Entered: 07/30/2016
Status: Adopted
Age: 2
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 40 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Aston, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, overall good health
Temperament: Good with adults and older children, good with other dogs, unknown with cats
Original: “Sprout has a great Springer grin and understated butt wiggle that just make everyone smile.”Sprout came in as a stray to a Virginia shelter, thin and with a very matted coat. He was either living on his own for a while or had been neglected. He was initially nervous and somewhat skittish, but the shelter reported he warmed up, relaxed and greeted them each morning with a happy grin and wagging tail. His foster home has found the same pattern; the new guy was shy but friendly the first day, and now comes up to put a head on a lap to ask for pets.
Sprout is mostly housebroken, having had only three accidents in a week of fostering–most probably because he doesn’t really have a signal to go out. He does his business outside when given a chance and goes all night without any accidents uncrated in two rooms of the house, seeming to sleep on a rug near the resident dogs. He will go in an open crate and is only slightly fidgety initially when put in one with the door closed. He respects baby gates and is gated near the other dogs so he doesn’t get too curious about exploring with no supervision.
Little Sprout is a real sweet guy who doesn’t jump up, and, if voices are raised at the residents for minor infractions, he crouches down as if to say, “It wasn’t me.” He will jump up on a bench at home, but doesn’t go up or down stairs on his own, so it’s unknown if he’d jump on a bed. He’s not a counter-surfer or major beggar at the dining table but just hangs out and watches. Again surprisingly considering his youth, he doesn’t chew inappropriate things.
The new family member does play the court jester/underdog to the resident trio and isn’t possessive about food bowls or toys. He and the resident hounds play musical food bowls, eating more slowly out of whichever one is closer and switching out from time to time, while the resident Springer is fed separately because he chows down.
Sprout LOVES the young resident female and has great fun playing chase outside in the yard and helping to empty the toy container. He will wade but not flop in the baby pool afterwards and likes fetching toys–and will almost bring them back. But, despite his young age, this sweet guy is fairly mellow during the workday, just flopping on the floor near his foster folks.
He is good in the car—just lying comfortably in the back until he gets to the destination and then waiting to be taken out. He’s learned “sit” in a short amount of time and is decent on leash except for his Springer nose pattern of going back and forth to get all the scents. Sprout was a bit shy about being grabbed for grooming, but once tethered, he liked being brushed and didn’t mind having his ears cleaned. He’s due for a vet visit and may well revert to “shy” mode there.
What this love doesn’t seem to have is an aggressive bone in his body. He may have been treated roughly in a previous life, but he easily warms up to soft words, likes both men and women, has good manners for his age and will make some lucky person or family a great companion. Sprout has a great Springer grin and understated butt wiggle that just make everyone smile.