagious) but she’s not showing any symptoms at all thank goodness. Due to vet backups her pre-spay appointment is not until Monday 3/30 & then we can hopefully get her spayed soon after that. Once she is spayed she will be ready to go to her new home.