Bo 6

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Updated 7/29/07: Bo is back with his foster mom and fur brothers where he is doing fine and still the life of the party. He loves to play and wrestle all day long, which is fine with his foster brother but proves a bit much for the other resident dog. Being foster savvy and very laid back, the resident dogs enjoy Bo’s playful company but also know how to call for a time out. Briefly Bo had joined an adopting family but, unfortunately, did not get along with a male dog in the home. The tension was constant and proved too much for everyone in the household. Bo’s adopting parents raved about how eager he was to learn, how well he took to training and what a love of a dog he was. They were genuinely sad to return him but knew he needed different canine companions.

In the months that Bo has been with his foster family, he has come a long way. He has celebrated his first birthday, learned not to jump on people and has mastered a myriad of commands. He now has the run of the house while his foster mom is at work and is a perfect little boy. He will go in his crate to nap. Bo still gets very excited when his people return home, but as long as he can go outside without interruption, he will not present with submissive urination. He is quietly given the “back door” command and will run to it, sit, and wait to go out– indeed, quite nice progress!!

When Bo first came into foster care, he arrived with some soft tissue injury to his rear leg but no signs of that remain. He has also had an infection in his gums for which he received antibiotics and that now appears to be gone. He is at a good weight and in great shape but will visit the vet for one more checkup before he leaves his foster home.

Bo’s foster mom thinks that the sky is the limit as far as what Bo can learn. He is a very intelligent boy and lives to please. He keeps a constant eye on his people and is always willing to do anything for a treat. Like most springers, Bo would love to be with someone who can and will spend time with him, whether it be teaching him new things, trips to the dog park, long walks or just cuddling– the latter being his favorite sport! Bo’s confidence grows everyday but he still needs a reassuring word and a hug from his people to know he is a great little guy. Sometimes it just takes a little more time for a youngster to find his perfect match!  Are you the one for Bo?

Updated 6/7/07: With his first birthday approaching soon, Bo is in many ways a typical “teenager.” He made a good recovery from kennel cough and checked out well at his vet visit. However, when his foster mom noticed that he was favoring his left rear leg, she took him in again. The vet suspected a soft tissue injury but to be more certain, a hip x-ray was done. We now know his hips are perfect! A medication is already bringing improvement to reduce inflammation and will be complete soon.

Bo continues to get along well with the laid-back resident dogs in his foster home and enjoys their company. However, living with an alpha male would be a challenge for this boy. He is persistent with chasing the resident cat as a game but she is mellow about the whole thing, maybe sensing that Bo still has a lot of puppy in him.

At this point Bo needs continuing work on submissive urination from the people in his life. He needs to keep going with the obedience training that has started in his foster home to build confidence and diminish his excitability. Bo enjoys the company of people and is a sweet love of a dog. He is ready to move into a home of his own and will be a perfect fit for the family who will help this little “work in progress” grow into their love for a lifetime!

Updated 4/22/07: Given the opportunity to socialize with 4 resident dogs in his second foster home, Bo is finding differing reactions from each of these potential playmates. He does best with the ones who are very well socialized themselves, laid back in general, and can embrace the joyously unrestrained playfulness of a youngster. Watching his pace of play now also brings the thought that he might be best suited for a family with teens rather than younger children who might be just a bit overwhelmed with this lively boy.

Original: This gorgeous, happy puppy came to MAESSR from a shelter in Pennsylvania. Bo has a very outgoing personality and is a lively fellow who loves to be the center of attention. Bo stayed with another foster family for a week and lived with a toddler there and did fine. Since Bo was getting a little too big for his britches with the other dogs, MAESSR moved him to a household with no children but with four other dogs. This way, he gets increased socialization and is learning how to live happily in the pack hierarchy.

Bo interacts nicely with the female resident springer, playing and taking correction from her well. He will occasionally try to boss the male resident dogs, but as soon as they correct him, he backs down. There have been no altercations between them and he immediately defers to the alpha male. All of the resident dogs seem to tolerate his puppy behavior very well as did the former foster family’s dogs. It’s becoming more and more evident that his attempting to boss the other dogs is really playful pushiness and a little frustration when no one will play with him. As soon as someone does decide it’s playtime, he’s back to all puppy actions, exhibiting playful bows and playing in games of chase. Bo will occasionally guard a coveted stick or toy from another dog with a little grumble, but if they really want it, they just take it and he moves on to something else. It is unknown how Bo would do with cats.

Bo is crate trained and goes in for a treat. He sleeps in his crate through the night and is crated when his foster mom is at work. This is also helping with his housetraining. He knows “sit” and is working on “twirl,” “down,” and “wait.” Sometimes his “sit” turns into a “sit and spin,” but his foster mom patiently waits and shortly after, he just sits. Bo is a smart pup and eager to please. Bo also seems to understand the concept of “out” and is being taught to stay out of certain areas of the house, like out of the alpha foster brother’s crate, out of his foster siblings’ food bowls and out of the bathroom. He will put his paws on the counter especially when he’s really excited and at meal time, but he gets down immediately when told “off.” Bo rides fairly well in the car. He sometimes whines a little, but he’s best in the car when he’s tired.

Bo is working on his housetraining and does occasionally get so excited when his foster mom comes home from work that he has some excitement-induced urination on the way to the back door. It doesn’t help that he jumps and spins all the way there. His foster family is going to move his crate closer to the back door so he can get out much faster. All of this will change with maturity as he becomes reliable on getting to the door. Once outside, Bo urinates right away. He also does not attempt to jump the four-foot fence at his foster home. Bo loves to play fetch with a toy, a stick, or a ball. He likes to play soccer, too.

Will you be Bo’s lifelong dancing partner? He’ll try not to step on your toes, but doesn’t make any promises!