Entered: 06/27/2009
Status: rainbow bridge
Age: 5
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Bumpass, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, good in all areas
Temperament: Not suitable for adoption
Update 08/06/09: Each MAESSR dog spends a minimum of 2 weeks in foster care so that its health and temperament can be assessed. Often times first impressions do represent the true dog. At other times, it takes a little longer to see a dog’s full personality emerge. Such was the case with Levi. With ample time and assessment by his foster family and additional volunteers, it became clear that Levi would not be suitable for adoption.
Original: Levi found his way to MAESSR as a stray from West Virginia. Arriving at his foster family’s home just in time for a big family reunion over the July 4th holiday, he found this togetherness a bit overwhelming and was rather anxious. Since then, Levi has settled in well with his foster family and he gets along well with strangers when they do not come in huge groups. In fact, several people that visited his foster parent’s home stated that they would take him in an instant.
To show affection to his foster parents, Levi occasionally mouths them, but does not apply any real pressure with his teeth. He is fine with children in his foster family, six months, three, seven and fourteen years old, showing no real interest in them, and generally ignoring them. Since he is a new dog in his foster home, an adult is present when a child is near him. As to the resident cat, Levi and the cat have been in some nose-to-nose situations, and then, he gets excited; however, he has made no attempt to catch and/or hurt the cat. His foster parents would not hesitate to place him with a family with cats.
Tall and lean, his foster family is making every effort to fatten him up a little and put a little meat on his ribs. He eats much better when he eats alone, but he is not territorial. Someone can easily take his food from him and he just waits until it is given back to him. When taking food from a hand, Levi is also gentle.
Although he is well housetrained, Levi does not appear to be crate trained. His foster parents have crated him and he did quite well; however, once he learned that if he went into a crate, he would be kept there for a while, then he was quite difficult to get back into a crate. His foster family is working on this issue. Levi does have good house manners; he does not counter surf and does not get on the furniture. Levi sleeps in the gated kitchen at night on his own bed, and he is kept in the kitchen with the other resident dogs when his foster family is out. Routine household noises, such as dishwashers and vacuums do not bother Levi.
Generally a well-mannered Springer, Levi gets along well with the four resident dogs in his foster home. He has shown no aggression towards them, and ignores an occasional grumble that may get directed to him. After a number of weeks with the resident dogs, Levi is starting to play with two of them and appears to enjoy the playing. He does have a lot of energy, and prances while he is on walks. If the walker would run with him, he would like that even better! When playing, Levi will retrieve balls and bring them back to the thrower. However, if he is with another dog, he will not try to get the ball if the other dog is also a retriever. When it comes to the water, Levi does not like to swim.
Levi rides well in a car and will ride shotgun unless someone is in the front seat. As far as commands go, he knows sit, down, and with a little coaxing his foster family is working with him on stay. When walking on a leash, Levi tries to pull, but responds to correction well. He should not be a problem on walks once he learns that he should not pull. On two occasions, he was loose in the yard, and made no attempt to make a dash for freedom. When called, he came quickly to be put back on a leash. Good boy, Levi!
In his forever home, Levi will do well as either a single dog or as a second dog. Since he has a lot of energy, his permanent family must be dedicated to burning this up on a daily basis. Long walks, jogging, playing actively with the kids, or playing enthusiastically with another resident canine Levi would like them all. Like fun and exercise? Levi is your boy!