Entered: 09/24/2020
Status: Adopted
Age: 6
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 43 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Aberdeen, MD
Health: UTD, HW-, Ehrlichia+ with no treatment needed, attained a good weight, spay surgery complete
Temperament: Good with adults, good with children as young as 12, good with other dogs, good with chickens/ducks, unknown with cats
Original: “She is learning the ‘down’ command since she likes to scale her humans for love and attention.”
Gemma came into MAESSR’s care when a Springer breeder in Maryland developed serious health problems and had to rehome his dogs. Now known as Gretchen in her foster home, she has begun to settle in, leaving behind her life as an outside breeding female.
Gretchen was found to be generally healthy and will be spayed next month. She has tested positive for Ehrlichia but does not need any additional treatments. A little on the thin side, Gretchen needs to gain a few pounds, but she is learning what cookies and regular mealtime are. Although cognizant of the resident dogs’ feeding time and eager to eat, she waits for her foster mom to sit next to her before she begins her meal.
The rules of housetraining are being learned and Gretchen does a great job; she just needs to learn to signal her foster mom when it is time for her to go. The kitchen counter has been checked out, but Gretchen has taken nothing and gets down when corrected. She does not usually pick at the trash, but she was caught pulling out a Doritos bag the other day – she must have had a craving for nacho cheese…
Gretchen loves to chew on balls, toys, and stuffed animals. She mostly carries them around but is very serious about her racquet balls. She will run through any obstacle to chase her ball and jump up to take things from hands even if the ball is not there. For this reason, it is recommended she not be in a home with young children. Gretchen’s foster mom is helping her to relax during this exciting time and to recognize when there are objects in hands or not. This exciting game can be a bit overstimulating for Gretchen; she needs to have set boundaries as she will take balls from the resident dogs’ mouths, although they let her. While her eagerness can be pushy, it is also fun watching her try to get as many balls possible in her mouth at once. How proud she is to grab one, two, then three – with no success –only to gather them in a pile in the yard. Her foster family has had to increase their ball count (thank goodness for next day delivery service!)
Gretchen does not know any formal commands but is learning from the resident dogs some of the basics. When indoors she is fairly calm and listens when called. She will sit for cookies and has learned to take them nicely. However, she would like everyone else’s too. She is learning her boundaries among this pack and has been accepted quickly with little fuss. Gretchen also has learned when it is appropriate to bark at the delivery guy with her foster pack, which is a big event at the house. She is learning the “down” command since she likes to scale her humans for love and attention. She does great on a leash and rides wonderfully in a car. Loud noises like the vacuum or dryer do not bother her, but she wasn’t a real fan of the blow dryer.
Her foster parents have let Gretchen sleep wherever she wants. She has made her way to their bed but will also sleep on a dog bed or floor next to the bed. This girl is just following the rules of the resident pups. When asked to get down, she easily complies. The same rules have applied to furniture and Gretchen seems to sense where she is allowed or not. When corrected, she learns which furniture is dog-available and which is not.
When left home alone with the resident Spaniels for the first time, Gretchen was not happy about it. Although she did not destroy anything, her foster mom watched her on camera and saw that she cried, howled, and paced. She also continuously checked all the windows to see where her family went. It is suggested that she be crated until she has been acclimated to her new environment. Time may be the key to success in this area as again, she seemed concerned that they were not coming back for her – but they did! Crating is something her foster family will try next.
Overall, Gretchen is a great girl. She loves to snuggle as close as possible with her humans and expects them to touch her at all hours. She’s fairly active and loves a good walk or ball chase outside; however, she doesn’t like to give them back. Gretchen would do best with other dogs in the home as she seems to like companionship on some level; it could also help with her anxiety during home-alone time. If you are looking for a great cuddler or Velcro girl, look no further than Gretchen.