Entered: 05/14/2017
Status: Adopted
Age: 7
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 47 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Saverna Park, MD
Health: UTD, HW-, losing to a healthy weight, benign cysts removed with incision healing nicely, treatment for conjunctivitis and skin allergies complete
Temperament: Good with people of any age, good with other dogs, unknown but probably fine with cats
Update 06/28/2017: “She came through surgery to remove two benign cysts fabulously; now she’ll have no more trouble with them.”
Great news for Joy! She came through surgery to remove two benign cysts fabulously; now she’ll have no more trouble with them. She’s ignored the incision, which is healing fast, and sutures will be removed in several days.
Meanwhile, all of Joy’s allergy symptoms have disappeared. Her coat and eyes are bright and shiny to match her personality. Joy is one happy girl who’s just about ready to join her forever home.
Update 06/12/2017: “Summertime is a wonderful time to add a member to your family. Take it from two foster families…Joy is a keeper!”
Joy was moved to a second foster home, so this girl has had some extra adjustments to make. She’s had much change in a short while, but her second foster mom confirms the previous description of Joy’s lovely temperament.
In her new foster home, Joy has total run of the house with one other dog and there have been no problems. There has been no chewing, digging, or fence jumping by Joy. She does like to sit on sofas and would love to sleep in a bed with people, but she takes “no” and a closed door with good grace…no whining or barking. She has shown no aggression of any kind. Joy is perfectly housetrained and heads to the back door when she wants to go out.
When she’s excited, Joy can be boisterous. She greets returning people with joyful barking and dancing. After a meal, she’ll celebrate by rubbing her back on a rug and then grabbing a rope toy and shaking it with enthusiasm. Someone appreciates her meals! Currently Joy is working on her table manners. She is very interested in what people are eating and will table/counter-surf if given the chance. She’s disappointed that her magical begging stare seems to have lost its power! The family dog has learned to be less casual about her own dining after noticing Joy vacuuming up both bowls. She never snatches food or gets into garbage.
For playtime Joy likes some quiet play with her people, preferring people to other dogs. She will enjoy stuffed toys briefly and likes a tug-of-war. She stays close to her foster family and enjoys sleeping under chairs and tables where they are sitting. If her people are inside, Joy doesn’t want to be outside for very long. She loves car rides and settles right down. At night Joy sleeps in an upstairs hall with the resident dog if nobody invites her into a bedroom.
When she’s handled by strangers, Joy is calm. She’s not been tested with cats, but shows only mild curiosity with other dogs and small animals that run across her path. She was happy to let unfamiliar 5-year olds pet her; she’s friendly to all. At the vet’s office, Joy was relaxed with the staff and all of the anxious dogs in the waiting room.
Joy’s overall health is good although she might be prone to seasonal allergies. Diagnosed with conjunctivitis and skin allergy upon arrival, Joy took medication for a week. She handled it well and her eyes and skin cleared up. It’s possible that she had a reaction to the food or another allergen in her previous home. She’s now off all medications except heartworm and flea/tick preventative. Additionally, two adjacent cysts on her right shoulder have determined to be benign; however, since she has two incidents of a cyst bursting open, they will be removed shortly.
Joy sometimes shows slight arthritis in her rear legs. She handles stairs well and jumps readily into cars. The vet says she’s already lost some weight (woo hoo!) and she’s building leg muscle from the daily walks. Daily exercise to keep her weight down should continue and will help keep her joints healthy. Joy walks very nicely on the leash and she would do well with a family who wants a dog as a walking companion.
Summertime is a wonderful time to add a member to your family. Take it from two foster families…Joy is a keeper!
Original: “In fact, Mellow is Joy’s middle name.”
When Joy’s elderly owner could no longer afford to keep her, this Pennsylvania girl was turned in to a shelter. At her age and with a fatty mass on her shoulder, the shelter contacted MAESSR. They knew that MAESSR volunteers would pull her quickly from the overwhelming shelter and find her a good home. Joy’s temporary foster home found a groomer willing to give her a haircut and trim her really long nails for free. She seemed to love the attention. At the shelter Joy received all of her shots and a heartworm test was done. She is now on her way to the next part of her life.
Reportedly good with kids, and definitely good with other dogs and all the humans she’s met, Joy is living up to the question on her shelter intake form which asked about her best trait – she’s indeed “easy to be around.” Good in the car, good on leash, good off leash, she just wants to be in her five foot circle of the humans she’s known the longest. Although Joy needs to lose a few pounds, she is always ready for a walk when one is offered. Just a few days in, she’s opening up and her foster folks are learning more about how she likes to play. Fetching small sticks and then walking right by the throwing human to toss the stick in the air is the most active thing she’s done so far in the way of play. Her foster parents know that she’ll open up more in time.
A perfect houseguest, Joy doesn’t chew or counter-surf or bother the garbage can. This smart girl knows “sit,” “give paw,” and “down.” She heels on or off leash and sleeps quietly in an open crate at night, although she’d love to sleep on a couch or bed. Since arriving at her foster home, Joy has proven to be completely housetrained. As a signal, she tends to circle by the door when in immediate need to go out for a potty break.
When Joy came into the shelter, she had an open sore on her shoulder. Treated with antibiotics, it’s healing nicely; hot spots on her neck and leg may have been some sort of allergy. In her current situation, with good food and no carpets, she stopped scratching herself after the first day. Joy seems to have a fatty mass on her shoulder and that will be checked out soon.
Reportedly Joy is afraid of thunder but she doesn’t seem to mind loud noises otherwise. She loves to flop at her humans’ feet and also have her hindquarters scratched. She’ll flop on a rug and do a mellow self back scratch. In fact, Mellow is Joy’s middle name. She isn’t clingy, but she definitely wants to be in close orbit of the foster folks. Joy doesn’t complain if shut or gated away, but can be found napping outside the door or gate if that’s the situation. During her foster mom’s “work from home” day, she can be found gently snoring on whatever dog bed is available near the desk. She can be trusted to hang out on the front porch near her foster dad without stepping off the three inch drop to the yard. If her human steps down into the grass, she maintains her five foot radius. Reportedly Joy is trained to an invisible fence.
While Joy would fit into almost any home, she might prefer a mellow situation. She lived with a small dog previously and is fine with the resident hounds in her foster home; but she doesn’t interact enough to seem to need a companion dog. Someone to keep her company, take her for walks, and enjoy having her close by would be a great joy for Joy. This girl will certainly add some happiness to your life.