Entered: 09/05/2013
Status: Adopted
Age: 7
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 66 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Macungie, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, ear infections resolved with preventative meds continuing, blind in both eyes
Temperament: Good with people as young as 4, becoming less fearful of other dogs, unknown with cats
Update 11/17/2013: “Mandy’s personality shines brighter each week, and her foster mom continues to be amazed at how this pretty girl has “come out of her shell.”
Mandy’s personality shines brighter each week, and her foster mom continues to be amazed at how this pretty girl has “come out of her shell.” Mandy’s foster mom has a neighbor with a 13 year old blind Pug named Max. When Mandy first met the neighbor and Max, she was shy but curious about the dog. Recently, however, when the neighbor and Max came to visit, Mandy wanted to play with Max! Max, however, did not want to play. Mandy actually got “mad” at Max (barking and play growling) because he didn’t want to play! Mandy’s foster mom and the neighbor tried to explain to Mandy that Max was 13 and blind, but being blind in Mandy’s eyes (no pun intended) was no excuse! With this as a step forward, Mandy’s foster mom is going to make it a point to introduce Mandy to other dogs and see if she is as willing to play with them as she was with Max. Fingers crossed………..
Her recent trip to the doggy dermatologist revealed no more infection in Mandy’s ears. Because of this great progress, and to keep the infection “at bay,” Mandy is only required to have ear drops once daily instead of twice a day.
Like many Springers, Mandy is very food motivated. She will get into the trash and into things that smell like food, such as gum, if not supervised. Her foster mom is working with her to curtail this by introducing Mandy to a crate. If Mandy is in her crate when her mom is out, then Mandy avoids temptation and the eventual upset stomach which comes with eating things she should not consume. Mandy’s foster mom wants her to love her crate, so she is offering Mandy some treats and meals in her crate. So far, Mandy has enjoyed some treats and some meals in her crate. Good girl!! She’s catching on to the idea that her crate equals happiness!
Stay tuned for more on Mandy’s crate training and to find out if she’s met a canine playmate.
Update 10/15/2013: “Mandy gets very happy and excited at all this praise and runs from her foster parents to the back door and then back to her foster parents, ending with sitting on their feet to show them she loves them.”
“What a sweet dog.” “She’s so nice.” These are two frequent comments Mandy’s foster parents receive from guests who meet Mandy. Because Mandy’s blind, her foster mom insists people say Mandy’s name when they meet her and believes this puts Mandy at ease.
Mandy must feel much more comfortable in her foster home because she has become a counter-surfer! Recently Mandy’s foster mom caught Mandy putting her feet up on the kitchen table because she smelled the pumpkin bread that was sitting there. Her mom scolded, “No!” and Mandy quickly took her front paws off the table. Hey, Mom, it’s almost Halloween and time for pumpkin bread!
Since the last update, Mandy has decided to give a signal to go out. She puts her head in her foster parent’s lap or walks to the door and jumps at the door indicating she has “to go.”
This sweetheart seems to have a balance of being a “Velcro” Springer and an independent dog. She frequently follows her people around the house, but is happy at times to sleep downstairs when her foster parents are sleeping upstairs.
Mandy was recently at the doggie dermatologist for her ear infections. The dermatologist prescribed ear solution and an antibiotic for her. Mandy’s foster parents are so impressed at how well she takes her ear solution! They have to inject it into her ears outside and Mandy stands like a little lady! It tickles her ears a bit and she’ll try to turn her head, but, in general, she’s very stoic. After dispensing the liquid in her ears, her foster parents praise her lavishly, clapping and saying, “Good GIRL!” Mandy gets very happy and excited at all this praise and runs from her foster parents to the back door and then back to her foster parents, ending with sitting on their feet to show them she loves them.
Recently, Mandy’s foster mom’s sister came to visit. She cooked dinner and gave Mandy some cooked chicken which of course Mandy loved. But then, she also tried to feed Mandy a carrot and a piece of fennel. No go! A vegetarian Mandy is not!
Mandy is simply a beautiful and sweet dog who wants to please and would love some pumpkin bread. Stay tuned for crate training updates on this great dog!
Original: “Her foster parents have given her the nickname ‘The Trooper’ because of how well she conquered the stairs inside and outside her foster home despite her lack of sight! “
When Mandy’s owners became severely allergic to Mandy they took her to a shelter in Pennsylvania . The shelter contacted MAESSR, and Mandy was quickly placed in a MAESSR foster home. According to the shelter, Mandy, in spite of immediate treatment, became blind after suffering heat stroke during an event at the shelter. This has not deterred her, however. Her foster parents have given her the nickname “The Trooper” because of how well she conquered the stairs inside and outside her foster home despite her lack of sight!
Mandy is housetrained but does not have a signal to go out. When her foster mom is home, she lets Mandy out about every four hours; however, this good girl recently had full run of the house for over seven hours with no accidents.
Miss Mellow never gets up on the bed or sofa; but, she has never been invited so maybe she is just being well-mannered! She sleeps on the floor next to her foster parents’ bed and snores softly. She is fed in the kitchen and her foster parents have seen no food guarding although this was reported by her original owners. Her foster mom believes this change was brought on by her lack of sight.
Mandy is a very polite and laid back girl with a low energy level. She does not counter-surf or get into the trash. She does not chew anything she isn’t supposed to chew. She simply likes to lie on the floor of whatever room her foster parents are in and occasionally roll over for belly rubs. But, she is beginning to come alive and just recently started to play with toys. A squeaky stuffed duck caught her fancy, and she carried it across the room to her foster mom—go for it, Mandy!
This bright lady knows the words “sit” and “down” (to lie down) and “come.” In fact, she comes right away when called and usually sits down when she reaches her foster mom. Good girl, Mandy! Because of her blindness, her foster parents understand that they need to guide her with their voices. For example, when Mandy was learning the steps of the house, right before she would go up or down a step, her foster parents would say, “Step!” This taught Mandy that she had to walk up or down. In addition, instead of just walking away from Mandy and expecting that she will follow, her family makes it a habit to call her and clap their hands to guide her towards where they want to go.
When she hears a door bell or when she gets excited, Mandy barks. Despite being laid back, she is a typical Springer and gets excited when her foster parents come home. And, if she’s really excited, she’ll bark.
Mandy may be almost 8 years old, but she’s is a very strong dog and pulled at her leash the first few times her foster mom walked her. Because of that, she now has a harness and both Mandy and her foster mom are much happier with this arrangement. When Mandy rides in a car, she can’t seem to decide if she should sit down, lie down, or stand. She whimpers a bit, but her foster mom thinks it’s just because she is excited to be in the car.
During a recent grip to the vet, Mandy simply rolled over for a belly rub while the vet cleaned out her ears. She was a polite lady during the physical examination as well. Watch for details of her trip to the groomers.
Recently, Mandy’s foster parents went to lunch outside and took Mandy with them. The manager of the restaurant came out and said hi to her and gave Mandy many pats, “good girl’s!” and kisses. Mandy ate up this attention and showed she appreciated it by sitting down on the manager’s foot and leaning into her to get as close as possible!
This beautiful lady seems to be a “homebody.” She appears to simply like being near her people, getting belly rubs and lying around the house and yard. She’d be happiest as an only dog in a home with people who want a companion to lie at their feet and take walks around the block and in the back yard. Whoever is lucky enough to adopt Miss Mandy will need to guide her vocally so she knows in which direction to walk or run and will be rewarded with the love of a very special gal.