Entered: 02/23/2019
Status: Adopted
Age: 6
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 52 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Alexandria, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, receiving supplement for arthritis in rear knee, treatment for bilateral ear infections and intestinal worms complete, recovery from total mastectomy with clear margins complete, no longer needs anti-anxiety supplement
Temperament: Good with adults, unknown with children (but good with the 4 year old she met), good with other dogs, good with cats
Update 04/10/2019: “So far, Callie does not play with toys or have any interest in retrieving balls…but she sure loved her foster dad’s leather garden glove and found it consistently!”
The medical care that Callie has received is helping her to feel so much better. She returned to the vet to check her surgical incision and it has finally closed and scabbed over. She seems to be moving without pain and goes up and down stairs quickly. Her ears are clear, and her foster parents clean them just once weekly to keep them healthy. She has begun taking a supplement for her right rear knee joint which has some arthritis in it. The vet noticed her back sags due to weak muscles. This most likely is due to carrying so many puppies and likely will remain that way. During her entire vet visit, Callie was a dream!
This gentle soul is quiet and calm. Noises, however, do continue to startle her and, depending on how loud they are, she either runs to her foster parents or to her crate. She continues to have no accidents and holds it for eight hours in a crate at night or for the nine hours she has free reign of the house during the day. The crate is used at night only; this is done merely to expose her to the crate experience.
Callie and the resident cat continue to get along, basically ignoring each other’s space and food…however, if Callie sees her foster parents petting the cat, she will immediately get up and come over for some of her own lovin’. It’s obvious that she is really thriving on human attention. She does well when her foster parents are at work. They can watch her on camera, and she basically spends the day lying around the house. She’s feeling more confident and can now eat her meal without her foster parents present.
Walks are much faster now as Callie’s surgical site has healed. She notices squirrels now, but with her foster parents’ guidance has learned not to pull the leash and to only chase it with her eyes. Good girl! Not a single bark has come from Callie yet, but there might have been one attempt at woofing. While her tail might go at 90 miles an hour when it’s wake-up time, she gives only a tiny excited whimper to voice her happiness.
Now that she’s feeling better, Callie’s foster parents are working on some commands. She needs to become more consistent with “come,” and to “sit” without tactile cues. Snapping fingers and pointing actually frightened her, so this might have been something that was negative in her past life and is now avoided. Learning “stay” and “lie down” will be part of her training, too.
So far, Callie does not play with toys or have any interest in retrieving balls…but she sure loved her foster dad’s leather garden glove and found it consistently!
Keep posted for more news on Callie’s progress as she learns how great life can be as a member of a family.
Original: “…she loves to see other humans and dogs on her walk and has been recognized as a lovely dog in the neighborhood.”
Callie came to MAESSR from a Virginia kennel where she lived on a farm.
This pretty girl had major surgery just mid-March and was a trooper having her staples and sutures out. Her foster parents feel this surgery definitely subdued her energy level and are now looking forward to her moving around more comfortably and showing off her true Springer character.
Initially, she was very startled by the most common of noise–car doors, car windows opening, people walking on creaking floors, doors closing, and shoes dropping. In addition, stairs were very scary and she had to be pulled up slowly and patiently. Often she would stop mid-way, needing much encouragement. After a week in her foster home, she has made so much progress! While noises continue to startle her, she no longer shakes at the sounds but is just very alert to them. She is now doing five concrete steps and six wooden steps, but always wants her foster parent to go first and is happy now to do it off leash. She did attempt to start up a flight of stairs to the second floor and when told “NO,” she didn’t know how to turn around and walk down. She tried to walk down backwards and slipped down two stairs before her foster parent could catch her—poor, confused Callie!
She lives with a cat but has never shown any interest in his food; nor does she mind if either foster parent is close to her food. Initially she would only eat one meal per day but is now up to the expected two full meals daily. She continues to need encouragement to eat as her food is not left out all day and her family wants her to finish her meal before they leave for work in the morning and before they start their own dinner at night.
Callie has not had an accident indoors but does not let her folks know when she needs to go out. She is on a schedule to go when she first wakes up before her morning walk and, again, when her parents get home from work, before her evening walk. She is crated at night, but not during the day. The foster parents can spy on her with a home security camera and see that she spends her days on the dog mat waiting patiently for them to come home–she does not explore throughout the house.
So far, this love is demonstrating the most proper of house manners. She does not get up on furniture, does not counter-surf, leaves trash and cat food alone and has not chewed anything inappropriately. She did one time have an interest in a plate of food on the couch, but, when told “no,” she immediately turned around and lay on her bed. Callie has not shown any interest in toys.
Callie does not appear to know her name and does not yet come when called. So far, she has not demonstrated understanding of basic commands without physical prompting, but she is a quick learner and her foster parents feel she will soon learn these.
She is timid on her walks and stays very close on the side of her person. She does not pull and walks steadily at a comfortable pace. So far, she has not shown any interest in the numerous neighborhood squirrels and birds. However, she loves to see other humans and dogs on her walk and has been recognized as a lovely dog in the neighborhood. She is also a great car dog–pretty much lies quietly and looks around. She has enjoyed a three hour car trip and quick trips around the neighborhood.
Callie has not been formally groomed due to her surgery, however is calm with her ear cleanings and was very cooperative at the vet.
This middle-aged gal is about to begin the best years of her life in a comfortable home on a comfortable bed with loving folks around her. She will be soon looking for a furever place to call her own. Keep your eyes on Callie as she learns what fun it is to be a MAESSR girl!