Entered: 12/03/2018
Status: Adopted
Age: 10 Months
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 40 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Goochland, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, on medication to help with anxiety
Temperament: Good with people as young as 12, good with other dogs, would be best with a dog-savvy cat since she wants to “play” with kitties
Original: “Ruby loves to run in the fenced yard, chase birds, play with her toys, and play fetch.”
Ruby had lived with her New Jersey family for several months and was being a wonderful puppy except she was a little too anxious. When she hit eight months of age, she decide that she would not do anything she did not want to. She had always been a talker (“woo woo,” “bark bark” and so on), but now she was growling and would sometimes snarl when told to do something she did not want to do. The family relinquished her to MAESSR because they were having a baby in a few weeks and were afraid she might not do well with the baby.
Housetrained and originally crate trained when younger, Ruby doesn’t like to be crated now and will grumble if she is crated. Since she is trustworthy in her housetraining, she has full freedom of the house in her foster home. When she needs to go outside, she signals by going to the door.
Since she is still a puppy, Ruby’s house manners are continually being polished. Ruby begs when her people are eating and counter-surfs to see if there is anything there to her liking. Not a fan of vacuum cleaners or mops, Ruby stands back from these as she is barking at them. Ruby likes to be where her people are and she gets anxious when they are home and she cannot get to them. Then, she will cry and whine and pace. If she sees someone while she is outside, she may give a bark and she does jump on people to greet them.
Ruby’s original owner had a trainer come to the house for approximately 6-8 weeks for 1 1/2 – 2 hour training sessions. A smart student, Ruby learned her commands very quickly. She was good with trainer. She knows “sit,” “stay,” “come,” “lie down,” “drop,” “paw,” and “high five.” Ruby also knows clicker commands. To reinforce this good beginning, Ruby’s education needs to continue so she learns to be a well-adjusted, obedient dog. To ensure that end, MAESSR will require Ruby’s adopting family to take her through two series of obedience classes. A family that is willing to do training so Ruby could have a job (such as agility, nose works, or rally) would be given adoption preference.
95% of the time, Ruby is the sweetest little girl. The other 5% leaves one baffled as to what just happened. She was started on an inexpensive medication for her anxiety. It has definitely helped her moods and her willfulness. Ruby will be required to be maintained on her anxiety medication for a minimum of six months after adoption.
Ruby likes to go on walks and does fairly well on the leash. She will pull, though, especially if she wants to greet other people walking. Ruby loves to run in the fenced yard, chase birds, play with her toys, and play fetch. She will drop a toy on command so that the toy can be thrown again. This pup is not fond of swimming, though, having fallen into the water once by accident. Ruby rides well in the car; she will lie down in back seat and either sleep or look out the window.
Keep an eye on Ruby’s progress. She is going to be a wonderful girl for the right home.