Gunther

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Update: August 20, 2003:

Gunther is now with a wonderful family.

Update: August 3, 2003: 
Gunther’s flea infestation and skin infections are all cleared up. He does have dry eye which requirest the application of artificial tears daily. Currently his foster family goes through one tube every 2 weeks ($13 each). They are going to check with their vet to see if they can use an over the counter subsitute. He is on limited activity while he recovers from his neutering. It’s a hard thing to keep this active happy boy quiet! 

Gunther is completely housebroken. He is timid, and is easily scared by noises and anything out of the ordinary. His foster home has had problems keeping him off the bed at night, as he apparently slept on the bed at his previous home. Whoever adopts him will either have to be persistent or want a dog to sleep with them. He is also a big licker and gets very excited when you come home (lots of jumping up and face licking) whether you’ve been gone for 7 hours or 7 minutes. His foster family has been ignoring him when he does this in an effort to break the behavior. Again, the adoptive family is going to have continue to work on this or enjoy his exuberance. He also counter surfs (we think he’s used to being fed from the table), but he does get down when told. You just have to keep an eye on him when there’s food about. He is interested in the trash when you put something in it but leaves it alone when told “no”. His foster home has had no problems with him getting into the trash, or countersurfing while they are out.

Original: 
Gunther was in the Anne Arundel SPCA shelter. He was dropped off by his family who said they could no longer afford to feed him. He was flea-infested and has sores all over his body. He has scratched so much that he is almost bald on his hind quarters and elsewhere his hair is thin. He had a terrible eye infection because his tear glands are not able to produce enough tears to keep his eyes healthy (keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) or “dry eye”). They are healing well but he will require daily treatment with artificial tears. He is a tall Springer but only weighs in at 48 pounds. A lot of that weight must be in his paws; they are massive!

Gunther is a lovely, affectionate boy. He loves being close to people. He is very timid, but is gradually gaining confidence. He gets on very well with the resident male Springer, even though the resident Springer wasn’t very friendly at first! He is playful with other dogs and is wary of male strangers if approached but will happily approach them. He has shown the usual Springer interest in birds and loves being in the water but hasn’t worked out how to swim yet! He marked the house twice when he first arrived but goes to the door when he needs to go out. He is very inquisitive and very smart. He loves eating ice; we were running out of ideas of how to hide his medication, but then discovered we could just give it to him with an ice cube! The first few days, he did whine and bark when left alone initially but seemed to settle down quickly and now he is quiet when left. At his previous family, he was caged during the day and slept on the girl’s bed at night. He does get on the furniture but will get down when told. He lived with teenagers, got on well with the family cat, is not food aggressive and has completed basic training. He knows “sit” and “down” and how to give his paw, but he does need more obedience training. He doesn’t respond well to “come” and he jumps up on people (us and female strangers), but don’t think badly of him – the previous owner had taught him to give her a hug. He walks well on the leash and travels well in the car. He is a gentle guy and will make a great addition to any family.

Gunther needs someone who can give him a lot of love and keep his eyes bright. Can he lie at your feet?