Entered: 10/29/2016
Status: Adopted
Age: 10
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 59 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Audubon, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, benefiting from medication for incontinence and a supplement for hip weakness
Temperament: Good with people as young as eight, good with other dogs, chases cats outside, but reportedly lived calmly with one
Original: “She does not guard her food but sure enjoys licking the resident dogs’ bowls to be sure no crumbs have been left behind.”
Baby was brought to a shelter after the sudden death of her New Jersey owner. She was in bad shape with a dirty matted coat, but, after several baths and a shave down, a new girl emerged! After bringing her up to date on vaccinations, the shelter contacted MAESSR to find this scared, gentle senior girl a foster home.
Baby likely has had no formal training but is working currently on “sit” and “wait.” This is not to say Baby is badly behaved–just the opposite! She is relaxed and really has no bad habits except being smart enough to figure out how to open the gate to come upstairs when her foster parents leave her behind with the resident dogs–100% typical Velcro Springer preferring to be with her people!!
During the day she is behind the gate with the resident dogs and at night has settled onto a bed in her foster parents’ bedroom. She has not needed a crate although she was anxious at first when left at home with the resident dogs. So many recent changes have been stressful for Baby, but, as time has passed, she is much calmer and quieter when left alone.
Baby is very interested in food, and 59 pounds is the perfect weight for this tall girl. She does not counter-surf or trash pick nor does she beg at the table. But, her foster mom can’t be too slow with the food bowls at meal time! She does not guard her food but sure enjoys licking the resident dogs’ bowls to be sure no crumbs have been left behind.
The new girl in town likes people and other dogs and is appropriate when greeting people on the walk. Cats, though, are another story as Baby intently tried to get to a cat walking through a neighbor’s yard. Reportedly, she curled up with the shelter cat and lived with a frail older cat in her original home so this may be a behavior sparked by her natural outdoor prey drive. Leash walks are easy with no pulling and maintenance of a nice slow steady pace. In spite of hip weakness, the Babe can easily climb the stairs in her foster home although she did need a boost into the car on her trip to the vets. Baby rides well in the car, quietly stretched out on the backseat. At the vets she enjoyed meeting everyone.
A serene senior, Baby is calm and quiet, not really interested in toys or playing with the resident dogs. To be fair, they are two seniors so a lot of their time is spent napping, and Baby is happy to go along with that. When she first arrived in her foster home, she paced to signal she needed to go out, but now goes out frequently because the resident 17 year old Springer goes out often. She is dry over night.
In addition to the three baths and shaving at the shelter, Baby had another spa day upon arrival in her foster home. She was cooperative with the bath and another haircut and ear cleaning. Her foster mom has not needed to do her nails yet but thinks she will be fine with a professional grooming when the time comes.
Although she certainly had some bad days, Baby, in true Springer spirit, has forgotten all about those times. The first morning in her foster home her foster mom woke to find Baby stretched out, belly up on her bed! Ahhh, the good life of a MAESSR rescue dog had begun! Now she is looking for a forever home where there will be plenty of belly rubs and treats, soft beds, and recipients for gentle kisses from this sweet girl who is happiest being right at her person’s side.