Entered: 04/28/2018
Status: Adopted
Age: 8 months
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 42 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Manahawkin, NJ
Health: UTD, HW-
Temperament: Good with adults, good with children but best with ages 10+ due to exuberance, good with dogs, unknown with cats
Original: “This adorable sweetie is a work in progress. Effort put in by her adopting family will reap great rewards.”
Aria was relinquished to MAESSR when her family in Virginia found that they would be relocating and felt that they would not have the time and energy that a young Springer requires.
Aria moved into her foster home with the resident dog ready to play and make a new BFF. Unfortunately it took the resident canine two weeks to decide that this energetic little girl was okay before interacting with her.
Although she does not meet men well and will bark at them as soon as they lean down and pet her, she is just fine and very happy to have a new friend. Aria is definitely a “ladies’ dog” and will curl up in a lap, cuddle, and give kisses. She has just begun to do this with her foster dad. Aria appears to enjoy playing with children and lived with two girls in her prior home. Due to her exuberant nature and habit of leaping up to greet people, she would probably do best with children ages 10 and up. The jumping is a bit excessive and curtailing it is a work in progress.
Aria is very much a puppy and full of enthusiasm and energy for everything. She has two speeds: full tilt and off. She quickly is learning that there is a time out and rest period and is adapting well. This girl loves to be outdoors. True to her fieldie nature, she will chase squirrels and birds and wants to explore everywhere. She has required a person to be outdoors with her while getting used to the property but now that the resident dog will accompany her, Aria is getting better about venturing out into the fenced yard without a person at her side. She recently showed her foster parents that clearing a four foot fence from a standstill is no challenge, so she will need a higher fence or supervision.
Aria is housetrained and has had no accidents. She signals her need to go out by jingling bells that hang at the back door. Crate trained, Aria has spent overnights in her crate without any problems. She will occasionally enter her crate on her own if she wants to nap. She also likes the pet beds placed around the house. Currently Aria is sleeping at night on the master bed with her foster parents which she really likes. Often she will stretch out up there when she is home alone. Aria does have full run of the house except when she gets too rambunctious; then she is crated for a time out.
In the foster home the dogs are allowed on the furniture, but Aria needs to learn some manners as far as this goes. She thinks nothing of flying over the sofa or chairs to get to the spot she wants…totally unacceptable. Aria has a long way to go to become a well-mannered house dog. She is an incredible counter-surfer and manages to reach her desired object by stretching her body across the wide countertops. She is incredibly quiet when doing this and managed to eat half of a coffee cake before getting caught! Trash is kept in a covered can so she has not tried to investigate. She did find a bag of lawn clippings and scattered them all over the yard…sigh. Aria loves to tear up soft paper like napkins, tissues, and paper towels; small trash cans are kept high until this habit is corrected.
Potential adopters should note that MAESSR only places puppies in homes that are committed to training and bonding with the pup in obedience classes. Puppies require a lot of care, attention, and patience, and they do chew on things! The decision to get a puppy and raise it to be a healthy, happy, and well-adjusted dog is a serious commitment. To reinforce this commitment, MAESSR requires all adopters of dogs one year old and under to enroll their puppy in obedience classes within 60 days of adoption. This will help Aria become the best Springer girl she can possibly be.
Aria does seem to understand the concept of what belongs to her and what belongs to others. She loves her toys and will usually carry one around with her, often falling asleep with it in her mouth. She has not torn up any of her toys. She will bring her foster parents a toy to toss to her. She’ll bring it back, but wants them to take it from her mouth.
While traveling by car, Aria is a very good passenger if seated in the back with a person. Otherwise tethering would be recommended as she is the type of Springer that would like to drive. Leash walking is a real struggle. Pulling is way too gentle to describe a walk with Aria! This very energetic pup can’t wait to get to where she is going. Everything is a new adventure and a chance to make new friends and explore something new. She is not responding well to a Martingale collar or chest harness, and her foster parents see a gentle leader face halter in her future. She is a smart dog and seems eager to learn, catching on fairly quickly.
This adorable sweetie is a work in progress. Effort put in by her adopting family will reap great rewards. Stay tuned for updates on “Training Aria.”