Oreo 15

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Oreo became a MAESSR boy when his original owners could not handle his anxiety issues and surrendered him to a Pennsylvania shelter. While there, the staff stated that Oreo was very anxious and nervous around people. That quickly changed once he was out of the shelter environment. Since coming to his foster home, Oreo has been nothing but a pure, sweet, Springer boy!

Currently, Oreo is residing with three resident dogs, another foster dog and three resident cats. He is doing wonderfully with the entire crew! Oreo is a little 32 pound boy and he often engages in rough-and-tumble play with the 65 pound resident mixed breed and the 70 pound foster Weimaraner, both of whom are females. The resident male Springers are no fun to Oreo so he tends to just lay with them after the girls have tired him out. Oreo has shown no interest in the cats, just acknowledging their presence but not chasing them.

The first few days that Oreo was in his foster home he was crated while his foster mom went to work and he was very vocal about this not pleasing him. The neighbors reported that he barked for a few minutes when she left but quieted down quickly. Oreo’s previous owner stated that he would “escape” from his crate, but Oreo’s foster mom has not seen this. Although he may not have liked being in the crate, he did not escape from it, nor were there signs of him attempting to do so. Oreo was given the “test” and left uncrated for a few short periods while his foster mom ran some errands and he passed with flying colors! With the exception of a few blinds on one window being broken, as Oreo was most likely looking to see where his foster mom went, nothing was damaged. When his foster mom returned, Oreo happily met her at the front door with his little Springer butt wiggling and her un-chewed slipper in his mouth. At night, Oreo sleeps on either a dog bed or blanket on the floor.

Oreo is completely housebroken and will go to the door when he needs to go out. He likes to check out the counter to see if just maybe there is something there for him, but quickly puts all four paws back on the floor in response to the word off. Oreo has not displayed any trash picking behavior, so either he is a good boy or there is nothing of interest to him in there! Besides joining with the other dogs in some tissue shredding, Oreo has had very good behavior in the house. He also knows a few commands including sit, paw, down, and off. His foster mom and he are working on stay. When giving Oreo a treat, he will instantly give his paw before he gently takes his treat. 

Although Oreo is a little guy, he is very strong and does pull on the leash. He loves his walks and the snow. All Oreo has to do is see his foster mom pick up his leash and he will sit and wait patiently for her to hook him up. He does the same when they come back inside from a walk in order to be unhooked. Oreo also likes to go for car rides but it is best for him to travel with a harness on because he can’t make up his mind if he wants to be in the front or the back, and so jumps back and forth a lot. This may change as he becomes more accustomed to frequent road trips.

This little boy also LOVES to eat! Oreo has shown no food aggression and his foster mom can easily put her hand in his dish or take it away while he is eating and there is no issue. He doesn’t seem to know what to do with a ball but loves to walk around with something in his mouth. Whether it be a squeaky toy or a slipper, as long as he has something to carry, he is happy! Oreo is a very smart pup. If given the opportunity to participate in obedience or agility, he would surely rise to the head of the class. With his gentle temperament, he might even have potential as a therapy dog. Oreo is also not a problem barker; he is only vocal to let you know that someone is coming or when he is first put in his crate. 

Oreo is a little love, plain and simple, and gets along well with everybody. He previously lived with toddlers, but due to his tendency to jump up, any kids in his forever home should probably be over five years old. Although he hasn’t displayed any evidence of his previous anxiety in his foster home, this may be due to the fact that he has many canine companions there. Oreo might be happiest if his forever home included at least one canine friend or someone who was home most of the time. As a sweet Springer boy, he would make a great companion for anyone from a family with young children to a more mature retired couple.