Jasper 6

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Update 10/26/12:

Jasper is doing so well in his foster home. The resident dogs love him as do all of the humans! Recently Jasper traveled to the Jersey shore for a weekend getaway. He did amazingly well transitioning into a new home. This good boy didn’t chew anything inappropriate or have any accidents. Way to go, Jasper!

Not much of a barker, Jasper barks very little and doesn’t seem to have a strong prey drive. He notices the deer that pass outside his fenced yard but doesn’t react to them even though all the resident dogs are barking like crazy. When his foster mom picked him up at the vet’s office post-neutering, he spent about five minutes waiting in a room full of crated cats. Perhaps he wasn’t feeling his best, but Jasper had absolutely no interest in the kitties.

Jasper had a mini spa day recently. He has what seems to be a low maintenance field coat. The groomer gave him a good bath and trimmed up the feathering on his legs and tail. His primary reason for going was to trim down all the fur on the inside of his ears. He had so much hair it was difficult to find the ear canal for cleaning! Without the hair, there is more air circulation and it’s much easier to squirt in some cleaner. His ears are looking much better, but Jasper dislikes ear cleaning and is pretty scared of grooming. He will need ongoing work to turn these necessary grooming tasks into pleasant experiences. Aside from being vigilant about ear cleaning, Jasper’s foster family is adding a spoonful of plain yogurt to his food each day, which is supposed to help maintain healthy ears for dogs.

Now going on more walks, Jasper does fairly well on leash. Since he’s a boy with a lot of energy, he absolutely loves to run in the yard to get his exercise. His new family must be committed to providing Jasper with the exercise a young dog needs. While he would probably do well in many different homes, he would be best suited to a family with children old enough to appreciate the needs and behaviors of an excitable young pup. A canine companion would be high on Jasper’s wish list, as a doggie buddy would be an excellent way for him to have fun and exercise.

Jasper’s foster mom has declared him a doll baby who’s beautiful, smart, and loads of fun. He will certainly take a piece of her heart with him to his new home!

Original:

This adorable, ten month old pup from New Jersey found his way to MAESSR when his owner could not afford medical care for a severe intestinal upset. Jasper’s problems began when a new kibble was not introduced gradually; this was complicated by a bad case of whipworms. This poor little guy was urgently picked up by MAESSR volunteers and whisked off to the emergency vet for treatment. Fortunately for Jasper, the vet quickly prescribed several medications and he is back on the mend.

Jasper was a star client at the emergency vet even though he didn’t feel well. He tolerated most of the prodding and poking, but did cry out when his ears were touched and when they attempted to take his temperature. Along with the various medications prescribed to combat his ails, he was sent home on a bland diet. After a week on this regimen, his GI system was back to working normally. Jasper is now eating a high quality kibble with no issues.

An adorable liver, white, and tan fieldie boy, Jasper sports lots and lots of ticking. He has lighter amber eyes, a full tail, and cute freckles on his nose. If you look closely, you will see the subtle tan markings over his eyes, on his cheeks, and under his tail. His foster mom has pictures of his parents who are both very pretty dogs. Jasper stands as tall as the resident 50 pound male, but with a slender build since he hasn’t yet filled out.

It took Jasper just a few days to settle down and feel comfortable in his foster home. He is living with three other Springers, two males and one female, and is getting along fine with all. His foster home includes two young teens and he likes them, too. His foster mom thinks Jasper probably likes everyone! He’s very friendly, and interested in all that goes on around him. Jasper had a few accidents in the house during the first few days in foster care. This is certainly understandable given his intestinal upset and inability to control his bowels. He hasn’t had any recent housetraining accidents, but he’s taken out on a puppy schedule and watched to be sure he’s doing his business while he’s there. Jasper will walk to the door to signal he wants to go out. 

Initially Jasper was crated at night and when his family was gone. Recently, however, he has been staying out of the crate at night and when his foster mom is away for short periods of time. He much prefers being able to sleep with the other dogs in bed with their mom and dad.

For a young pup, Jasper has pretty good house manners. He sits by the kitchen table while his family eats and doesn’t beg. He hasn’t bothered trash cans or waste baskets and doesn’t counter-surf. He has only gotten on the designated dog-approved sofa and bed where the other dogs go as well. He isn’t chewing any inappropriate objects, but he is closely watched. Any young boy Jasper’s age could chew and needs close supervision.

Jasper has a very sweet disposition. There is no resource guarding, and his foster family can take anything from him. He doesn’t mind if the resident dogs are near his food bowl. While he and his canine pals eat near each other, he is watched closely because he is a slow eater and the other dogs will pilfer his food if they can. Jasper loves to run and play with the other dogs and also loves to play Frisbee or ball with his humans. He generally brings the ball or Frisbee back and accepts it when the other dogs take a toy from him. He is just getting brave enough to enter a game of tug with them. He is especially happy chasing the resident two year old Springer around the yard, hip butting, tumbling, and tackling as they go. Jasper’s energy level is on the high average side. He’s young and needs lots of outside time to run off his crazies, but he’s not over the top.

It is important for adopting families to understand that MAESSR only places puppies in homes that are committed to training and bonding with the pup in obedience classes. Puppies require a lot of care, attention, and patience, and they do chew on things! The decision to get a puppy and raise it to be a healthy, happy, and well-adjusted dog is a serious commitment. To reinforce this commitment, MAESSR requires all adopters of dogs under one year old to enroll their puppy in an obedience class within 60 days of adoption.

It doesn’t appear that Jasper has had any formal obedience training. He does know “sit” and he listens when corrected. His foster mom believes that he will probably be the best in class when he goes to basic obedience since he watches her closely and is eager to please. While Jasper does make a run for it when the ear medicine comes out, he doesn’t mind having his ears rubbed when the medicine is out of sight. His foster mom rates Jasper about a 10 on the Velcro meter since he’s never far from her sight.

He walks fairly well on leash but needs some fine tuning. When he sees other people and dogs on a walk, he wants to go over and meet them. Very good at riding in the car, Jasper often spends hours in the car when the human kids are being driven to activities. One nice cool fall day, he spent four hours running errands with no complaints! 

Jasper would probably love another young dog to play with or a family that made sure he got lots of exercise. He is an absolute love bug who wants his family close by. The only areas he really needs to work on are typical puppy behaviors: jumping up and being mouthy. He does have a tendency to jump up for attention and reassurance. His foster family is working to discourage these behaviors, but it’s going to take time. Jasper’s required training should help his new family learn methods to reinforce good behavior.

Jasper’s foster family can’t say enough good things about this little bundle of love. He’s an all around 10! If you can provide lots of exercise for a young growing boy, inquire about Jasper. It won’t be long before he’s ready for his new home!