Entered: 09/02/2013
Status: Adopted
Age: 11 months
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 43 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Bethlehem, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, treatment for hookworms and whipworms complete
Temperament: Good with adults and older children, good with other dogs, good with cats
Original: “Bo loves to play with toys and the resident dogs and often carries around a stuffed toy, chews a bone or engages a dog in play.”
Bo and his mother Rose 5 were living outdoors on an acreage with no fencing in Tennessee . Their owners had fallen on hard times and could not afford to keep them, contacting MAESSR for help in re-homing them. Now, with MAESSR’s help, both Springers are living in cozy foster homes. Bo shares his with three other Springers and two teenage girls.
Bo came to MAESSR pretty dirty with fleas, but that was quickly remedied. Now, clean and flea free, this handsome boy is the recipient of many hugs and kisses that he now loves so very much. He was initially a bit shy and scared moving around his foster home, but is gaining confidence every day. All these new experiences have been making him somewhat tentative, but he does adjust pretty quickly and, given that it is all new to him, is doing amazingly well in the house. Shoes and other items that are not for a puppy need to be put away as Bo will pick up anything he finds on the floor; he especially seems to love chewing up boxes! He will put his feet up on the counters or table—and is being corrected for that! He would get into trash if it were available.
This frontiersman is not reliably housetrained yet. He is taken out every hour or so and watched to be sure he goes. He doesn’t yet have the concept that dogs “go” outdoors but is very good about peeing every time he is taken out. He seems to understand what his foster mom wants him to do and looks back at her awaiting her approval—good boy!
Bo has a crate in the kitchen that he uses when his foster mom is out and a crate upstairs for bed. He often goes into the crate when he is tired but doesn’t always want to go in when Mom goes out. A tasty treat is used to entice him. He is quiet and seems content in the crate. He sleeps all night but does stir when he hears people moving around. He gets very excited when let out of the crate and needs to be redirected to help him calm down. The last few nights, Bo has taken notice of the resident dogs on the bed and has decided to join them. He also noticed that the dogs lie on a certain sofa and joined them there as well. He does seem to enjoy nice comfy spots to rest—smart boy!
At this point Bo knows very few commands. His foster mom is working on “sit” and seeing improvement. He very much needs to get to puppy school and learn all the things puppies need to know. 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 under 1 year old to enroll their puppy in an obedience class within 60 days of adoption.
Bo’s foster mom has been taking him on walks on a walking path and he does pretty well. He was at first nervous about other walkers and bikers and wanted to turn back at the beginning, but he has benefitted greatly from having the other dogs beside him on the walk. In general, he picks up a lot of tips from watching to see how the other dogs react in many situations—clever boy!
He loves to play with toys and the resident dogs and often carries around a stuffed toy, chews a bone or engages a dog in play. He enjoys running for a ball but doesn’t have the give back part figured out. He is friendly and always defers to other dogs who want something he might have. He seems content to be bottom dog. But, he loves attention from all the humans in the household and thinks nothing of squeezing right in while another dog is getting attention. Fortunately, the resident dogs don’t mind this. Bo’s foster mom does see him getting calmer every day and not being quite as pushy He greets his foster mom and dad in an animated fashion and will jump up, but, while interested in other people, he doesn’t always jump on them. When he does jump, he can scratch so his family has been really discouraging that habit.
Bo is working on improving his ability to wait for his turn when the dogs are getting treats and food. He will rush in and grab any other dog’s treat or food bowl. Luckily, the resident dogs seem to know he’s a bit “rough around the edges” on manners and don’t get too upset. Bo has yet to understand the concept of eating your food when it’s given to you. He will lie down and wait until the other dog are done eating and then seems to enjoy having them gathered around him while he eats. He grabs a mouthful of food and drops part of it onto the floor so the others can eat it up. His foster mom thinks it’s a crazy way to eat and hopes he settles into regular eating soon.
Mr. Mellow has the energy level of a typical young Springer; he likes to run and play outside, but isn’t crazy in the house. He met some cats at his temporary foster home and seemed uninterested. He does not seem to be highly prey driven and does not guard toys or his food. He allows his people to touch him all over and take things from him easily. Riding in the car, however, is still a work in progress. He’s going for a ride at least once a day for a quick trip to the fast food drive- through for a hamburger so hopefully he will soon decide riding isn’t so scary.
Bo was recently groomed for the first time in his life. He was nervous, and the groomer had trouble keeping him still. He got a short cut and is now one beautiful boy! His foster mom finds keeping him still for ear cleaning is difficult too. He doesn’t mind the cleaning but squiggles because he seems unfamiliar with people touching him so closely.
MAESSR’s new youngster is a really great boy. He is as Velcro as they come and a super duper wiggle butt. At times, his whole body is wiggling in his excitement. This sweet pup is looking for a family to teach him all the things that no one ever taught him. Bo will need loving guidance, but the investment will pay off big. This charmer needs a family with time just for him and kids old enough to correct a jumping puppy – and he’d be thrilled if he had another dog to play with.