Entered: 09/04/2013
Status: Adopted
Age: 5
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 45 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Bethesda, MD
Health: UTD, HW-, good in all areas
Temperament: Good with adults, unknown with children, good with other dogs, has lived with cats
Original: “There’s a river close by her foster home that Joy’s visited; she LOVES playing fetch in the water there!”
Joy is appropriately named! She is one of the sweetest and most mellow dogs her foster mom has ever been around. She is perfectly behaved. The list of Joy’s positive traits, of which there are many, includes no counter-surfing, no food issues, no chewing, and no barking (unless someone’s at the door and then only briefly). This well-mannered lady doesn’t get on furniture unless invited, walks well on a leash, and stays close to her people. She’s doing so amazingly well in the house that her crating skills are unknown; Joy simply hasn’t needed one.
Being shy and timid around strangers, Joy found her safe haven under a bed on her first day in foster care. She is now quite comfortable in the home. She only returns to beneath the bed when someone new enters the house. She warms up to people as she gets to know them, but is really a Velcro dog and spends most of her time as close to her foster mom as possible. She’d rather be close to her foster mom than to go outside to snoop around. When it’s time to let Joy outside in the backyard, she won’t go out unless she knows her mom is right there with her. At night Joy sleeps in the bedroom next to her foster mom’s bed………… although she is sometimes allowed onto the bed and likes it there!
One unusual thing about Joy is that she really doesn’t like getting in the car. Instead of running to jump in, she will hide under a very large holly tree so you can barely see her. She’s perfectly fine once in the car, but her foster mom must put her on the leash to guide her from the door to the car. She also gets a little nervous at things outside. For instance, the trash cans, a ladder in the yard, a loud lawn mower or construction activity……….any of those things may cause her to run right back into the house. Like so many Springers, her confidence is boosted by structure and she can adapt to one’s daily schedule.
In her foster home there is no other dog. Joy’s the TOP DOG so to speak, but she lived with a dog in her former home and gets along with other dogs. She also shared that home with cats. She doesn’t play with many toys but likes to play fetch. She brings the ball right back and drops it at one’s feet. There’s a river close by her foster home that Joy’s visited; she LOVES playing fetch in the water there!
Joy’s surrendering family brushed her frequently and Joy loved it. Her silky coat reflects the good care she had until health issues overtook her Virginia owner and MAESSR was asked to help. She is really incredibly sweet and will be great in a home where someone is in a lot so she can follow them around as she does her foster mom. Open your heart and home to her and the word “joy” will take on a whole new dimension!