Entered: 03/22/2015
Status: Adopted
Age: 7 Months
Color: Black/White Springer/Corgi Mix
Weight: 30 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Dumfries, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, overall good health
Temperament: Good with people as old as six, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Original: “Just as much as he wants to play, Snowflake loves to cuddle and receive attention and petting from his people.”
Snowflake and his brother Mickey joined MAESSR from North Carolina. Their owner kept them mostly in the fenced yard during the day and crated in a bathroom to sleep at night. She knew the boys were bored and needed more attention so she contacted MAESSR to start these pups on a new life.
With his short Corgi legs and his noble Springer head, Snowflake is a beautiful puppy who is a real attention getter. An active pup, he loves to play with his toys, but unfortunately he destroys them in the process. Balls and squeaky toys are his favorites! He will chew on anything in the crate with him. An indestructible Kong has proven to be the best bet for chewing and playing chase and retrieve. He brings it back almost every time and gives it back so his person can throw it again. He’s not obsessive about the game, though. Luckily, Snowflake· does not chew on household items such as furniture, curtains, and rugs– unless he finds a tag on them. Then, he is quite happy to help his people remove those pesky tags! Although he will steal toys away from his foster brother if he gets a chance, he is not object possessive of them. Just as much as he wants to play, Snowflake loves to cuddle and receive attention and petting from his people. He is great with all of his foster family members—young and older adults. In his original home, he lived with children as young as six and reportedly was fine with them.
His foster family is also fostering an elderly Springer for MAESSR and this old boy has not wanted to play with Snowflake, much to the pup’s disappointment. He tries to engage with him, but the senior is possessive of food and toys and jealous of the attention the puppy gets. His foster family has to be very careful that they don’t get too close. Initially, Snowflake’s brother Mickey was in the same foster home with him and they would play fight and have a wonderful time together. Snowflake’s only exposure to cats has been seeing one outside while on a leash and he would have liked to chase it. His foster mom thinks that with proper introductions, Snowflake would probably be good with a resident cat who was dog savvy.
Housetraining is a work in progress. He doesn’t yet understand that he should not eliminate in the house, but he is getting better with the aid of the crate. Frequent walks and watching him carefully when he is free in the house have prevented accidents. He will eventually understand what is expected of him and will learn to signal his needs clearly. Right now he seems to sniff around the edges of the room when he needs to go. Since he was crated at night in his original home, Snowflake has no issues with being in the crate which is kept in the living room. He is learning the command “Go to your room” when it is time for bed or when his foster family has to go out.
Learning how to behave properly in the house is going fairly well. Although Snowflake would like to hop onto the furniture and be a lapdog, that is not allowed in his foster home. His short stature ensures that no counter-surfing occurs and he has not bothered the trash yet.
Right now, Snowflake understands the command “sit” but his foster family is working on teaching him more basic commands. When he first came into foster care, he had never worn a collar before and had never been on a leash; he and his brother were just let out in the fenced back yard. Now, he walks on a loose leash with his foster family and has been very cooperative. He will pull if he sees something interesting, though. Please note that 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, and they do chew on things! The decision to get a puppy and raise it to be a healthy, happy, and well-adjusted dog is a serious commitment. To reinforce this commitment, MAESSR requires all adopters of dogs under 1 year old to enroll their puppy in obedience classes within 60 days of adoption. Snowflake will be a good student!
When encountering strangers while on a walk, Snowflake was initially fearful; however, after building up trust in his foster family, he just stays close to his people and keeps a close on the newcomers. He cheerfully welcomes a meeting with other dogs on his walks, though. His foster family has been socializing him at pet stores and, though initially fearful, he is now comfortable. He loves riding in the back seat of the car on these excursions as well as to the vet’s office and to the groomer—all for which he was a good boy.
Snowflake could fit in with any family who would commit to giving him the training, proper exercise, and love that all puppies need to grow into great family dogs. Having a fenced in yard big enough to run around in would be a plus as would having a playful canine friend to help him burn off some of that puppy energy. This puppy will win the hearts of everyone who meets him.