Entered: 08/14/2010
Status: Adopted
Age: 10
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Goochland, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, Lyme-, dental with extractions complete, no issues found upon further evaluation of bloodwork
Temperament: Good with adults, good when meeting children of all ages, good with other dogs, good with cats
Update 09/14/10:
Recently Anna moved to a new foster home to have her dental work done. Poor Anna had to have six teeth pulled. She has recovered very well and feels like a new Springer! Earlier concerns over her blood work have all been resolved as part of the dental work-up. It is felt that the bad shape of her teeth was causing the problem with earlier blood test results.
Anna is in a foster home with many other springers now and does well with them all. She is doing exceedingly well with her foster dad too. She has conned him into letting her sleep in the bed with him and she is just as happy as anything. Her foster mom is sure that more of her sparkling personality will continue to come out as her system adjusts to not having all the infection from her rotten teeth.
With health so improved, this young senior is looking at the years ahead as being some of her best. She loves to be close to her people and would relish a soft, warm spot “right beside the bed,” if not “in” it. She’s a lovely and loving girl and, oh, so ready to make the most of this new beginning!
Update 08/31/10:
Anna is still adjusting to her new environment. Despite the change in surroundings, she is starting to get the hang of her new daily routine. Her favorite parts of the day are walking around the neighborhood and cuddling with her foster mom. Anna really appreciates the gentle pets and kind words from her foster mom that reassure her she is loved.
Anna is second guessing her new “friendships” with the resident dogs. She has been easily annoyed by them, especially the younger one. Without much warning, she has made her feelings for them known on more than one occasion. The residents are learning to give Anna some distance while she is resting and eating. It is funny to watch them take wide paths around her at dinner time. They don’t want to send the impression that they have any interest at all in her kibble. Anna has been appreciative of the extra space while she continues to formulate her opinion of them.
The jury may still be out for Anna, but her foster mom believes that she secretly adores her foster sisters. Anna loves to run in circles with them around the backyard. One of these days, she is going to get first place in the Springer-apolis 500. Right now she is playing second fiddle to the agility star, but she is closing the gap. She has even engaged her foster sisters in some playful wrestling. They are very cautious during these activities due to past run-ins, but are starting to re-establish trust with Anna.
Unfortunately, Anna’s bloodwork showed some abnormalities when she went in for her dental cleaning. Because of this, the procedure has been put on hold until the vet can get to the bottom of what is causing her elevated readings. Anna has been a trooper through it all, even though it meant spending two long days at the doctor’s office.
Anna is a beautiful and tender pup that needs to be close by her humans. Her personality thrives on attention and love. With a little reassurance, this senior is becoming a confident dog that is able to adapt to change. Who says, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks?”
Original:
Shh! Don’t tell Anna that she is a senior! She doesn’t know yet! This lively girl shows no sign of slowing down. Anna came to MAESSR when a divorce in her Maryland family left both sides looking to downsize and they could no longer afford to care for her. Anna has a very sweet disposition and is blending into her foster home with ease. After a few days of getting to know her foster sisters (both cats and dogs), she has come to the conclusion that none of them are all that bad and they, in turn, have welcomed her with open paws. She is still careful when she engages the others in play; she doesn’t want to rub anyone the wrong way.
Balls are Anna’s toy of choice by a long shot. Even with an ever-growing assortment of bones, stuffed animals, ropes, and squeaky toys at her foster home, Anna will choose a ball every time. Initially, she was rather possessive of toys, but she is starting to learn there are plenty to go around and sharing is a good way to make new friends. Toys are one thing, but food is a different story. Anna sometimes guards her dinner bowl from the resident Springers, even while willingly allowing it to be picked up or handled by any of her human foster family. For this reason, Anna is given separate dining quarters at mealtime, a practice that should continue in her forever home.
Even though Anna is getting along nicely with all of the members of her foster family, she much prefers her foster mom. If she starts to pet Anna and then stops, Anna will nudge her thigh as a friendly reminder to keep stroking her beautiful, velvety coat. Since she is such a loving girl, her foster mom is pleased to oblige. Anna also loves playing ball with her foster mom. No, not fetch – she rarely brings the ball back. Instead, she loves soccer! Anna gives the ball a good push with her nose so that it lands near her foster mom’s feet. Once her foster mom kicks the ball back, Anna will return it with another firm nose pass. This could go on for hours, or at least until nap time.
This girl also loves a good walk around the neighborhood. Her former owner used a pinch collar to control her on her walks because she can be quite a puller, senior or not. Fortunately, her foster mom tried using a Gentle Leader for their first walk and Anna did not challenge it one bit. She walks around the neighborhood on a perfect heel, right by her foster mom’s side. Now when the Gentle Leader comes out, Anna knows that it’s time for her walk and tries to help her foster mom by pushing her nose into the contraption so that they can get going. On her walks, Anna is greeted by many friendly neighbors and everyone has commented on how well behaved and beautiful she is.
Not surprisingly, no one has been able to guess Anna’s age. So far the oldest guess was six years. Even the vet and his technicians thought that she was five, give or take a year. That is…until they saw her teeth! Anna is now scheduled for a thorough teeth cleaning and a single tooth extraction. With that exception, the vet and Anna’s foster mom were thrilled that her exam went well and she was given a clean bill of health on this initial visit. She will be returning to the vet soon for blood work in preparation for her dental procedure.
Overall, Anna has very good house manners. She is housebroken, but does not seem to have a strong signal to go out. Anna is not crate trained, but she is trustworthy in the house when her foster parents are out or at night. She is interested in what is going on up on the counters, but only lifts her nose to smell — paws! She stays out of the trash. Anna acts as though she was allowed on furniture in her previous home, but she learned quickly that this behavior is not allowed at her foster home. Instead, Anna has her choice of dog beds and curls up contentedly in one at night. Anna does not appear to have had much formal training. She does know “sit” and her foster parents are working on teaching her “down” and “stay.” Anna is always up for a ride in the car, but she paces and whines a bit before settling in for the trip.
If you are looking to adopt a senior Springer who wants to spend the rest of her days sleeping on the couch, Anna is not the girl for you! However, if you like to take leisurely walks around the neighborhood and have a game or two of soccer in you, Anna just might be your perfect match!