Entered: 01/27/2008
Status: Adopted
Age: 8
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Charles City, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, on an antihistamine and medicated powder to help with itchy skin
Temperament: Good with adults, unknown with children, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Update 02/16/08:
Sadie visited the vet and got an “A” for car riding from her foster dad. Yeah!! The vet found her to be in good overall health but gently suggested she might be a bit older than she claims to be. He noticed a slight heart murmur which is not a current problem and some ear wax in those ears that she doesn’t like to have checked. She was really hoping for some help with itchy skin and an antihistamine was started to reduce the scratching she was doing. That and a medicated powder seem to help.
Sadie’s making progress on basic commands and housebreaking. Her foster mom’s vocabulary has decreased to sit, stay, down, and come so that Sadie’s vocabulary can increase. The resident golden is totally confused but the repetitions are helping Sadie. Oddly, she doesn’t seem to recognize her name at times which can make teaching “come” a challenge!
When her family leaves the house, Sadie doesn’t mind being crated. She’s still intrigued with trash so they keep it out of her reach. There’s certainly nothing wrong with her nose. She makes no attempt to get on furniture or at the countertop. Good girl!!!
This from Sadie: “My head shot does not show what an attractive senior lady I am. I will be your constant companion and am trying my best to learn all these new words! I’m also trying to find ways to let you know what I need – more water or a walk outside. Don’t give up on me. This is all new to me!”
Like so many senior springers Sadie mainly needs attention. She’ll do her very best to learn new things and can adapt to new opportunities that come her way because she is a “with you puppy.” What she wants most is to lie at the feet of a family who can give her the time she needs. She’ll make a great pet and is ready to take what she’s learned to a wonderful forever home!!
Original:
Sadie came to MAESSR via a shelter in eastern Virginia. She had been surrendered there by her first family for unknown reasons and then, was adopted out. Within two months Sadie was back at the shelter because her new owner had developed serious health issues and was unable to care for her properly.
Sadie is definitely a Velcro Springer who is very friendly and loves to be right with her people. Her foster parents have well-licked faces as Sadie is very appreciative of the attention they are lavishing on her. If they forget to give sufficient belly rubs, she reminds them by woofing! Foster mom and dad have also deciphered some of her barks as signals that she wants to go outside or that the water bowl needs filling.
Sadie shares her foster home with a resident golden retriever with whom she gets along well. The golden doesn’t have to worry about Sadie hogging the toys because she does not seem to know what to do with them. Her foster mom guesses that Sadie was basically ignored in the past and was not exposed to playthings or to playing with humans. There’s some progress, though, as she recently started chewing on a Nyla bone. However, Sadie understands totally about bunnies in the yard and needs no one to teach her how to chase them!
Her foster parents are giving Sadie a crash course in proper house manners. She is not totally housebroken so she is on a regular schedule to go outside. Also, she sleeps in her crate and does well through the night. This 42 lb. girl has a good appetite and she’s a great beggar! She also likes to check out the trash – something which her foster parents are dissuading her from doing. With patient, positive reinforcement, Sadie will quickly learn what appropriate indoor behavior is and what is not. It would be very beneficial for her adoptive family to continue working with Sadie on basic obedience. Sit, down, stay, and come are coming into her repertoire under the guidance of her foster parents.
Although she’s had basic veterinary care recently at the shelter, Sadie will have a visit with her foster family’s own vet soon to check out her hearing since she does not always recognize her name and to look at her coat since she seems itchy. The MAESSR volunteer who initially pulled Sadie from the shelter thought that she may have some arthritis since she was reluctant to go up stairs; however, her current foster mom has seen no problems with Sadie doing stairs. She flies down the last two steps in the house.
Although Sadie has had no exposure to children in her foster home, her foster mom thinks she would do well with a family with elementary aged school children who could love her to death!!! Sadie is looking forward to her future life in her forever home. Do you have room in your family, home, and heart for this lovable, spry lady?