Entered: 01/06/2013
Status: Adopted
Age: 6
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 50 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Richmond, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, benefiting from a supplement for mild arthritis, treatment for an ear infection complete, overall good health
Temperament: Good with adults, has been comfortable when meeting a 4 year old, good with other dogs, cats unknown
Update 01/21/2013: “Coco is becoming more interested in things around her during her morning walks but has yet to take notice of the squirrels.”
This sweet and gentle girl has almost finished antibiotics for her ear infection. The arthritis supplement she started seems to be beneficial; her foster parents have seen improvement and recommend that she stay on it. Coco’s only problem has been when she goes up stairs, but she has made great progress in two weeks. She’s now going up both flights of stairs in her foster home without hesitating in between, like she did when she arrived. She is otherwise in great shape!
Willing to try new things, Coco recently went to doggie day care with the resident ESS. She was placed with a small group of dogs to minimize anxiety and really enjoyed herself. Though initially a bit nervous when she meets new dogs in her foster home, Coco has really bonded with the resident ESS. Her family feels a canine companion would suit her well.
Coco is becoming more interested in things around her during her morning walks but has yet to take notice of the squirrels……this won’t last much longer! When meeting dogs on a walk, she does fine. She has just begun to show an interest in retrieving a stuffed toy; she excitedly brought it back to the foster dad! With a bit more time, he expects to see her become more interested in playing.
Coco is a low to moderate energy dog who loves people. Her world is expanding but her main interest is being next to her family or following them around. She would delight in being in a home where she was not alone throughout the day. Having someone home mid-day to give her a break, maybe a short walk, and a little cuddle would be perfect. Having the companionship of someone who works from home or part time would be even better. She’s poised to be someone’s very special Valentine. Will you be hers?
Original: “When greeting people, she will wiggle half of her body like crazy but does refrain from jumping on them.”
Coco came to MAESSR from a Virginia animal shelter where she had been relinquished by a friend of her deceased owner. Coco’s owner had passed away a month or so earlier and although the friend had taken Coco into her home, she did not get along well with one of her small dogs. She also told the shelter staff that Coco is good with kids and is crate trained.
After just a short time in foster care, Coco is adapting well to her new surroundings. Although Coco and the resident Springer Spaniel had a few minor disagreements initially, they are now getting along very well. From the start, Coco loved lying next to her foster parents and following them around! A smart one, she is already trying to use her cuteness and sweet personality to take control, but her foster parents have calmly reminded her that she must follow the house rules, just like the resident ESS. Coco is nervous at first when meeting new people and dogs but quickly becomes comfortable with them when she feels that there is no threat. She has been petted by several young neighborhood children on her walks, which she seems not to mind at all.
Up to this point, Coco has not shown any desire to play with the foster family’s ESS, nor has she shown any interest to play with a ball outside. It appears that she was not used to long walks, so Coco is physically adjusting to the increased exercise of her daily 30 minute morning outings. Once she gets used to these walks, her foster family expects her to become more interested in other outside activity, such as chasing a ball or playing with her new Springer companion. Coco does very well on a leash and likes her walks, but she is not sure why she is doing this. So, her interest in squirrels or enjoying the many outdoor scents is still developing.
Coco had a few accidents in the house during the first few days in her new home but is now properly doing her business outside. Her foster parents regularly offer her the opportunity to go outside, so she has not yet needed to reveal her signal for telling them that she needs to go out to potty. She is crated for short periods during the day and at night she sleeps in her crate as well. Her foster family will be giving her more time outside the crate when she gets back to a normal potty schedule—something which should not take long since she is making great progress.
With good house manners, Coco has not shown any tendencies for counter-surfing or getting into the trash. When greeting people, she will wiggle half of her body like crazy but does refrain from jumping on them. Good girl, Coco! An intelligent, gentle girl with a low to moderate energy level, Coco is willing to please and just loves people. In just one day with her foster family, she learned that she should “sit” before going outside (with a little reminder) and will quickly “sit” when her food bowl is filled. She is not protective of her food with either people or dogs. Coco has yet found a need to bark much and does ride well in a car, although she is a bit nervous while doing so.
Coco was quite calm at her recent vet visit even though she had her ears cleaned and her paws clipped of matted hair and she was poked with needles and pulled on! The vet put her on a supplement because of a slight case of arthritis in her rear legs and she is on antibiotics for a short time because of a minor ear infection. She is otherwise in great health.
Sweet, friendly Coco is not a demanding girl. She just wants to be with her people and follow them around so that they can give her lots of attention and take her on a daily walk. She would do better with someone who would not leave her alone all day long since she is such a Velcro girl. She is a very sweet, gentle girl who would be a great companion to a loving family! Sweeten your life with this Coco!