Entered: 01/19/14
Status: Adopted
Age: 7
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 45 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Silver Springs, MD
Health: UTD, HW-, overall good health
Temperament: Good with adults, good with children, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Update 02/14/2014: “After one week of receiving feedings and treats in his crate with the door open, this clever boy has now started to run in and out of the crate as a way to beg for treats.”
Chase had a tough second week when his foster family went back to work and school and he was suddenly left alone for several hours. He showed his distress by breaking out of his crate and knocking down baby gates, followed by some housetraining accidents and howling. BUT, as quickly as the anxiety storm came, it went away. His foster family consulted with a MAESSR volunteer whose specialty is training and made a change that has eased Chase’s concerns. Chase is no longer crated or gated which makes him feel less isolated and also allows him to lie watchfully by the family’s exit/arrival door. He has not howled or had an accident since that physical adjustment was made. To keep him from possibly returning to the site of his previous accidents, his foster family has taught him that he is not allowed to follow them into the living room. This smart guy needed only two evening sessions to learn this rule.
His foster family is unsure why Chase is so unhappy in a crate since he had obviously been crate trained at some point. He immediately goes into his crate on command, but becomes very tense as soon as the door is closed. Because crating can be necessary when at a groomer or vet, his foster family is trying to associate the crate with good things. After one week of receiving feedings and treats in his crate with the door open, this clever boy has now started to run in and out of the crate as a way to beg for treats. Eventually, Chase may be retrained to accept a crate for a limited number of hours.
This middle-aged gentleman also needed some help with car rides. He became car sick during his long and stressful trip from West Virginia to Maryland, and that memory seems to have stayed with him. His foster family has begun the desensitizing process with short rides to the park or even just sitting in the car and feeding him treats.
Chase is a food beggar. He will circle and whine during meals even though he remains sadly disappointed. His other house manners are all positive. He does not jump on furniture or drink out of toilets……good boy!!
He has lived with children and dogs in past. He did very well on his first visit to the local dog park, even joining in one of the pack runs.
His foster family will miss him terribly as he is such a gentle charmer. He will make a wonderful companion for someone who is not gone for an entire workday and has time to continue the training that will help him adjust to their routine. Until that lucky person or family steps forward, his foster family will introduce him to agility training as a way to boost his self-confidence. What a good time they will have with him and what a fun guy will be coming to some lucky furever family!
Original: “Chase’s calm personality makes him a perfect companion for someone who works at home or is looking for an easygoing friend.”
Chase is a Southern gentleman from West Virginia. According to the shelter that asked for MAESSR’s assistance, Chase’s family gave him up only because they could no longer afford his daily care.
Chase is a handsome guy with excellent house manners. He is housetrained, does not counter-surf, and hasn’t even pulled tissues from the open trash cans. His foster family has had over-night guests twice recently, and he behaved as all good dogs do. He did not jump on them or continually beg for attention. Instead, Chase circled around and got a hello pat from everyone and then curled up in his bed where he could keep watch.
During the day Chase has been home with a foster parent; however, next week will tell whether he can be trusted home alone. However, when left for short trips he was baby gated and escaped. He has been crated and is fine with this new arrangement, no accidents here. He also learned to scale the upstairs steps so that he could sleep in the master bedroom. When his foster family is home, Chase has free run of the house since he never leaves their side. He signals his foster parents when he needs to use the bathroom and knows the commands “sit” and “crate-up.”
Chase clearly is a smarter-than-average dog. Although he had been with his foster family less than a day, he knew immediately to go hide when his foster mom brought two big towels into the kitchen and began running water in the sink. Once located, he submitted to a bath without a whimper. Chase stayed still as a statue when being groomed and enjoyed every minute thinking he was at the spa getting a massage. He didn’t mind his ears or feet being handled either.
Feeling right at home, Chase has selected a favorite toy from the toy basket—a little pillow that says “very good dog,” which he carries around the house. He has not had any food or toy aggression, which explains the saying on his toy. It’s not bragging when it’s true, right?
Due to bad weather and the amount of salt on the roads and sidewalks, Chase’s foster family hasn’t been able to fully assess his leash behavior or whether he likes to chase small animals such as cats. Although there is not a resident dog, Chase has done well with dogs in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, his foster family is still not sure how well Chase will do in a car. His first trip, a very long one into MAESSR’s care, resulted in drooling and some regurgitation. Time will tell when he takes his first trip to the vets how he does on shorter trips.
Although his foster family still has a lot to learn about this guy, they are delighted with what they’ve seen so far. Chase’s calm personality makes him a perfect companion for someone who works at home or is looking for an easygoing friend.