Entered: 08/18/2008
Status: Adopted
Age: 4
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, treatment for kennel cough complete
Temperament: Good with people as young as 4, good with dogs, not good with cats
Update 09/11/08:
With a recovery from his bout with kennel cough complete, Fudge’s personality is shining through. He has also been neutered and is doing quite well. Fudge continues to be a very well-behaved boy around the house and has started to play with toys occasionally. He doesn’t seem to know that balls are for chasing but he will chase after fuzzy toys. He doesn’t always bring them back but is starting to understand the fun of chasing a thrown toy.
While on walks Fudge still pulls but his foster family has started using a Gentle Leader. While the Gentle Leader is on, Fudge is a pleasure to walk. He really enjoys his walks and will walk as long as his foster dad is willing. Fudge loves to run in the backyard and patrols it, diligently watching for any dangerous rabbits! The resident Springer and Fudge have worked out whatever differences they had and now are very happy in each other’s company. They are both feeling much better now, so their health was likely a factor in the couple issues they had initially.
Fudge has displayed some anxiety when left alone. When he first came into foster care, his worry showed through his barking. He will bark now for a few minutes when his foster family leaves, but he has made great progress in this regard. His family has done some work with desensitization techniques and Fudge is really responding. Now he realizes that he is not being left alone permanently. He will initially need a little patience when he moves to his forever home, but Fudge will be fine after he adjusts to the new household schedule.
Fudge is a gentle boy. He just loves attention and will sit for hours while being petted. He is a real Velcro Springer and is never far away from his foster family. Some of his foster family’s neighbors have fallen in love with Fudge and his gentle way. Fudge is ready to meet his new forever family and will make a great addition to the family.
Original:
It was a close call when Fudge found himself in a shelter in eastern Pennsylvania that was full and needed space for other arrivals. His owners had surrendered him there, leaving only vague information about him. When the call went out for a family to foster Fudge, one quickly offered and he was pulled to safety.
Fudge came into foster care looking very healthy and happy. However, on his second day, he started coughing. A visit to the vet confirmed what his foster family suspected – Fudge had kennel cough. He spent a couple days in the shelter before MAESSR sprung him, so he very likely contracted the disease while there. He was a very sick boy for a couple days but has been responding to his treatment. His appetite has returned and he is regaining his energy. He has not played with toys yet, but this may change as he regains his strength.
This boy has excellent house manners. Fudge does not bother with the trash, does not counter surf, beg for food, chew anything inappropriate or get on furniture. He does like to try to sneak on the couch at night but has opted for a comfy dog bed next to his foster family’s bed. When it’s time for a walk, Fudge will sit patiently waiting for his foster dad to put his leash on. Fudge does pull when on walks and is overly interested in other dogs while out. This hopefully will change once Fudge is neutered. He is also showing an interest in chasing rabbits and squirrels while walking and, of course, this may just be the spirited Springer coming out in him.
Fudge has a curious and funny behavior – he likes to watch TV! His favorite shows are, of course, anything with a dog. If he hears a dog bark on TV, he will study the screen intently and watch the dog move around. He also has shown an interest in other animals on TV. It is funny to watch him stare at the TV so intently. Fudge is crated while his foster family is at work because there have been a couple moments of tension between him and the resident Springer, but they have been fine together virtually all the time. His foster family suspects the tensions arose because both dogs were feeling under the weather and both wanted attention at the same time. Fudge did not like being crated his first couple days in foster care, but he has settled down when crated.
Stay tuned for updates on this good looking boy.