Entered: 07/16/2022
Status: Adopted
Age: 4; born 02/16/2018
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 36 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Alexandria, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, treatment completed for UTI
Temperament: Good with adults, not good with children, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Original: “She likes to go out for walk but is also happy to lie next to her foster mom’s feet and sleep.”
Nauti became a MAESSR girl when her Virginia breeder passed away.
Nauti is not fully housetrained but is making progress in the short time she’s been in her foster home. She has only one accident or fewer each day. She doesn’t have a signal when she needs to go out, but her foster mom knows to take her out when she starts prancing around the house. Nauti is crate trained and will go in when her foster mom points and tells her “go in the crate.” She stays in the crate when her foster mom is not at home and sleeps in the crate at night. Her foster mom thinks she could be trusted alone at home without being crated once she is fully housetrained.
This pretty girl has good house manners for one who hasn’t lived in the house before. She doesn’t chew anything and doesn’t get on the furniture. She does not jump up on people. Nauti has tried to counter-surf a few times, but failed as, due to her small size, she could only get something off the counter if it were right on the edge. She gets down when her foster mom gives her a stern “No!” The trash in her foster home is kept out of reach, so Nauti hasn’t had a chance to get into it. When the trash can is out she sniffs near the top, and her foster mom thinks she might raid it if she had the chance. Nauti is not a barker; she barks occasionally when the resident Springer does, but for the most part is a quiet girl.
Nauti knows “go in the crate” and “come.” Her leash walking needs some work. She pulls on the leash but slows down when she gets to the end of it and feels the tug on her collar. Her foster mom thinks she can quickly learn not to pull. She likes to circle around her foster mom while walking and sometimes steps on her feet; this is easily fixed by giving her a shorter lead. She has seen birds and squirrels on walks but does not chase them. Nauti has met other dogs on walks with no problem. On occasion she’ll give some half-hearted barks when she sees another dog on a walk, but quickly stops and continues walking when it’s clear that they’re not interested in her. The new gal in town has gone to the dog park on several occasions and gets along well with all of the other dogs. She doesn’t jump in or out of the car on her own, so she has to be lifted in and out. Nauti is a bit anxious on car rides but does all right when tethered in the backseat. If not tethered, she tries to climb over the seats.
Nauti doesn’t play with any toys in her foster home. She has access to a basket of toys and the resident Springer has tried to share toys with her, but Nauti is totally uninterested. Nauti and the resident female Springer live together peacefully. She typically doesn’t want to play with the resident Springer and will grumble to let the resident know when she wants to be left alone. Nauti doesn’t guard her food but since she is a grazer, she is fed separately from the resident dog so that her food isn’t stolen before she has the chance to eat. Nauti has so far been lower energy than a typical Springer. She likes to go out for walks but is also happy to lie next to her foster mom’s feet and sleep.
Nauti behaved well at the vet and was cooperative for all of her procedures. She was scared by having the hair dryer near her face at the groomer and bit the groomer’s hand. The groomer felt that Nauti may have been trying to bite the dryer but got her hand instead. She has had no problem having her nails trimmed, ears cleaned, being bathed or being brushed. She can be touched all over. Her foster mom believes she can be groomed without any issue by avoiding her face with the dryer and clippers or by using a muzzle until she learns that they are nothing to be feared.
This beautiful girl would do well in a variety of homes with or without other dogs. While a home with a yard for her to explore would be wonderful, her foster mom thinks she would also do well in an apartment or smaller home (her foster home is a townhouse with no yard).