Entered: 07/28/2012
Status: Adopted
Age: 0
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, treatment for a skin infection complete, losing to a healthy weight, overall good health
Temperament: Good with people as young as thirteen, unknown with younger children, good with other dogs, chases cats
Original:
Since they were pups, Maggie and her brother lived with a middle-aged couple in North Carolina. The husband handled Maggie and the wife handled the brother. When the husband suddenly became seriously ill, the wife didn’t feel as though she could manage both dogs. So, tearfully, Maggie was relinquished to MAESSR with all of her earthly belongings. It was a very emotional turnover for her family as well as her foster family!
Everyone says the same thing when they meet Maggie – “What a sweet dog!” She is a bit shy at first but warms up quickly with a few gentle words and then loves the attention she gets from people. Maggie makes the rounds to get loving from everyone including the resident senior dog! She is also becoming a Velcro pup with her foster mom. Such a love bug!
This gal loves to chase squirrels, play Frisbee, and gallop after the ball when it is thrown for her. She carries her favorite orange ball around the house and uses it to entertain herself. Other stuffed toys are carried around for everyone to see. Maggie is very intelligent and problem solves when the ball goes under the furniture. Not at all object or food possessive, she does not mind sharing toys or having her food bowl moved around while she is eating in her crate. Good girl, Maggie.
Outside, Maggie is quite the tracker (rabbits – watch out!) and loves to dig to catch voles in the yard. Due to her age, getting her attention outside can be a bit challenging when she is watching the birds, but she eventually realizes she is being called. This will get better with more training. She is housetrained, but she does not signal yet as she was used to a doggy door in her original home. Maggie is being introduced to crate training, gradually spending longer periods in it to know it is safe and her foster parents will return. (She is crated when her family goes out.) At night she sleeps on the master bedroom floor on a dog bed near her foster mom.
Maggie walks well on the leash but has not been taught proper canine behavior when meeting other dogs. Currently, she barks and pulls at other dogs, but does not bark at people though she is interested in those who are jogging. She is actually a bit timid with those who approach her. Even though she knows “sit,” “come,” and “down,” Maggie will still have to be enrolled in obedience training classes by her adopted family. MAESSR only places puppies 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 requires all adopters of dogs under 1 year old to enroll their puppy in obedience classes within 60 days of adoption. Maggie will do very well with some formal training. She enjoys riding in the car and watching out the window, fascinated by what she sees.
Maggie does great with the resident dogs and became a member of the group without incident. She tries to engage them in play, but they are older and are not interested in puppy antics. All of them will chase squirrels and birds together, though. She is learning house rules with their help, watching them to know what to do. Although she is not a beggar and does not get into the trash, she is a rather bold counter-surfer. Her foster parents are clearly letting her know that helping yourself to what is on the kitchen counter is not an acceptable behavior for a Springer pup! To get attention from her people, Maggie puts her front half on the couch. She is good about being redirected.
Her visit to the vet revealed that Maggie is in good health but weighs 59.6 pounds so it was suggested that she lose 15 pounds. Multiple daily walks are helping with this mission. Maggie was diagnosed with urinary stones before becoming a MAESSR dog, but the recent vet visit revealed no stones. It is thought her prescription food was adding on the pounds; therefore, a weight management food was suggested. She is currently taking an antibiotic for a skin infection which is expected to clear soon. Maggie’s grooming appointment is coming up; she was good in the tub after getting muddy.
A happy, fun-loving young Springer, Maggie has a great curiosity about things, making it fun to watch her discoveries. Keeping her challenged will help her learn quickly. She is very intelligent, uses feet and legs as tools, and has an acute sense of smell. She does need reassurance about new experiences and actively seeks love and attention. She would enjoy an active family and a canine companion that would make sure she gets the daily exercise that she needs. She needs a family who want to teach her and bring out all the abilities she appears to possess. Maggie is a great dog!