Entered: 07/24/2021
Status: Adopted
Age: 4 months; born 07/24/2021
Color: Black/White
Weight: 24 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Timonium, MD
Health: UTD for puppy vaccines, benefitting from antibiotic for tummy rash
Temperament: Puppy Perfect !!
Original: “She loves to run around in the yard and is in the early stages of learning fetch with a small tennis ball.”
This past July, the MAESSR family oversaw the birth of a litter of beautiful pups (Shania, a brother and 5 sisters) who are now being readied for their forever homes.
Shania’s foster mom describes her as the Sweet Thinker who soaks things in and doesn’t bark much except to be playful or to tell mom to hurry up with her meal.
This puppy love does very well on her leash, but thinks putting on her harness is a game—she trots away and hopes Mom will chase her. When she encounters new people/dogs on her walk, she wags her tail with excitement. She wants to meet them, but when she gets close, she likes to take things more slowly and be next to mom while she works it out in her head. Once she has reassured herself, she is fine. Similarly, she approaches inanimate objects with care before deciding they are safe. Since she is not fully vaccinated, she has only met a handful of dogs but has been very good with all of them in her slow, shy way. Once she is comfortable, she plays freely. She has not been exposed to any cats but she has seen plenty of squirrels, birds and deer from the yard. She likes to just sit quietly and watch them.
When Shania wakes up in the morning, she loves to have her belly rubbed and then knows she has to go to the bathroom outside. She has not gone in the house in a couple weeks. She recently started sleeping up to five hours at night, and, when she wakes, she makes a low grumble sound to let Mom know she needs to go out. During the day she will stand by the door silently (so Mom needs to be looking) to indicate she needs to go out. Mom does also takes her out pretty regularly to be proactive.
Her indoor toys are kept in a basket and she picks what she wants to play with. Outdoors, she loves playing with a toy hung from a tree. She has a squeaky pig that she and her sister like to steal from one another. She also loves lying on an elevated bed in the yard chewing a toy—just chillin’. She loves to run around in the yard and is in the early stages of learning fetch with a small tennis ball. She has a short tunnel that she runs through as well.
Shania has access to the kitchen, deck and yard. She can freely roam between the kitchen and deck most of the time (weather permitting), runs up the outside steps herself but is carried down the deck steps to the yard.
At night and when Mom is not home she stays in a crate/puppy pen combo in the kitchen. Most of the time she goes in with little/no protest (as long as she has had adequate play time and been out to potty). When it’s nap time, she is usually sound asleep within a minute or two of going in. When the crate gate is open, she mostly sleeps in the crate but will sometimes come out of the crate and sleep on the floor. She has only recently learned to be in the crate with the door closed (she used to just have the door closed while eating).
Miss Smarty knows “water” and “sit.” She is learning “stay, “drop,” and “potty” and fully knows to expect a treat after “yes” and “good girl.” Note that MAESSR will require Shania’s adoptive family to take their new family member through a series of obedience classes within 90 days of adoption. MAESSR only places puppies in homes that are committed to training and bonding with the pup in obedience classes. Puppies require a lot of care, attention, and patience. MAESSR believes the decision to get a puppy and raise it to be a healthy, happy, and well-adjusted dog is a serious commitment. Shania, no doubt, will move to the head of the class!
She is fine going to the vets but does start to get nervous if she has to sit too long and wait. She has had several car rides and did become sick about 20% of the time but that should improve as she becomes more comfortable.
As her namesake would sing, “Life’s About to Get Good.” MAESSR’s Shania has only the best ahead of her!