Entered: 03/12/2007
Status: Adopted
Age: 2
Color: Black/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Silver Spring, MD
Health: UTD, HW-
Temperament: Good with people he knows as young as older teens, most suitable as an only dog, chases cats, occasional submissive urination at this time
Updated 4/5/07: Jack continues to delight his family with his goofy affection. As large as he is, he has climbed into his foster mom’s lap on a few occasions for really up-close and personal attention. He loves to be brushed and has allowed his foster mom to clip some of the hair in his ears without a problem.
With a little more time in foster care, Jack has been allowed off-leash several times and will return to a whistle. He also had a very positive play session with a large, hairy female Labradoodle, so his earlier distrust of strange dogs may simply have been his way of reacting to the loss of his family. He still does not like strangers to come directly at him, saying, “Oh, what a beautiful dog!” with their arms going straight out for his head. Jack’s new family will have to be alert for people-training opportunities when introducing him to visitors.
Jack wants to be very close to his foster family members. He doesn’t want to be outside alone and he doesn’t want his people to be outside without him! He will pee with excitement when his family returns from a long workday. They have found that it’s best to say the first hello of the evening outside, although he doesn’t have any problem when he’s released from his crate in the mornings. Jack also will join the family at the dinner table if they are so foolish as to leave a full plate by the edge and the chair pulled out, as if in invitation. He doesn’t counter-surf, however, and is not food or toy possessive.
Jack is ready to make one more move. He longs for a family who will be comfortable with his need to be close to them and who will share an active life with him. He would enjoy tuning his new leash walking skills with regular outings to wherever his people would like to take him–around the block, to the park, on a trail— just as long as he can be close and know that you are his.
Original: Beautiful Jack came to MAESSR when his owners decided that with a new baby and a young dog, there wasn’t enough time to meet everyone’s needs. At 60 pounds, Jack is a large springer but he will fit easily into the right home.
Jack enjoys long walks and a rousing game of fetch, but he is very calm inside the house, happy just to stretch out next to a foster family member. He is loving and playful with people he knows and trusts. If the only people in the house are noisy teenaged boys, he will seek peace in his crate. The only furniture Jack jumps on is the bed, and he jumps down when he’s told “off.” He doesn’t counter-surf, but he will flip the lid on a trashcan with his nose if there is a particularly tasty tidbit at the very top. He doesn’t tip a trashcan over or root through the garbage, though. He doesn’t dig or chew any non-toy items. He will tempt his foster family to join in a game of chase by taking a sock out of the laundry, but he loses interest in the sock if he’s ignored. He does leave his toys all over the house, but he may just be imitating the people who live there! Jack knows “sit,” “shake,” and “wait.” He has just learned how to walk without pulling, thanks to a training marvel– a halti head collar, which has improved his leash manners immensely. Jack is crate-trained and house-broken and has free run of the house while his foster parents are at work.
Because he had been living with another dog, his previous owners said he would be fine in a home with strange dogs. This arrangement did not meet Jack’s approval, so he was quickly shifted to a foster home where he could be an only dog. After all of this moving about, Jack was feeling understandably insecure when he was delivered to a second foster family within a week. At first, he grumbled at new people and dogs he met on the street. Within a week, however, he has developed into a much friendlier, fun-loving fellow. He has expanded his circle of human friends and exchanges happy sniffs with all but the largest, hairiest dogs. He sometimes has a little submissive urination when around his tall foster dad and some excited urination around his foster mom. His foster folks are convinced that this behavior will disappear as soon as he is fully at home. Jack rides well in the car. Due to his initial grumblings at new people, he has not been tested around children younger than 18. An only-dog, no cat home is required for Jack.
Jack would be an excellent jogging companion. Are you ready to hit the pavement with him?