Ringo 2

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With three children three and younger and another on the way, Ringo’s owners had diminishing time to devote to him and their other Springer Barney. So, they contacted MAESSR for help in re-homing them. Fortunately for Ringo and Barney, “Springer Air” stepped up and transported them from Kentucky into MAESSR’s care.

It took Ringo’s foster mom about two days to realize that a family with three children under three years of age would find this beauty too much. Ringo is a typical Velcro boy, always close by, and one who can get excited at times (especially after his foster mom or dad have been away and then return). When that happens, he can become a bit mouthy and jump up on people.

When he arrived at his foster home, Ringo explored every nook and cranny both inside and out, missing nothing and taking a few second looks at some things he examined previously. He walked into every room, on every floor. He quickly learned the household routine and understands that if he hears a beep, a door has opened and that might mean someone is coming in. His foster mom thinks he is definitely in the upper IQ range for dogs. During his vet visit, he wanted to leave and jumped up on the door of the exam room and attempted to turn the knob! This boy might excel at a dog sport like tracking.

Ringo is crate trained and sleeps in one at night right beside his foster mom. He is housebroken but doesn’t signal. He is taken out regularly so he has had no accidents and no marking incidents. Ringo has good house manners. He has jumped up a few times to check out a counter but hasn’t taken anything. His foster family doesn’t keep food on the counters that might tempt him. If given free run of the house, he will find a soft sofa to nap on. He hasn’t gotten into the trash but it is kept in a pet-proof can so he’d have to be very determined to knock it over. Ringo seems happiest when left free in the house if no one is at home. He got a little upset when left alone while gated in a room.

One of Ringo’s favorite activities is riding in the van. He has been taking kids to school, doing errands, and hanging out at an outdoor mall. Whenever anyone goes into the garage, he will jump into the van if the rear doors have been left open. He’s a good passenger, nicely alternating between sitting and lying down.

This smart boy knows a few commands. He can “sit,” “lie down,”  “give paw,” and “speak.” He walks okay on leash if no squirrels are in sight, but pulls like a sled dog if he sees one! His foster mom started him on a Gentle Leader head collar and he did very well. Surprisingly enough, he was very willing to stick his nose through the nose piece and get going with the walk. The few squirrels that were seen on the walk were acknowledged, but his foster mom still had her arm in its socket!

Ringo isn’t a big toy player yet. If you throw a tennis ball, he does run after it but won’t necessarily bring it back. If he does bring it back, he isn’t necessarily going to drop it. He doesn’t seem drawn to any other toys. Ringo’s favorite activity would have to be sniffing. He loves to go out first thing in the morning and work his nose. If you watch him, you’ll see a dog working a scent left by some mysterious night critters, running all over the yard with his nose to the ground. He also loves to run. While foster mom walks around the yard, Ringo runs all around with his long ears flapping and a big smile on his face.

Ringo spent his whole life living with Barney, a dog submissive to him. At his foster home, Ringo is living with a female and a male dog. Ringo seemed to like them just fine for the first few days and then decided that he would like to be the boss. The male resident pretty much said, “It doesn’t matter to me” and the female said, “Bug off!” Ringo has been posturing with the female over this dispute. His foster mom keeps a close handle on all dogs and isn’t allowing scuffles; however, Ringo would probably happiest if any dog he lived with accepted his need to be the boss man. Ringo is fed separately from the other dogs to avoid any problems. He does not mind his foster mom hanging about while he is eating, though.

While he is good with all the people he has met, Ringo especially seems drawn to kids. He follows the 11 and 13 year olds in his foster home around and loves any attention directed his way. His previous owner said he loved the kids but could get mouthy when excited. His foster mom has been working to discourage this behavior by asking for an alternate behavior that is incompatible with jumping up and being mouthy. She asks for a sit and then pets him. He has not gotten overly excited about strangers– mainly just with his foster mom at this point.

Ringo was recently groomed and looks like a million dollars. He has a beautiful Springer face and the most amazing spots on his fieldie coat. He looks so good that people stopped his foster mom at the outdoor mall to admire him. The spots are so exotic that they just bring a smile to your face. The groomer gave him an A+ for behavior on his visit, too.

This handsome pup just turned six years old in August. For Ringo, being six means being full of life outdoors and pretty calm indoors. He does bark a bit when he sees something out the window but is generally quiet.

It is mostly likely that Ringo would be happiest with a very submissive dog or no dog in his furever home. If he didn’t have company, he would probably not like to be left alone for long stretches of time. Since he’s a self-assured boy, he needs his new pet parents to be good leaders. He needs to know his place and have structure and rules to follow. Every day, Ringo’s foster mom can see a boy who is paying better attention and learning the ropes.

Ringo is one very sweet fellow who will be a real treat for the right household. Could that household be yours?