Spot 3

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Update 10/07/12:

In his brief time as a MAESSR boy, Spot is doing quite well. He is a very sweet and handsome boy who sports a nice, soft coat that’s sprinkled with very cool spots. Aptly named, indeed!

Spot’s foster mom refers to him as a “ball of fire” which is very appropriate given his passion for balls. He likes nothing better than spending his waking hours playing ball! He rolls his ball around the house and travels with it in his mouth wherever he goes. 

Once Spot recovered from his upper respiratory infection, he was ready for neutering. He did have a minor complication from surgery but is doing fine now. It did, however, require him to wear an Elizabethan collar. Well, the collar did not last for even three hours! Spot managed to crack and break it easily. His foster mom just had to laugh watching him. It is quite a sight to see a scent dog like a Springer try to put his nose to the ground while wearing a collar!

Having gained some confidence, Spot has become more willing to stand up to the resident dog, and they have had a few skirmishes. While noisy, they have not resulted in injuries to either dog. 

Spot is learning acceptable house manners; however, it appears that this scamp will always be an opportunist when it comes to human food. Well, he is a Springer! One of Spot’s new behaviors is to grab his human foster brother’s socks and carry them around. He will chew these, so his family is being as careful as possible in keeping them out of his reach.

Spot will need a home with a family willing to work with his high energy level and continue to shape his house manners. He’d especially love his family to include someone who loves to play ball as much as he does! This sweet boy really wants to love and please, so he will work hard to meet his family’s expectations.

Original:

Spot was raised in West Virginia along with several other dogs. When his owner was no longer able to afford their care, he turned them over to a local shelter. A volunteer contacted the shelter and it wasn’t long before Spot became a MAESSR boy!

Since Spot was living outside in his previous home, he had no experience with living inside a house. Because of this, he is a work in progress in terms of house manners. He lifted his leg on his first day in foster care but, after a few stern “No”s, this stopped, and, he has had no accidents in the house. The dogs in Spot’s home are on a routine for going out, so Spot’s new owner will need to keep a schedule at first since he doesn’t signal his need to go out. Spot will counter-surf and intrudes on people when they’re eating, but those behaviors are being worked on. Once Spot understands what is acceptable, he is usually fine. He does not attempt to climb on furniture; he just finds a comfortable place on the rug or floor to settle down. Despite previous kenneling outside, Spot seems to have had a lot of human interaction and has no known behavior issues when dealing with people. He has never shown aggression or shyness and is an all around “cool” boy! 

Shortly after coming to his foster home, Spot was treated for an upper respiratory infection and is recovering fine. He was super at the vet’s office and all the techs fell in love with him. He received a clean bill of health other than the short-term URI. Spot’s coat will require little maintenance other than trimming feet and ears. Due to mats, his foster mom had to trim his ears down considerably. They look a little choppy at the moment but will be long and luxurious once they grow in.

This guy is a sweetheart of a Springer. He is bright and eager to please. He does not know many commands but he will “sit” on request. It requires some work to get Spot to lie down and “stay” is not quite in his vocabulary yet. His personality continues to emerge as he gets used to his new home and transitions from his shelter and previous home experiences. He can be a ball of fire when he wants to run and play, but he settles down nicely in the house. He is crated when his foster mom is away. If alone and bored, he looks for paper and cardboard to chew, leaving other human belongings undamaged. He also seems to have channeled a previous foster and has begun picking up shoes when he is excited. Again, he does not harm them and will easily give them back.

Spot is fine on the leash and loves walks and car rides. He eats in the same room as the resident dog and there have been no issues. He is a bit of a messy eater and drinker and will leave crumbs and drips. He did not realize what a treat was when he arrived, but he sure does now! A hotdog is of high value to him when taking his medicine and working on behaviors.

Spot lives with an 11 year old boy and gravitates toward him, which leads his foster mom to believe there were probably children in his earlier life. The two have great games of fetch with the resident Springer. Spot especially likes his rubber fetch ball. He keeps it with him as he goes around the house and even drops it in the water while he drinks and then picks it back up. There have been a few skirmishes over balls with the resident dog but they have worked it out quickly and moved on. If the resident dog grumbles at Spot, Spot takes it lightly. Generally, he is great with other dogs and currently lives with two cats. He is fine with them inside the house but will sometimes bark if he sees them outside. Once he realizes they are part of the family, his tail starts wagging and he goes to greet them.

Overall, Spot is a wonderful dog who will love his new owner with all his heart. Like most springers, he likes to be close to his family. He does need work with commands and house manners, but some basic training and positive reinforcement seem to be all that will be required to help this guy truly shine.