Entered: 03/12/2005
Status: adopted
Age: 3
Color: Black/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Female
Location: Ashburn, VA
Health: Good, UTD, HW-, carrying a healthy weight
Temperament: Good, but probably too fast paced to live with small children
Update 3/21/05
Stella is back in rescue through no fault of her own. When she first came into rescue, she was a pretty sick, little girl. She was weak and needed to put on significant weight. Now that she has put on that weight, her energy has skyrocketed and it’s easy to see why she was so good as a hunting dog. She loves to run full speed through the backyard, chasing birds, other dogs, and her favorite toy, tennis balls!!
Stella is crate trained and goes about 5 hours at a time without any accidents. At night she has free run of the house and makes sure that she sleeps as close to her foster dad on the bed as possible. She does very well with other dogs, but her dad’s guess is she would chase cats given her strong hunting instincts.
Once Stella is on the move, she is a very focused girl, and nothing gets in her way. So, because of that, her foster dad would not recommend her with little children. Through no ill spirit, but in her youthful enthusiasm, Stella could knock them down so easily. She just loves to go on car rides and does not mind waiting while her driver does some errands.
Stella had lived with her brother her whole life before coming into rescue the first time and really seems to need another dog around for companionship and reassurance. She would probably do best in a home with another dog and a fenced yard, so she can play catch and burn off some of her energy with human and doggie companions alike. This little gal is a diamond in the rough who just needs some polishing to shine like the gem she is.
Original
Stella is a field-bred springer who came to her foster home from an environment of neglect. She was malnourished. Since she has been with her foster family, she’s been steadily gaining weight and is on her way to adding the 7-10 pounds her vet feels she needs. She was originally trained for hunting, but this little girl loves the life inside!
As is typical of a field springer, to say Stella’s curious is an understatement. If Stella’s not trying to entice someone into a game of fetch, she’s mesmerized by the birds and squirrels at the feeders. She is glad to be where ever her people are and to do whatever they are doing, especially if it includes a good snuggle or a big kiss. She has a happy dance when her food is being prepared. She twirls in circles, stopping to see if it’s ready, then twirls again until it’s ready and has a big smile on her face the whole time! Stella is not a counter surfer but will jump up to see what’s on a counter or table. She responds well to “down” but doesn’t remember it for very long. Her foster mom is working with her on this and she’s getting better.
Stella is housebroken and has been crate trained in her foster home. She travels well and likes to keep her eye on the road. She has shown no signs of food aggression. Her foster mom has been able to take food, toys, and anything else out of her mouth without any problems. She has, however, growled at the resident dogs when she thinks her toy is threatened. Since Stella lived with a group of dogs in her previous home, this is understandable, as it was probably the only way she could keep anything. At this point, Stella has not been exposed to children or cats, but she will meet kids before she is placed. Her foster mom is judging from her personality that she would be great with them.
Overall, Stella is a great dog. She craves a tremendous amount of attention and may be making up for lost time. Her foster mom thinks she would do well with a family that likes a high energy dog and has the time to keep one busy.