Roxy 5

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When an injury left Roxy’s New Jersey owner unable to care for her any longer, his family looked to MAESSR for help with finding her the home she deserved. Roxy made the transition to her foster home well and made herself a quick favorite of the dog walker who visits her foster home a few times a week. 

There were a few tense moments while everyone adjusted to the disruption in pack order, but overall Roxy introduced herself to the canine members of her foster home uneventfully. She did not seem to understand the messages that the other dogs gave her with respect to their personal space at first but she is learning to respect everyone’s signals. Roxy does enjoy the company of the other Springers in the house and especially likes to engage the younger residents in games of keep-away and tug. When she and the two young residents are in the middle of a three-way tug/chase/wrestling match, it is quite a sight! 

Roxy had no previous exposure to living with cats and, therefore, met the kitties in her foster home with a mix of curiosity and apprehension that soon developed into an outright dislike. When the cats can stay under Roxy’s radar, things are calm but, when one of them catches her attention, she engages in a hackles-raising barkfest! Recently, Roxy’s foster mom heard her raising a ruckus on the porch. She did a quick headcount, realized that all the cats were inside, and went to investigate. It turns out that a cast iron silhouette of a cat that sits on the porch was the culprit. In light of this, it would be best if Roxy’s forever home is feline-free.

This young pup is quite playful. She is very fond of stuffed toys, balls, and bones. If no one is interested in playing with Roxy, she’ll toss a ball or toy to herself and pounce on it or settle in for a good chew. She loves to disembowel stuffed toys in a quest to find the hidden squeakers. Roxy’s previous owner reported that she would sometimes guard toys. Her foster parents have also seen that she will take off with a desirable toy if either of them shows too much interest in it, or move to take it from her. This isn’t a concern unless Roxy has something she really should not have, like a squeaker from a toy. In those cases, Roxy is typically willing to swap whatever she has for a treat. 

Roxy is crate-trained and stays in her crate at night and when her foster parents are out of the house. She settles into the crate without barking and seems to appreciate having her own space. Roxy is also housetrained and has good manners in the house so she is granted free run when someone is home. She would likely be fine with the same freedom when not supervised, but she is crated for the comfort and safety of the resident cats. Roxy occasionally sneaks onto the sofa, but gets down when she is asked. Her favorite place to rest is on the rug by the front door, where she is usually found with her “toy of the moment” in her mouth. Roxy’s leash manners need some work but she loves to be out and about, exploring the neighborhood and greeting people on her walks. She is friendly when meeting adults and children alike, but will sometimes jump in greeting. She rides nicely in the car, just settling down on the backseat for the trip. 

A visit to the vet revealed a few minor health concerns for Roxy. She had infections in both ears as well as a cut under one eye which had turned into an abscess. She grumbled when the vet tech tried to look in her ears so she wore a muzzle for her vaccines and to have her blood drawn. Once the vaccines and blood draw were over, the muzzle came off and Roxy showed everyone in the office her true personality with lots of butt wiggles and kisses. 

At home, Roxy’s ears require regular cleanings and daily medication drops. Based on the experience at the vet and information from Roxy’s previous owner, she wears a muzzle when her ears are cleaned. She does not struggle at all with the muzzle on and sits patiently till the cleaning is over. Roxy’s foster mom is able to put her ear drops in without muzzling Roxy; she moves quickly and before Roxy knows it the drops are in and she’s getting her treat for being such a good girl!

Roxy’s ideal forever family will have a sense of humor and be ready to enjoy the antics of a loving but quirky two year-old girl. Whether she is digging through the toy box looking for a new treasure or giving the automatic pool cleaner a stern talking-to, Roxy never fails to amuse. She is a sweetheart with a lot of love to give and she’s ready for a family of her own to take on walks and cuddle at night. Ready for a new best friend? Ask about Roxy!