Entered: 10/29/2017
Status: Adopted
Age: 2
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 45 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, overall good health
Temperament: Good with people as young as four, good with other dogs, probably would chase cats
Original: “It’s hilarious to watch him with the squeaky football, trying to figure out where the sound is coming from!”
Owning four Springers plus attending graduate school proved too much for the owner of Stu and his brother Carl. She wasn’t able to keep up with all of them so she made the difficult decision to relinquish these two younger Springers and keep the older two. So, Stu and Carl became MAESSR boys.
A good boy with children as young as four, Stu is very gentle and loving with them. With other dogs, he is playful but sometimes can get a little rough. Since he has a strong prey instinct, Stu will chase squirrels and probably would chase cats although his foster mom has no direct experience with that.
Stu is housetrained and has been alone for as long as seven hours without having a accident in the house. When he’s ready to go out, he goes to the back door to let his foster parents know. Stu is not crate trained. He gets into the crate if toys are in there but comes immediately back out. When his parents are not home, he has run of the house and has done very well. Stu was allowed to sleep in the bed with his former owner and, if his foster parents go to bed without him, he will bark at the bedroom door until he is let in.
His foster home has a bay window and Stu has found this to be an excellent vantage point. He loves to sit (or stand) in the bay window and bark at anything that moves with his very deep bark! Stu does counter-surf but gets down as soon as told, “No.” He’s never gotten into the trash and the only things he chews are his toys. He has a large ball with a handle that he carries around with him and when that’s not available he carries a small football. It’s hilarious to watch him with the squeaky football, trying to figure out where the sound is coming from! He is allowed on the furniture and is very good while up there. Generally, Stu just falls straight asleep.
The only commands this Virginian responds to with any regularity are “sit,” “down,” and “no.” He will try to dash out the front door when his foster mom is leaving, but telling him “no” keeps him in the house. Stu loves it when his leash comes out. His former owner used a gentle leader on him, but his foster parents have a harness for him and he walks quite well. He will tug until he realizes that his people are not going to let him run, then settles into whatever pace his people are going. He greets other dogs and humans by jumping up on them, a habit which his foster parents are trying to break. He is so excited to meet others that he just can’t help jumping up on them. Stu also loves car rides and jumps right in with no problem. He sticks his nose out the window for air while riding.
Stu’s favorite toys are balls– tennis balls, footballs, or balls with handles on them that he can carry around. Stu plays very well with the resident dog, a female lab mix. Generally, she is timid and shy but not with him! They roll around on the floor and play constantly. Stu is a very energetic and playful dog. He’s also very athletic and can climb trees, fences, and deck railings! His foster parents have watched him scale their 6-foot deck with a very small running start.
Stu does not guard his food or toys and he shares quite nicely. His foster mom has even put his food down, allowed him to start eating, and then has taken the bowl from him. He was just fine with that. He just sits patiently until she gives it back. He will scavenge the resident dog’s bowl if she doesn’t finish her food, though.
Stu’s foster parents took him to a bathe-your-own-dog facility and he really didn’t enjoy his bath. Before they had tried giving him a bath in their home tub but he kept jumping out. In the do-it-yourself facility, Stu could be tethered in the tub. He has not been to the groomer, but his former owner said he doesn’t like having his ears touched or cleaned, and he also doesn’t like being brushed. He also doesn’t like his paws being touched so he doesn’t do so well with nail trims. His vet appointment is pending so soon his foster parents will know how he does at the vet.
Stu needs to be in an active home where they can deal with a very high-energy boy. They need to have a yard with really tall fences and a place to run. Since he loves to play with other dogs, having doggie siblings would be wonderful for him.