Weekly Pupdate for 12-28-25

Events – Current & Pupcoming

GO TO THE  MARKETPLACE BELOW TO FETCH SOME GREAT DEALS!

The 2026 CALENDARS are here! The wall calendar – A beautifully curated calendar, where each month unfolds with a delightful collection of heartwarming dog portraits, capturing the joy and charm of man’s best friend in every season. The desk calendar – One great photo each month sits on your desk giving an easy overview of the month. Buy in bundles and save!  Add 2+ calendars to your cart to see a discount.

Update: MAESSR’s 2026 wall and desk calendars are selling quickly!!! Our desk version is almost sold out. Buy more and save on package deals. They make great gifts for the Springer lovers in your life.

Featured Dogs

Fund$ for Foster$

We can earn money through WOOFTRAX just by walking our dogs – in fact you don’t even need a dog, just a smartphone & good walking shoes! Download the app on your phone & follow the directions. (If Wooftrax doesn’t come up, try Walk For A Dog.) When asked to pick a shelter/rescue (ask to change if it shows the closest to your home) pick VA as the site, scroll to the M’s & select MAESSR. You will then be asked to verify email address. Keep following directions & the app will appear on your phone. When you tap it, enter your dog’s info & start walking. It is a simple process each time you go for a walk. Currently we have 28 active walkers. Spread the word – make your walks count!

Feed your pets NATURAL BALANCE?   Please save the store receipt & proof of purchase labels, staple them together, & mail to MAESSR at P.O. Box 807 – Goochland, VA 23063.   Once we collect 50 labels, we can apply for a refund. 

The Marketplace

The MAESSR MARKETPLACE is open 24/7 for purchases. We’ve also got cool toys for man’s best friend and companion. The MAESSR store and website are in transition – thanks so much for your understanding while we make improvements to the store and website.

Prices reduced! Several styles of COZY THROW BLANKETS to keep you warm. Embroidered with Springer designs, of course – $35.

Training Library

The TRAINING LIBRARY has TWO Wish Lists.  New or used titles can be purchased from the Amazon list; Dogwise has new books and DVDs.  Purchases can be shipped directly to the library.  Pretty quick and easy way to help out MAESSR as well as educate adopters!  

DON’T EAT THAT! – FORCE-FREE FOOD AVOIDANCE TRAINING FOR DOGS WHO LOVE TO SCAVANGE (166 pages) by Simone Mueller. Living with a dog who relentlessly scavenges food can be exhausting. Instead of enjoying relaxed walks with your dog, you are constantly scanning the environment for discarded food and feel frustrated as you fish something disgusting out of their mouth, yet again. The problem is that scavenging is a deep-rooted, natural behavior, making it much more challenging to manage than other canine behaviors. But here is the good news! Using the proven training protocol provided in this book helps you manage your dog’s scavenging behavior in a kind, effective way – achieving long-term results without aversive training techniques. It’s inclusive for everyone, no matter what your situation is! It’s successful with any dog, regardless of their age, breed, or history. Stressful walks will become a thing of the past, and you will find relief knowing your dog is safe from eating something harmful. If this all sounds too good to be true, believe me, it isn’t! Once you start this training protocol, the only regret you will have is that you didn’t know about it sooner! IN THIS BOOK YOU WILL LEARN: Why your dog loves to scavenge. Ways to prevent your dog from devouring food they come across outside. Fun training games to keep your dog motivated while they learn. How to teach your dog to cooperate with you when they find food. New emergency cues and how to apply them to real-life scenarios. How to make your walks more enjoyable again! Donated by Dylan, Bubba, and Whittle Curley. 

FIGHTING DOMINANCE IN A DOG WHISPERING WORLD DVD (2 hours) by Jean Donaldson and Ian Dunbar.  Winner of the IIACAB Award for 2007 Best Dog Behavior DVD.  What we know…and don’t know about dominance in dogs. There is an incredible interest in dog behavior and training as evidenced by the growing popularity of TV shows that focus on how to solve problem behaviors. Often, viewers are told that the problem is that their dog is trying to be dominant and you need to assert yourself as the leader of the pack. While this makes for compelling TV, dominance in dogs has not been subject to much scientific research and many dog experts well-schooled in how dogs learn and successful training approaches dispute the idea that dominance plays a significant role in pet dog behavior.  In this new two volume DVD, leading canine authorities Jean Donaldson and Ian Dunbar take on this controversial subject. Does it really exist and how does it impact the relationship between dogs and dogs as well as dogs and people? Do you have to be dominant over your dog to ensure that he is well trained? What does modern trainer do or say to a client who does not understand why he or she does not train dogs the way they do on TV? All of these issues and more are dealt with in this fascinating new DVD by experts who place more stock in research and empirical results rather than explanations that are based on theories that sound good, but may in fact do damage to your relationship with your dog. 

Rainbow Bridge Crossings

SUNFLOWER, a Spanish Water Dog, (class of 2015) came to MAESSR at age one when a MD kennel closed. She was fostered by DEBBIE LIPCSEY and adopted by LEON LACKEY and his wife. Sunflower lived 13.5 very active years and, while she was initially timid and stubborn, she was warm and affectionate and loyal to her family until the end. She was walking the day of her passing and started to lose balance, then later experienced seizures before passing quietly during the night. She is missed terribly by the Lackeys.

DIGGER (class of 2017) came to MAESSR as a puppy and was fostered by DEBBIE LIPCSEY then adopted by SCOTT LAUGHLIN. Approximately 7 months ago, he developed serious seizures that prompted him being placed on phenobarbital and Kepra. Through a series of treatments and additional seizures, the medications were modified. Unfortunately, he developed one of the rare side effects to the phenobarbital medication, and his bone marrow stopped functioning. Multiple transfusions, but it wasn’t possible to get his red blood cell count to improve. Scott had eight glorious years with this fantastic boy. He (and his GSP Allie) will miss him dearly.

Did You Know?

Pup-ulation Report

Submitted by volunteer Cathy Moyer with thanks to those who contributed submissions/info.