Entered: 01/30/2013
Status: Adopted
Age: 6
Color: Black/White
Weight: 55 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Branchville, NJ
Health: UTD, HW-, overall good health
Temperament: Good with people as young as 9, may react to other dogs, good with dog-savvy cats
Update 12/21/2013: “In Dewey’s perfect world, he would be able to run and run and run and chase squirrels and birds to his heart’s content.”
Dewey has been living in his adoptive home for 10 months with a very senior male Springer. The older dog was the dominant of the pair and Dewey seemed quite content with this arrangement. Recently, however, the old guy became weaker and Dewey became much more physical with his “brother.” Their owners think the senior is feeling threatened and reluctantly asked MAESSR to help Dewey find a new home.
This is a strong young man with a love of the outdoors. In Dewey’s perfect world, he would be able to run and run and run and chase squirrels and birds to his heart’s content. Inside his house, he is as Velcro a Springer as his folks have ever seen. He is never away from them………especially his mom, laying under the table next to her chair as she eats or reads the paper, perching on the chair cushion over her head as she reads, or squeezing into the desk “well” when she works on the computer. And, fortunately, his mom and dad are content to share their bed with him and have learned to keep counters clear of food and the trash compactor closed as their guy is a champion counter-surfer and trash diver. He has them well trained!
Cutie, as he is called because of his markings that turn his pant into a smile, has had a lot of schooling this year. He took a “high school” obedience course (basic obedience for older dogs), beginning agility instruction (he was a star) and just finished a 6-week Canine Good Citizen prep. Dewey is a “situational learner.” In each course, he took a week or so to adjust to the other people and dogs, but then behaved quite appropriately. He knows “sit,” “down,” “stay,” “here,” “off,” different agility commands (bar, weave, ramp, tire, tunnel) and will go through his repertoire on and off leash. His mom could not believe at the beginning of it all that he would actually be able to sit off leash with others around and come at a run when called. Dewey is pulled off task by every sound, smell, person, bike, squirrel, or dog and responds with pulling and lunging. He is walked with a Gentle Leader and does quite well without distactions, but his bad manners when others approach have not improved. He will sit, stay, calm down and approach a stationary person, but becomes totally worked up with moving objects whether they have feet or wheels. Outside of his fenced-in yard, he cannot be trusted off leash. Although his recall has improved, running just feels too good to him.
Like the little girl with the curl, when Dewey is good, he is very, very good, but when he hears an outside noise or person at the door, he responds by barking and trying to reach the source. His mom feels extra exercise would greatly alleviate this behavior.
Dewey should be in a single dog home or possibly a home with a dominant dog as he has shown he does respond to others’ dominance. He needs to be in a place where he can fill his need to run and run and run. This fellow is a love of a dog and will always be near your side. Are you ready to open your home to him?
Original: “With good house manners, Dewey does not beg or counter-surf despite the fact that he is tall enough to do so with ease.”
Dewey and his littermate, Jax III, had been together since birth – living with the same owner until sadly the owner experienced severe financial difficulties, lost his home and had to surrender these boys to a Pennsylvania shelter. Although the owner had reported to the shelter that the Springer brothers were bonded and they should be placed together, once in their MAESSR foster home, they demonstrated an intensifying physical sibling rivalry which necessitated their being moved to separate homes. The vet discovered old scars showing that this behavior may not have been a recent development.
In his current foster home, Dewey is quite content in allowing the resident twelve year old ESS to continue being boss. None of the dominant tendencies that were apparent when he lived with Jax have been seen. While Dewey and the resident Springer have exchanged comments once or twice, both responded to a loud “NO” and settled down immediately. The pair is almost always in the same room and near their human family. Dewey has not engaged in any resource guarding, and while he and the resident Springer are fed in different rooms and kept apart until each has finished his food, they have calmly accepted treats at the same time. Dewey tried barking at the resident elderly cat, but since she was not impressed, he now either ignores her or tries to make her run so he can chase her. So, if a cat will be part of his future home, it should be one who is not intimidated by dogs.
Dewey is housetrained, but does not seem to have a signal to ask to go out or it has yet to be understood by his foster parents. It may be that he had a doggie door or was out in a fenced in yard for a good part of the day in his previous home so never had to ask to be let out. For now, his foster family is trying to observe him more closely and take him outside frequently. His records do not indicate that he was crate trained and one has not been used in his foster home. He and the resident Springer have had the run of the house for several hours at a time with no problem. He has left signs that he has looked out the windows while alone, but he has not been destructive in any way. He has made himself comfortable in bed with his foster family at night, but will move when told “off.” Dewey does bark at outdoor noises¯ especially the poodle next door! He has met and readily accepted a number of visitors—but does bark when someone comes to the door.
With good house manners, Dewey does not beg or counter-surf despite the fact that he is tall enough to do so with ease. He has not done any trash diving nor shown interest in the trash compactor when it has been open. He does love the couch and is a cuddler, but, again, responds to “off.”
Dewey knows “sit,” “stay” (not for long, though!), “come” (from a short distance), “shake,” and “off.” He learned that he needs to sit for his leash to be put on and taken off and for the door to be opened. A very strong boy, he pulls at his leash when something catches his attention, but is the poster boy for a Gentle Leader when it is used. He climbs in the car readily and settles down quickly for a ride.
Although generally a perfect gentleman at both the vet’s office and the groomer, Dewey did move his feet to show he did not wish to have them touched. The vet later discovered a burr deep between the pads in his paw so this could have caused his discomfort. He does have some joint stiffness as well.
Watch for more on Dewey as his foster parents get to know him better and his personality unfolds!