Anastasia's story

　　Anastasia is a 64-pound, 1 year old female lab mix, rescued from a local pound. She is a sweetie-pie-lovebug and greets everyone with a full-body wag. She knows "sit" and "come" and is working on other basic commands. She is fully house-trained, and has even learned to ring the bell hanging on the doorknob of her foster home to let everyone know she needs to go outside. She does not jump on anyone. She takes treats so gently from your hand you barely feel a whisker. She is great with other dogs, cats and children of all ages. She has exhibited escape-artist skill with her crate, so extra reinforcement is recommended. She has also figured out how to climb a doggie gate within her foster house, so a pet gate that only has vertical bars (doesn't have a cat doorway to give her a boost) would also be a good thing. She can also scale couches with the agility of a cat, all so she can be with her humans! She does not counter-surf and is not a pest when humans are cooking or eating. She has yet to outgrow the puppy-chew stage, so a pair of slippers or flipflops left on the floor is considered fair game. She has allowed her foster mom and the kids in her foster home to remove said slippers from her mouth gently and easily. The cheaper-plastic dog toys and toys that have stuffing can be rendered unrecognizable in no time so "difficult to destruct" toys such as Kongs and Nylabones are the way to go with this girl.

　　She loves a Kong toy with a bit of peanut butter inside. Because of the availability of slippers and shoes in the foster home, she has not been given free run of the house when the humans are not home, so a crate is definitely recommended for this girl until she outgrows her need to chew. She loves to play fetch and run. She is exceptional on the leash, often keeping pace right at her foster mom's side. She rides well in the car but sometimes needs encouragement to get inside. She is a fantastic companion to her foster mom, always shadowing her or her foster dad while they are in the house. She

　　loves to feel as if she is part of a family pack. An ideal companion.

　　If you are interested in this dog, please fill out an application at Someone will call to schedule a home visit so you can become an approved adopter. Also, visit our wonderful Facebook page at /desertlab. Thanks!