Entered: 01/16/14
Status: Adopted
Age: 2
Color: Black/White
Weight: 45 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Goochland, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, receiving an inexpensive medication to help relieve anxiety, treatment for a UTI complete, overall good health
Temperament: Good with adults after first meeting, good with children as young as 3, good with most other dogs, and learning appropriate social skills while on leash, unknown with cats
Update 05/19/2014: “As part of his training, Niko has recently taken some field trips to stores that allow dogs to come in and he has behaved very well.”
Niko was returned to MAESSR by the adopting family that loved him very much. Although he was just wonderful with everyone in the home, he was acting aggressively when people came into the home. He would also bark and growl at other dogs when he was being walked. The family tried to work with him, but he was a handful and they felt unable to help him.
Niko was put into a foster home that has experience dealing with these types of issues. It was determined that his negative behavior was based on anxiety. Whenever he was not sure what was going on, he would try to act big and bad to scare everyone away. Niko has been started on an inexpensive medication to help relieve his anxiety and it is working well. As part of his training, Niko has recently taken some field trips to stores that allow dogs to come in and he has behaved very well. There have been several visitors to the foster home and he has behaved like an angel. What great progress!
Soon after he came to his foster home, Niko was taken to the vet. He was such a good boy for all the vet staff. He was found to have a urinary tract infection. He’s feeling much better since that has been successfully treated. He also went to the groomer. That was more of an issue. Niko had to be medicated for them to complete his groom because he was extremely scared of the clippers. He did not react aggressively…just scared.
This is a wonderful boy that needs a strong owner to lead him. Are you ready to help Niko become the best Springer boy he can be?
Original: “Niko does love to get up on the futon to help his foster parents watch a movie, settling quietly down with his head on a person’s leg.”
Niko was relinquished to a crowded Maryland shelter when his owners got divorced and neither could take him. His time at the shelter was limited since as an owner relinquishment, there was no wait period before he would be put to sleep. So, MAESSR volunteers quickly pulled him and got him to his foster home.
Since coming into foster care, Niko has been accident free; he’s been 100% housetrained, though his foster mom doesn’t yet know his signal go to out. He just seems to hold his urine until one of the resident dogs asks to go outside and then, he immediately relieves himself. Or almost immediately! When he first goes out, he likes to jump up and down about 15 times near his foster mom, not on her, just nearby. The joke is that he gets himself ready to do things this way, but his foster mom wonders what he’s trying to signal her that he wants. With limited knowledge of his background, it’s hard to tell. He seems to prefer that his humans come outside with him while he eliminates; however, he does it quickly and is ready to go back in.
Not crate trained and not seeming to like one at all (even when being tempted in ways that exploit his love of peanut butter), he’s just gated near the resident 15 month old female since he’s non-destructive and quiet. He behaves himself all night with no issues. The same procedure is followed when his foster folks go out. He whimpers as they leave, but soon settles down with no issues.
In general, Niko is mellow for his two and a half years, mostly wanting to hang out near his people. He’ll occasionally put a paw up on the counter to get a better view but has learned that “off’” means four feet on the ground. He hasn’t actually taken anything when he’s perusing the counter. He’s bumped the trash can but not tried to open it. He does love to get up on the futon to help his foster parents watch a movie, settling quietly down with his head on a person’s leg. He will get “off” if told and will settle into a similar position at the base of the futon on the rug.
The 15 month old resident hound LOVES to play and after she begged him to play the first few days, Niko gave up his “what DOES she want?” attitude. Now, he is actively playing with her from time to time when their humans are busy doing other things. While his foster mom works from home, this handsome boy can be found on a nearby rug, curled up but ready to tag along if need be. He will chase after the other dogs if they play keep-away with a toy, but enjoys the chase more than the actual toy. His favorites seem to be soft toys with squeakers. He hasn’t chewed anything inappropriate, but does enjoy his dinner and would probably love a chew toy.
Although Niko will drink at the same time from a bowl with the other young dog, he doesn’t like to share his food bowl so the two are fed at opposite ends of the room. He walks away when the grumpy resident terrier growls at him for being in his personal space, which usually happens when the younger duo come barreling back into the house in the morning after first call and are looking for their breakfast.
At a recent get-together with other dogs and people, he didn’t like the intact male (soon to be neutered also) and grumbled at him, but in general he’s submissive to other dogs. He may have been overwhelmed by meeting several new people and dogs at the same time. Two other issues have come out in his first week in foster care. Niko really got upset and grumbly when his foster mom was sweeping; he actively disliked the broom itself. He was tethered at the time to keep him in place while the foster folks exercised so his foster mom just let the resident hound out of her crate to lighten up the mood as she’s fearful of nothing and continued to sweep gently though not in his direction. He settled down after a bit but kept his eyes on the broom when it was leaned up nearby. When untethered, he trotted from the room. His second issue was with scissors. His foster mom was brushing him and got out some scissors to remove a big mat from under his ear. His ears immediately went down and his whole manner changed and he began to tug on the leash. More gentle hand scratches helped settle him, but untethered, he won’t enter a room with scissors in view. It’s not known if he was hit with a broom or accidentally snipped by scissors but these are two issues that his new family will have to keep in mind.
Niko is learning leash manners fairly quickly and, since he’s fairly focused on his humans and has good recall, would probably be trustworthy off leash once he knew his new people and was in a reasonably safe area. Since he doesn’t really have that at his foster home, he’s on leash unless in the fenced yard. He likes car rides, settling into the back seat, and is always ready for a leash walk, with all the great scents to sniff. Niko knows “sit” and should easily learn other commands. Passing the few people and other dogs out in the colder weather of late, he’s seemed more interested in following the scent of deer and generally ignores them. Initially, he wanted to try to chase after cars as they went by, not barking but tugging on the leash. He’s learning “look at me” which he does when asked even without a food reward and he is progressing nicely in ignoring vehicles.
This handsome guy doesn’t mind being touched all over or having his ears cleaned but does seem to have been handled roughly when groomed around his head. He’ll mouth at the brush when you do his ears but loves having his body brushed, even roughly.
Niko is a smart and handsome dog. At 45 pounds he’s a real beauty in a medium-sized package. Although he has some fear issues to work through, he is gentle and loving even with children. On his transport from the shelter to his foster home, he had a layover where he met a three year old girl. Taking to her immediately, he just cuddled up to her.
A youngster himself, his foster mom often forgets how young he is because of his mature and mellow behavior almost all of the time. Obedience training would come easy to this guy and help him be more secure in how he should behave. Add to that a loving family to call his own, a family that would shower him with attention and Niko would be a totally happy dog!