Entered: 06/24/2018
Status: Adopted
Age: 14
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 45 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Rockville, MD
Health: UTD, HW-, Lyme and Erlichea+treatments complete, fatty lipomas benign, poor hearing, lean and fit with only slight arthritis
Temperament: Good with adults, unknown with children, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Original: “Don’t think that Izzy is a little old man; he is a 14 year old ‘puppy’ with all that that implies in terms of activity and playfulness.”
When a Virginia Springer owner became very ill and was unable to take care of Izzy and his housemate Chip, he knew the boys needed to be rehomed. It gave him great comfort knowing his beloved Springers were coming into MAESSR’s care and they would continue to have loving homes for the rest of their lives.
Don’t think that Izzy is a little old man; he is a 14 year old “puppy” with all that that implies in terms of activity and playfulness. So far he only chews dog toys and tennis balls which he eviscerates very quickly! It didn’t take him long to find the toy basket which had been basically untouched by previous canine occupants. Izzy has significantly reduced the inventory through his hearty chewing! His foster mom watches carefully to make sure he does not eat those squeakers. His right front canine is broken and his front teeth worn down to the gums so this has been a long time behavior. His foster mom would not recommend any Nylabones for him because of his voracious chewing and the risk to more damaged teeth.
Izzy showed no fear at the vet and he was a good boy. Testing found that he was positive for both Lyme disease and Erlichea so he has been started on a month of Doxycycline. The vet said the symptoms of Erlichea are listlessness or reduced activity and she said she’d hate to see what Izzy would be like if he were more energetic! Izzy has several probable fatty lipomas and the vet recommended x-raying the one on his right foot at a later date to be sure it is not in the bone. Izzy demonstrated a little arthritis in his left hip and elbow but nothing severe. He also has limited hearing. The vet was pleased with how lean and fit Izzy is.
Housetrained, Izzy will go to a door when he wants out and he has mastered the dog door. Smart boy, Izzy! He does not like being outside alone and will bark until he is let inside. Since no visitors have come to the house since Izzy arrived in foster care, it’s not known if he will bark at strangers or even hear the doorbell; however, he does not bark at the fence when people or dogs walk past. Izzy has met the neighbors and their dog and interacted in a very friendly manner. No encounters with children or cats have happened yet.
Izzy is crate trained and at night sleeps in a crate in his foster mom’s bedroom next to the resident dog’s crate. If given a chance, he will get on furniture and is a beggar/sniffer at meal time.
Due to apparent poor hearing, Izzy does not respond well to verbal commands and his foster family will work more on hand signals. He gives evidence of knowing basic commands of “sit,” “down,” and “go out/away.” Because he is a typical Velcro Springer, his foster family can’t say much for his “come” but that is a must for training hand signals. Izzy pulls when walked with a collar and also with a harness, so his foster parents started with the Halti nose loop with some improvement. Izzy rides well in the car secured or crated.
All Izzy needs is a loving home to retire in. Consider bringing this wonderful, active senior into your life!