Entered: 08/18/2013
Status: Adopted
Age: 3
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 42 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Altoona, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, Lyme-, hernia repair complete, dental with 3 extractions and treatment for hookworms complete
Temperament: Good with people as young as 7, good with other dogs, will chase cats
Update 11/02/2013: “This honorary Springer loves getting treats and continues her happy song and dance while waiting for the world to catch up with her.”
Again, Miss Bertie made it through another surgery with flying colors. She did not even require the use of an Elizabethan collar following her spaying and hernia surgery. What a good girl! The vet commented that she looked much healthier after recovering from her dental extractions. Thank you, MAESSR, for providing good care for dear, sweet Bertie who is now ready for her forever home. Woo-hoo!
Bertie recently went to the Central Pennsylvania Pet Expo which was attended by about 4,000 folks. She was a wonderful greeter at the entry door and welcomed many people entering the exhibit area. Oh, how exciting it was with all those adults and children there to give her lots of attention! She also wanted to interact with all the other animals. What a great ambassador for MAESSR even if she isn’t a Springer!
Bertie’s foster mom continues to find her precious and a joy albeit somewhat stubborn at times. She still hasn’t given up on sleeping in bed and now often requires a nice nudge to leave when her foster mom wakes up in the middle of the night to find Bertie there with her. There is always hope in Bertie’s eyes. Her forever family better be prepared for Bertie to share their bed(s.) She also loves curling up on the couch………..move over resident Springer!
Little Miss Bertie continues to need work on leash walking. Her furever family will have to be committed to providing her with plenty of exercise and time outdoors along with the patience and consistency required to continue progress on leash manners. A Gentle Leader seems to have the most impact although she still pulls somewhat. Perhaps Bertie might be well matched to a speed-walker or jogger!Recently during a walk when her foster mom accidentally dropped Bertie’s leash, Bertie took off trotting down the street in the dark, fortunately with a red light blinking on her leash. Bertie ignored calls and kept on running. She was able to be caught by her foster mom turning and walking in the opposite direction………..really smart foster mom! No one was leaving Bertie behind! Overall she is very trustworthy being out in the fenced yard. If allowed outside alone, she does need to be checked periodically so that she doesn’t start digging. Her recall when in the yard is much improved, and she often comes in as soon as she is called. Bertie’s house manners continue to be good overall, but counter-surfing still occurs. Sometimes her foster mom has to wipe little paw prints off the edge of the countertops. She is getting better about not jumping up on people and is starting to enjoy being brushed more although she requires very little maintenance. For as much as Bertie likes being outside she stays clean for long periods of time.
This honorary Springer loves getting treats and continues her happy song and dance while waiting for the world to catch up with her. She quickly heads in the crate when it is time for her mom to head out but still expects a treat for doing so—smart girl! Bertie is very good in the crate but could probably be trusted with her freedom while her family is out.
What might the lucky family need to welcome Bertie into their home? A fenced in yard would be nice as well as a friend for company. Folks who like going for walks—fast walks—and have the time and energy to help this young lady with her walking manners would be a definite plus. Otherwise, a warm bed to share, treats to munch, an admiring audience, and lots and lots of love will make Miss Bertie a happy pup.
Update 09/30/2013: “Somehow a quarter stick of butter and a piece of gum which were thought to be out of reach mysteriously disappeared. Ah, Bertie!“
Bertie had three canines removed during her dental, leaving a lone one on the bottom. No one would have believed this little miss had a major dental extraction if she had been seen at discharge. She was very lively and so happy to see her foster mom. Upon her arrival home, she was back to jumping on furniture – no slowing her down! She made it through the procedure and recovery with flying colors like the little trooper that she is.
Little Miss Bertie continues to be a joy to foster as she is a sweet and affectionate girl. She is getting very good at recall unless she knows it is time to be crated. Normally she comes running in the house, grabs a bone or ball, does a happy growl, and dances with excitement as she knows a treat is imminent. Recently there have actually been a few times that she has come in and headed for her crate, but sometimes her foster mom still has to take a leash to catch and bring her inside. Bertie had made no attempts to escape the house until one recent exception. When her foster mom slightly opened the front door, Bertie ran out, flew across the road, and headed for a busy street a block away. Fortunately, she turned away from the traffic at the next corner, and her foster mom was able to catch her a block away. Phew! The night before the two had not taken their usual walk, so Bertie may have been trying to play catch up!
Bertie continues to enjoy daily walks and is manageable with the Gentle Leader. With patience and consistency her foster mom is sure she will improve. Bertie does not get excited by barking dogs along the way but gets hyper-excited by other critters, especially cats. She tries to chase them. She also gets excited when she sees kids and will jump up when greeting them. At home Bertie enjoys chasing a tennis ball and chewing on bones.
Her house manners continue to be good overall. There have been no accidents and she does not inappropriately chew. A recent development, though……..Bertie has proven herself to be a counter-surfer now that she has settled in. Somehow a quarter stick of butter and a piece of gum which were thought to be out of reach mysteriously disappeared. Ah, Bertie! She will jump up on the furniture, and much to the chagrin of the resident springer, will sometimes take his resting spots.
Bertie enjoys people food and likes to share fruit with her foster mom. She gently accepts her treats, but is an opportunist. If her foster mom is eating on the run, she does have to be careful when bending down as Bertie accepts that as an invitation to share anything in her hand!
Recently Bertie enjoyed the MAESSR Springerfest in Pasadena, Maryland and was very well behaved. The night before she was a good girl for her bath. Tethered for the ride, she was an excellent passenger in the car for the three hour trip. Only once did she make her foster mom nervous. That was at a rest stop where all the darn squirrels were enjoying their morning! More to come on the adventures of Miss Bertie…………….
Original: “Bertie definitely enjoys human companionship and is generally close by.”
Little Miss Bertie, a Brittany Spaniel from Pennsylvania, became a MAESSR girl thanks to a concerned fifteen-year-old whose father was anxious to be rid of Bertie after his girlfriend, her owner, left Bertie behind when she moved out.
This smart cookie is now fitting in nicely in her foster home with two senior resident dogs, a male MAESSR adoptee and a female Bearded Collie mix. She has learned to give the resident Springer a little space as he does not like to play with other dogs; her foster sister has been tolerant of Bertie’s attempts to groom her but does occasionally grumble or get up and walk away when she starts to get annoyed.
The newcomer has been a considerate houseguest. She tried to investigate counter tops but has done no counter-surfing, trash diving, digging, resource guarding or inappropriate chewing. Bertie is a smart young lady who catches on very quickly and, while she is not always reliable in sitting when given the command, she will do it quickly for food. She also responds to “down” and “lie down.” Indoors, Bertie is fairly laid back and quiet; she likes to watch out the windows or lie in front of the screen door to observe the outside world and has only barked on a few rare occasions, usually at dogs passing outside.
Bertie is crated for up to five hours when the family is not home and, while she does need “persuasion” to go in her crate, she is well behaved once there. She does, however, start whining and jumping around the crate when her foster mom comes in the door but is learning she is expected to engage in quiet sitting to be allowed out of the crate—good girl, Bertie! For relaxation, Bertie enjoys sacking out on the couch or on her foster mom’s bed. Actually, she is not permitted to sleep in the bed, and her mom awakens on a nightly basis to find Bertie curled up in bed with her. With prompting or a little nudge, Bertie will go back to her dog pillow.
Bertie scratches at the door when she wants out but is usually let out around her family’s schedule and quickly takes care of personal matters. Once in the yard, Bertie tends to be a high energy girl and is in constant motion showing some limited interest in tennis balls and Nylabones. But, her favorite activity is watching for critters through the chain link fence. Oh, boy, oh, boy, would she like to catch up to those squirrels and birds! She enjoys being outside, and if she is not in the mood to return indoors, she ignores prompts to come inside. She sometimes comes as far as the back door and then turns to run. Even high value treats will not always tempt her into the house. Her foster mom is working on this behavior and feels that although Bertie does not try to climb the fence and will not try to squeeze out the gate when it is carefully opened, she could be a flight risk if she did escape the yard or house.
Leash training was apparently not in this beauty’s background as she has a tendency to pull even when walked with a Gentle Leader. On the plus side, she does not get overly excited by dogs barking in homes or fenced yards when she is on a walk. She sets a quick pace during walks and walks well with two resident dogs.
Although she reportedly whined during car rides when crated, Bertie is doing better when leashed in the back seat on her way back and forth to the vet. She was a real trooper and a big hit at the vet’s office. Before she can go to her “furever” home, she will need a major dental extraction, and after a three to four week recovery period, she will be spayed and have a hernia removed. In the grooming department, Bertie has been bathed and brushed although she needed some persuasion to stay long enough for her foster mom to finish her beauty treatment.
A Velcro dog, Bertie definitely enjoys human companionship and is generally close by. This precious girl enjoys being petted and gives sweet little kisses in appreciation of any attention that she gets.
Watch for updates as her medical procedures progress.