Lily Bear 1
Lily Bear 2
Lily Bear 3
Lily Bear 4
Entered: 01/09/2022
Status: Adopted
Age: 3
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 45 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Great Falls, VA
Health: UTD, HW-
Temperament: Good with people of all ages (may bump toddlers in her enthusiasm) good with other dogs, reportedly lived with a cat in her previous home
Original: “Lily Bear is delightful!”
Lily Bear was raised from a pup in, by all indications, a loving household. Her former Virginia owners gave her up because their work schedules meant Lily was often alone, and they realized that’s not good for any Springer.
Lily Bear is delightful! Her only seemingly compulsive behavior is “licking the air,” which her fosters interpret as attempting repeatedly to lick her person’s face while being kept at a safe distance. She is trim and fit and full of energy. In her new home at first she wouldn’t sit still, but after a few days she started to settle down, and now she’s just a normal, curious and active Springer during the day. Because of her size and rambunctious nature her foster family would not recommend her for a household with toddlers small enough to knock over, but she has interacted well with kids as young as 5 and lived happily with teenagers in her former household; she seems simply to be a terrific family dog.
The new girl in the house came with a special bowl designed to make eating a longer process and she does well with it, enjoying 1 cup of turkey kibble and 1/2 cup of green beans twice a day. The former owner said the green beans are to give her fiber and make her less hungry between meals and she seems to be to be doing well with them. Lily came with allergy test results which can guide the new owner in the choice of dog food.
Lily gets along fine with the two resident Springers. She loves to go on walks and pulls at the beginning when super excited. She walks well, even when doing so with two other dog and has greeted strange dogs appropriately on walks. She needs some encouragement to jump into the car and whimpers a bit at the beginning of the ride, but settles down within a few minutes sleeping the rest of the drive until the car stops. If the car starts up again, she will whimper for a few minutes before settling again. There is little reluctance getting out of the car, so her new family will need to have her leash ready before opening the door!
She seems to adapt to new people as well. She appeared comfortable in her foster home after just a few days, and never showed any signs of homesickness for her former situation. She’s fine with visitors and works the room in endearing fashion whenever guests are present. She likes to sleep around people, but will wake up during the day, wander the house with no issues, go outside, play with other dogs or explore the yard on her own for a while before returning to sleep near a human. She’s only been heard to bark when playing with the resident dogs.
Lily is fully housetrained. She’s lived with a doggie door for the last few years, so if moving to a house without one, the new owner will need to develop a signal with her to go outside. She is not crate trained and does not seem to need one. When her fosters have been gone, she has had the run of the house, with some rooms behind closed doors, with no issues. She sleeps on the floor, or on dog bed(s) on the floor, getting up in the night when her humans do, but settling right back down. She knows all the basic commands (“come,” “sit,” “lie,” “down,” and “stay.” She Likes to play with various chew toys, sharing them with the resident Springers. She has shown some resource guarding with bones and other treats, but not with toys, other objects or people.
Her former owner groomed her at home, with no issues and she’s not yet been taken to get a grooming. She does well with brushing and having her paws handled. She was fine at the vet.
Since no Springer is perfect Miss Lily comes with some cautions. She is quite needy, constantly asking for attention from anyone who’s sitting down. Some people might find this a nuisance, but she goes away once dismissed–at least until the next time. She does not appear to be a flight risk, but once or twice she has leaped the 4 foot fence at her foster home and appeared at the front door; it could be a problem if she escapes into busy surroundings. She is food-motivated to a fault, a shameless beggar who’s usually within a foot of whomever is working in the kitchen. Her fosters have seen no evidence of counter-surfing, but she has the reach and they wouldn’t trust her alone with food on the counter or with another dog’s food bowl on the floor.
Lily Bear would like a place with a yard to allow her to run with another dog or regular access to a dog park–she really enjoys playing with the two resident Springers. She would also like adults or children around much of the times although she can be alone for periods with no outward stress. She is a beggar in the kitchen, and will stay this way, unless her new owners completely resist temptation and even then, it will take some time. She loves walks and playing with toys by herself or with another human or dog. Valentine’s Day is coming; won’t you open your home to this almost perfect sweetheart?