Entered: 07/02/2006
Status: adopted
Age: 3
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, good in all areas
Temperament: Good with adults and mature teenagers, good with dogs, cats unknown
Updated 7/25/06: Drake continues to impress all who meet him with what a sweet dog he is. He’s been getting out and about a bit so that his confidence improves. He exhibited excellent manners at the pet store. He has also visited friends to get acquainted with the entire family. When they found out how much Drake loves to play fetch, the tennis balls were brought out and Drake was soon chasing them. When one of the balls was accidentally thrown in the swimming pool, Drake jumped right in after it! He proved himself to be a good swimmer and doggie paddled right over to the side and climbed out when his name was called. Good boy!!!
He also continues to improve steadily on the leash. Despite his age Drake’s adopting family might consider taking him to obedience class. It would increase his confidence and hasten his attachment to them. He is already so well behaved that he would surely be the star pupil!
Original: Drake is a very sweet dog! When he arrived at his foster home, he jumped out of the car with his tail wagging, even after a long journey. He had traveled from a shelter in central Maryland where he was turned in because his family was moving and chose not to take him with them. He quickly settled into the routine of the household, including use of the pet door. He is completely house trained and has the run of the house, along with another Springer, while his foster mom is at work.
His foster mom is finding that Drake is initially cautious of strangers. He barks at them, and there has been some submissive urination, but he warms up in less than 5 minutes! As he meets more people, the submissive urination is going away. After initial greetings, he behaved beautifully at the vet and at the groomer.
Drake knows a number of basic commands “sit”, “stay”, “come”, and “get off”. While he loves to sit on all of the furniture, he will get off immediately when told to do so. In fact, he always responds quickly when corrected. Drake is also very responsive to his name; he perks right up when he hears it. The people in Drake’s forever home will need only a gentle hand to guide him in good manners and appropriate behavior.
His two great loves are his tennis ball and people. Drake adores playing fetch. Depending on how he’s feeling, he may give the ball back to his foster mom. On the other hand, he may expect her to fetch it! Once the ball is thrown, Drake may gallop around the yard 3 or 4 times before he brings the ball back to the vicinity of his foster mom. He gets a lot of exercise that way. Drake also wants to be near his people. He soaks up all the hugs and kisses he can get, and he follows his foster mom everywhere.
Drake is a young Springer with plenty of energy. He enjoys fetch but needs more experience to feel comfortable on the leash. He is still a bit overwhelmed with all of the different sights, sounds and smells in his new surroundings. This is expected to pass as he becomes more secure. He’s always ready to play ball, but Drake is generally quiet, not boisterous, or rowdy. Sometimes, he’s so quiet, it’s easy to forget he’s settled under the table right at his foster mom’s feet. If you are ready for a wonderful companion with lots of playfulness, and without the antics and training requirements of a puppy, Drake may be an absolutely perfect match for you!!