Freckles 12

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Updated 9/24/07: Freckles has been in his foster home for nearly three weeks and has easily wormed his way into everyone’s hearts. He is a good boy in his crate or in his room, though he would prefer to be with his people. His family has confirmed that Freckles is not a friend of kitties but that when tested with an 18-month toddler, he did fine. He did lick a lot of little fingers, much to the delight of the little one. Since Freckles has never proven to be good at living with children, he is looking for a home with no young ones under 12 but visiting children would be just fine.

At his checkup with the vet, Freckles was excellent and had his anal glands expressed while there. His previous owners advised that this needs to be done regularly, possibly every month or so. The procedure is quite easy to do and Freckles is very patient when having it done.

With settling Freckles has started to enjoy some casual games of fetch and chase. He play bows and runs around and is just adorable when he dances and scoots around for treats. He has been to two small picnics with his foster mom and has liked everyone he’s met and, of course, he knows that all the people are there to see him! He also enjoys the occasional lap time cuddle.

Freckles will visit the groomer this week so he can look his absolute best when meeting his new family. Fall is a perfect time of year to bring additional companionship into your life. Do you need a little walking partner and lap warmer?

Original: A few years ago, Freckles was found by a family in Virginia who used to work with Long Island Springer Rescue. They knew he was a Springer and were shocked to find this cute boy running loose. Upon canvassing the neighborhood, they found his family and discovered that with five children in his home, Freckles was often getting out and running loose. They gave the family suggestions on what to do and also told them that rescue could help if they couldn’t handle him. A short time later, they showed up with him on their doorstep and asked for help for him.

Freckles’ rescuers became his family. They worked very hard on training Freckles to respond to many commands and they taught him that relieving himself on a leash walk was acceptable although he preferred to go hide to do his business. All was going wonderfully until his dad was diagnosed with cancer and his family needed to focus all of their energy on his care. Freckles also did not get along with the male springer owned by the family’s adult daughter.  Considering all of these circumstances, his family felt their only alternative, a heartbreaking one, was to re-home Freckles.

Freckles has proven to be a very sweet boy in his foster home. He really enjoys cuddle time with his foster mom and going for walks around the neighborhood. He walks fairly well on leash, but if he sees new people, he pulls, clearly thinking everyone is there to see him! Freckles is housetrained and goes to the door when he has to go out. He is good when left in a small bedroom or the laundry room when his foster mom leaves the house. He is currently crated at night, but he would prefer to sleep with his people or on a dog bed. At just 36 pounds, Freckles is a small bed partner for a male springer. Freckles voluntarily goes in his crate for a treat and he can be picked up and put in his crate; however, he’s not happy to be in there. He would prefer to be with his people.

A beautiful boy with a gorgeous, shiny, silky coat, Freckles is good when he is groomed. Most importantly, Freckles has a heart of gold with his people. He follows his foster mom all around the house and loves to hop up on the bed and lay right down beside her as if this were his rightful place. This is understandable behavior since in his previous home, he was allowed on the furniture. He is only allowed this leniency in his foster home because of his limited access elsewhere in the house because of his fear of other dogs.

Freckles lived with a senior female springer in his previous home and they were great together. But when she passed away, he no longer liked the regular visits from the four-year-old male springer belonging to the family’s daughter. In his foster family, there are multiple resident Springers and, so far, it appears Freckles is afraid of them. He first barks and jumps at them, and then, he either runs or grabs at them. Finally, he turns away. This is all done in quick motions and indicates that it is fear that keeps him on edge around other dogs. For this reason, his foster family thinks Freckles would do best as an only dog. Also, because Freckles lived with young children in the past who tormented him and let him run loose, he needs an adult home or one with teenage kids.

Freckles rides nicely in the car and knows “sit” and “come” along with other commands. He tries all the tricks in his repertoire to get treats. Freckles LOVES treats! Also, he will beg mildly for people food. If he is not getting enough human attention, he will lightly jump on people to remind them that they should be petting him.

If you are looking for a companion to idolize and adore you, Freckles is your boy!