Schnuffy

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Updated 1/24/06:

Schnuffy continues to do very well with her foster family and amuses them, too! She sleeps on her back with her legs stretched out in the air! She is obviously used to getting up on furniture and sleeping in bed with her parents, something the spoiled resident dogs do as well. If asked to move, she is quite amenable. She will voluntarily go to rest in the open crate that is in the kitchen.

She and her foster dog brother, Woody, love playing together and chasing each other. Schnuffy went swimming in the pond with Woody on one of the nice days last week.

In preparation for her appointment with the groomer, she had a bath at home and behaved very well. She did great with the remainder of her grooming in the hands of a pro and loves her trim new look. She is a lovely, little Springer!

Original: Schnuffy is a healthy, active springer with a shiny liver and white coat. Although she does have the white collar of a bench bred springer, she has ticking on her legs and her coat is light, more like that of a field bred dog. She weighs 44 pounds and has received Frontline for ticks that are still being seen in January in NJ! She was good at the vet’s office, even allowing the vet to find a slight tartar buildup on her back teeth. This didn’t prompt care but an ear infection did. She is being treated for an infection in her right ear.

Schnuffy is the product of a divorce in her family and as a result, she ended up in a shelter. One of the shelter volunteers quickly contacted MAESSR, and a volunteer picked her up and kept her until a permanent foster home could be found. In her temporary foster home, there was a seven year old boy, and he and Schnuffy got along well. She also got along well in that multi-dog household.

Her permanent foster home has two adult male Springers with whom she shares play and toys. She gets along well with both although she can be possessive of toys when one of the other springers gets too close. She initiates play with her 2½ year old foster brother, and they love to chase each other in the snow! Schnuffy will chase the three resident house cats if they run from her, but she does not hurt them. She is beginning to learn that cats are not to be chased.

This is an affectionate velcro dog who likes to be with her people, preferably on the couch or in bed with them. She is housebroken and not a chewer. Though she is not crate trained, she has been just fine when left in the house for seven hours at a time. Schnuffy knows basic commands but has selective hearing with “come.” Her foster parents are working on that. She pulls slightly when on a leash, probably because she is excited to be outside and walking. Schnuffy has not shown any food aggression or counter-surfing tendencies.

Schnuffy is quiet and low key in the house, only barking when the resident dogs spot the mailman. As for grooming, when her foster mom was trimming up her paws and cutting between her toes, she was patient. Combing her light coat was a breeze, and she seemed to enjoy the primping. When coming into the house with dirty feet, she obediently hops into the bathtub to have them rinsed. What a sweetie!!

Despite the sad face in her picture, Schnuffy is a happy, little girl who has adjusted well to living in her foster home. Schnuffy is a very amiable, amenable girl who would be a lovely addition to a home with other dogs or she would make a great first Springer. She likes her people, though, and would like a family who would spend lots of time with her! Don’t think seven years is too old, either. It’s just middle age for a Springer. She is full of energy and loves running in the woods and going on walks. Why not put Schnuffy on the other end of your leash?