Entered: 12/01/2020
Status: Adopted
Age: 1; born 09/16/2019
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 32 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Richmond, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, second round of antibiotics for UTI treatment completed, receiving calming supplement for anxiety
Temperament: Good with known adults but fearful of strangers, good with children as young as 9 months when comfortable with them but could knock over toddlers, good with known dogs but fearful of others, would likely chase cats
Update 01/25/2021: “Balls, of course, are her first love but rope pull toys, plush toys with or without squeakers, and hard chew bones are all fun now.”
Lady has made some nice progress in her foster home since recovering from her spay surgery. She has met several adult family members and their dogs, plus a crawling 9-month-old child. Her initial reaction was fearful barking at the adults and dogs. Over the course of a few days, she became comfortable enough with the adults to consider a pat on the head. With the dogs she eventually found buddies to play with inside and out. Her first interaction with family members was at Christmas just after her spay surgery, so her activity was limited.
Lady recently visited with some family members again and felt very comfortable with the adults. She had a great time playing with her canine friend. There was no barking at him upon arrival, as she seemed to remember him and his home. She was gentle with the baby and frequently went over to her to engage in play. Lady wanted the baby to take the ball and throw it back; the baby was happy to grab at it, but throwing it was not going to happen! It was very cute to watch the two of them together. Lady does like to jump up on people when excited, so toddlers could potentially get knocked down.
Leash walking is still a work in progress. Lady is now using a gentle leader to help with her pulling on her twice daily walks. Using either the back or front clip on a traditional harness did not deter it. Even with the gentle leader she will often keep the leash just taut enough to avoid discomfort – she wants to be out front like a lead sled dog, scanning for squirrels. Lady has been working on her reactivity toward people with or without dogs during her outings. She barks less frequently at strangers walking but is quite interested in them. If a dog is on leash, Lady is on high alert. Sometimes she barks; other times she does not. Usually if the other dog barks first all bets are off, and she must return the vocalizations. Her foster parents are working with her to continue her walks despite distractions.
After her first round of antibiotics for a urinary tract infection, Lady’s re-check showed it had not cleared. She has finished a round of a different antibiotic and will be checked again soon to make sure it has finally cleared. She healed quickly from her spay surgery and was anxious to get loose in the yard to run down squirrels and birds, or to just get the zoomies out. This girl is a speed demon!
Lady has taken to a variety of toys. Balls, of course, are her first love but rope pull toys, plush toys with or without squeakers, and hard chew bones are all fun now.
After healing from surgery, Lady seemed to find her appetite. She’s now most interested in food and eats her two meals with gusto. She has been taking a calming powder probiotic on her food once daily. It is hoped this will assist with her anxiety toward strangers and strange dogs.
Lady’s forever family should be one that provides Lady with much exercise and stimulating activities. Her family must be willing to work with her to overcome fears and to become more socialized. A fenced yard is required to keep this little girl safe while providing her with an outlet for her energy. This is one sweet, little Lady!
Original: “Lady sleeps with a cover on her crate and never makes a peep until her kennel is opened in the morning.”
When Lady and her brother Chip’s owner was faced with working long hours and then a move out of Maryland, she sadly turned to MAESSR to find her cherished pups a new forever home. They both began their journey together riding peacefully to their foster home.
At just over a year old, this little lady – so petite at 33 pounds – is all about giving and getting the love from her people. This youngster has not had much socialization due to her former owner’s work hours and the pandemic, which affected obedience class offerings and ability to experience the outside world. Meeting other people and dogs can be a frightening thing, but she adores her foster family who are helping her learn that the world is not so scary.
Lady is fully housetrained, never having an accident since her arrival. She does not have a much of a signal (maybe just a stare-down) so her foster family takes her out regularly. They have been surprised when she does not need to potty – she seems to have quite the bladder capacity – although she does not drink that much.
Too petite to successfully counter-surf, Lady occasionally likes to try when something smells yummy. She would love to be a lap dog but is not permitted on the sofa. Dog beds will have to do! Lady is crate trained and happily runs into her crate at night. She knows “nap time!” as a bedtime signal but rarely needs it since she already knows the nighttime schedule. Lady sleeps with a cover on her crate and never makes a peep until her kennel is opened in the morning. She has been trusted for up to 40 minutes alone with free run of the house with no anxiety or destructive behavior. Lady also knows “sit,” “wait,” and “drop it.” She comes readily when called.
Early on Lady ate very little of her food, possibly due to her urinary tract infection and antibiotic treatment or just new surroundings. She would just as soon pick at some and perhaps return later…although adding something particularly tasty was helpful. As she recovers from spay surgery her appetite is really improving but she is a fairly delicate eater which can be a problem around fast eating dogs like her brother. She prefers her foster mom to stand guard as she eats. Lady is particular about treats. Soft pumpkin treats and tiny liver training treats are loved. Hard, crunchy ones big or small are not, although she’s a fan of a nightly dental stick and a baby carrot is always accepted.
Lady had very little experience with leash walking. She has picked it up quickly and loves her walks. She does a typical hunting dog nose to the ground back and forth sweep. She also likes to forge ahead, pulling to be in the lead. Her foster parents are working on her leash manners and they are really improving. A harness with a front clip seems to be a useful training tool. They also are helping her learn to walk without fear-barking at strangers who are walking or running, with or without dogs. This is a work in progress. Her foster family is happy that Lady has no problem with walking or playing in the rain!
Once Lady becomes comfortable with a new person, she is a total lovebug. She likely would be good with younger children although she could knock down the very young with her exuberance. It might take Lady a little time becoming comfortable with another dog. Prey driven, Lady likely would chase cats.
Squirrels and birds are put on high alert as Lady loves to chase them from the yard. Ball play is high up on Lady’s list of fun things to do also and she could play all day if allowed. When playing with her brother she will keep her ball in her mouth and not drop it to continue the game…unless she drops it to steal his ball! When playing solo with her humans she will drop it and wait for the next throw. Lady was not particularly interested in stuffed toys at first but seems now fond of carrying around and gutting an eggplant toy and tiny teddy bear. She also likes a rope toy to play tug of war. She might be petite, but she sure can tug!
Although not exhibiting symptoms, a urine screening detected a urinary tract infection and Lady is taking her second a round of antibiotics. She will have another test in a couple of weeks to make sure it has cleared. She was recently spayed and is recovering from her surgery. Keeping her calm with no ball play is a challenge!
Lady received a light trim of ears, feathers, and paws at home before her surgery. She was a good girl for her modified spa treatment which did not include nail clipping. She allows her ears to be cleaned without a fuss.
Potential adopters should note 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 one year old and under to enroll their puppy in obedience classes within 60 days of adoption. These classes will help Lady with her socialization and bonding with her new family.
Keep posted for news of Lady’s continuing progress.