Jonah

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When he was 11 weeks old, Jonah was taken in by a Pennsylvania family after learning that his breeder was going to euthanize him. The breeder assumed that no one wanted a puppy with a broken leg. Poor Jonah was stepped on by a horse when he was just two weeks old. Fortunately, Jonah’s leg healed well; unfortunately, it healed so well that he began chasing and barking at his family’s ducks and chickens. When they were unable to curb his harassment of the livestock, his family contacted MAESSR to find him a more suitable home. 

It is estimated that Jonah is just about one year old. He is settling into his foster home nicely, although initially he was a bit anxious and unsure around the three resident Springers. He has happily found his place in the pack and is enjoying life. In fact, he gets along well with his canine siblings and is a spirited player. Like many pups, he can be a little bit mouthy in play or when excited. 

Jonah LOVES his people and wants lots of attention from them. He’s a Velcro boy who is never far off, and he is quick to cuddle up on someone’s lap given the chance. When he wants hugs or reassurance, Jonah has a tendency to jump up on his foster mom. Recently, Jonah spent a day at his foster mom’s office and occupied himself by going from one dog-loving person to the next. Of course this cute boy received lots of attention! 

For a young pup, Jonah has pretty good house manners. He responds to the command “sit,” and he doesn’t chew inappropriate things, trash-pick, or counter-surf. Although he hovers around the dinner table hoping something might come his way, he eventually walks away and lies down. Jonah is working hard on his housetraining. He doesn’t yet ask to go out, so his foster mom takes Jonah out on a puppy schedule and watches until he takes care of business. He’s a smart boy, so he should learn quickly.

Jonah’s previous family reported that he barked a lot, but his foster family isn’t seeing this. He isn’t focused very much on what is outside his fence because he is very busy running, smelling, and playing inside the fenced yard. He does bark at night at people walking close to his family’s van. It also was reported that Jonah chased anything that moved, but his foster family doesn’t see any overboard behavior of this type.

His foster family’s schedule is such that Jonah spends quite a bit of time riding in the van while the children are being shuttled about. Some days he might be traveling two or three hours, but he never complains and is always the first dog to jump on board. Jonah is tethered while riding or else he’d manage to get himself onto someone’s lap! He is content to look out the window or just take a snooze.

When his foster family goes out without him, Jonah is crated; otherwise, he has freedom in the house. Some nights Jonah is crated if he can’t settle down, but generally he’ll sleep on the sofa in his foster parent’s room. Sometimes he hops up into bed with all the other dogs, but Jonah likes to spread out and there isn’t much room! Jonah settles down well when he’s had enough time to play outdoors, but sufficient outdoor time doesn’t always happen. Since he thrives on human companionship, Jonah doesn’t like to stay outside without his foster mom. And then there are those rainy days; he’s not crazy about rainy weather. Jonah will soon start attending doggie day care a few days a week along with the young resident Springer. This will increase his socialization opportunities as well as provide extra playtime.

When out on leash walks with the other dogs, Jonah does pretty well. He pulls a bit, but if he is in a harness, his leash manners improve. He is very interested in greeting other dogs on the path. On one walk, a bike rider stopped right by Jonah wearing a face mask and helmet. Jonah’s eyes opened wide and he was really frightened! 

Jonah’s visit to the groomer went very well. The groomer did report that Jonah was a little scared, especially when the clippers came close to his head. As he becomes more familiar with grooming, his fear should subside. Jonah also visited the vet for an exam and neutering. Again, he found this experience scary, so he created a little puddle on the floor when he walked in; but really, who could blame him? Upon examination, Jonah weighed in at a healthy 44 pounds; he also was found to be positive for Lyme disease, so he was put on a month-long regimen of antibiotics. Although Jonah does not have any trouble running or playing due to his previous leg fracture, his foster mom notices that the leg sticks out a little when he sits, and he isn’t quite as agile jumping up into the van as the other dogs. As he ages, he might benefit from a supplement if the leg develops arthritis. 

Because Jonah is still very much a puppy, it is important for any potential adopters 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 1 year old and younger to enroll their puppy in an obedience class within 60 days of adoption.

Jonah is a lovely young boy just waiting for his very own family. While he’s good with young kids, he does want people that have time to train, bond with, and love him. He would probably love a sibling dog to play with, but would be fine in a home where he could be active and lead a busy life. He wouldn’t be happy being left alone long hours without getting much attention. If you need a new best friend, ask about Jonah!