Entered: 08/17/2007
Status: Adopted
Age: 5
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ
Health: UTD, HW-, Lyme treatment complete, responding well to a relatively inexpensive medication for spay incontinence
Temperament: Good with adults but prefers women, unknown with children, good in general with dogs but best with submissive ones, not good with cats
Update 12/10/07:
There is great news to report on Casey! Though her first medication for incontinence did not work, the second one has! She has been accident-free with no leaking for a week now. The med she is using is a form of synthetic hormone which helps with the drop in normal hormone levels that many spayed female dogs experience. The dose is continuing to be adjusted, with the goal being to have Casey on the smallest dose that will keep her consistently dry. Casey has also had some itching and scratching that seemed to be allergy-related, so she has started on a fish and potato-based dog food and has done well.
Since Casey’s been in her foster home, she has proven to be such a delightful companion. She does need work on her leash manners as no one has apparently taught her that pulling does not become a Springer gal. She loves to play ball and actually plays by herself. In cat-like style, she will find a ball, pounce on it, flick it away, pounce again, pick it up and toss it in the air and on and on.
Casey likes to lie on the couch next to her foster mom and would relish that closeness in her adoptive home. She’s a bit incorrigible with this in that she gives you the saddest puppy-dog look when told to get down. Get down she will when asked, opting to sleep on a dog bed, but if left unattended in a room, she’s back on the couch in no time flat. She doesn’t generally chew inappropriate items but has proven to be a counter surfer with extraordinary talent. She once stole a jar of peanut butter, took off into the backyard and started chowing down – so much for not wanting to go outside alone!!
When meeting dogs in play areas, Casey does well but she has taken to grumbling at the resident dogs if they come near her when she’s sleeping in the house. She still submits to the alphas and has never had an altercation at home but she’s a feisty girl. When excited she gets pushy with the other dogs, so her foster mom feels she would do best in a home with no dogs or with a laid-back male who will let her be the boss. She remains great with visiting dogs of all persuasions!
Casey likes all forms of water, especially the baby pool in the warm months, but now that winter is here, she equally loves the recent snowfalls. Though Casey is active and lively outside, she is calm and quiet in the house. When her foster mom is at work, Casey is crated. When her foster mom is home, Casey will stay quietly on the other side of a baby gate when her mom goes to a dog-free area in the home. When her foster mom sits down, Casey is there by her feet.
Casey’s preference for women to men is noticeable. She does get scared when leashed and other people approach, so one thing her foster mom is working on with her is to desensitize her to this. When Casey has a strong, benevolent leader, she doesn’t feel the need to be so scared nor to hide behind someone. She will let her mom lead the way through any scary encounters.
Overall, in the home, Casey is confident and sharp, having learned the household routine quickly. She clearly loves her home life. She is a sweet, wonderful soul who would love a family to enjoy long walks or hikes with and to cuddle with. She definitely wants ball playing playmates and, in a perfect world, some time on the couch with them too!!!!
Update 11/13/07:
Casey returned to MAESSR’s care because she showed way too much interest in the cats in her adopting home. She had been fine with the cat in her foster home, but it was not as shy as the new ones Casey met and she seemed to obsess over them. Once back, a urinary incontinence problem was detected and she began a common and inexpensive medication that usually corrects this problem quickly.
Unfortunately for Casey, the first medication has not solved her problem. She is leaking around the clock, so a second medication has been added. She is excellent about wearing a diaper in the house until this problem is worked out. She definitely knows when she needs to go outside and will alert with a bark if in her crate or will race to the door when not crated. Having been an outside dog until recently, she remains very worried she will be left outside. She still needs someone to go out with her and to walk firmly away from the door with her, lest she be too anxious to do her business.
There is also a possibility that something else is going on to interfere with Casey’s system. For now, her foster mom has gotten a good and watchful routine down and they are having many more dry days with nominal wetness than they are days with fully soaked diapers. If the meds and close guidance don’t work, further diagnostic testing will be done by her vet.
Other than this issue, Casey is a delight. After the first few days of grumbling in fear at the resident dogs in her new foster home, she has settled and is totally submissive to all of them. She kisses the face of one of the alpha males and gives a very wide berth to the other. She enjoys flushing birds with both of them and races around the yard with the team of bird catchers. Casey’s foster mom also dog sat a pair of corgis for a week and Casey did great with both of them. Casey was extremely tolerant of the female corgi’s advances and dismissed the chasing, herding efforts, and barking directed her way. With cats since returning, Casey has ignored immobile ones, but if they run, let the games begin!! Suffice it to say that her next home should not include cats.
Updates on her progress will be coming. Keep fingers crossed that her medication works…
Original:
Along with Gypsy, Kasey came into MAESSR’s care from central Pennsylvania . The two dogs were living outside and their barking was disturbing neighbors, so their owners made the decision that they would have to go to rescue.
Kasey is a wonderful girl who is very people oriented. She cannot get enough attention and, if you combine people with treats, she thinks she has died and gone to heaven. Kasey has excellent house manners and is totally house broken. She likes to get on furniture and would be extremely happy if she could sleep in the bed with her new family. Kasey rides well in the car and is crate-trained.
Being in water is at the top of Kasey’s list of loves. She has the best time playing in the kiddie pool and the large tub filled with water at her foster home. She can play in the water for hours. Kasey plays well with children but can be a little pushy with other dogs. For this reason, she will likely do best in a home with a submissive male dog or as an only dog. She lived with cats in her previous home.
If you are looking for a sweet, moderately energetic, great girl, Kasey is the one for you. Just be sure you have the pool topped off!!!