Entered: 01/04/2010
Status: Adopted
Age: 1
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Aston, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, overall good health
Temperament: Good with adults, unknown with children in her foster home, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Original:
Cocoa came to MAESSR because her owner was in the military and was deployed. He had initially placed her with a family that had small children and this owner said that Cocoa wasn’t comfortable with the little kids. Since she’s shown no aggression towards anyone in her foster home, it may be that Cocoa’s outgoing nature was the problem. When she romps through the house with full tail wagging a mile a minute, a small child could easily be knocked down. After spending a month in a shelter, she was happy to get to her new foster home.
Cocoa knows “sit,” is learning “stay,” and since she likes to inspect things on the counter (although she’s taken nothing), she is learning “off.” Her leash manners are a work in progress, but her foster mom is working on them daily. Formal obedience training would be advised once she is adopted. Cocoa is completely housebroken and does her business in a timely manner on leash, a fine trait in mid-winter. She is crate trained, though is given free roam of the house while her foster parents are away since her canine foster sister gets into more trouble! She loves to ride in the car and is a good passenger. This sweetie rarely barks though she occasionally “talks” while playing with her foster sister.
After a couple of days of adjustment, Cocoa has bonded well with her foster Springer housemate. They sleep near each other, play keep-away with favorite stuffed animals, and occasionally chase each other the length of the house with deep-throated rumbling voices and wagging tails. Though only 18 months old, Cocoa is already showing the ability to listen and learn, quickly realizing that she needs to sit for a leash before she goes outside and stay in the kitchen (for the most part) with an open doorway while her foster parents eat.
Cocoa likes the dog park, playing well with large males and helping her foster sister to be braver in the mixed group of dogs chasing around. She doesn’t seem to have any separation anxiety, settling down fairly quickly when her foster folks go out and when its time for bed at night. Her only minor cries of despair have been when her foster mom has the resident dogs out and she can see them having a fine time in the yard without her.
Her foster parents find Cocoa a positive soul, quiet in the down times, curious and intelligent, amusing and upbeat. Despite her age, she isn’t mouthy and her full tail is wagging most of the time she’s awake. Cocoa will make someone a fine dog, probably preferring either a dog sibling or at least some play-times with others.