Eric

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Updated 9/6/07: With time to put the excitement of a new home behind him, Eric has settled and become much easier to live with. His house training has come along steadily and he is largely accident free. At night he is limited to the bedroom by a baby gate and is reliable for an 8-hour night. He doesn’t need a crate there anymore. During the day when his foster family is away, he is using his crate, and, with much less complaint than when he first arrived. He has found that his crate is where meals are served and that goodies such as loaded Kongs or marrow bones are to be found there, so spending time there isn’t so bad. His family did try giving him the freedom of the kitchen for a few days but discovered Eric on top of the kitchen table, watching out the window for their return– too much freedom for Eric at this time!

Eric is so attentive to his people that teaching him new skills is a lot of fun. He has a nice “down” now, will “load up” into the pickup, “go to kennel,” “wait” for his people to go up or down stairs first or through doors, and is improving his leash walking. He doesn’t jump on people as much but isn’t above putting his paws up if they reach in his direction.  There is still some work to be done there. One heartening scene where he did behave beautifully was at an open market when a 5-year-old reached hands out to pet his handsome face and Eric was as gentle with the little boy as the little boy was with him. The encounter was brief but quite encouraging.

In his foster home Eric plays daily with the resident ESS and his wrestling skills are improving. He’s not always toppled now. When he meets other dogs out in public, he will get very excited and bark out his greeting or lunge to get a head start toward play. Such greetings are not always welcomed by strangers so his foster mom is working to improve his socialization with new dogs and this will need to continue in his adopting home. Once a dog gets past Eric’s boisterous greeting, Eric will allow him to sit alongside without a problem.

Retrieving remains Eric’s favorite game and it is truly a treat to watch him gallop across the meadow after a tennis ball, time and time again. He also has showed some interest in feathers. Hmmmmm. He can settle after a good workout for an entire evening at his family’s feet. Eric is a tender yet confident youngster who needs continuing guidance and training as he matures into full adulthood and will surely become a gem of a companion for the humans in his forever pack.

Original: Eric had a run in with the police but the outcome was definitely in his best interest. They gave Eric a ride from his wanderings around a retail parking lot to a town shelter in northern Pennsylvania. Clearly being a Springer, a local all-breed rescue spotted him and contacted MAESSR. The group then kenneled him privately until a foster home could be arranged. Lucky boy!! This handsome youngster is in very good condition. At 38 pounds Eric is a good weight and has a clean coat. He has tons of curls on his topline that his foster mom will try to flatten but the gorgeous waves on his ears won’t be touched. With noticeably large feet, he has some filling out to do but that will come with normal maturing.

In his foster home Eric lives with 2 Springers, a 2-year-old male and a 10-year-old female. Eric wants to play with both and can be demanding of their attention. He is successful with the male who tolerates Eric’s “in your face” approach and they are a fair match. With greater experience, the resident consistently topples Eric but this doesn’t faze him. Eric has a grin on his face whether he’s leaping onto the resident or belly up and pinned to the ground. The female is another story. When Eric pushes into her space, she will warn him with appropriate grumbles. After several days of attempts, he is beginning to read and respect her doggie signals for “not interested.”  

With people, Eric is truly a lover and desirous of living close. He is excitable and will bark initially at strangers but then quiets and warms to all. He is comfortable with sitting on one’s feet or one’s lap. To be sure he is noticed, Eric is also comfortable with jumping on people. He just doesn’t know it’s bad manners. His foster family is teaching him that to receive petting or treats, one’s tail must be on the floor and he’s catching on. He follows his foster mom from room to room and sleeps in a crate bedside at night. His other house manners are quite good with no chewing, no counter-surfing and no interest in the trashcan. He rides well in a crate.

Toys don’t attract Eric but he does like to retrieve a tennis ball. He’s so pleased each time he brings it back! He is gentle when groomed and accepts all the attention until the electric clippers are turned on. He is quite afraid of them, so some work toward overcoming that has started.

Other work is underway. Between his excitable nature and the possibility that he was never trained, Eric has had accidents in his foster home. He has started basic housetraining and is making nice progress.

He is also learning that he can be quiet and enjoy a stuffed Kong in his crate while his foster family is away from home. His vocal protests at their leaving are diminishing daily. When he first arrived, Eric rejected all treats, but he has since decided that they are yummy. This is helping him to learn basic commands. He is smart and has a nice “sit” and is working on “down.”

How such a nice boy ended up alone in a parking lot will remain a mystery but one thing is certain. He welcomes being in a home and needs one with people who will enjoy working with him. Eric’s got great potential!  Are you ready to invest your time and heart in this one?