Robbie 2

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Update 02/14/10:

Within a few weeks, Robbie has gone from a boy whose face showed a lot of worry and confusion to a happy, comfortable dog. He has adjusted nicely to all the sights and sounds of his foster home. He knows when he’s going for a ride and when he has to stay home. He no longer follows his foster mom to the door crying. He is still pretty “Velcro”, like most Springers, but doesn’t have to be right by his foster mom’s side.

Robbie is progressing nicely with his health issues. He arrived at his foster home with his nose all dried and cracked and he had pretty severe GI issues. His skin was irritated and had many dry, flaky patches. His foster mom is happy to say that Robbie is now pretty normal in the GI area, his nose is good and his skin is so much better. He has been taking a small dose of a thyroid medicine daily and a fatty acid supplement and they seem to be working nicely.

More your couch potato type, Robbie is not a high energy dog. Since he doesn’t run around the yard, his foster mom takes him on walks when the weather permits. Robbie really likes to chew hard bones and nylabones and often carries a bone around in his mouth. He was given a raw hide once and was a little possessive about it, so raw hides are a no-no for this boy.

Robbie is getting along very well with both resident springers. He likes to play with the female but she doesn’t always want to. She’s more of a sniffer when outdoors, always tracking something. He isn’t interested in playing with the male since the male is an athletic sprinter who tries to get Robbie to chase him. Robbie still isn’t in good enough shape to run much. There probably is a dog Robbie would really enjoy playing with, but unfortunately, it isn’t at this foster home.

While in foster care Robbie has met dozens of new people. He tends to do best if the people just ignore him and let him approach them when he’s ready. In no time, he’ll be over for some attention. He was the hit of a party with about a dozen adults. He has done well with children, but he does get excited when youngsters run around screaming. He’s very comfortable when they are calm. Robbie sometimes gets up on the sofa, as the resident dogs do, and will grumble if you approach him there. His foster mom has been giving him little treats while he sits there to let him know good things happen when people approach him on the sofa.

Robbie is ready for his furever home. He needs a family that can give him lots of attention and love; in return, he will be your devoted companion. Stop by the pet store, pick up three or four nylabones, three or four hard bones, a few squeak toys and a couple of rope tugs and then inquire about Robbie. He’s ready!!

Original:

Robbie came to MAESSR via a Pennsylvania shelter which picked him up as a stray. Since Robbie was not doing well at the shelter, they felt a rescue might be the ticket so they contacted MAESSR and this has suited Robbie just fine.

When he arrived at his foster home, Robbie was a very scared and stressed boy. At the shelter, he suffered a major GI upset and had stopped eating. He was lethargic and withdrawn; however, within a few days, Robbie was blossoming. With every passing day, he is more relaxed and comfortable, becoming more at ease with all the normal activities and sounds of a home.

The first week in foster care was very busy for Robbie. He received his shots, heartworm, thyroid and fecal tests and was neutered. The vet found his thyroid level a bit low so he has been started on a low dose of an inexpensive thyroid medicine. His plumpness, dry skin and very low energy level are probably signs of his thyroid imbalance. Hopefully, the new medicine will put a little spunk back into Robbie.

His foster mom brought Robbie to the groomer to fix the feathering on his front legs where the IV had been for his neutering. He was good there; it helped that the resident dogs were getting groomed at the same time! He obviously likes reassurance and company. Being neutered set him back a little in his confidence and comfort level, so he had to cry to let his foster family know how he felt about the experience. This sweet character can be a little cry baby! He barks and cries when his foster mom goes out but isn’t doing it when she returns. As soon as she comes into the house, he cries when he sees her. He calms down once she gives him some hugs and a treat. Hopefully, he’ll get over being so vocal once he is more comfortable and confident.

Robbie is a great boy and most certainly has lived as a pet his whole life. He is housebroken and will bark or go to the door when he wants to go out. He isn’t fond of crates, though. His foster mom gated him for a few days and then has allowed him freedom of the whole house when she goes out. He was spotted counter-surfing a couple of times but was not successfully due to his stature. He might poke his nose into the trash and will drink out of the toilet, both easily fixed by keeping lids closed. Robbie generally just gets up on the furniture when invited and does love to lie beside a human with his head on his or her lap.

Robbie just loves car rides, too. He rides well sitting in either the front or rear seats. At this point, he appears to just know the “sit” command. He does pull a little on leash but has been walking well with a Gentle Leader head harness. Robbie sleeps either on a dog bed or on the floor near his foster parents’ bed. When he sleeps, he seems to prefer to have his back up against something. He is allowed to come up onto the bed to cuddle and then he moves off to stretch out and sleep.

Initially, Robbie didn’t have any interest in the resident dogs or toys. He’s getting more interested in both as he’s settling in to life with his foster family. Now, he will pick up a hard bone to chew a little and occasionally, he carries around a toy. Robbie is starting to follow the resident dogs around and goes out on their critter sightings. Since he’s plump and out of shape, he can’t run much yet but seems to enjoy the excitement of a spotting. Robbie is very comfortable being around the dogs and his foster mom thinks it’s very helpful for him to have them for guidance. He tends not to get excited about things if they don’t. There are no guarding issues with food or toys with Robbie. He tends to walk away from his food bowl to explore and one day walked back to find someone else eating his food. He just stood and watched until his foster mom realized it wasn’t Robbie eating Robbie’s food!

At this point, Robbie is pretty low key and would most likely thrive in a home that is quiet and calm with a lot of routine. Robbie would do well as a friend to another low key dog. Also, he really would do well as a companion to someone who needs to start their own walking program! If you’re looking for companionship, check back on Robbie. He’s a real sweetie!