Panda

Original: Panda was rescued from a shelter in New Jersey. At the shelter, his nickname was Porky. When his foster parents arrived to pick him up, they found out why. Panda is a big boy, probably weighing in at around 80 pounds. The animal control officer on duty was almost in tears, thankful to MAESSR for stepping in to save this beautiful dog. Underneath that extra weight, beat the heart of a loving Springer and, each day since his rescue, Panda has shown his appreciation to his new foster parents.

By day Panda loves to follow his foster dad everywhere and at night Panda sleeps at the side of his bed. Panda is an obedient and loyal companion. When his foster dad leaves for work, Panda will follow him to the door but, when told to stay, he sits and waits. Panda has been known to sit at the door patiently awaiting his foster dad’s return. Panda does not counter surf, trash dive, or beg. He is playful and very good with the other dogs in the house, a senior Springer and a smaller female foster. Due to his size, his well-mannered behavior is a blessing. Panda seems to have no interest in toys at the moment, but then, neither do his house mates. He is house trained and therefore crating has never been necessary.

Panda’s foster parents are walkers. As a result, Panda is on a daily exercise regimen that includes a morning and nightly walk over 1 to 2 miles. Panda loves his walks. When his foster dad pulls his leash out, Panda will march in place while wagging his hind end. The ever-eager young recruit awaits the rest of his walking party patiently, and, then they are off. Some days, Panda really does pull and, since a lot of his weight is muscle, he can be very strong. However, Panda’s foster mom, whom he almost outweighs, handles him nicely. Panda seems to sense the strength of his walker and adjusts his gate accordingly. As an example, the adopted senior in his foster home seems to have a calming influence on Panda. Panda will not run and is content to smell the roses, grass, trees, telephone poles, etc. when accompanied by his senior compadre.

Panda also loves to meet the neighborhood dogs. He likes to talk to every new person that he meets on his walks, to the point where Panda will whimper if he is not allowed to meet someone that crosses his path. In every encounter, Panda is a gentleman, even with much smaller dogs. His best friend is the next-door neighbor’s miniature pincher. On the walks, Panda is very alert. His head reacts quickly to darting squirrels, passing cats and other noises. He will not pull or run, but he does recognize everything going on around him. To this point, Panda has not had direct interaction with any cats, and the neighborhood strays don’t seem to interest him at all.

Panda has had one ride in a car and that was the ride from the shelter. He was a good passenger but was understandably very excited on that ride. More to come on this gentle giant.

Update 09/11/09: Panda is an ANGEL! He really is well behaved. He was a little pushy at the door, but his foster parents have been training him to sit and wait to be invited in/out. When he gets excited and they tell him to “wait,” he marches in place with his front feet. Brings a smile every time! Panda does not jump up, trash dig, eat plants or counter surf. He is doing well.

He LOVES people, to the point where his parents have to hold the leash really tight to keep him from getting too friendly; it’s a matter of training and on this point, he’s a work in progress. He is very good with the resident dogs. He is not living with children in his foster home, but he does well with meeting them on his walks.

At his vet visit Panda weighed in at 84 pounds. He is a big boy! The doctor said he is not obese, just about 5 -10 pounds overweight. His family is working on that with him by cutting back on food and increasing his exercise. Panda walks with them mornings and evenings and has yard time at lunch.

This dog is an awesomely gentle fellow. He will come to you and lean on you a little when he wants attention. He loves hugs. He shows no interest in toys, just people. Panda has all the makings of the love of a lifetime. Particularly, if you’re a walker yourself, he could be the most devoted and ready partner you could ever step out with!!