Entered: 10/18/2014
Status: Adopted
Age: 4
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 53 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Silver Spring, MD
Health: UTD, HW-, overall good health
Temperament: Good with adults and older children, does not get along with all dogs and chases cats
Original: “When asked to do something he doesn’t want to do– like go back into the gated kitchen area– Buddy will roll on his back, paws held up, and look as pathetic as possible.”
Buddy is a friendly and playful guy that came to MAESSR due to his Maryland owner’s chronic illness. During his owner’s frequent hospitalizations, poor Buddy had no alternative but the local shelter. Out of love for his dog, the owner asked MAESSR to find Buddy the stable, loving home he deserves.
At 50+ pounds, Buddy is a good-sized Springer with plenty of energy. He is calm in the house and happy to lie at the feet of his foster parents, but also loves to run in big laps outside and do his best to catch squirrels. He is quite happy in the yard, playing on his own. Buddy likes to play fetch and will sit and lie down for a treat. When asked to do something he doesn’t want to do– like go back into the gated kitchen area– Buddy will roll on his back, paws held up, and look as pathetic as possible. He does not jump on the furniture, and has sadly come to realize that beds count as furniture.
Buddy is over-enthusiastic in his greetings of visitors and friendly people he meets on the street—a behavior that is being discouraged. He also will pull on his leash when being walked because his new neighborhood is full of squirrels, rabbits, deer, dog lovers, and other dogs. His true temperament around dogs is unclear. Shelter personnel reported that he was dog-aggressive and had several spats with a female in a temporary home. However, he has shown no aggression toward any dog he has met on walks with his foster family and has given every indication that he would like to play. He is not toy or food aggressive.
Housetrained but not crated in his foster home, Buddy has full run of the home when his foster family is around. While he seems to know the command to “crate up,” he turned tail and headed for the basement when first asked to do so—a rather extreme response. His foster family is working him slowly toward using a crate and he has progressed to going in for a few minutes. To signal his need to go out, Buddy stands by the door. His foster family has yet to hear him bark. He behaved beautifully at the vet’s office and had no problem with having his feet and ears handled.
Buddy is a bit of a diamond in the rough. He’s beautiful, affectionate, and eager to please. He is too rambunctious for small children, but would make an excellent companion for someone with time to work on his training. Is he the playmate for you?