Entered: 08/27/2019
Status: Adopted
Age: 18 months; born 12/03/2017
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 40 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Severna Park, MD
Health: UTD, HW-, benefitting from melatonin daily to reduce anxiety, gaining to a healthy weight
Temperament: Good with adults, because of his youthful exuberance he should not be placed in a home with small children that could accidentally be knocked down, good with dogs he knows but fearful of strange dogs, unknown with cats
Update 10/05/2019: “On walks, Poochie’s fear of strange people and dogs he meets has reduced markedly.”
With another week of foster care under his belt, Poochie is hitting his stride. His housetraining has been solid, with no accidents in over a week. On walks, Poochie’s fear of strange people and dogs he meets has reduced markedly. Poochie’s foster mom has been working with him on his “sit,” “down,” and “stay.” His compliance for each command has lengthened. Good boy, Poochie!
Now completely recovered from his neutering, Poochie has put on a little needed weight. All systems are go for this boy. He is rested and ready for his new home and new adventures!
Update 09/27/2019: “This boy is a snuggly, affectionate companion who quickly relaxes in a home with consistent rules and habits.”
Poochie has had a very good week at his foster home. He has calmed down noticeably on walks and his housetraining has turned a corner.
His foster family thought that workdays without people in the house was stressing the young fellow, so they arranged for someone to let him out into the yard at lunchtime. This has made all the difference; his house training has improved greatly in just a few days.
At the groomers, he had a shampoo and blow dry. The dryer wasn’t his favorite thing, but he liked the brushing and washing. He likes car rides now and even enjoyed his first drive-through! He looked amazed as the burgers came through the window.
Poochie has had his final vetting and is now fully up to date on vaccines, tests, and is microchipped. All is good on the medical front. He was cautious going into the vet for the first time but was welcoming to all people and tolerant enough of other dogs and cats that passed by.
The right home for Poochie would be one where the family is willing to finish up his house training and to take him to obedience class. He is clever, learns quickly, and is sensitive to a person’s tone; he wants to please. This boy is a snuggly, affectionate companion who quickly relaxes in a home with consistent rules and habits. When he knows what to expect, he can feel safe and then shows his puppy joy as he zooms around the yard with a ball, throws himself into laps, or slyly slips up next to someone reading in a chair. He’s lovely.
Original: “Poochie takes comfort in the resident dog, so a canine companion would be helpful to reduce his anxiety in his forever home.”
Sweet Poochie from Pennsylvania is lovely and cheerful in spite of a rough start in life. In his first year, he’s had two homes, one ended due to eviction and the other due to an aggressive resident dog. Poochie was very thin and stressed when he was relinquished to MAESSR.
Poochie is recovering from recently being neutered and will have final vetting soon. He looks wonderful with no issues beyond needing to put on weight and being shown how to become more confident. Daily melatonin has been started to help him feel less anxious and early indications seem positive.
Two behavioral challenges are facing Poochie: housetraining and fear/reactivity on walks. Housetraining accidents could be due to lack of prior training and anxiety or a combination of both. He’s too excited on walks to think of other matters and when he returns back home, he needs some time to wind down and take care of business in back yard.
On walks, he’s afraid of strange people and even more afraid of strange dogs. He is reactive with dogs, barking and growling as the fur on his back rises up. Back safely at home, he zooms with pleasure into the fenced yard with relief. There’s a friendly dog next door and they sniff noses between the pickets of the fence. It’s hoped that since he’s so very young, his training to become less reactive on the leash can progress quickly.
Poochie will need training in basic house manners and in learning commands. He is smart and learns quickly. In one week, he’s learned to chase and return a ball, has much improved his “sit” and “down,” and has learned to pull less on leash. He still has usual puppy behaviors like jumping up on people, counter-surfing, and trash diving. Once he feels safe with consistent routines, the process will go more quickly.
Since Poochie has not had the usual training that most dogs get early in their lives, MAESSR will require his new owners to take him to at least one series of obedience lessons within 90 days after adoption. MAESSR only places puppies – even older ones – in homes that are committed to training and bonding with the pup in obedience classes. Puppies require a lot of care, attention, and patience. MAESSR believes the decision to get a puppy and raise it to be a healthy, happy, and well-adjusted dog is a serious commitment.
Poochie is an affectionate boy who enjoys pettings, brushing, and belly rubs. He will crawl into laps if given the chance so he is learning “down.” Foster family members can play with his ears and open his mouth; he’s submissive with all handling. Good boy, Poochie!
Since he is not a fan of a crate, Poochie has free run of downstairs day and night which allows his foster family a good night’s sleep! During the work week, he is left alone with the resident dog for 6 hours at a time with no chewing or destructive behavior. He does love to counter-surf and will move objects from room to room. A very ripe tomato mysteriously ended up moved from kitchen counter to front door with no teeth marks! Now that’s a dog with a soft mouth! Poochie has had only brief interest in squeaky or chew toys; however, he loves to chew ice cubes.
Poochie’s first car ride at his foster home resulted in submissive urination before he was coaxed into the car. By the third short trip, he jumped in when asked without an accident. Good progress!
Poochie takes comfort in the resident dog, so a canine companion would be helpful to reduce his anxiety in his forever home. On walks he keeps looking back at the older dog and touches noses for reassurance. Poochie does no food guarding and plays nicely with resident dog. He is currently too wild for a family with small children or frail adults; he jumps around a lot with excitement– all that puppy exuberance! He’s not yet known with cats.
This young fellow is bright, funny, curious, and affectionate. He needs someone who can commit to his training and provide patience and understanding as he unwinds from a chaotic and frightening first year. Make Poochie your boy!