Ozzy

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Update 08/08/10:

With just over two weeks in his new foster home now, Ozzy’s personality is really shining through. He has become more and more affectionate with both of his foster parents as the days go by. He now has that Springer butt wiggle when his mom comes in the door. He is very generous with his kisses to her and has even started kissing his foster dad a little. His dog walker reports that Ozzy has never barked or fussed at her when she comes to walk him during the day and that he is good for her on the leash. Oz also spent a long day with another MAESSR foster and his family recently and impressed everyone with his very social nature toward all.

Ozzy has been left for up to 8 hours without any incident in the house. He has shown no signs of food aggression. His foster mom can move his food bowl while he is still eating. He eats twice daily with no problem and has never attempted to open the bag of dog food which is within easy reach of him every day. Wow, good boy!!

His foster mom gave him his first bath in the yard with a hose with minimal fuss. He let her wash his ears, even though that wasn’t his favorite part. He does get excited and invites a chase when his foster mom says, “Walk” or when he sees her getting ready to take him out. If he gets to his leash before she does, this imp will run through the house with it before handing it over so the walk can begin!

When she has walked him in their neighborhood, Oz and his foster mom have come upon a 3 year old with her babysitter and Ozzy never made a sound. At other times, though, Ozzy may bark and grumble at people. This only lasts a few seconds until he settles down but can make a less than perfect impression on people. Meeting other dogs may trigger a barking “free for all,” so for now, his foster mom plans her walking routes to avoid such encounters. Ozzy is almost perfect in so many ways, but he does need some work to help him improve his manners when meeting and greeting people and other dogs. Work on this has begun with his foster family and will need to continue in his adopting home.

At home Ozzy can be so docile. Recently he stole a turkey sandwich from a patio table when his foster dad wasn’t looking. This earned Oz a time out behind a doggie gate. The poor guy quietly stared out from his “jail cell” and never challenged the gate. Oz is looking for a family that will invest some time in furthering his socialization. He likes people once he gets acquainted, can be playful and even a tease. Good leadership from his family as well as a sense of humor will bring out the best in this dog. He may be almost perfect now; with further training, he can get to 100%!!

Update 07/22/10:

For an adoption to be successful, all members of the family, the humans, the canines, felines and any other resident pets, must be comfortable with the newcomer after a reasonable period of getting acquainted. Despite the best efforts to ensure good matches, some are just not meant-to-be. This has happened to Ozzy. He has come back to MAESSR because he and a 10 year old resident female could not get along. His adoptive mom was very upset to give Ozzy back, but she felt it wasn’t fair to her senior to have Ozzy in their home.

Ozzy is a great dog who prefers human companionship to canine. Since he has been back in foster care, his foster mom has seen a playful, active, obedient dog that is completely house broken. Ozzy is the first foster in the home to have complete run of the house! He greets his foster mom with a toy or sneaker or leash and encourages her to chase him around until they are both exhausted. Of course, since he is only 3, he outlasts her every time!

In his previous home Ozzy did live with small children with no problem. There are no children or other pets in his current foster home and he is enjoying the one-on-one time that comes with being an only dog. Ozzy will “woo woo” upon seeing a stranger but, after a few seconds, he starts wagging his tail. At night he has learned to sleep on the floor of his foster parents’ bedroom since bed sleeping is not permitted in the house. He was not happy at first but obeyed on the first night there.

Ozzy is on medication for hypothyroidism and to manage seizures. He takes his pills with a little piece of soft cheese after each meal, twice a day. He responds well to the meds, and, has not had a seizure since he joined the MAESSR family. He is going to make a family with no other dogs in the home very, very, happy. Be warned! This boy will steal your heart, and maybe your shoes!

Original:

Ozzy is an energetic, fun loving Springer who loves his humans and his home. For Ozzy, life can’t get any better than spending his day in the swimming pool and playing with his food cube! When his humans go to work, Ozzy has the run of the house since he is well housetrained and does not get into any mischief when left on his own. He ticks off the time until his family returns essentially by sleeping on the couch! He loves being with his family and is content to do whatever they want.

Although he was relinquished to MAESSR because of the numerous fights between him and the other Springer in their Pennsylvania home, Ozzy is currently in a foster home with many other dogs and there have not been any issues. A Barkbusters training program graduate, Ozzy’s behavior was evaluated by them and they confirmed that he has no aggressive issues toward people.

As per his health issues, Ozzy was diagnosed as having mild seizures. At the onset of a seizure, Ozzie starts to shake and wants to get near a person to be held. His symptoms involve mild shaking, some feet paddling, and clinging to his people. The local vet diagnosed the first mild seizure in October 2008. Ozzy was taken to the University of Pennsylvania for a second opinion where the original diagnosis was confirmed. He was put on Phenobarbital for this problem. Last New Year’s Eve, Ozzy had his second seizure and since then, he has had a few more, but they have been mild. When taken to the vet for a check up by his foster mom, Ozzy’s thyroid level was very low so he is being given inexpensive thyroid medication.

The family that takes a chance on this sweet boy will not regret it. Ozzy is definitely a keeper!