Charlie Brown 2

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Update 09/15/09: Charlie Brown is doing well. His thyroid test was negative which is good news. Earlier hair loss around his eyes has disappeared which is good news. What remains a concern is his right ear. The vet thinks the shape of his ear canal on the right makes the infection difficult to address and conquer. So, Charlie Brown will need constant monitoring and cleaning with medicated ear cleaners. A persistent and diligent effort may be the best answer to keeping CB comfortable and hearing.

Charlie is eating a quality dry food and gobbles it up. He has no food issues beyond that he will eat anything and eats it fast. He tolerates baths and getting himself cleaned up for outings. It’s not known how he might do with electric clippers. So far, he’s only needed light tidying up to keep him quite handsome.

Charlie’s a good dog and a big hit with the ladies, the 2-legged variety of ladies that is. When he visits his foster mom’s dad in a townhouse complex, all the little old ladies call for him to come visit! And, at the school bus stop near his home, all the little girls call his name. His foster mom will tell you that the little guy trots right on over. He knows he’s got a good thing going.

At times Charlie is fairly headstrong about what he wants, i.e., to run, run, run. He visited a dog park with his family and wasn’t interested in other dogs or playing. He wasn’t aggressive either; he just wanted to run. He is playful and may just need more interaction with other dogs to get the hang of making the most of a doggie playground.

In short, this guy is a sweetheart. He is an easy-to-keep happy dog. Keep an eye on him, ladies. When he’s ready, Charlie Brown will be looking for one very special lady to spend the rest of his days with!!

Update 08/05/09: Charlie Brown has adapted in typical Springer fashion and overrun his foster home. He is a bundle of energy on short legs. He has proven to be not only a cat chaser but, as his foster mom has tagged him, he is an anything that moves chaser. The deer in their neighborhood know that CB means business. Suffice it to say that this energetic boy will be looking for a fenced yard at his forever home!

When on leash, Charlie does pull, so his foster mom walks him in a harness. He lives near a large woods and so enjoys some off leash time. Charlie is a natural hunter, always casting for a scent. He knows his name well and returns immediately, or almost immediately, when called.

With time to settle into life as a foster, Charlie has relaxed with the resident dogs. He no longer needs to be separated from them. In fact, he gets along very well with the resident senior, a female, and hasn’t been aggressive with any male dogs that he has met. Good boy!!

Charlie Brown will be returning to his vet for further assessment. He has some hair loss around his eyes and a stubborn ear infection, so he will be checked for possible thyroid and allergy issues. More to come on CB.

Original: Charlie Brown was transferred to MAESSR from a shelter in western Pennsylvania. He was relinquished by his owner to the shelter for financial reasons. Charlie Brown came to foster care with a severe ear infection and was quite miserable. The infection was so severe that the vet decided not to clean his ears until Charlie had been medicated for a few days first and then sedated for his neutering. He has been treated for a week now and his mood is improving. It would appear he has had constant ear infections, due to a malformation of his ear canals. With regular maintenance, this should not be an ongoing problem. However, whoever adopts Charlie Brown should be aware that he needs regular ear washing to minimize recurrence.

Charlie also came into foster care intact and has only recently been altered. He did mark once or twice in the very first few days, but he has proven himself to be a reliable dog. He is very cooperative and signals at the front door when he wants to go out. It should be noted that in the morning, when he signals to go out, he’s not kidding!

At the moment, Charlie Brown is not crated. He was absolutely terrified on the first day he arrived at his foster home and not feeling well. During that time, he slept in the living room. Now that he is feeling better, his family will reattempt crate training.

Charlie Brown absolutely LOVES car rides. If his foster mom picks up the car keys, Charlie Brown is at the door before she is. He rides beautifully and is always happy to see her return. It should be added that “Sir Drools A Lot,” a daughter’s nickname for Charlie, does drool when he’s excited, after drinking or when in the car for long periods. Putting a towel on the seat and under his water dish is all it takes to keep all dry.

When the family is away, Charlie hangs out in the basement to separate him from the resident dogs. He has shown some aggression toward them and has grumbled when he felt cornered. His family does not want this to happen when the dogs are unsupervised. Charlie Brown’s mood has improved greatly with his improving health, but his family feels that he will be happiest as an only dog. He is fine with cats. The longest Charlie has been without someone is 4 hours.

Charlie is thrilled to be out of doors and loves to walk. He doesn’t do very well on a leash, but continuing opportunity will bring improvement. His foster mom feels he would be most happy in a family that enjoys regular walking. The only thing Charlie likes better than a nice walk is being at the feet of whoever will sit with him. Such simple needs, such enduring companionship. How could one not take this boy home to love on?