Daffy

---

Original:

Daffy came to MAESSR from a Pennsylvania shelter where she had been relinquished because her owners thought she wasn’t getting along with their other dog. This owner had re-homed Daffy from an elderly neighbor couple and had her for about a year. What Daffy would do is actually just rather normal Springer behavior; she wouldn’t let the family pay attention to their other dog without butting in so she could get more attention. Hello! She’s a Springer! Her foster mother has seen Daffy display this behavior at times, maybe not as much as the resident male Springer does. A little re-direction and firmness if needed takes care of it.

This sweet, beautiful, mellow, plus-sized gal walked into her foster home and soon made herself at home. Daffy quickly made friends with the other female foster and two resident dogs, a male Springer and female Beardie mix, all three senior dogs. Although she and the resident male Springer like to exchange kisses, they did have a little tiff over a lone tennis ball. It was over quickly, but Daffy cried briefly after the squabble even though she started it. Daffy’s only cat exposure while in foster care has been an encounter with one while on a walk. She tried to chase it but did not pursue it once the cat bolted down the sidewalk. 

Daffy is well-behaved in the house and has not done any inappropriate chewing. However, she did steal some hot dog buns off the side of the gas grill, but quickly walked away from the buns when she was caught red-handed! This counter-surfing surprised her foster mom because she thought Daffy’s chubbiness would prevent her from being able to do this! Daffy reportedly gets in the trash, but her foster mother hasn’t had issues with this as yet. At mealtime, she will quietly watch while her human eats, constantly hoping to get lucky. At her former home Daffy was allowed on the furniture and slept in her humans’ bed. Normally, foster dogs are not allowed to sleep in bed with this foster mom, but she confesses to making an exception for Daffy. Truth be told, Daffy quickly melted her foster mom’s heart when she took a liking to the family’s late Springer’s stuffed bunny and now carries it around like the departed Springer always did. Golly, who came blame Daffy’s foster mom? 

Just because she needs to drop a few pounds, it does not mean that Daffy does not like to play and exercise. On the contrary, Daffy is a playful pup who loves to chase tennis balls but doesn’t always easily give them up so her foster mom can throw them for her. She will run after the resident Springer’s tennis balls while carrying her own ball in her mouth! Daffy gives the resident Springer a run for his money! When out for a leash walk, Daffy really pulls so she needs some remedial leash work. She’s so smart that her foster mom doesn’t think that will take long. The shelter’s info sheet indicated Daffy rarely required exercise. Based on her weight and leash behavior, her foster mom suspects she was rarely offered exercise. 

So far, Daffy has responded to commands “sit,” “lie down,” and “give paw.” She has good recall and probably isn’t a high flight risk. In order to seek attention, Daffy tends to jump up on people or bat her paw, but she has been improving since her foster mother is discouraging this behavior and is reinforcing patiently sitting for attention. Daffy is a great passenger in the car; she crawls into the back seat, watches out the window, and sleeps. 

While her foster mom is at work, Daffy has been crated. She is in the crate for about eight hours with a break for lunch. The first few days she whined and barked for a few minutes following her foster mom’s departure. Now that Daffy is used to the routine, this is not an issue. She runs in the crate like a bolt of lightning if a treat is thrown in the back. Otherwise, Daffy does not go in with verbal prompting. Soon, her foster mother will try giving Daffy limited run of the house with resident dogs. She’s definitely a Velcro Springer and likes to be near her people! Daffy barks on occasion, usually at people walking by on the sidewalk, but she stops with prompting. 

Daffy has had no accidents since her arrival. Her foster mom generally lets dogs out on a schedule, but Daffy will reportedly go to her humans and whine if she needs out. Daffy has been eating grain-free food since coming to her foster home. She apparently enjoys it as her foster mother has switched her to a brake-fast bowl to slow her down. She has been fed separately from the other dogs as her two foster sisters are much slower eaters. She enjoys her treats and will pounce on any crumbs which may fall from foster siblings’ mouths. Her foster mom has noted no resource guarding.

Daffy really enjoys being brushed and bathed; she relishes this attention. Even when her foster mom tugs a little too hard detangling the knots in her ears, Daffy has tolerated the mild discomfort. She has not had her nails trimmed yet, but she allows foster mom to handle her feet. Daffy did well at the vet’s office and was a big hit with the staff. She tried to make friends with the dogs, including the police dog in the waiting room. She tested positive for Lyme and was prescribed antibiotics. The vet confirmed what foster mom already knew: at 59 pounds Daffy needs to lose some weight. The good news is that Daffy has already lost a couple pounds! The vet also identified Daffy as having calluses on her front legs from resting on hard surfaces for prolonged periods.

Don’t let this gal’s silly name fool you. She’s certainly no daffy dog! Prospective adopters, however, would definitely be daffy for letting this keeper get away.