Entered: 12/06/2015
Status: Adopted
Age: 8 months, Born: 05/01/2015
Color: Black/White/Tan
Weight: 25 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Bethlehem, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, overall good health
Temperament: Good with people as young as 15 (younger unknown), good with other dogs, fine with cats
Original: “On a recent walk, Pyper found a banana peel, a cigarette butt and an empty beer can. Her foster mom knows a good idea is to carry treats to trade for undesirable items.”
The delightful Miss Pyper came to MAESSR when her Pennsylvania owners were moving and couldn’t find a dog friendly rental. Miss P had no training and little exercise; her owners found this little miss to be way too energetic…not at all what they were looking for in a house pet. Fortunately for Miss P, MAESSR will find her the perfect family who will get her on track to be the best that she can be.
Pyper has an absolutely delightful personality. She is a charming Velcro girl who loves people and loves attention. As she sat at the vet’s office on her foster mom’s lap, she leaned over and gave kisses to the people sitting on either side. Just about everyone who meets her falls in love.
Pyper is living with three other dogs. Pack living is new to her, but she is adjusting. When she first arrived in foster care, she kept her distance for several days. She does well with the dogs for the most part but does display some guarding of toys at times. The resident dogs can get overly excited at feeding times and when family comes back home; she has trouble with that heightened confusion, but is learning to defer to her foster mom and not get caught up in excitement. Once in awhile she barks at one of the resident dogs, but actually barks very little.
This little girl is curious about cats. According to her relinquishing family, she will go up and sniff but seems to recognize they are not canine and walks away. To verify this, Pyper’s foster mom brought her to another foster family’s house to meet the resident cats. She was mildly curious about them and looked at them from a distance. Good girl, Pyper!
Puppy, puppy, puppy! Pyper is doing well with housetraining but isn’t asking to go out yet. Her foster mom keeps her on a puppy schedule, takes her out and watches to see that she takes care of business. She will generally piddle within a few seconds outdoors as long as there are not any distractions. She needs to stay out for a few minutes to take care of bowel movements. Her furever family will need to be conscientious taking her out until she internalizes that Pyper “goes” outdoors.
Pyper is crated when her family is away. She initially didn’t want to be crated but has learned to run in with a few treats and a peanut butter stuffed bone. She sleeps on the bed with her foster parents and the other dogs at night. She will jump on the sofa as do the resident dogs.
Puppy, puppy, puppy!! Pyper does jump up on people, is mouthy, would steal from the waste basket and counter-surf if she could. She has not had training to know what a good puppy does and doesn’t do. The lack of structure and training in a puppy’s life is never a positive thing. The youngsters just don’t learn their place in the home. Pyper’s foster mom has been working on a “sit” before every treat and before she receives attention. Just this little step is starting to make a world of difference. Pyper is also starting to listen to her foster mom. Unfortunately, Miss P thought that the way to get some attention was to take something, run, and refuse to give it back. That game does not work at her foster home. When this cutie tries to take items that are not her toys, she is offered one of her toys or a treat as a trade. This girl would certainly chew anything left on the floor. Puppies need constant supervision and correction so they learn proper behavior. Miss P probably spent way too much time crated and was a wild child when she was let out.
At this point, Pyper only knows “sit.” She does, however, have a very nice sit and seems proud of herself. MAESSR’s new girl is very smart and will relish the two series of training classes that MAESSR will require for this little gal. MAESSR only places puppies in homes that are committed to training and bonding with the pup in obedience classes. Puppies require a lot of care, attention, and patience, and they do chew on things! The decision to get a puppy and raise it to be a healthy, happy, and well-adjusted dog is a serious commitment. To reinforce this commitment, MAESSR requires all adopters of dogs one year old and younger to enroll their puppy in obedience classes within 60 days of adoption
Pyper does not have a “come” and doesn’t walk perfectly on leash, but, at her foster home, she is getting out two or three times a day for mile long walks. Some of the walks include other people and dogs. Providing exercise and stimulation from walks makes her a good girl indoors. She is able to settle down and play with some toys or nap. Her previous home reported that she chased and bit at the back of her owners legs when let out of her crate. Again, exercise and stimulation have eliminated the wild child behavior.
This love is not a high energy Springer. She is a busy puppy that requires walks and some play daily but not hours of intensive exercise. She is able to self amuse with toys and particularly loves a squeaky toy. She also loves to tear up paper and boxes. She is like a toddler in that she wants to put everything in her mouth. On a recent walk, Pyper found a banana peel, a cigarette butt and an empty beer can. Her foster mom knows a good idea is to carry treats to trade for undesirable items.
This young lady is a little timid when going to new places and doing new things. Training will help her realize that she can trust her owner to look after her. Her foster family has been getting her out to new places and she is better each day. She wears a martingale collar when out in the world so she can’t back up and slip her collar. Dog sports like agility would be excellent for Pyper to develop a handler-dog trust. Her foster mom doesn’t think Pyper trusted her previous owner to keep her safe, but now she is bonding well with her foster family.
Pyper is good in the car but does move around a bit requiring tethering or crating, but is generally quiet. She has never been groomed but did receive frequent baths and was good for bathing. She has absolutely no problem with her foster mom touching her all over or handling her feet or ears. She isn’t excited about ear cleaning but loves the extended rubbing that follows.
Puppy, puppy, puppy!! Pyper is a little diamond in the rough. She would be just fine as an only dog where she can get a lot of attention and not have to worry about the pack. Under the proper care, she will be a fantastic addition for the family that really wants to train their dog to be the best dog she can be. What fun to do obedience training and maybe agility with this smart, clever young pup. Watch for updates on the adorable and delightful Miss P.