Kramer 2

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Updated 4/25/06: Good news for Kramer! He has been accident free in the house for a week. He doesn’t let you know when he needs to go out, but with frequent outside breaks, he does fine. He definitely knows what to do outside, and he will not soil his crate during extended periods when home alone.

Kramer is a gentle youngster. He will allow his foster parents to remove his food mid-meal. However, he is a bit reluctant to release a bone from his clenches. He shows no aggression and not even a growl. He will even let his 4- footed house mates approach him with nary a sound. He is very docile with the resident Springer. When she issues a short, low growl, he immediately relocates away from her grumpiness.

This is a sweet and tender dog who experiences some separation issues. He attached easily to his foster parents and used to become upset when either of them would leave home. There has been progress, but this will take continuing work by his adopting family. He is on a short-term medication to help him at this time and is responding well. His vet’s expectation is that the med will be eliminated in about a month.

Kramer is very bright and only needs to be shown things a few times to catch on. He has “sit” under control and is moving on to “lie down.” At times though, Kramer is obsessed with his dinner and treats. So much so that recently he totally ignored his foster mother as she lay on the kitchen floor trying to exhibit a “lie down”! His foster dad thought it was rather amusing, but Kramer missed the point and may need a few more “demos” by his foster mom to get it!

Mealtime is Kramer’s favorite time of day, and he will devour his dinner in seconds. He also begs for food, but that habit is diminishing every day as he learns where and when he is entitled to food. Kramer has not counter surfed and will steer clear of the coffee table if a firm “no” is given. He does, however, like to hop on furniture and into bed with his foster family, so they are working on that as well.

The resident kitties may miss Kramer when he leaves for his new home. He will chase them playfully, but he would never harm anything. He is a very gentle natured, conscientious boy. He will do best with similar people and would enjoy having other dogs and cats to share a home with, and of course, he would LOVE having a home with “bed” privileges if possible. Can you help this sweetie?

Original: Kramer came into a rural shelter in southern West Virginia as a stray, only to join his foster family in the city. At first, he, understandably, seemed a bit like a nervous-Nellie, but he is beginning to settle in well with the new sounds, sights, and people in his life. He appeared a little thin at first, but given his age, the vet pronounced him perfectly healthy. He will grow into his large paws and handsome head in his second year and likely become a good-sized fellow at maturity. His youthful features now simply make him irresistible!

Kramer’s family finds him to be very well mannered in the house and a polite boy. He hasn’t shown any interest in chewing things other than toys and dog-chews. He has remained out of the trash, off the counters and away from the coffee tables. Good boy! He does seem a bit obsessed with people food, but he is learning what foods are for dogs and what foods are for humans. He has had a few accidents in the house, but with a little more time and consistent guidance, he should be reliably house trained.

There’s a wonderful yard that Kramer enjoys at his foster home. He does the cutest thing in an attempt to play. He will toss a toy up in the air over his head and try to catch it. He loves to run with a toy in his mouth. He will run past his foster sister, also a Springer, in an attempt to get her to chase him. He has much more energy than she does and totally exhausts her, well before his energy runs out. Kramer gets along with the 3 resident cats as well.

Kramer’s crate training is a work in progress. He isn’t a huge fan of his crate yet, but he is learning. At first, he would become a bit nervous in it during the night and whine to get out. Once out, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy long drinks of water. The vet assured that this water-obsession is not symptomatic of a medical condition, but rather, Kramer probably just really likes the stuff! With more time to settle, Kramer’s behavior in the crate at night continues to improve. He is drinking less water and may just not be feeling the stress of a week ago. Attachment to his foster parents came quickly and easily for Kramer. He even whines a bit when either of them leaves although he does settle down and return to chewing or playing with toys in a few minutes. Kramer is a sweet youngster who is still unfolding. More on him as he grows into his new opportunities.