Entered: 06/29/2013
Status: Adopted
Age: 5
Color: Black/White
Weight: 61 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Goochland, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, benefiting from a supplement to assist with anxiety,
Temperament: Good with adults, good with children as young as 7, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Update 11/29/2015: “Dexter is a smart boy and loves to learn.”
Dexter returned to MAESSR when one of his owners became seriously ill. The illness caused a lot of upheaval in the home, and Dexter did not handle it well. He started guarding the husband from the wife and, when Dexter growled at the wife a couple of times, the decision was made that he should come back to MAESSR before the situation escalated.
This big boy is back in his original foster home and doing very well. He will bark at other dogs if he is on the big bed and another dog tries to come up. His foster mom tells him to “knock it off” and he does. Good boy, Dexter.
Mr. D. has shown excellent house manners since his return. He is housetrained. He does not use a crate, but is so well behaved that one is not necessary. He still pulls on the leash but settles down fairly quickly for a good walking pace. He is also a good car rider.
Dexter’s foster mom was concerned about Dexter’s anxiety and has started him on an inexpensive supplement that has helped him. He was not in any way destructive…just a little too “concerned” about actions going on around him. She felt he could settle into a new home better if he were not so anxious.
MAESSR’s handsome fellow is a very sweet boy. He needs a family that will work with him to make sure he understands that he cannot be the one in charge. This will be accomplished by practicing his commands with him and teaching him new ones. Dexter is a smart boy and loves to learn. Are you ready to be his friend, leader and teacher?
Original: “Dexter also likes to play fetch and loves to run.”
Dexter came to MAESSR as a result of reported food guarding issues in his Pennsylvania home. Due to the young children in the family and frequent visits from the children’s friends, Dexter’s owners felt it would be best for him to move on to a new home. In addition, the activity level in the home was becoming higher and it seemed that the increased action was contributing to some anxiety on Dexter’s part. In foster care, Dexter has not displayed any of these issues. His foster mom can take food away from him and he is just fine.
Overall, Dexter’s health is excellent. He tolerates grooming well and is fine for baths. He enjoys being brushed and is great about having his ears and feet handled. He is also great with other dogs and people. He tries to engage other dogs in play, and sometimes jumps on people in his excitement to greet them.
Dexter knows the basic commands of “sit,” “come,” “stay,” “paw,” “down,” and “no.” He is also crate trained and uses his crate for between one and five hours at a time. When someone is home, Dexter has the run of the house. He is housetrained and will go to the door and bark if he needs to go out.
Although he does not have a history of counter-surfing, he is a “table shark” who will circle the dinner table in hopes that some food will be dropped on the floor! He does not dig or jump fences.
With a chest harness to ensure that he does not pull, Dexter walks well on leash. When off-leash, Dexter is generally trustworthy. He does have a history of pursuing squirrels or other animals when he spots them. If another dog is nearby, he will take off in the hopes that they want to play with him. Dexter also likes to play fetch and loves to run. Like most Springers, he particularly enjoys it when his run takes him through areas of shallow water.
Dexter is a really wonderful boy. Since young children seem to make him anxious, his foster mom would recommend a home without them. Other than that, he will fit in wonderfully in nearly any home.