Paulie

Original: Paulie was abandoned in the parking lot of a center city Philadelphia shelter because the owner didn’t want to wait for his turn in line. Paulie is eternally grateful that the shelter contacted MAESSR to help him find a perfect new family.

When Paulie met his foster family, he was a very stressed little boy. Shelter life was not agreeable to him. He spent a few days pacing, panting and refusing food. Given some time to relax and unwind, Paulie has proven to be an awesome dog. He is a slight field boy at 35 pounds and needs to gain a few. He has a low maintenance soft, silky coat. The vet estimated him to be between one and two years old, but his small size and baby face leave people thinking he’s just a pup.

Paulie is a very easy boy to have around the house. He is learning to respond to his (possibly) new name. He can sit, give a paw, and lie down. He pulls on leash and will need continued work on polite walking. He is not taken off leash outside the yard, since he doesn’t have a good recall. He is housebroken and does not mark. He doesn’t trash pick, counter surf or take things that he shouldn’t. He has not tried to jump the fence and prefers to poop in the mulch under the trees and shrubs, making clean up a snap.

Paulie is generally an appropriate barker, does not dig or chew. He is not food or toy aggressive with people or the other dogs. He does occasionally gently jump on people for greeting, which is being discouraged. Paulie loves car rides but is tethered to keep him from driving. He was given full freedom in the house after a few days since he displayed good manners. He will bark his displeasure if crated. Paulie does bark a little at the door when his foster mom leaves and will attempt to follow her. She is teaching him that she’ll be back. This sweetheart sleeps on a dog bed beside his foster mom at night and does occasionally slip up into the bed in the morning for some cuddling.

Since in foster care Paulie has visited the vet and groomer and did well for both trips. The grooming could easily have been his first since his nails were extremely long. Paulie now looks like a million dollars and was a good boy. His vet visit went equally well. He was just fine with the blood draw and physical exam. The vet found Paulie’s ears infected but, otherwise, he is in good shape. Paulie is great about getting his ears cleaned and treated. A few days after his vet visit, Paulie came down with a runny nose and cough and was sneezing. In a few more days, his recovery from the common cold should be complete.

Paulie is living with two other Springers at his foster home. Upon arrival the over-the-edge Paulie (who spent three nights in the shelter not eating or sleeping) decided the only way to interact with these new dogs was to try and mount them. It took a couple of days and a really big “LEAVE ME ALONE” from each of the other dogs for Paulie to stop. Since then, these dogs are like three peas in a pod. Paulie loves to play tug, wrestle and run, run, and run some more with them. Paulie’s foster mom helps him learn to wait his turn for a treat and not to approach the other dog’s bowls while they are eating. She thinks he most likely hadn’t lived with other dogs and needs a little work on learning the ropes. Every time Paulie learns a new lesson, he looks up at his foster mom with an expression that seems to say “OK, I get it, but why didn’t you just tell me that?”

This youngster is one sweet wiggle butt Springer boy. He is a typical Velcro guy, never very far from his mom. He behaves himself indoors and spends his energy outside playing. Paulie is getting several hours a day of spirited play with the other dogs and is thriving. He would do well with another young, playful dog in his forever home or would need to be provided an outlet for his young dog energy on a daily basis.

Paulie is almost ready for his new family. But this time it has to be one with patience and one that can appreciate a truly awesome Springer boy. Is that you?

Update 09/05/09:

Paulie was recently neutered and came through the whole procedure well. The hardest part was keeping this active boy quiet. Paulie really loves to run and play. He spends hours and hours getting the resident dogs going. He wakes ready to play but does settle down in the evening with a bone to chew. Paulie loves to be taken for a walk and readily slips his nose into the gentle leader. He is learning to walk nicely on a coupler with the resident male. Paulie comes back from his 30-minute walk and then spends about ten minutes running like a mad man around his fenced yard until his tongue is hanging and there’s a big smile on his face.

While in foster care Paulie has been working on his manners. He now waits his turn for treats with the other dogs. He needs practice on staying and listening, as many young ones do. He is quick to charge out the door, especially if he sees something of interest. His family was packing up to come home from a vacation and he bolted through the porch railing slats into the van while it was being loaded. Remember, Paulie is very slight and can fit through tiny spaces! He has also bolted out of the van into a parking lot. His foster mom is trying to teach him some self control and tethers him more carefully in the van. She has been working on getting him to pay attention and wait, but this will take time.

Paulie is truly a sweet gem. He’s very puppy like, without the chewing and housebreaking challenges. He’s a real treat for his foster family. If they were in the market for another resident dog, Paulie would be it. This big player is looking for a family who can provide him lots of exercise and stimulation, and some fine tuning. What a lucky family that will call Paulie their own.