Entered: 06/11/2016
Status: Adopted
Age: 12
Color: Black/White
Weight: 42 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: State College, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, some age-related issues such as stiffness when climbing stairs, fatty tumors, and cloudy lenses, benign skin growth on rump
Temperament: Good with adults, younger children unknown but would be best in a quieter household without children, good with other quiet dogs, tolerates cats
Original: “With very nice house manners, Maggie is content to settle near anyone who is home and keep them company.”
Maggie’s now deceased owners were seniors when they obtained her as a puppy and she has lived her whole life with them in their home in Pennsylvania. The remaining owner passed away this June and the family reached out to MAESSR to place Maggie.
Although Maggie is very timid in new or stressful situations, her initial anxiety in moving to her foster home has really diminished now that she has acclimated to the household routine. After some brief initial shyness, she’s very comfortable meeting adults and older, calm young people. She has met various neighbors and enjoys being petted by them. Her exposure to young children is unknown, but her foster family thinks it would be stressful and scary for her.
Maggie has no interest in socializing with other dogs and actively avoids them by trying to hide behind her human. She is currently living with a 10 month old female terrier mix. They live gated apart because the pup will not leave her alone. Maggie might be okay with an older, calm dog who would sniff her once and then go lie down. Maggie has shown no aggression toward the resident pup, but it’s very stressful for her to try to escape the youngster’s overtures. Furthermore, her foster family doesn’t want her to get injured trying to scramble away. There is also a cat in the foster home, and while Maggie doesn’t love the cat, she doesn’t pursue her feline foster sibling. Instead, she just barks if the cat is between her and where she wants to be.
This senior needs to go out to urinate fairly frequently but has no trouble going through the night from 10:30 or 11:00 pm until 5:30 or 6:00 am. She has had no accidents of any kind in the house. Good girl, Maggie! She will usually whine and eventually bark if she wants to go out. Her foster family’s nephew comes to let her out mid-day when they’re at work, since otherwise it would be a nine hour day for her.
Even though Maggie arrived with her own crate and she was crated her first night, since then she has the run of most the house when her foster parents are home. At night she’s gated in the dining room where her crate is and sleeps there till morning. She would likely be fine (and likely prefer) sleeping on a dog bed in the bedroom; however, the resident youngster sleeps there, so that wasn’t an option. She did complain about the separation the first couple nights but now takes the routine in stride. In general, she does need to be in the vicinity of where her people are (what Springer doesn’t ?) or she’ll cry and bark if she knows people are around and she can’t get to them.
With very nice house manners, Maggie is content to settle near anyone who is home and keep them company. She has not attempted to get on any furniture, although the accessible furniture is in the TV room where the young dog gets confined since Maggie has arrived. She does do her best to beg at meal time but will give up when ignored. She just stays very available in case food should fall.
Her foster family feeds Maggie a mix of wet and dry food twice a day and she’s had no feeding issues. Her relinquishing family noted that she would raid trash cans, especially for used paper towels and tissues, but since there’s a puppy in the house, there is no accessible trash can. Maggie does not chew inappropriately or seem to have interest in playing with toys. She does enjoy a Kong with a kibble and peanut butter mixture sealed inside that she gets when everyone leaves for the day.
Maggie knows “sit,” especially when a treat is involved! Maggie walks very nicely on leash at a relatively brisk pace for her age. She occasionally decides to just sit down but will get going again with a little encouragement — and occasionally a treat bribe! She walks easily around the soccer fields and the neighborhood block at least a couple times a day.
Despite some stiffness, Maggie does the couple of steps into her foster family’s ranch home without difficulty; however, she would do best in a forever home that wouldn’t require daily extended stair climbing. Maggie has some decreased vision that causes her to be a bit startled if sudden movements come at her, but her response is only to shy away, not to be aggressive. She may have some hearing loss but comes when called clearly. She has had occasional ear infections, the last one being March of this year, but none since.
When in new or stressful situations, Maggie shakes, which is all she did at the vet’s office while having her exam and also at the groomer. Her foster mom has cleaned her ears with no problem.
Her foster family believes Maggie would do best as an only dog (or perhaps with another calm, older dog) in a family without very young children and where someone is at home most of the time. Also, she could live comfortably with a cat that has no interest in her. Maggie enjoys being outside, but doesn’t have very high energy needs. What a very sweet, attention-loving girl Maggie is! She would be a great addition to a quiet, loving family.