Smudge

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Original: Smudge lived with one family all of his life. He had been much adored in his eight years on this planet which is evident in his sweet and loving demeanor. Unfortunately, Smudge’s family went through a divorce and there was less money and time for Smudge. Sadly, his mom thought the best thing for Smudge was to let some other family love him. And love him they will.

While there are dozens of reasons to love Springers, Smudge’s new family will love the way he bounds into your arms upon your return regardless of whether you are returning from a long day at work or a short trip to the grocery store. It does not matter how long you were gone; what matters is that you left and this sweet boy makes sure you know that he noticed you were gone. Smudge also has an endearing habit of purring when you touch him. When you pet Smudge or scratch behind his ears, he makes the most wonderful sounds. Quite simply, Smudge makes you feel like you are the best person in the whole wide world and seriously, who wouldn’t want to feel like that several times per day?

Smudge would be more aptly named if his name was Pudge. Sweet Smudge tips the scales at a whopping 63 pounds which is a lot of weight for his small frame to carry. While he enjoys his food, his foster mom does not think that his weight is a result of over-eating. Smudge has had some skin issues over the last year and has been taking prednisone which can cause weight gain. The vet felt that Smudge should get off the prednisone so weight loss is likely.

Smudge is a happy-go-lucky guy who loves to explore the neighborhood. He walks with his head held high with that wonderful Springer smile on his face. He is happy to greet anyone who approaches. So far, he has met lots of other dogs, children and adults. While he likes everyone, he seems less enthralled by the young dogs that go into play stance. He seems to be uninterested in play as if that were beneath him. If you want to go for a car ride, make sure you ask Smudge if he wants to go too since he loves car rides. In fact, when he wants to get fresh air, he puts his paw up to the window to remind you to open it. When he has had enough fresh air, he will lie down. Oh, Smudge likes to ride in the front seat if you please!

Smudge encountered three cats in his initial week in foster care and was uninterested in them. Smudge’s former family said that he will chase a cat in play if it runs, but he will otherwise ignore cats. Therefore, a dog friendly or dog neutral cat would be fine in Smudge’s forever home. Smudge’s foster mom thinks that Smudge should probably not live with a cat that is not used to dogs.

Smudge really likes birds and squirrels. He walks well on a leash until he sees a bird or a squirrel. He would pull his foster mom into oncoming traffic if there was a chance he could nab a squirrel. His foster mom is working on curbing this behavior but some of this behavior is innate.

While Smudge’s heart is in the right place, he does have some habits that some potential adoptive families may find less desirable. For example, Smudge wants to sleep in bed with his humans. He will act like he fully intends to spend the night on his comfy dog bed, but he will sneak into the big bed once everyone is sound asleep. It is unlikely that Smudge will be trained out of this behavior. Smudge also prefers to be on the sofa with his humans when they watch television. He will get off the sofa when asked, though. Smudge does not like the crate or even a baby gate for that matter. He is fine left in the house all day and does not get into any trouble, but he really, really, really wants access to the entire house. He has been found more than once snoozing on his foster mom’s bed when she returns home.

In all, Smudge is a sweet, loving, basically well-behaved boy who wants (and deserves) a loving companion or family who will be charmed by his antics. Are you ready to feel like you are the absolute best person in the whole wide world? If so, Smudge might be the right Springer for you.