Beau 5

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Update 02/21/09: Beau is generally getting along very well in his foster home. His skin infection cleared up very nicely with a round of antibiotics. His overall coat is much nicer since switching to a dog food tailored for sensitive skin. Speaking of food, Beau continues to show some resource guarding at mealtime. However, he is a real gentleman when it comes to taking treats from his foster mom. He also gives up his favorite toy easily. It is only when he is eating from his bowl that he resource guards. His foster mom is continuing to gently work on this issue.

He continues to get along well with the resident dogs with only occasional grumbling between Beau and the resident alpha male, usually over sharing mom’s attention.

Beau’s leash manners are much improved since his foster mom started using an Easy Walk harness. It was such a miraculous transformation that his foster mom suspects he used a harness in his previous home. He still likes to greet humans on two legs but will sit when asked. However, staying seated is a bit of an issue. His foster mom is working on this as well.

After a bit more work on resource guarding and leash manners, Beau should be ready for his forever home. Keep an eye to this handsome boy.

Update 01/05/09: Beau was returned to MAESSR in late November. It was through no fault of his own when one of his family members developed severe allergies. Beau is quite a sweetheart and loves to snuggle with his foster mom. He does not get on furniture but will put his paws up and climb halfway into your lap to get some attention. He sleeps on his bed but likes to check on his foster mom a couple of times each night by putting his paws on the bed and nuzzling her face.

Along the way Beau has clearly had some obedience training and knows the sit, down, and stay commands quite well. However, he is a very exuberant 5-year-old and has some difficulty keeping four on the floor when he is excited or meeting new people. He also needs to work on his leash training a bit more, he can be quite the puller when he wants to sniff a particular tree. Beau would benefit from an obedience class to further his training in these areas.

Although Beau generally gets along with other dogs, there have been a few issues with the resident alpha male in his current foster home. His foster mom believes Beau would like to be alpha, but the resident top dog is not willing to give up his spot. As a result, there have been a few squabbles. For this reason, it would be best to place Beau in a forever home with a submissive dog, or as an only dog. He lived with a cat in his previous home, and they got along well. He was also tested with the resident cat at the vet’s office and passed with flying colors.

Beau is showing some minor resource guarding issues at meal time or when he is getting attention from his foster mom and one of the resident dogs tries to horn in. His foster mom is working on these issues and he seems to be improving as he understands he is part of the pack.

This boy is quite the entertainer. His foster mom thinks Beau must aspire to be a snowboarder or skateboarder because he has some pretty fancy moves in his repertoire. When going downstairs, he often skips the last couple of steps and spins in the air before sticking a perfect landing at the bottom. He doesn’t let obstacles get in his way; he gracefully leaps over them. He also does a great imitation of a kangaroo by hopping across the room on his hind legs. He keeps his foster mom laughing with his antics.

Based on his energy level and minor resource guarding issues, his foster mom thinks he would best fit in a home with older children (age 12 and up) who have plenty of time to play with this fun-loving boy.

Beau is a sweetheart looking for a forever home where he can enjoy both play time and snuggle time. Could yours be the home where his wishes come true?

Updated 5/2/05: With two weeks into his foster home experience, Beau is showing the expected, but really nice signs of progress. He has started hanging out with his foster family in the evenings. He is making some progress with “off” and has recently demonstrated that he will dive into the garbage can. The best description is that Beau is all adolescent! He will soon be ready for a forever family who will help him finish his “growing up” and also enjoy the fun that goes with having a young, active springer at home.

Original: Beau is aptly named for the handsome lad he is. He is a beauty and has a very large solid black saddle that extends down his hind legs. He does not like having his ears cleaned but enjoys being brushed, until work on his mats begins. His feathers are so long and silky they tangle easily. He is a little rough looking since his foster mother went after his mats, but he will get a professional trim once he has recovered from his neutering surgery and can have a bath.

He was an owner relinquishment to MAESSR due to a change in his family’s circumstances. It was a very difficult decision for his family, but it helped them to know that MAESSR would ensure that Beau went to a good family. Beau spent the first six months of his life in a pet store and was going to be euthanized due to his advanced age when his family saved him. Beau was raised with a toddler, is crate trained and housebroken.

In his foster home Beau gets along well with his foster brothers, ages 3 and 12 years, and with the six-year-old boy. Beau will get his foster brothers to play, but he has more energy than they do. He is lean and is generally always in motion. He enjoys his meals but is not food or toy possessive. He will try to scrounge food from the other dogs’ bowls if they’re not around.

Beau has not been exposed to cats but loves to play “chase” with the family rabbit. His foster mother is not sure if he would do anything if he caught the rabbit, but they have fun doing laps around the bunny pen, and it is definitely play. They periodically stop and touch noses and the rabbit then swats Beau on the nose and the chase is on again!

The one odd thing about Beau is that as much as he loves attention, and he does love being with people, when his family is relaxing, he goes out to the kitchen or porch to stretch out. This may be due to uncertainty of his place in the pack. Beau is more than willing to come in the den when invited, but he won’t hang around unless he is actively being petted. He does sleep in the bedroom with the rest of the gang without incident.

There are still a few things Beau needs to learn not to do. He jumps up on people and will counter surf, although he hasn’t actually stolen anything off the counter. He generally leaves the garbage can alone. He can get a little mouthy when he starts playing hard, so his foster parents are working on “off” for jumping up and “no mouth” for the mouthiness.

Beau has a birthday coming up. His foster mother is sure he’d love to spend his 2nd birthday in his forever home.