Missy 2

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Updated 8/27/07: With two months to settle in, Miss Missy is doing very well and it’s showing in a number of ways. She has been more affectionate with her foster parents of late which they feel is because she is finally comfortable physically and feeling much better in terms of her urinary issues. She is on an inexpensive daily med for incontinence and is doing well as long as she gets outside every few hours. As she has become more comfortable with her surroundings, Missy will often go outside during the daytime through the doggy door by herself which is a big improvement. She definitely has more trouble at night since her vision is bad. She sees shadows and does fairly well during the day but has to be physically led outside at night. Fortunately, she can go through most nights dry with the water being removed from her crate to give her an edge.

Missy’s only bad habit is her counter-surfing and aggressiveness around human food. There is nothing wrong with her sense of smell! She has stolen a loaf of bread right out of a grocery bag before her foster mom could get it put away. She has learned how to open the bread drawer to get at the bread to boot! What a smart girl!!! She learns routines very quickly. Missy knows that when her foster mom cooks breakfast in the morning, (which only happens when she is off from work) she will get some cheese or left over egg and Missy will not leave her side until she gets it! She doesn’t jump up on people to get food, only counters!

When her family returns home Missy comes to greet them and to get the customary pets and loving. She jumps right in with the two resident boys to be sure she gets her share of attention! She is very quiet and doesn’t bark at all, probably due to her deafness. She doesn’t mind being groomed but does balk at her ear cleaning. She has likely had very bad infections in the past and hates to have anyone touching her ears. She doesn’t bark or growl or try to bite, but she tries hard to get away when the attempt to clean her ears comes along.

Missy is not very playful with toys and such, probably because she can’t see them too well but she loves to lay in front of her foster mom for a massage. She will lay there as long as her foster mom continues to stroke her. Missy is a sweet old girl who deserves to spend her final years being cared for and loved! If you keep your bread way up high and would find as much peaceful relaxation in gently caressing Missy as she finds in being at one’s feet, please ask about sharing your home with this beautiful senior!  

Original: Sometimes a Springer’s golden years do not go as planned. Missy knows this for a fact. She had been found as a stray in July of 2004 and then was adopted from a shelter. She was a beloved family member for the past three years. Due to a financial crisis in her family and through no fault of her own, she is looking for a new home in which to spend her golden years. MAESSR can help her do that.

Missy is a sweet girl. She gets excited to see people and likes to cuddle with them and have her ears rubbed. She is losing her hearing, but can hear certain noises. Her foster family also believes she is losing her vision as when it gets dark, she puts her nose down to the ground and goes forward slowly when she’s in new places. Once she’s been in the home for a few days or it’s very well lit, she runs around like she owns the place!

Missy is excellent in her crate and doesn’t make a peep while in it. Although housebroken, she has had a few accidents in the house and her foster parents have confined her to the gated kitchen or her crate when they are not home. It may be that Missy has a urinary tract infection, so she is going to the vet for testing. She doesn’t seem to like dog beds and prefers the floor or her crate. This might just be because the floor is cooler during this summer heat wave. She is not great with stairs but will navigate them on her own, slowly and steadily. Missy rides nicely in the car.

With children, Missy is just fine; however, since she is so incredibly food motivated and her vision isn’t great, she is a little grabby. So, it’s best she not live with young toddlers. Even eleven-year-old Springers need to be reminded about using good manners. Her foster family must remind her that strong girls don’t need to pull on the leash when they first begin their walks. She has been given reminders that good house manners do not include counter surfing. Nothing with the scent of food on it should be left in her reach or she’ll grab it. She is fine when her foster parents take things away from her or pick up her food bowl mid-meal. She does not have a mean bone in her body towards humans and has no intentions of hurting anyone. Her foster parents are feeding her special food for a suspected kidney problem. She doesn’t really like this food, but she has now realized that her foster family is not going to feed her people food like her last family did. This chubby girl just loves her food!

Missy is good with other dogs, but will give a low grumble to them if they approach her while she has something of really high value like special food treats. Her Springer foster brother is enthralled by her and follows her around licking her. She is being fairly tolerant of this adoration.

All in all, Missy is a great girl who flashes her pearly whites in smile when she’s happy and likes to snuggle and get belly rubs. If you’re looking for a companion who is mellow but peppy, friendly but not obtrusive, refined in the ways of a senior Springer but still entertaining with a few Springer antics, Missy’s your girl!