Entered: 04/06/2014
Status: Adopted
Age: 7
Color: Black/White
Weight: 53 lbs.
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Altoona, PA
Health: UTD, HW-,receiving daily medication to manage allergies, mild kennel cough and conjunctivitis resolved
Temperament: Good with people of all ages, good with both dogs and cats
Update 05/25/2014: “If Daisy Mae is receiving attention, Shelby is bound to be there, too, often giving foster mom her paw to request her fair share.”
Daisy Mae and her daughter Shelby continue to bring joy to their foster mom on a daily basis; in fact, she cannot say enough nice things about this pair. These gals are so sweet, loving, laid back, and a pleasure to foster. They may not be full Springers, but they possess many of the best qualities of the breed. They will be greatly missed when they find the furever home that they deserve.
The girls continue to be considerate houseguests. They are well-behaved, quiet girls who love getting attention. If Daisy Mae is receiving attention, Shelby is bound to be there, too, often giving her foster mom a paw to request her fair share. There isn’t a lot of barking from either one; they sometimes do join in once the resident dogs start to bark. Shelby doesn’t often get up on the furniture and spends the night sleeping on a dog bed. She and Daisy Mae share a dog bed at times, curling up end to end. They continue to be separated from the resident dogs while their foster mom is away from home but get along well with them when together. They do well when restricted to the foyer and kitchen but get excited on the rare occasions when their foster mom forgets to put the gate across the stairs. On those occasions they head upstairs to rest on plusher dog beds or their foster mom’s bed.
Both girls absolutely love their walks but are able to handle a few days’ break when rains hit the area. Oh, boy, do they get excited when they can resume their constitutionals! Their foster mom may initially have to employ her tree imitation to remind them that gently pulling her down the street when they are rarin’ to hit the bricks is not acceptable. The girls would love to chase critters, especially cats, they see along their route. Sometimes Shelby reacts to dogs raising a ruckus while walking, which can cause Daisy Mae to react, too. This is being addressed so Shelby is not so reactive to these unruly dogs.
Both girls are great for baths and love to be brushed. They also allow their nails to be trimmed. Shelby has recovered from her conjunctivitis and kennel cough. She was such a good girl when getting her eye drops! When her foster mom starts to prepare her own breakfast, Shelby now joins her in the kitchen to get her allergy pills in a dollop of cream cheese. YUM! Shelby is on a grain-free dog food and is receiving two allergy pills a day which has kept her allergies under control. There is some occasional licking, but nothing of concern. Even Shelby’s ears, which indicate a past history of allergies, have not flared up.
Shelby and Daisy Mae attended the Langhorne picnic and were such good girls. It was a four hour trip each way, and both were great travelers. Not a peep from the back seat the entire trip. They enjoyed their day visiting with their MAESSR family. Now they are patiently waiting to find their own family!
Original: “Shelby has never been away from her mom and is very bonded to her.”
Shelby 6 and her mother Daisy Mae came into MAESSR’s care from an overcrowded shelter in West Virginia. Although Springer mixes, MAESSR agreed to help out these girls in their time of need. A family member was caring for the girls while their owner was on vacation. The owner refused to pick them up, saying she didn’t want these sweet girls anymore, so they ended up at the shelter. The shelter staff said they were friendly to everyone with whom they came in contact ― adults, children, cats, and dogs.
From the moment that these girls jumped into the SUV on the transport to their temporary foster home, it was obvious how sweet both were. They sat or rested in the back seat, showing no anxiousness or bad manners. As passengers, they just enjoyed the ride. Then on their subsequent ride to their current foster home, their foster mom kept checking the back seat to make sure that they hadn’t vanished into thin air. What good travelers these girls are!
Apparently, Shelby has never been away from her mom and is very bonded to her. While she may go running off by herself, it is not long before she looks for and finds Daisy Mae to run alongside her neck and neck. Just like her mother, Shelby is very sweet and affectionate.
Shelby has been a very good houseguest in both foster homes. She has had no accidents, nor has she engaged in inappropriate chewing, counter-surfing, or trash-diving. At her current foster home, she has made no attempts to get up on the furniture with the exception of an invitation for a group cuddle on foster mom’s bed. While foster mom is working, Shelby and Daisy Mae have been separated from the resident dogs and confined to the foyer and kitchen with no issues. Their foster mom has not tried crating the girls yet so it is not known if they are crate-trained. Shelby does not appear to have any separation anxiety when her foster mom leaves. She may whine and scratch at the door initially, but the house is very quiet upon return and nothing is disturbed.
Housetrained, Shelby indicates her need to go out by going to the door. She is let out around her foster mom’s schedule. She has good recall and returns to the house when prompted. She likes being outside and will quickly take care of personal matters. After that, she just chills out. She has been very mellow when outdoors in the fenced yard as evidenced in the girls’ video. So far, Shelby has not played with any toys but has chased after resident Springer and her mom on a couple of occasions. At night Shelby sleeps on a dog pillow in her foster mom’s bedroom. If there is room, she often tries to squeeze in with Daisy Mae on the dog bed. If sleeping arrangements get too tight, Shelby will move to a nearby dog bed. With the exception of gentle snoring, there is not a peep out of her until morning.
At her temporary foster home, Shelby went for long walks in an apple orchard. At her current foster home, she does well walking with Daisy Mae and the two resident dogs at the same time― all with minimal pulling. So far Shelby responds to commands to “sit,” “lie down,” “come,” and “shake.” She has quickly learned that she has to sit for treats which she takes gently. At meal time her foster mom watches so Shelby doesn’t help herself to her mother’s supper. She does not resource guard her food. When the grooming tools come out, Shelby thoroughly enjoys being brushed and allows her ears to be handled and her nails trimmed. Good girl!
Shelby was a great patient at the vet’s office. During her long wait in the outer office and exam room, she calmly lay and waited. Miss Social even made friends with a Lab/Mastiff mix in the waiting room! Shelby had her very long nails trimmed, had blood drawn, received her vaccinations, and even got microchipped. The vet pronounced her in good health but thought she may have had a history of mild allergies due to her ears and foster mom’s reports. Recovering from conjunctivitis in her left eye, Shelby has been such a good girl when getting drops in her eye! She has also received medication for sneezing which could be from allergies or from a very mild case of kennel cough.
Because Shelby and Daisy Mae have been together so long, MAESSR would like to place them together. So, if you are looking for a pair that are bonded but have a lot of love to share – this pair is for you!