Abby 11

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Update 12/22/11:

Abby was moved to a foster family with more experience in dealing with shy dogs. She has done fairly well there. Initially she was scared to death of her foster dad. He has been spending lots of extra time giving her attention and she has now accepted him. Abby loves to go for rides in her foster dad’s truck!

Due to her anxiety, Abby was started on an inexpensive medication to help her calm down and handle new situations better. Abby’s foster mom feels that she will probably be in foster care a while longer to help her adjust to living with new people. With a little patience and lots of love, Abby’s sweet personality will continue to shine through.

Original:

Abby became a MAESSR girl after she and her older Springer companion were placed in a shelter in Pennsylvania following their owner’s death. This pretty gal has somewhat limited life experiences due to her owner’s poor health so many things are new to her. As a result she is taking a little extra time to adjust to the changes in her life. 

Life is more fast-paced in Abby’s foster home. She resides with another MAESSR foster girl (an eighteen-month-old female) and two eight year old resident dogs (a male Springer and female bearded collie mix). Abby is slowly getting used to her foster siblings and is becoming more accepting of them. As a result of her uneasiness and defensiveness, she was separated from them by a gate for the first few days. She is now integrated with the rest of the pack while her foster mom is home and, while minor tiffs still occur, they are decreasing in frequency and intensity. Abby is more accepting of foster siblings being in close proximity and even some friendly sniffing. When left out in the fenced yard, Abby is put on a leash so foster mom can grab her if needed. Instead, the young foster girl has a tendency to grab Abby’s leash and pull her around! So far, Abby has tolerated this until foster mom can intervene. She warns the other dogs with a grumble when she becomes uneasy with their proximity. Abby tends to guard resources such as stuffed toys and food. She took it upon herself to protect foster mom’s slippers which were lying on the floor, and grumbled at any dog that came near them. 

Abby has been a sweet and gracious houseguest. There have been no accidents and she does not bother the trash or her foster mom’s possessions. She jumped up on the couch and bed once but promptly got down. While there were a couple incidents of counter-surfing and jumping on the side of cars, a simple correction stopped this behavior. Not used to some household sounds, Abby runs upstairs if her foster mom runs the vacuum, steam mop, or carpet scrubber and if the washer changes cycles. Abby has been eating and sleeping well despite her anxiety with the changes she has experienced recently. She eats her meal at a relaxed pace. Apparently, Abby is used to being fed human food as she will sit, watch, and wait in hopes that her foster mom will share some of her meals with her. Abby gently accepts treats like the fine lady that she is. 

Initially anxious with strangers, Abby will grumble initially until she become comfortable with her new acquaintances. After some initial shyness and anxiety, she bonded quickly with her foster mother. She is definitely a Velcro Springer and once she warms up to you, she’ll shower you with kisses. 

During her first days in her foster home, when foster mom left for work, Abby would bark for a short while but now quietly accepts her departure. Upon her foster mom’s return, Abby is oh, so very excited and calms down after a few minutes of being ignored. Abby has been gated in the kitchen separate from the other dogs while foster mom is at work. Once she becomes more comfortable, she can be left with the resident dogs who have limited free reign of the house. Abby has shown herself to be a trustworthy girl so crating seems unnecessary. During the coming week when Abby is more comfortable, foster mom will see whether she will crate up and will continue trading with her to curb the resource guarding. 

Abby loves to go for a walk which is great as she weighs in at 54 pounds which is a little too chubby for her frame. So, she could benefit from increased activity and some weight loss. She has a tendency to pull a little on the leash, but her foster mom is sure that will get better with practice. Abby complies when foster mom gently tugs on the leash. Then, Abby will then walk on a loose leash for a while until she starts getting excited again about the walk. Due to the early sunsets, Abby’s walks have been after dark, but she does not exhibit any nervousness or insecurity. She knows commands such as “sit” and “lie down”;she comes when called, too. Abby does well in a fenced yard and does not appear to be a flight risk. She rides well in the car, but when it’s put in park, she starts yelping excitedly in anticipation of getting under way. Her foster mom assesses her energy level as moderate. Abby enjoys her walks but is also content taking a nap near her human. 

When it comes to grooming, Abby enjoys having her soft and silky coat brushed. Her foster mom muzzled her to detangle her ears, but it probably wasn’t necessary. Abby seemed to appreciate the detangling which is almost complete. Once that is done, Abby will get her first bath. 

Abby visited the vet in Altoona and she handled the exam, microchipping, and office staff like a pro. After the exam and during check out, Abby was nervous and panted so much that foster mom thought she might hyperventilate! When she was in this anxious state, she grumbled at a gentleman who tried to engage her. She was very happy to be back at home.

Foster mom believes that once Abby builds up her confidence she will be even more wonderful than she is now!