Entered:
Status: Adopted
Age: 2
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location:
Health:
Temperament: Good
Original:
At 18 inches and 35 pounds Ostin is a compact springer, with a dense, long coat and very handsome white markings. He was rescued from a West Virginia shelter and may have spent lots of time in the sun before his arrival there. Much of his inner coat looks liver in color, but is contrasted with lighter highlights that catch the eye now. A trip to the groomer will likely change his overall appearance. He will also add a few pounds now that he is eating regularly.
Ostin is terrific at meeting people. Occasionally, in his enthusiasm, he will put his paws up, to be sure people can reach to pet him, but he quickly responds to “off.” There seems to be no end to the petting he desires, and, he is not shy about nosing someone who may be overlooking him. A few times he has “mouthed” his foster mom very gently, in the way a puppy will do to get attention. This has been easily discouraged. He loves to be brushed, and, will let his foster mom handle his feet, clean his ears, and check his teeth. He also allows her to take his food bowl away mid-meal and milkbones out of his mouth. He takes treats gently after the other dogs he lives with have received theirs. The youngest person he has met since being in his foster home is 11 years old.
Ostin goes in his crate for meals and also spends nights and time while his foster family is at work there. He keeps his crate clean and, though he does not have run of the house yet, has been accident-free. He is beginning to learn “out”, knows “sit”, “down”, “load up,” and is getting time daily to improve leash manners. He has ridden well in his crate for up to three hours, and has done local trips without his crate, during which he stayed behind the front seat.
Ostin shares his foster home with 2 small, elderly dogs and one young adult MAESSR springer. He gets along well with all, but especially thrives on play with the springer. The two of them can be totally self-entertaining for an hour at a time. When they tire each other out, they take a break and pick up later where they left off. He has also met cats and, though curious, ignored them despite their hissing at him. He has not tried to chew anything inappropriate, nor made attempts at the trash can or counter. He will stand up against the 4′ fence in the dog run, but hasn’t made any effort at climbing or jumping it.
This enthusiastic little guy could make an excellent addition to a family with resident pets and school-age children, or, he could easily become the center of attention in a small household. His desire for companionship, both people and canine, is quickly apparent and will reward his forever family many times over.