Entered: 01/31/2010
Status: Adopted
Age: 6
Color: Black/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Little Silver, NJ
Health: UTD, HW-, good in all areas
Temperament: Good with people 10 and older, tolerates other dogs, chases cats
Update 07/20/10:
Nikki III has returned to MAESSR’s care because she was not dealing well with the high activity level and general wiggliness of the toddler in her home. She had bonded very well to the adult women in her household and behaved nicely with the older child. Toddlers were just not Nikki’s cup of tea.
A low energy girl, Nikki likes to hang out in the house and nap, but she is willing to go on leashed walks multiple times a day. She walks well on the leash and does not pull. Chewing on a busy bone is the closest thing to playing that she does; toys and balls just do not interest her. Getting belly rubs is Nikki’s idea of a good activity!
Loud noises like thunder and fireworks frighten Nikki and she receives a small amount of medication then to calm her down. This worked just fine when there was a large fireworks display near her foster home. She slept soundly through the night and was raring to go the next morning!
The poor resident cats have been in hiding since Nikki arrived because she chases them– something she did with the cats in her adoptive home. Nikki is not very interactive with the resident, neutered Springer; she tolerates him and does not engage in any play behavior– to his disappointment. When the resident Springer gets too close to Nikki’s foster mom, Nikki grumbles at him. Her foster parents are working with her on this resource guarding issue.
Nikki would love to find a rather quiet forever family that is not tremendously into outdoor activities. She would probably appreciate being an only pet so that she could be the sole recipient of all the attention from her family. A really brave, dog-savvy cat could be a housemate, though.
This pretty little girl has lovely house manners and is given total freedom in the house because she is so trustworthy. She signals her need to go out by going to the door. Bring Nikki into your family and all you need to do is to add some love. Nikki has all the rest!
Update 02/16/10:
Nikki has been an angel during her stay in foster care. She has made cuddle friends with the resident cat and also likes to clean the 1 year old in her home. She is the 7 year old son’s riding partner in the back seat where she just puts her head on his lap and enjoys the ride.
After she spent a weekend with another MAESSR family, there is a little more insight as to Nikki and other dogs. That weekend she met another foster dog, a male that is about her age. At the end of the weekend, the two seemed to understand each others boundaries and could be pleasant to one another. Her foster family feels now that it may be alpha dogs Nikki doesn’t care for rather than all dogs. She may be able to live with a submissive male, as long as the two are introduced with care and given space and a bit of time to get acquainted. It could be too that, given her love of people, she may be a dog whose life can be complete without a canine buddy.
With people, Nikki is the perfect dog. Petite and loving, she will be a heart-warming addition to anyone’s home.
Original:
When Nikki’s owner ran upon hard financial times, she moved in with her daughter who had three dogs of her own. Because Nikki does not get along with other dogs, this situation proved untenable. So, Nikki was taken to a local Maryland shelter which contacted MAESSR for help in placing her.
During her shelter stay, Nikki was attacked by another dog and received a wound on her neck which is healing very nicely after a round of antibiotics. She is a great little dog weighing in at 37 pounds. Completely housebroken, Nikki lets her foster parents know she needs to go out by pacing at the door. When her foster family is away and at night, she is crated, but in her previous house she was not confined and reported did fine.
A true Velcro Springer, Nikki wants to be with her people every minute. When they return home, she greets them with a sweet little dance at the door. With her good house manners, Nikki does not counter-surf or bother the trash. She is not a barker, either. Outside, Nikki walks nicely on a leash. Nikki is a low energy Springer, but can turn up the fun when you want to play.
In her foster family, Nikki lives with a seven year old boy and his one year old sister. After all and settling in, she is great with the toddler! Nikki just licks her fingers and toes and has no problem with an occasional tug on her ears. At the shelter NIkki was cat tested and passed, just ignoring the cat. With the resident cat, she seems to do the same, avoiding going in the same direction as the cat is heading.
Do you have room in your home and heart for this sweetheart who loves kids and ignores cats? Nikki has lots of love to share!