Maggie 17

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Updated 12/21/06: Maggie is definitely getting used to the pampered pet treatment. It is obvious she prefers life inside a warm house to the cold outdoors. Although her housebreaking has progressed very well, she’s not 100% there yet, so her foster mom is still working on this. If her foster mom’s neighbors have observed her while she is highly praising Maggie for going outside, they probably have gotten a good laugh. Until Maggie is completely reliable, she will continue to be crated when her foster mom is away from home. She is very good in her crate and seems to enjoy the cozy comfort it provides.

Maggie’s leash manners have much improved over the past few weeks. One ongoing issue is that Miss Maggie will not relieve herself while on leash. She will only go in the back yard. Her foster mom has tried very hard to remedy this, but Maggie has been quite reluctant to accommodate on this point, perhaps with just a little more time.

Although Maggie has come out of her shell more and more, she is still a shy girl. At the beginning of her stay, she was terrified of everything but now being frightened is more episodic. Loud noises or quick movements startle her. She is still somewhat aloof with the resident Springers but has formed a fast friendship with the resident Bichon/Poodle mix. They have a great time rolling around together and then collapse and fall asleep all snuggled up. This new life with attention from people has grown on Miss Maggie. She has become very attached to her foster mom and follows her everywhere. She even gets a little panicked when she loses track of her for a minute or two.

Maggie was spayed in mid-December and is recovering well. Her progress with weight gain has been slow and her vet would like to see her put on a few more pounds. She has no problem with that, Maggie loves mealtime.

Maggie’s foster mom is traveling over the holidays, so Maggie will be moving to a new foster home shortly before Christmas. Her foster mom feels that Maggie is ready for this step and that it will be a good test to see how this shy girl transitions to a new home and people.

Stay tuned for more news from her new foster home.

Original: Maggie is one of five Springers who were surrendered to rescue by a breeder when she decided to downsize her breeding program. The breeder had Maggie since she was a puppy, and she has had one or more litters of puppies. At 35 pounds, Maggie is a little underweight, but her overall health is good. At her first vet visit, the doctor recommended that she put on a little weight prior to her spay surgery. Maggie is happy to comply and eagerly gobbles her food.

When first arriving at her foster home, Maggie was terrified of everything, including the three resident dogs. She wanted nothing to do with them and growled when they came near her. A few days in her foster home made a world of difference. Although she is still quite timid, she is no longer terrified. She still doesn’t seek out the other dogs, but she no longer growls at them when they approach her. However, she will grumble a bit if she is getting attention and one of them tries to horn in. She is being taught by her foster mom that this is not appropriate since there is plenty of love for all. Maggie is not resource or food possessive.

A bath can make any girl feel so much better and Maggie was in need of one when arriving. She was also absolutely petrified of the bath tub, so her family conceded and gave her a bath outside. Because she was primarily an outdoor dog, Maggie has also needed a refresher course in house training. Her foster mom is working with her to make her understand that going outside means “it’s time to do her business” and then have fun. She’s doing fairly well, and her foster mom predicts Maggie will be fully house trained soon. In the meantime, she is crated during the day while everyone is at work. She makes a little fuss about going into her crate but settles down immediately. Maggie has even been found sleeping in the crate at other times. At night, she sleeps on a dog bed beside her mom’s bed. She has become quite a Velcro dog and follows her foster mom everywhere.

It is fairly clear that Maggie has not spent much time on a leash. She doesn’t pull, but she has a habit of getting underfoot and zigzagging behind her foster mom when she is out for a multi-dog walk. Her foster mom is working on better leash-walking habits and Maggie does better everyday. She also has some fear issue when her foster mom tries to guide her by the collar. Anytime her foster mom touches her collar, Maggie whimpers and becomes one with the floor. Her foster mom is working on this, also, and talks reassuringly to her as she guides Maggie to where she needs to go, such as to the yard or her crate. Maggie knows “sit”, “stay”, and “no.” She is very eager to please and an obedience course could do wonders in building her confidence and growing her basic skills. She’s only been in the car a couple of times and is a little nervous at first but settles in fairly well.

Based on her timid and anxious start in foster care, Maggie’s foster mom believes it would be best for her to be placed in a forever home without small children. Maggie might also prefer to be an only dog, but would probably do okay with another dog that doesn’t mind her aloof behavior.

Maggie is looking forward to 2007 as a new beginning. Could your home be the forever haven that helps her realize that dream.