Kimber

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Update 02/27/08:

Kimber has adjusted beautifully to her move to a foster home without other dogs. After checking her new home for other dogs, she immediately rolled over for a belly rub from her new mom. Kimber’s house manners remain impeccable! She scratches at the door when needing to go out. She is not food or toy aggressive.

New commands come quickly for Kimber. She knows sit, stay, down, and kennel. She is extremely intelligent and picks up on things without being told. For example, when her foster mom gets her purse out, Kimber immediately goes into her kennel. She loves dog treats but will do anything for a piece of bologna or Vienna sausage! In fact, when Kimber smells bologna, she will anticipate a command and immediately sit. What a smart girl!

With no other dogs around, Kimber is more relaxed about being approached from behind. She also trusts her foster mom with grooming, ear cleaning and wiping off her back paws after a muddy walk. Kimber is a healthy girl and her energy level in no way indicates she has a slight heart murmur. She walks about 1-1½ miles per day. On walks, she greets all joggers and walkers with a wagging tail and beautiful smile.

Kimber also loves to fetch her favorite toy, a stuffed squirrel, and then immediately releases it for another throw. She loves going places with her foster mom and does not hesitate jumping into her car crate. 

Some progress has been made with Kimber’s aggression toward other dogs. Her foster mom is working hard on this but continued training will be necessary in her adopting home. Kimber is a loving girl. Her soulful eyes express her adoration and dedication to her pack leader. She loves people and is always willing to please. Will you be the lucky one to make Kimber a part of your family?

Update 01/14/08:

While Kimber looks and acts like the picture of health, a routine physical exam at the vet disclosed a heart murmur. A visit to a cardiologist indicates that the murmur does not need treatment at this time, but she needs to be monitored for signs of problems, such as coughing or fatigue from normal exercise. The cardiologist said it could be years before these symptoms show up, and she does not need medication now. The bad news is the cardiologist recommended that Kimber not be used for hunting any longer. Short outings would be fine, but long days in the field could accelerate the problem. She still will make an excellent pet, and walks in the woods would be a dream for her.

Original:

Kimber came to MAESSR from a loving family who cared for her deeply. Unfortunately, the house had another dog that did not share the same feelings for Kimber as her family did. The two dogs did not see eye-to-eye and the family made the heartbreaking decision to relinquish Kimber to MAESSR. 

As a result of her prior situation, Kimber has developed dog-aggression issues and can not be placed in a home with other dogs. Kimber does not like to be touched or petted from behind without her first knowing about it, but has not shown any aggression toward her foster family. She was mounted by the male dog in her former home and she developed an aversion to being approached from behind. When approached from the front, she greets other adults and neighborhood kids on walks very warmly and treats them like old friends, especially if they have biscuits! Since she does have boundaries when it comes to sudden petting on her hind quarters, she would be better in a house without young kids who may not understand this boundary. 

Kimber is a beautiful girl who is well behaved in the house. She is well-trained, and goes directly to her crate with the command “kennel.” She is fully housebroken, and is very well-mannered. She will occasionally jump on furniture, but gets down quickly when told to. She will also check out the counter occasionally to see what food is being prepared for her, but she gets down immediately when told no. Her former owners reported that Kimber was fine if left loose in the house during the workday, but her foster home has a resident Springer, so Kimber is crated during the day and at bedtime. She does not grumble or complain about the long hours in the crate and enjoys her time out of the crate. Kimber is a low to moderate energy dog and needs only about an hour of walking or exercise per day to satisfy her. When given run of the house, she prefers to lounge around and look for belly rubs! Kimber only occasionally plays with toys. She is not crazy about riding in the car. She needs to be coaxed in and is nervous at first. Her foster parents keep her restrained in the car and she does settle down after a few minutes. 

Kimber’s original family reported that she is an excellent hunting dog and will return to her handler with one long blast on the whistle. She also marks downed game by standing over it waiting for it to be retrieved. She is trained on an eCollar for hunting, and has been trained to stay in her family’s yard with an invisible fence. Kimber walks well on a leash, except when she encounters very interesting smells or sees a rabbit or a squirrel. She will pull at these times, but responds quickly to light leash corrections. As evidence of her hunting abilities, when a squirrel runs up the backside of a tree, she will look up into the tree, while most dogs just look around wondering where that pesky squirrel disappeared to. 

If you are looking for that special dog to be your one and only, consider adopting Kimber!