Entered: 10/05/2011
Status: Adopted
Age: 0
Color: Black/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Delmar, MD
Health: UTD, HW-, overall good health
Temperament: Good with adults, unknown with children, good with other dogs, good with cats
Original:
When taking care of two 7 month old Springer boys became too much for their Virginia owner to handle, Jimmy and Dale became MAESSR boys.
Jimmy is a sweet and beautiful boy who weighs in at about 35 pounds. Don’t let his size fool you though – Jimmy is still 110% puppy! He is well-behaved for the most part, but has the typical puppy traits of mouthiness and jumping up that need work. The “jumping up” would be jumping on people, not onto furniture. No, Jimmy hasn’t quite figured out the coordination required to get his rear end on the couch with his front half. He spends a few minutes trying to climb up using his back feet, and then settles for just putting his head in his foster mom’s lap to get some petting. Jimmy has put his paws up on the counters to check things out, but he is learning that is not acceptable in his foster home.
When he first entered foster care, Jimmy didn’t know any commands, but he now has a pretty solid “sit” and his “down” is coming along nicely. Jimmy’s foster mom is also working with him on recalling to the sound of a whistle. There will be plenty of time for Jimmy to learn all the basics and more when he takes the MAESSR-required obedience classes with his forever family. One thing that is clear is that Jimmy lives to please. He responds more readily to praise and petting than he does to treats. Jimmy is fully housetrained and hasn’t had any accidents since coming to foster care. He is also crate-trained and stays there during the day while his foster parents are at work and during the night.
Like most Springer pups, Jimmy loves toys. He needs a little help figuring out what is a toy and what is a shoe, towel, or piece of furniture. Fortunately, he responds readily when diverted to an object that is OK to play with or chew on. Recently, Jimmy ran past his foster mom with toilet paper trailing from his mouth all the way down the hall to the bathroom! His adorable puppy eyes have saved him from getting into too much trouble when caught with something inappropriate.
So far, Jimmy has been getting along with all the other animals at his foster home. He shows mild interest in the cats, just giving them a sniff here or there. He has been successful in getting the younger resident Springer to respond to his play invitations and is showing signs of winning over the older female in the house as well.
Jimmy is a typical puppy on leash, and opts to zig and zag rather than progress in a straight line forward. In addition, if he becomes nervous at the sight of something new (a noisy trash truck, for example), he hides behind his foster mom and sometimes attempts to back out of his collar. Some matter-of-fact reassurance usually gets him going again in short order. Jimmy LOVES other dogs and will pull if he sees another dog on his walk. In his mind, everyone is a potential playmate, so his foster mom is working with him to greet other dogs (and their owners) gently. Jimmy rides nicely in the car, but since he hasn’t figured out how to jump yet (see “Furniture”) he needs a boost to get in. Whether he is harnessed, crated, or just riding on the backseat, Jimmy settles easily for the trip.
An easy-going boy in general, Jimmy does not guard any food, toys, or treats. The three dogs are fed in the dining room and although each has its own bowl and eating spot, they tend to graze during meal times. Jimmy is happy to eat from whatever bowl is available. If one of the residents pushes her way into his meal, he will either stay there and share, or move on to the bowl she left unattended.
Jimmy would make a great addition to many Springer-loving homes. He has a lot to learn on his way to becoming a well-behaved Springer adult, but will surely make the journey a joyful one for his new family!