Dice

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Update 02/15/09: With his heartworm treatment complete, Dice was neutered. His birthday was also discovered to be January 26, so this boy has had something else to celebrate recently. His only continuing need, health wise, is to have his ears cleaned frequently. They get very dirty, very quickly.

Dice is progressing nicely in his foster home. He is happy. He gets along very well with the resident female Springer and plays with her. He still hasn’t figured out what toys are but is starting to figure out what to do with a rawhide. He is crated while his foster mom is gone and at night and he goes in the crate easily on his own. He takes food very gently. Dice is not food possessive and will give it up to his foster sister if she wants it. Well, until her mom catches her; then Dice gets it back!

He is starting to trust other humans and has approached strangers on walks for petting. As long as the resident dog goes first, he is okay. He is so good at the vet’s office that they have used him as a “model” on new machines they want to add to their website. He is indifferent to cats at the vet’s office. He does counter surf and has bagged some pretty tasty treasures this way, including an entire package of English muffins! He isn’t a garbage patroller, but he will drink from the toilet if it is more convenient than his water dish. He likes to lay on cool tile floors, so he’ll hole up in the bathroom during the day. He doesn’t get up on furniture but did make a running leap for the bed one day, but he minds very well.

Dice is still nervous around other dogs that live outside his foster home and will hide in the bushes if the neighbor’s dog is outside. He barks outside if he is being approached in his fenced yard by a neighbor but doesn’t bark in the house. He is quiet during the day while his foster mom works and sleeps curled up at her feet. He has had no more accidents in the house.

His foster mom hasn’t been able to take him on walks lately because of his heartworm treatment and the neutering but Dice will gain more and more confidence as he meets more people and dogs.

His favorite thing to do in the morning is snuggle with his foster mom while she drinks her morning java. He will even forsake his food (which he loves!) one-on-one belly rubbing, snuggling adventures. He likes to lay on his back with all his paws stretched out. He practically goes into a trance-like state during these belly rubs and absolutely hates them to end.

If you have a resident dog that wouldn’t mind showing Dice the ropes and you have a quieter household and neighborhood that Dice can gain trust in, he may be the perfect match for you.

Original: Dice was a breeder relinquishment to a kill shelter in North Carolina that was full. MAESSR quickly came to his rescue. Dice had a dicey start with MAESSR as he got very car sick on the drive and came with a boat load of problems including fleas, ticks, ear infections, and heartworms; however, he still managed to be at a healthy weight of 49 pounds and have silky fur, great teeth, and bright eyes. His fleas, ticks, and ear infections are gone, and he only needed one heart worm treatment as he had a very mild case.

This handsome boy is very sweet but was not housetrained. He has learned quickly and has not had any accidents recently. Dice goes in the crate easily and will rest quietly there. When his foster parents are out of the house, Dice is crated. At night he has not been crated recently and he does fine sleeping quietly through the night with the resident female dog on a dog pillow.

Inside the house, Dice has nice manners and does not counter surf. He knows how to sit, and he takes treats very gently. He is generally quiet and does not bark unless he feels like joining in with his foster sister, but in most cases, he chooses not to. Dice prefers to communicate his happiness by thumping his full tail. He is starting to play with his foster sister, but because of his recent heartworm treatment, his foster parents have thought it best to keep him calm and resting for a little while longer.

Dice is frightened of anything outside the house – cats, dogs, and humans included. His foster parents are exposing him to more and more of the outside world and he is gaining confidence. Because of his timidness, he is a natural heeler, walking perfectly by his foster mom’s side in the case he might want to hide from people or animal interaction. He does not growl when approached by dogs or humans but will shake and try to hide.

Dice’s personality will come out as he starts to trust the humans and other dogs in this world, and he will make a loving family a wonderful pet in the near future. This one’s worth a roll of the dice! You and he will come out winners!