Entered: 10/15/2023
Status: Adopted
Age: 3; born 02/07/2020
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 73 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Fairfax Station, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, receiving treatment for whipworms, treatment for ear infections completed but ears will need regular monitoring
Temperament: Good with adults, good with children including young ones, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Update 12/13/2023: “He also loves, loves, loves his people, often leaning into them for cuddles and listening intently to any conversations they have with him.”
It is all good news to report for Dukati. He was neutered and is doing beautifully. The whipworm treatment is still ongoing; it is a three-month process that is expected to end later this month. His fecal matter will be tested, and results determined the week after Christmas. His ear infection cleared up after the vet administered an in-ear treatment that was injected deep into his ear canals. Given the structure of his ear canals, it is hoped that by keeping his ears well-trimmed and carefully monitoring the smell of his ears, future infections can be lessened. His forever family will need to be vigilant when it comes to those Springer ears!
Dukati has met and is fine with young children. He is a very “chill” dog and reacts the same way with people of all ages. He will first be curious; then he will cautiously approach and sniff. From then on, all will be well.
When people approach him as he is eating, Dukati does not react, and he allows a person to take his food away from him. He is also okay if a dog approaches his dog bowl. However, he does react if a dog tries to eat from his bowl or take away a chew toy. That said, he and his resident dog-friend have come to a comfortable agreement to let each other have their own food/treat. Each dog knows not to bother the other in the middle of a meal and everyone remains happy!
Dukati has learned the commands “sit,” “stay,” and “come.” His foster family is working on “shake.” He exhibits great social skills – he is eager to meet new dogs but seems to understand and easily accept it if they don’t want to meet him. He is best buddies with the resident canine and likes to follow him everywhere. His foster brother likes having Dukati around also, but when the 12-year-old gets tired and just wants to rest, Dukati gives him a wide berth. Smart boy!
Dukati is a sweet, gentle, accommodating dog who loves, loves, loves being with another dog or dogs. His foster mom cannot emphasize enough how much he thrives with other dogs around. He also loves, loves, loves his people, often leaning into them for cuddles and listening intently to any conversations they have with him.
The only thing that truly bothers Dukati is the large blow-up Santa Claus and reindeer that have appeared on a neighbor’s front lawn. Dukati is fine with the intended set-up but does not like it when the reindeer lay flat on the ground. His foster mom agrees with him…keep the reindeer inflated!
Dukati would fit in with most households. It would be ideal for him to have one or more doggie companions. Ask about adding this laid-back, sweet boy to your family.
Original: “When Dukati was born, a bundle of love came into the world!”
Dukati came to MAESSR when his Pennsylvania owner unexpectedly passed away, after having imported him from Poland for breeding purposes. He had been living with a large number of other Springers, so he definitely enjoys being with other dogs. He’s such a laid-back, anything-goes kind of guy because he spent three years lounging around with a bunch of females!
He behaved perfectly at his first vet appointment where all of his vaccinations were brought up to date. The staff all remarked what a great dog he is, while he just looked at them with his knowing eyes saying, “Of course I’m a good dog. I love everybody.” Three issues came up during his exam that needed to be addressed. First, he has whip worm so the vet started him on a 3-month treatment plan. So, by mid-January, he will be free of worms. Secondly, he needs to be neutered and an appointment for this is pending. Finally, he has an ear infection, for which he is being treated. With his big, fluffy ears and deep-set ear canals, there is a need to stay vigilant in cleaning them in order to keep his ears from frequent infection. But Dukati is SO worth it, and he tolerates his medicine and eardrops just fine!
This sweetheart is a big boy at 73 pounds, but he wears his weight very well. The only time his weight becomes an issue is when he is invited to go for a car ride. He just stands and looks at his foster family. Rest assured he does well on car rides, choosing to sleep or look calmly out the window, but he apparently does not feel it necessary to exert any effort to get into the car on his own. He thus needs to be lifted in. The benefit of this is the lifter may very well receive a thank-you lick or a chest cuddle as they are hefting him in.
Speaking of cuddles…Dukati LOVES cuddling. Although he will not get up on furniture if his person tells him not to, he really, really, really wants to have as much cuddle time as possible. This is not bothersome at all because he does not whine or bark for attention, but his foster family finds this desire to cuddle completely irresistible. He will sit up close against his person or press his head below their neck and be happy to just be with them.
Dukati walks extremely well on a leash, which is a bit surprising because he previously got outdoor exercise from having his leash attached to a wire line outdoors. He prefers walking next to his person, on the right side, but he still does that Springer zig-zag in front and behind when there’s a good scent. He does not pull. He probably could be trusted off leash because he clearly wants to be near his people. When he is out in the fenced-in wooded backyard, he wanders a little bit to explore but likes to stay nearby. When he sees or hears something unexpected, he will stop dead in his tracks and show a little concern. It takes a little coaxing to reassure him that all is okay and he and his human partner can continue on.
On one of his daily walks, he froze. His foster mom reassured him everything was fine, but when she resumed walking, he slipped his head out of his collar and started to run back home. Foster mom called his name and hollered a few commands but his fear of something—still a mystery what– was too great. He ignored foster mom until he realized a couple seconds later that she wasn’t with him. He then abruptly stopped, turned, saw her, and waited for her to reach him. He happily let her put his collar back on, this time a bit tighter, and they continued their walk. This has not happened since.
His foster mom assumes Dukati would do well with children of all ages, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. He is great with adults and teen-agers, but the youngest person he’s met since coming to his foster home was 12 years old.
This sweetheart is generally good with other dogs, including the resident 12-year-old blind dog. He wants to meet, greet, and play with other dogs but if they are not interested, he avoids them. He allows humans to do whatever with his food, but he has shown some food aggression with other dogs. His foster family is working on that with him and are supervising the two dogs at meal time. As long as one of his people stands between them for the duration of the 60 seconds it takes for them to each devour their kibble, all goes well. It is unknown how he is with cats.
Dukati is doing wonderfully in his foster home. He is perfectly housetrained. Although he does not have a signal for needing to go outside, he has not had any accidents. He is taken out several times a day, in addition to walks, and all is well. It is unknown how he would do in a crate, as he was not crate-trained. Because he is such a well-behaved boy, he is allowed anywhere in the house. He has never been left alone by himself, but when he and his blind brother are left alone, they just hang out like a couple of lazy teenagers. So far, there have been no wild parties!
At night, he sleeps either right next to the side of the bed or on the bed which is allowed in his foster home. While his foster family initially were set on keeping him off all furniture, his sweet disposition melted their hearts and so he now gets to go wherever he wants. Foster mom is certain he could be easily trained to stay off furniture, and he’d go along with it, but he would very sad deep down inside since he loves to be close to his people.
Dukati does not counter-surf, but he will occasionally stand up on his hind legs to see what’s on the kitchen counter. It doesn’t happen often, and when it does happen, he responds well to gentle admonishment. There are no chewing issues.
The perfect forever home for Dukati would be one that has at least one other dog, preferably one willing to play with him. It would also be super-nice if he was allowed to continue sharing his people’s furniture. Most of all, it is absolutely necessary that everyone in the family enjoys cuddles!
If you bring Dukati into your family, you will agree with his foster mom that when Dukati was born, a bundle of love came into the world!