Life With Gus, The Yellow Lab

05/29/2026

05/19/2026

05/12/2026

Here we are at 2:30 in the morning cleaning up vomit, an emergency run outside for diarrhea, cooking noodles and chicken. Poor baby is sick and don’t know why. It’s tough to pick up diarrhea to bring to the vet. 🤦‍♀️ 😴

05/08/2026

Fun time in the sun. Love Gus’s intentional roll and allowing Ellie to “pin” him.

05/02/2026

Gus is waiting patiently as we eat lunch. We returned from Sicily a couple days ago and it was time to order some Chinese. Gus loves it when he sees food in a paper bag. Let the drooling commence! We missed our boy.

04/11/2026

Labrador Retrievers are what happens when you take a professional swimmer, a vacuum cleaner and the most emotionally needy best friend you’ve ever had with zero boundaries.

They appear to be good guard dogs, because they're strong, have a big bark, etc., but, in reality, if someone broke into your house holding a steak, the intruder would be your lab's new best friend and would shower them with kisses, the drooling would commence and would personally guide them around the house in hopes they would get some treats out of the cupboard for them.

The food obsession is not hunger. It’s a lifestyle. Labradors don’t miss meals, they miss opportunities. You could feed them a full bowl and they’ll still follow you into the kitchen like they’re food deprived and begging for a second breakfast. They are professional refrigerator stalkers. They know the sound of a drawer or deli package like it’s an Olympic sport. They sprint to your location and begin drooling in a nano second.

Then there’s the staring while you eat. The intense, silent, unblinking stare while you eat. No barking, no whining. Just pure psychological pressure and excessive drooling, which requires a drop cloth, until you give in and provide a piece of your food.

Labs as puppies? Completely untrustworthy and little gremlins. Your shoes and clothing are not safe. Don’t buy new furniture until they are at least 3 years old. They will design your existing furniture with their own markings with their teeth and nails from incessant digging and chewing. They have mouths designed to be a fine tool. They complete a “squeakerectomy” on every toy you buy. Toys don’t last more than 5 minutes and if you throw a ball, you are their fetch b**ch for life.

Personal space? That’s a thing of the past. It no longer exists. A full-grown lab will look at you, look at your tiny amount of room and still choose to sit directly on top of you like that’s the only logical option. Prepare for a bathroom buddy and a shadow through every step in your house.

But somehow, through all the chaos, the shedding and the constant need for attention, we love them unconditionally.

04/05/2026

Gus took me by surprise by jumping in a puddle on our walk. It’s been a long time since he’s been able to do this so I let him have some fun. He deserves it after everything he’s been through. Happy Easter!

03/29/2026

Gus’s leg is, obviously, doing well now. He’s back to himself and playing with his girlfriend. Warms my heart that he made it through 2 surgeries, major infection and, ultimately, recovered. 🥰

03/25/2026

Those looks as they wait for food to drop as we eat lunch. 😆 Two dogs on one dog bed is rare. Two usually sit on the towel. 🥰 The towel is there to catch the drool from Gus. He drools like a waterfall. 🫣

03/22/2026

Gus waiting for me to say some of his favorite words….collar, walk, chicken, treat, dental stick, friends……ooooh, which one will it be?! 😆🥰