Entered: 08/19/2020
Status: Adopted
Age: 11; born 03/12/2009
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 45 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Sarver, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, antibodies present for anaplasmosis but is asymptomatic, benefiting from Proin for urinary incontinence and supplement for joint health, mostly blind due to extensive cataracts, some hearing loss, tooth extraction complete
Temperament: Good with adults, unknown with children, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Update 11/23/2020: “She does prefer to spend most of her time either in her chair or bed, but the warm sun on the outside deck beckons to her as well.”
Sweet girl Maddie is a very gentle and quiet soul. While she is almost blind due to cataracts and hard of hearing, neither seem to slow her down.
Maddie has learned areas of her foster home and negotiates the stairs competently. She does prefer to spend most of her time either in her chair or bed, but the warm sun on the outside deck beckons to her as well.
With tooth extraction behind her, Maddie’s favorite activity is eating…but being petted and brushed are right up there, too. She is not interested in toys.
Maddie greets almost anyone she encounters but she has many wags for her foster dad. They are best pals.
This gentle girl with such a wonderful disposition would just like to spend her golden years in a quiet household, preferably with someone who is retired or works from home. She is guaranteed to be a devoted companion.
Original: “She is glad to see anyone and loves the attention she gets from her people. She especially loves ear and tummy rubs.”
Maddie and her housemate Molly found themselves in a Pennsylvania shelter when their owner fell on hard times and lost her home and means to care for them. MAESSR intervened and now the pair are happily in a foster home together.
A visit to the vet confirmed what her foster parents observed: Maddie is essentially blind due to cataracts in both eyes. This has not held her back in any way. She does recognize people and she navigates very well both inside and outside of the house. Maddie has free run of the house and her preferred dog bed is located in a corner of the dining room. From there she goes anywhere; however, she hasn’t made it to the bedrooms yet. Occasionally, she will go into an open crate to sleep or even dozes in an old easy chair. Outside, Maddie does well, also. She does okay maneuvering on the deck steps and enjoys exploring the fenced yard. Sunning herself on the back deck is one of her favorite activities.
The vet also found that Maddie has a cracked tooth with exposed dental pulp. The tooth will be extracted soon. She has slight hearing loss but will respond to clapping or her name said loudly. As is not uncommon in older female dogs, Maddie has some urinary incontinence. Testing ruled out a UTI, so she will receive Proin daily to eliminate this leakage problem.
This sweet senior has good house manners. She is a tall dog so it would be easy for her to counter-surf, but she has not taken anything from the counters or trash. She learned that putting her head on the electric trash can would open it. She just sniffed but did not remove anything. Good girl, Maddie! She doesn’t beg when her people are eating and will let one of the other dogs share in her food. To prevent this from happening, her foster parents feed her away from the other dogs. She is not food or object possessive at all and her people can pick up her half eaten food dish with no problem. To signal her need to go out, she stands by the back door. There is a doggie door leading to the fenced backyard, but Maddie has not mastered that yet.
Car riding has improved since the noisy transport from the shelter during which Maddie and Molly barked and cried. She now knows that riding in the car can take her to good places and not the shelter. This smart cookie can also open car windows! On one eventful ride, she stepped on the window switch and stuck her nose out the window. Her foster parents now make sure car windows are locked in the up position! . Her dad had his pickup truck inside the fenced backyard with the doors open. He looked back at the truck and Maddie was already in the front seat! Obviously, she enjoys going for a ride and does not want to be left behind!
Not particularly active, Maddie sleeps on her dog bed frequently during the day. To date Maddie does not play with toys or chase birds or squirrels. She enjoys sniffing in her fenced yard, though.
Maddie wants to pull on the leash but when her people work with her and have treats available, she stays right by their side. She either does not know basic commands or she is not able to hear them or see the hand signals given.
Maddie is more timid than Molly, perhaps because of her vision loss and being in an unfamiliar environment. Nevertheless, she is glad to see anyone and loves the attention she gets from her people. She especially loves ear and tummy rubs. She has bonded with her foster parents and wags her little tail when she sees them. She was a champ at the groomer too, enjoying her spa treatment and behaving well. She didn’t like her visit to the vet, though.
Maddie is a sweet older dog who would be a good companion for a person who has time to devote to her. Discover the joy that comes with adopting a senior!