Lilah

---

Update 08/29/2019: “Obedience class is on the agenda although being part of a pack has helped her to better understand appropriate behaviors.”

Lilah has been thriving in her foster home. She really enjoys her backyard space, especially the water features as most Springers would. Outside of her fenced area, Lilah is NOT to be trusted off lead. There are just too many enticements out there!

Obedience class is on the agenda although being part of a pack has helped her to better understand appropriate behaviors. Lilah does follow some basic commands. “Come” is not one she does well, although she is improving when contained in her fenced area. This active girl responds better to “Lilah Grace” than to “Lilah.” Whatever works for her!

Lilah is blossoming into a very special Springer girl.

Original: “Still very much a puppy at eighteen months, Lilah is indeed a very springy girl”

Lilah was relinquished to MAESSR by her Pennsylvania family because her endless energy was “too much” for them.

Still very much a puppy at eighteen months, Lilah is indeed a very springy girl!  Full of boundless energy, Lilah loves to be splashing and exploring in water.  She enjoys playing with squeaky toys and balls and wrestling with dog companions, too.  Lilah likes to go for walks but pulls so hard it is not an enjoyable experience for the human at the other end of the leash.  Her previous family reportedly would walk her multiple times a day…anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 but that didn’t seem to dissipate her energy.  Luckily, she now has a big fenced-in back yard to enjoy and she respects the confines of the fence.

Since Lilah has not yet been trained to behave on a lead and has a history of slipping her collar on walks, she currently wears a harness. Although she knows the command to “sit,” she does not always “come” when called so is not trusted off leash. Obedience lessons with her adoptive family will be a must!

Please note that MAESSR only places puppies (even older ones) 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 will require Lilah’s adopter to enroll her in two sets of obedience classes within 60 days of adoption.

Her foster family is working with Lilah about improving her house manners.  Though she has not taken anything from the counters, she is learning not to surf.  In her previous home, Lilah was rather destructive in her inappropriate chewing when left unsupervised.  Her foster family keeps her well supervised and they have not had instances of this behavior.  She does enjoy the furniture and will happily make it her own.

Mostly housetrained, Lilah does not signal to go out and appears to never have been outside to relieve herself without being on a lead. She is crate trained where she slept in her previous home and has learned to settle herself there for naps with the door open in her foster home.  She would much rather be with her person or at least have her person be in view.  At night and when her foster parents are out of the house, Lilah is crated.

Lilah is excitable with introductions with both people and other dogs. When she meets new people and dogs on a walk, she will bark but not lunge.  She greets by jumping up on people and play biting.  Described as “a bull in a china shop,” Lilah will muscle herself into the new person’s space.  Learning proper greeting etiquette is on Lilah’s to-do list.   

Although she was overly energetic with the resident dogs initially, she has since settled into the pack.   She enjoys playing with her dog friends and does not do any food or resource guarding.  Lilah has not encountered any cats while in foster care but was reportedly aggressive with the resident cats in her original home.  For their protection, those cats and the other small animal pets in her original home were kept upstairs and Lilah downstairs.  

Reportedly, Lilah was professionally groomed every three months in her original home without any problems.  Lilah’s vet appointment is pending.  She likes to ride in the car although she displays her energy by moving from backseat to front multiple times. It may be safer to have her restrained while in a vehicle. 

Lilah is looking for a forever home where she can receive the patient teaching needed for her to be an obedient, well-mannered girl.  Lilah has a big heart but still lots of puppy energy which she will need to outgrow.  With love, plenty of exercise, consistency, training, and time, Lilah will blossom into a wonderful Springer companion.