Markie

Update 11/13/09: On November 22, Markie will be 13 years old, and he has had a pretty good life until this summer. That was when his beloved owner died, and he was placed in a shelter where another dog hurt is foot. A MAESSR volunteer came and took him away from there and he has been in a very nice foster home with five other dogs and four cats ever since. His foster mom loves him dearly, and he loves her, but he would really like to have a home of his own. His foot is all better and he gets lovely fishy pills and a supplement for his arthritis, as well as special food to keep his kidneys healthy. It’s not that he is not happy where he is, but there is so much competition for attention and his foster mom only has two hands.

A home of his own would be the best birthday present Markie could receive. He’ll blow out all the candles on his cake if you make his wish come true!

Update 09/13/09: Markie had a bit of a setback with his injured foot and had to go back on antibiotics. Beyond this, he is doing quite well and has even decided to eat out of a dish. He still eats very slowly, savoring every bite and strolling around the house while chewing.

He enjoys being brushed and combed and will shake hands. However, when the scissors come out for a trim, he will grumble. His foster mom recommends that nail and hair trimming of the feet be done by a professional or with a muzzle. Markie doesn’t seem to mind having his feet touched; it is only presenting as a problem when scissors are involved. He actually seems to enjoy having his ears cleaned which is nice and will eat his supplements with no problem. He thinks they’re treats!

All in all, he is a pleasure to have in the house and is well-behaved in all situations, except for the scissor thing. He continues to be excellent off the leash, although he prefers to have an escort when out in the yard. If he is sent out without a person, he does what is needful and returns to the door.

Markie does not bark at strange people walking on his planet, other dogs, cats, squirrels, etc. He will, however, let you know when he is unable to be next to his person, such as when there is a barrier or door in the way. He does not bark or complain if his foster mom goes away, only when she is around but out of reach. His devotion to people is unwavering. What he needs now is a family to lavish his love on – would that be you?

Update 08/27/09: Markie has now been released by his vet as suitable and ready for adoption. His foot has healed beautifully and, except for going a little short at a trot, he is sound. He has also received his second Lyme vaccination. Markie continues to be the perfect pet, although he is a little sensitive yet about people grabbing the foot that was injured.

If his foster mom goes away in the car, Markie is fine when left home. He just takes a nap. However, he still is not thrilled about barriers at other times, even if his foster siblings are with him. His dislike of barriers includes doors, baby gates and shower curtains, although his foster mom notes that he is improving about the shower curtain. It seems that Markie just wants to be where his people happen to be when they are home!

Markie would be the ideal Springer for a family that is past wanting the high energy level of the youngsters but still loves the breed. He enjoys exploring his world, going to stores, riding in cars or just hanging out at home. He has never once needed any correction for behavior and helps hang out the laundry or rake the grass. He is not bothered by vacuum cleaners, brooms or dusting, although he does not volunteer to do any of those chores! One of his foster brothers, a very large dog at 110 pounds, thinks that lawn mowers are evil things that must be killed, so all dogs are inside if the lawn is being mowed. Therefore, Markie’s reaction to this has not been evaluated.

Mature springers like Markie require very little and thrive on the companionship of their families when allowed to share in every day activities. Markie was a very lucky boy to have the love of his original family into his senior years. What this mannerly gent needs now is just one more family in his life to hang with and to love on him. Who better to be sitting on the other side of your shower curtain?!?!?!

Original: MAESSR received Markie from a Delaware shelter where he had been surrendered due to the passing of his owner. He had lived with one family all his life, and being placed in the shelter was very stressful for him. While at the shelter, he was attacked by another dog and his foot was injured, but he is making a good recovery. Once he was pulled from the shelter, Markie was taken to the vet for a thorough checkup and blood work. His kidney levels were somewhat high so the vet felt that prescription food would be best for Markie. Even if this diet does not lower the levels, it should prevent them from getting worse.

Markie is an awfully good boy! From the moment he arrived at his foster home, he was allowed free run of the house and the fenced yard, partly because he is a sweet, placid, housetrained boy, and partly because he was quite vocal when isolated. He does not like to have a barrier of any sort between him and his person and will complain vocally if he is barricaded alone. He follows his foster mom everywhere she goes, inside and outside, and if she is sitting still, he is at her feet. Markie loves men, too, and had been very close to his male owner before he passed. With good house manners, Markie has shown no interest in counter-surfing, getting into the trash, begging at mealtime, or bothering the resident cats, although he did think he ought to be on the couch! At bedtime, he loves his nice soft dog bed! Senior Springers are deserving of some comfort!

Even though he is limping because of his injured front paw and is somewhat arthritic in his rear quarters, Markie has no trouble going up and down stairs. He has also shown a preference for being outside, but that may be only because he was confined first at the shelter and then at the vet due to his injury and needing to be neutered. However, even with all his problems, he does try to walk quickly through the yard with his little tail wiggling like mad! There is even a suggestion of a prance in his step until his hind legs get tangled!

This wonderful boy is so good. Not wanting his person to be out of sight, Markie does not wander away and he can be trusted off the leash in his foster family’s very large, fenced yard. If he is let outside with the resident dogs and his foster mom does not go along, Markie will stay by the door and wait. If his foster mom is out of sight, he will look for her until he finds her. Although he has not shown any interest in dog toys, he does enjoy playing with toads he finds in the yard, pushing them around and just wagging his entire rear in pleasure at his wonderful find! There are non-venomous snakes in the yard occasionally, but he has not yet met any of them. Stick to toads, Markie!

This smart boy is responsive to all sorts of commands: “in,” “out,” “down,” “sit,” and “come” and he is very good on a leash. Markie is also fine in the car, although between his paw injury and the arthritis, he does need help getting in. Even older Springers like to look their best and are willing to be patient during the grooming process. Markie is no exception. During his initial grooming, he was very patient while his foster mom clipped mats from his ears. Groomed and bathed, Markie is one handsome Springer!

Markie would like a forever home where he will be taken for walks, petted, and loved. He is one special Springer who will touch your heart!