Hunter 18 1
Hunter 18 2
Hunter 18 3
Entered: 03/02/2023
Status: Adopted
Age: 2; born 02/06/2021
Color: Black/White
Weight: 45 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Goochland, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, on prescription medication to calm him down so he could be receptive to training, could gain some weight, overall good health
Temperament: Good with adults, unexposed to children, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Original: “As Hunter’s anti-anxiety medication kicks in, his foster family will be able to begin training in earnest.”
Hunter was a very loved dog who ran at the state game lands in Pennsylvania with his dad every day. Unfortunately, his dad injured his back to the point that he was not able to give energetic Hunter the exercise he needed, so the family made the very difficult decision to relinquish Hunter to MAESSR to find him a family that could provide this sweet boy the attention and activity he needs.
Hunter is gradually acclimating to his new environment. Having two resident MAESSR Springers in the house is a real plus for him, and they all get along great with no food or toy possessiveness. Hunter is good with new people once he gets used to them being in the house but is very scared at first. He has not yet been exposed to children but once the weather warms up a bit, he will meet the young neighbor children. When he greets people, he keeps his feet on the ground and does not jump up on them. Good boy, Hunter!
Completely housetrained, Hunter has not had any accidents since he arrived in foster care and he signals his need to go out by barking. Although he was crated by his former family, Hunter doesn’t like being in the crate or being apart from his people. Currently, he is only crated when his foster family goes out. He sleeps on the floor next to his foster parents’ bed all night and is good from about 10 pm until sunrise – unless a scary noise or high winds wake him up and frighten him.
A major issue with Hunter is his barking; he does bark a lot. His original family dealt with this problem by using an anti-bark collar on him and crating him for a “time out.” MAESSR only uses positive reinforcement with its foster dogs, and Hunter’s foster family is working with him on this problem. If his person leaves the space where he is and despite his being in visual contact with his person, Hunter gets very upset and barks. He even tries to get out of the fenced yard even though the other two dogs are with him. If he even thinks playtime is over before he is ready, he barks. His foster parents are hoping that in time as he trusts more and has less anxiety, this will improve. Being on a more structured routine has helped to diminish this barking behavior but this is a work in progress.
His foster parents have learned what Hunter wants/needs and have adapted a schedule for him around that. When they first got him, he would wake up and bark continually until they took him out to play; they had to have him outside for about four hours. Then he would take a little rest and go back out for another three hours. Now, he goes out in the morning and will go back to sleep for at least an hour, sometimes as much as two hours as long as there aren’t noises that bother him. His foster parents can now take him out for play time for 1.5-2 hours and then go inside for breakfast and a nap. Play time happens again for a few hours later in the day. Being on this routine has helped him in his adjustment to his new world.
Hunter is learning some much needed house manners. As a very active youngster, he needs to be kept busy with appropriate activities or he will find things to amuse himself – including chewing on pillows, towels, shoes, or whatever he finds. His foster parents have appropriate things for Hunter to chew on available at all times. He has made progress but still needs work. He is a very active counter-surfer, too, and this is being addressed as well. Hunter will get up on furniture, but readily gets down and sits or lies on the floor when told. With consistent training and time, Hunter will learn how a Springer boy is to behave properly inside the house! He already has one point on the positive column in that he does not jump up on people.
One thing Hunter loves to do is to “sit” and “give paw” because he knows then he gets delicious treats, the ball thrown or cuddles. “Off” and “down” are commands that he does follow. Also, he is very good in the car, especially with the two resident dogs. However, Hunter has demonstrated a stubborn streak and does what he wants, not as he is told. This is shown with the commands “come” and “stay.” He knows what both mean but he doesn’t always “come” when called and he definitely does not “stay.”
Leash manners are a work in progress for Hunter. He does okay within the fenced-in yard, but as soon as he and his person leave those confines, he pulls and ignores commands. Because he is so anxious, a prescription medication has been started for him. If he can calm down, he will be able to focus on training. This is all about becoming adjusted to new environments and new expectations. Hunter is a smart boy, and he will learn.
Hunter boy needs toys in the house to chew on and kongs, sometimes filled, are one of his favorites along with elk and deer antlers. His foster parents have started giving collagen sticks in the late afternoons as a signal that it is time to relax and he is taking to this routine. He is great with the resident dogs in terms of sharing toys and lining up for treats. He is fed away from the two dogs and is eating well.
The foster family uses a mobile vet, but Hunter didn’t want to go in the vet’s van office at all! Too, too scary! But being in the garage with the vet, he did great. His foster parents also have a mobile groomer come to the house. Hunter thought it was okay to go into the van this time because his foster dad went in too! Then, Hunter was great with the whole spa treatment — ears, nails, washing, drying, and trimming. Good boy!
As Hunter’s anti-anxiety medication kicks in, his foster family will be able to begin training in earnest. Watch for more about Hunter in the weeks that come!