Entered: 02/21/2011
Status: Adopted
Age: 2
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Delmar, MD
Health: UTD, HW-, good in all areas
Temperament: Good with adults, unknown with children, good with other dogs, not good with cats
Original:
Meet Jack! Like many of his breed, this handsome Springer boy is intelligent and energetic. With busy lives and a new baby on the way, Jack’s Maryland owners made the difficult decision to relinquish him to MAESSR so that he could get the time and attention he deserves.
Jack has settled into his foster home well. He is getting along with the two resident, female Springers, a 3 year old and a 10 month old pup. Even though he weighs more than the two of them put together, he is very gentle in play, especially with the puppy. Jack is too big for any of the crates at his foster home, so his foster parents decided to contain him in a six-sided baby gate. This lasted about 5 minutes, as Jack decided that the bed looked much more comfortable and gracefully cleared the 3.5 foot high pen in a single leap. Now, Jack is just contained in a bedroom while his foster parents are away. Since being corrected for jumping the gate the first night, Jack now sleeps through the night in the pen without complaint. The only residents that have NOT been charmed by Jack’s presence are the three cats. He relentlessly chased and barked at them for his first few days, but is now starting to calm down a little. He still chases, but the barking has decreased dramatically. When Jack greets a cat without barking, he gets plenty of praise. Regardless, it would probably be best if Jack’s forever home did not have any feline family members.
So far, Jack’s house manners have been very good. Even though his head is right at counter or table level, he has not tried to remove anything. He shows mild interest in the trash, but hasn’t been successful at getting anything out. Jack was allowed on the furniture in his previous home, so he does jump on the sofa at times, but he responds well to the “off” command. He is housetrained and hasn’t had any accidents or marking incidents during his time in foster care. Jack hasn’t shown any food aggression; his foster parents can move his bowl while he is eating with no problems. He does try to check out the other dogs’ bowls if he finishes a meal before them, but they are quick to inform him that this is not acceptable. Jack’s former owners reported that he had a history of guarding natural bones when he was first given them. Jack’s foster parents have been working with him on trading toys and bones for high value treats. They also practice taking toys from him and then giving them back immediately. So far, Jack hasn’t displayed any aggression or guarding behavior. In fact, when Jack has a bone or toy that the resident puppy wants, he will surrender it to her without issue.
This smart boy has a huge vocabulary and a large number of commands in his arsenal. Of course he knows the basics: “sit,” “down,” “come,” and “shake.” He also knows to “back up,” “go out” and, one of his favorites, “go for a ride.” True to his Springer nature, Jack knows almost every word that could reference a meal or snack time: “eat,” “dinner,” “food,” and “treat.” But his standout trick has to be how he plays dead. When his foster mom says, “Bang, bang!” Jack flops over onto his back. Jack (and his foster mom!) love to show this one off to anyone who will watch.
Jack walks well on a leash with a few reminders not to pull. He is also an excellent passenger and loves to go for rides. At the vet, Jack was well-behaved overall. He wow’ed everyone with his “play dead” trick, and he got a lot of compliments on his gorgeous head and proportions. He was not too excited about having his ears checked, so he was muzzled for that part of the exam just to be on the safe side. He was nervous about having his blood drawn for the heartworm test, but he calmed down when a vet tech gave him a big bear hug.
With many desirable qualities, Jack would make an excellent addition to many Springer loving families. His energy level is moderate for a Springer; he loves to run outside and wrestle with the other dogs but is content to plop down on the floor and nap once he’s gotten sufficient exercise for the day. Jack would love a forever home with an active owner or another playful dog who can keep him entertained. He is highly trainable, food motivated, and loves to learn and please. He is also very good at cuddling! Do you have room in your home for this gentle giant?