Lester

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Update 06/20/11:

Lester was fostered by his MAESSR family for one year. He had multiple health issues and separation anxiety. One night this week, his foster mom heard him coughing. She felt that he was starting to fail. His cough and breathing worsened, and, he was rushed to the vet in cardiac arrest. The humane thing to do was to release him to the Bridge. He is running free with all his health problems and anxiety over now. 

Please keep his foster family in your thoughts as well. They loved him so much and never wavered in their commitment to Lester’s well-being. He was very blessed to come into their care.

God Speed Handsome Lester!

Update 05/29/11:

Lester is doing well and seems to be stable in terms of his heart condition. He is still taking the heart medication and has not had to have the dosage increased. He continues to thrive and enjoy his foster brothers, Job and Indy. His favorite activity is playing with his squeaky toys and he almost always has one in his mouth. He will always take one outside with him and will often leave it outside when he comes back in. However, he always knows where the toy is and, if asked, he will go back outside and bring it in the house. Smart boy! He has learned to drop the toy at the door if requested, but will try to grab it again just before going out! He absolutely loves to roll in the grass, especially just after the grass has been mowed! It brings back memories of how much he enjoyed rolling in the snow last winter. 

He remains on medication for his separation anxiety. Still, he has been known to suddenly jump up in his foster mom or dad’s lap, shaking because he heard something he didn’t like! Last week, his foster dad was out mowing the lawn; Lester was sunning on the deck when the lawnmower ran over a rock, making a loud noise. Instantly, Lester ran into the house and leaped into his mom’s lap shaking like a leaf! Fortunately, he is fine with being left at home when his foster parents go to work because he has the company of his foster brothers.

This boy is very easy to train and obedient; he just loves to please his humans. He learns the daily routine quickly and adapts to changes without any problem. He has that special knack of knowing about 15 minutes before his foster parents arrive home at night and is always waiting at the foot of the gate to greet them. He does not like to be left in one room while his parents are in another. He will bark until he is allowed to rejoin them or they come back to him. 

Lester was very nervous when several dogs visited his foster home the evening before the Langhorne Springerfest; he needed to be beside his foster dad for the first hour or so. Once he became used to all the guests, he relaxed and was more comfortable. At the picnic the next day, he was wonderful and well behaved. He stayed with his foster dad to help him sell raffle tickets and seemed at ease with most of the other dogs. He does have a problem with other dogs that directly approach his face and will growl a warning to them to back off. Lester can be reactive with some dogs when he is scared, but if he is given time to warm up to the other dog, he does just fine. 

Lester is looking for a forever home that either has a more submissive dog who will provide constant companionship or people who will be with him at all times. Do you have room in your family for this special boy?

Update 02/28/11:

Lester’s foster family is happy to report that he is doing great! He had his checkup with the vet and got good news: his heart condition is stable and his blood work was all normal! Yahoo for Lester!! He continues to do well on the medication for his separation anxiety. As long as he has some company, Lester is content. He can be a nervous passenger in the car and will throw up during long trips. This seems to be related to his separation issues and the vet can prescribe medication for him in the event that he has to go on a long trip. Since he is good on short drives of 15 minutes or less, this hasn’t been necessary during his time in foster care. 

This fun-loving boy absolutely loved all the snow that fell recently. He would race around the yard and burrow into the snow and come up with a white head! Unfortunately, he’s also decided that the frozen poop-sicles hidden by all that snow are great fun to dig out and play with. Now, Lester’s foster mom is even more vigilant than usual about cleaning the yard. She is hopeful that as the weather turns to spring and the snow disappears, Lester will lose this habit as quickly as he developed it. Lester also loves his stuffed animals and always tries to take one outside with him. He is good boy, however, and drops it on command, although he does try to sneak a toy out when his foster mom is not watching him! 

Lester is a real sweetheart and loves to get personal attention from his foster mom in the evenings while she watches the TV. He does not like to be groomed if it involves scissors but he will let her brush him and clean his ears. His foster mom thinks the noise of the scissors scares him! He sleeps all night and waits patiently in the morning for her to finish her shower and get dressed before needing to go out. He is very playful and especially loves to run in the yard with his foster brother, Job. They race each other often and, since each of them has physical issues, the races are usually short but intense. Lester’s favorite treat is egg or cheese but he will accept bacon as well! Occasionally, as a treat, his foster mom adds some beans to his dry kibble and he loves that! He does not counter surf at all, which is surprising given his love of people food. His favorite position is right underneath his foster mom’s chair, whenever or wherever she is eating! He has excellent manners and never begs at all – good boy, Lester! 

As long as they can accept and work with his issues, Lester will provide loving companionship to whoever adopts him. This wonderful boy will reward his forever family with endless devotion and love.

Update 01/10/11:

Lester has really found his joy this winter! He absolutely loves the snow! He jumps like a rabbit through the new fallen snow and especially loves being outside while it is actually snowing. When he finally comes in, his family can hardly see any black on him! He looks like he is all white. He will run and jump over the snow drifts and doesn’t seem to mind when he sinks down into an area he thought was solid. He just revs himself up and jumps out of the soft snow and continues on his way. He does not like to do his business in the deep snow and his family had to shovel out a space for him and his brothers on the side of the yard. They had to watch him carefully whenever he went out because he loves to take something out in his mouth. He often drops whatever toy he took out when he finds something else of interest outside. He is a good boy and will go back out to retrieve his toy as long as his family notices that he has left it outside! He will drop his toy before going out if they tell him to but he will often try to pick it up again if they look away from him! 

Unlike his foster brother, Lester will not stay outside for extended periods unless he is accompanied by his humans. He really loves to be near his people at all times. His favorite spot in the house is the one right underneath whatever chair his dad is in! Lester especially loves to sleep under the recliner so he will know if dad gets up for any reason. His family has had some near misses when they’ve have forgotten he is under there! 

Lester’s favorite toy is an old plastic squeaker Santa Claus that his family picked up at one of the summer picnics. It was donated to the foster families by someone and whoever donated it sure picked a winner for him! It appears to be indestructible and the squeaker gets a great workout every time he picks it up. Lester absolutely loves to lie on the couch and bite into the Santa and get the squeaker to sing for him! His family has not been able to find another toy like it and he chews up every other one they find. They bought him a new squeaker toy for Christmas which only lasted about 20 minutes before he got a piece off of it.

Lester does have a lazy streak in him which comes out when he is eating his food. He doesn’t like to stand and eat his dinner. Oh no! Lester likes to lie down and eat from floor level! He will look up at you while keeping his head in the bowl and continuing to eat! He does not get aggressive and he often will move from his bowl to his foster brother’s and eat from his bowl just to assure himself that he is not getting something better! His foster brother will politely move in on Lester’s bowl to check his out for the same thing!

Physically Lester is doing very well and shows no evidence of his heart murmur. He loves to race around the yard and jumps and plays with his foster brothers when they are outside. He gets along with every dog he has been exposed to, except those who run and jump at his face. He needs time to get to know them before he feels comfortable enough to rough-house. He does have a protective streak when he is on a leash but his family hasn’t seen that when he is introduced to new dogs while off leash. Lester can jump very high and has been known to clear a 4 foot gate to get to his people! He has even jumped completely over the kitchen counter without disturbing anything on top of the counter! He is affectionately called Houdini because he has found a way to escape the kitchen whenever confined there. He prefers to be in the living room with its soft chairs and couches! 

Lester is a very sweet guy who is not high energy but loves a romp every now and then. He loves to play fetch and loves to be outside with his people. He would love to have a family who would take him outside often for walks or just to play in the yard with him. He would make a wonderful companion for someone who is home most of the day as he does not like to be left alone for long periods of time. He does very well as long as there is another dog or a person with him and his favorite place to be is with his people! He is full of love and is waiting for that special person or family to share his zest for life!

Update 10/28/10:

Having stabilized nicely on his heart medication, Lester is doing very well in his foster home. He is full of energy although it is only for short bursts. This includes going absolutely bonkers when anyone comes home! Jumping up as high off the ground as his foster mom’s shoulders, Lester gives new meaning to the word “Springer.” 

The separation anxiety that Lester suffered from has settled down with the companionship of his two foster brothers. His foster parents have even left the gate only barely latched a few times, and he was fine because he had company. 

Lester’s favorite plaything is a stuffed toy with a squeaky in it. His foster parents acquired some of these donated toys from a recent MAESSR picnic they had attended. Lester is in seventh heaven as long as he has one in his mouth. He does not seem to want to destroy them, but loves to bite down to get them to squeak! His favorite is a stuffed Santa that had become so well loved that Lester’s foster mom was forced to sneak it away from him to wash it! 

This smart boy has learned a few tricks such as sitting and touching before getting his treat bone in the morning. His foster brothers cannot contain themselves and are all over the place, barking to get theirs, while Lester has learned to sit quietly and wait for his. Good boy, Lester!

Described by his foster mom as a very sweet boy, Lester will give some special family lots of love and good times as long as they can handle his need for constant companionship. If you happen to be home a great deal yourself, or, if you have resident dogs that would welcome another into their pack, please ask about meeting Lester!!

Update 09/30/10:

Lester has settled into his routine and is so happy to have the company of his foster brothers that he does not mind being left alone with them. He knows that every morning his foster mom and dad leave to go to work. He waits patiently for his bone that is given each morning as a treat and will then run and jump on the couch and wait until his foster parents leave to devour the bone. He is getting more playful with his foster brother, Job, and loves to run after him in the yard. They both love to chase the two rabbits who have taken up residence in the yard. Luckily, the rabbits are faster than they are! 

With months to settle in, Lester has developed a slight jealousy streak which is so funny to watch. When his foster dad sits on the recliner, Lester has no desire to climb up on his lap until one of his foster brothers jumps up there. Then, all of the sudden, Lester needs to be up on his lap as well! When this happens, his foster mom will walk over to the couch next to the recliner and sit down with his foster brothers on either side of her. Lester’s face then shows the struggle he has with deciding what to do! He debates whether to stay with his foster dad, or, jump back on the couch and wriggle his way next to his foster mom! Pity the poor dog who is laying next to his mom because Lester will eventually decide that is where he wants to be, and he will climb over whoever is in his way to get there! Happily, Lester and his foster brothers all get along famously and no one gets upset with these antics! These good boys share most everything, even beef bones. 

While he does not typically have any problem getting along with other dogs, Lester does not care for it when dogs get right up close to his face. He seems afraid of them, as well as of loud, barking dogs. He will become very protective of his people if he encounters a barking dog, especially when he is on leash. Lester enjoys meeting people and seems to know how handsome he is. He absolutely loves everyone who stops to pet him and give him attention. 

This active boy has a remarkable ability to jump over just about anything and will do so if it means he gets to be with his people. He loves to look out the window and has been known to climb on the kitchen table to get a good look out into the yard. He takes it as his personal job to keep the yard free of squirrels and rabbits and cats! He doesn’t seem to mind birds and ignores the blue jays that dive bomb him when he is out in the yard.

Lester’s heart condition has stabilized on his medication and he is a happy fellow who needs to be in a home where a person or another dog is present all day with him. He does have separation anxiety and can become destructive if he is left alone. As long as he has some company, Lester does not require crating as he will not destroy anything. He does not seem to have a fear of thunderstorms or loud noises as long as he is with his family. 

Lester is a sweet and loving boy who needs constant companionship to feel secure and happy. In return, he will give much joy and laughter to the lucky family who adopts him!

Update 08/13/10:

With the addition of two new foster brothers, Lester has really settled down. He absolutely loves the company and his foster parents no longer have to worry about what awaits them when they get home from work. His destructive behavior has disappeared and his foster brothers and he are even beginning to tussle and play a bit, which is great to see. Lester does appear to get a little jealous if his foster parents pay too much attention to his foster brothers. If either of them starts to get any love, Lester runs up and pushes his way into the mix as if to say Don’t forget about me! What Springer doesn’t do that!). He truly seems happier with the canine company, although he still wants to be the center of attention most of the time.

Since one of his foster brothers will take Lester’s food if he leaves it in his bowl, he has begun to consume his entire meal at one time instead of leaving it to graze on later. The other day Lester and his foster brothers all got marrow bones as a special treat. Everyone ate their bone very nicely, although Lester did finish his first! When he went to investigate his foster brothers’ bones, they quickly let him know that would not be allowed until they were finished. Once all three bones were clean, there was no problem with sharing and the bones certainly made the rounds! 

Lester loves to travel by car to visit new places, but he can be little nervous so it is best not to feed him before a car trip. He will settle down quickly once the nervousness has worn off. Lester gets along with most dogs as long as they do not approach him barking, which seems to scare him. He does tend to pull on the leash at first because he is so happy and excited to be going somewhere. Once the initial excitement is over, he calms down.

Like most Springers, Lester is extremely food motivated. In fact, he has figured out how to open the gate, as well as the cabinet drawers and closets if he thinks there might be some treats in there. Food is also how Lester’s foster family gets him to take his medication without any fuss – he absolutely loves peanut butter! Happily, Lester is responding well to the medication for his heart. He really self-regulates his activity level and will stop playing if his heart begins to pound. He will then rest up until the next spurt of activity. 

Everyone who meets Lester comments on his beautiful face and expressive eyes. He is such a happy dog as long as he is not left alone. Lester simply needs to have some type of companionship at all times, whether it is human or canine does not matter to him! He would love to be the center of someone’s world and will provide much laughter and entertainment to the lucky people who adopt him. Are you that lucky family? 

Update 07/09/10:

Lester has had some sad news this week. His reluctance to run after the tennis ball more than twice at a time has now been explained. It is the result of a severe chronic valve disease recently diagnosed by an echocardiogram of his heart. He has had a heart murmur and was put on medication for a few weeks to see how he would respond. He has done fine with the med, but his murmur has now been classified as being Grade 4 of 6. 

Lester’s heart is severely enlarged and its ability to contract has been compromised. This slowly progressive disease will eventually lead to heart failure and will require the addition of other, expensive medications in time. His mitral valve is thickened and, as a result, is leaking blood which causes the murmur. He has elevated cardiac markers but all his other blood work is completely normal. The vet cannot predict the future for Lester since some dogs can live with this type of heart issue for many years. He will need to be closely monitored for any signs of cardiac failure such as lethargy or coughing as he goes forward.

Of course, Lester is unfazed by this news. He is simply happy to be at home with his family again. He was a very good boy while at the vet because there were other dogs there with him. He definitely does not like to be alone. He reminds his foster family of that every day when they come home and find that he has escaped from the family room and has been running free in the house all day! Houdini could learn some tricks from Lester! 

Since his foster sister left for her permanent home a few weeks back, Lester has begun to exhibit some destructive behavior. He is currently on a medication to try to help with this separation anxiety. He does not like being in a crate although he will go in with some coaxing. Lester is a gent who needs constant companionship and is happiest when he is with his people. 

As a result of his heart condition, Lester is very laid back but he does enjoy play time, especially with the tennis ball. He knows his limits and will stop frequently to rest. He quickly bonds to his people and can be quite protective of them. He will bark if strangers come in but, as soon as he realizes they are friends, he quiets down and laps up all the attention he can get. 

People quickly fall in love with Lester’s beautiful eyes and loving ways. He’s looking for a very special family to enjoy each and every day with. Doesn’t he sound perfect for you?

Original:

Lester was relinquished to MAESSR by a family in Virginia due to his not getting the attention he craves so much. He has adapted quickly to new routines and new people in foster care and learns his limits with little effort. He does not beg and will lie quietly under the dinner table until his people have finished their meal. He does love to help clean the dishes as they are loaded into the dishwasher! Lester sleeps in the bedroom with his foster mom and dad. He will come up on the bed for some hugs and kisses but quickly settles down on the floor for the night. He has not been crated, nor does he need to be, since he has shown no tendency to destroy anything. He will jump up on the furniture but quickly jumps down when told No!

Lester knows several commands and is a happy-go-lucky fellow who gets along with other dogs as long as they meet off leash. When he is on leash, he tends to be very protective of his people when meeting other dogs. He is not really used to walking on a leash and tends to pull. With more practice, this will likely improve. As springers go, Lester is not a very high energy boy but he does love to run after a tennis ball and will bring one back and drop it for another toss. 

In the house his manners are impeccable. Lester goes to the door and whines when he has to go out. However, he does not like to be left alone when his family is home. If he is left alone, he will whine and cry and scratch at the door to get to his people. Once he is re-united, he will quickly settle down. Lester forms attachments easily and adores sitting on a lap for some tender loving attention. 

Travel may not be at the top of Lester’s favorite things to do but he has logged some miles since in foster care. At the beginning of a ride, he will shake and show nervousness. He salivates a lot when riding in the car but he does not cry or bark and will settle down quickly once underway. As with leash walking, Lester may not have had much experience with travel in his past life.

During Lester’s check-up the vet detected a heart murmur which is being treated with medication. He is regularly monitored to assure the medication is effective. Once he gets the all clear, Lester will be ready to warm a new lap, help with dishes, and take the best possible care of his people. Doesn’t he sound like a wonderful companion? More to come on this one!