Entered: 09/20/2018
Status: Adopted
Age: 9
Color: Black/White
Weight: 55 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Branchville, NJ
Health: UTD, HW-, benefitting from medication for spay incontinence
Temperament: Good with adults, may be too strong for smaller children, good with other dogs, should not be with cats
Update 06/07/2019: “She is so highly food motivated (and takes the treats so gently) that she is a wonderful example of how an old dog can learn new tricks!”
Lola has come into her own in the eight months with her foster family and revealed much of her personality.
This senior did have urine leakage problems which could have been from spay incontinence, nerves, or, most probably, a combination. She did test negatively for diabetes insepidus which also could have been a cause. She is receiving daily doses of two common spay incontinence drugs and has been accident free for the last two months.
While she is an attentive dog, she is content to be in the same room with her family without being right with them every second. She can be found on her dog bed in the kitchen, on the couch in the living room or (always) on the bed at night. She enjoys the company of her foster brother and willingly goes in and out with him, but follows her own path when outside and makes her own decisions about when it’s time to come in. She will, however, bark (and bark and bark) and chase the resident cat whenever she catches sight or scent of that poor feline who has been living on top of the spare refrigerator in the utility room.
Lola has a finely tuned sense of smell and memory and is a champion counter-surfer; her foster mom wonders if she is not part goat as she is also drawn to empty cans and other treasures of the recycling bin (Remember, “Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets.”).
For an almost ten-year old, Lola walks along well on a gentle leader, going between 3-5 miles almost every day. She does pull when she sees critters and reacts to other leashed dogs along the way (she may be imitating her foster brother). She does bark (and bark and bark) to alert, warning against the feared mail truck and evil UPS deliveryman—again, she and the resident Springer feed off each other’s behaviors. She does learn quickly and will sit and wait for her food, for the door to open, and for permission to go outside.
Lola knows “sit,” “down,” “wait,” and “come” and is receiving practice time working on the commands in the yard for timing and distance. She also is beginning instruction on the agility course. She is so highly food motivated (and takes the treats so gently) that she is a wonderful example of how an old dog can learn new tricks!
Lola would fit in with most any home that does not have a cat or small animals. A fenced yard would be nice but not a necessity as her recall is good (unless she sees a squirrel, bunny or chipmunk). She has always had a male doggie pal, but that again may not be a requirement. She’s an easy to be with laid back senior inside, but still shows plenty of pep and enjoys exercise outside.
Original: “When asked if she wanted to go in a crate for crate testing, she just rolled belly up and seemed to say ‘No, I don’t want to go in there; I wasn’t harming a soul,’ so her foster mom laughed and left her where she was.”
When Lola’s New Jersey owners divorced, she and another Springer had nowhere to go and made their way to MAESSR. Her first night in foster, she panted a bit nervously but is much calmer now, even after the Springer she’d lived with for years moved to a different foster home.
Lola has been completely housetrained and without issues since day three in her foster home (some minor leakage problems before that were probably nerves, although she will be tested for a urinary tract infection) and gives a low whimper by the back door when she needs to go potty. When her foster folks aren’t home and at night, Lola just plops on a dog bed at the foot of the stairs. When asked if she wanted to go in a crate for crate testing, she just rolled belly up and seemed to say, “No, I don’t want to go in there; I wasn’t harming a soul,” so her foster mom laughed and left her where she was.
Lola is easy to have around. She’ll follow the humans, help the resident hound patrol the yard for squirrels and chipmunks, and wiggle happily if leashes come out for a walk. She doesn’t dig, bark more than a greeting “woof,” and since her original Springer pal changed homes, she can’t help him with garbage surfing.
This smiling gal knows “sit,” “give paw,” ”get in your bed,” and is okay on a leash unless a squirrel is spotted. She seems happy to meet other dogs, does fine in the car if tethered and is starting to play with stuffed animals. She shows no aggression at all when eating right alongside other dogs or if a toy is taken from her. Her energy level is low inside and active, though not too much so, outside. She loves being groomed, though she prefers to drop and flop to have her belly brushed instead of standing politely.
Beautiful Lola would do fine in many situations but would probably prefer to have a doggie friend as she’s lived her whole life with at least one other dog. She’d probably be great with kids and “the more attention the better.” She’s pretty low-key about demanding it, but, “Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets!”