Tippy 3

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Update 12/07/16: “I’ll soon see Santa and will tell him I’ve been good.  All I want is a home, please Santa, if you would.”

Hi all, 

I just took a break from my rock collecting (it becomes harder and harder in this cold weather) and used one of the pieces of paper Mom forgot to hide to write this poem for you…OK, my foster mom helped me just a bit!!

Tippy’s Dream Before Christmas!

I hear the sleigh bells ringing, outside on the street
With the hustle and the bustle of busy people feet.

Inside the fire is burning, the wood makes a crackling sound
The smell of Christmas baking is drifting all around.

Christmas shopping is commencing in all the shops and stores
Including the pet store, with toys and treats galore!

The tree is brightly twinkling with all the pretty lights
Decorations and an angel sure make a lovely sight!

I lie upon my cozy bed near the fireplace so warm
While watching out the window, as the snowflakes form.

The presence of love is given with each hug
Makes one feel so at home, all cozy and snug! 

I woke up smiling, with the dream I just received
I know it will come true if I just believe.

I’ll soon see Santa and will tell him I’ve been good.
All I want is a home, please Santa, if you would.

If I find a brand new rock, all wrapped up in a bow
Under my Christmas tree, then a home I’ll truly know!

Love, Tippy

Update 10/17/2016:  “The fall full moons bring out the best in MAESSR’s Miss Tippy! “

The fall full moons bring out the best in MAESSR’s Miss Tippy!   This love is still happy to go, go, go with her foster mom whether it’s for a longish walk on her leash or a ride in the car!   Tippy enjoys people and having her  very own “spa” day.

And, she’s not just a girly girl as not too many prima donnas have their own rock pile.  Tips continues to build her rock wall when she’s not busy trying to steal paper from her mom.  That last quirk does call for some inventiveness.  Do you suppose her mom’s thought of using a rock as a trade for that highly valued paper?

But, what this girl does best is cuddle.  She loves her people…not so much that resident spaniel…and will spend as much time with them as she can squeeze into her busy life.

Tippy is looking to be an only dog in a very special home that will understand her fetishes…hey, we all have them…and spend a good bit of time walking and playing with her.  That special home will love this special dog.   Fall holidays are coming.  Wouldn’t you like to spend them with Miss T?

Update 09/09/16:  “If Tippy were writing her essay on “What did you do on your summer vacation,” she would be saying that she enjoyed each and every day!”

Summer is on its way out to make room for autumn, and the children are back at school!  If Tippy were writing her essay on “What did you do on your summer vacation,” she would be saying that she enjoyed each and every day!  She totally loved the walks she went on and could go a pretty good distance with her foster mom as she’s pretty spry for a senior gal.  

Her foster mom is really amazed that, when she has to leave to go to work, Tippy knows when it’s time for her to go and gets so excited.  Not that she wants her foster mom to go, but Tippy knows the routine that when her foster mom has to leave, she gets a treat or two!  This makes her super happy, and she knows her foster mom will be back home later!

Tippy is doing better on the paper fetish!  Well, actually, her foster mom is doing better at hiding any paper that she may get!  And, yes, Tippy still so loves her rocks!  Her foster mom was doing more gardening and knew she’d have a helping paw with the rocks that needed to be moved from around a tree!  As rocks went in the bucket, Tippy would go in and dig around until she found that perfect one and then off she’d go.  Great exercise!  When a neighbor knocked over her water bottle, Tippy saw that and rushed to get it!  Do you know she likes to play with water bottles too?  The other day, her foster mom had to laugh and say, “Oh, Tippy!”  Her foster mom was straightening out the blanket on the elevated bed Tippy sleeps on, and, what did she find under the doggy bed?  Tippy’s stash of hidden rocks!  There were pretty many!  That’s probably why Taffy slept on the floor instead of the bed…it was too lumpy!!!  

Tippy still doesn’t particularly care for the resident cocker…no reason, she just doesn’t.  And, although they cohabit fairly well, Tippy would still like to be the only dog in her forever home.  That way she’d have a family all to herself!  

This love is also very thankful that MAESSR has taken her under wings of love so she can really enjoy her senior years with a lot of love and care!  She’s really happy that she has been given a second chance at love to share with one who will love her back completely!  This senior still has a lot of living and loving and rock hunting to do!  If you walk, garden, and have rocks, please ask to meet Miss T.  She’s awesome!

Update 07/12/16:  “Tippy continues to be a character who wags and wags and wags her itsy bitsy teeny weenie little nub of a tail to show what a happy gal she is!!”

Tippy continues to be a character who wags and wags and wags her itsy bitsy teeny weenie little nub of a tail to show what a happy gal she is!!  She loves to be held and cuddled and happily sits in her foster mom’s lap for this, giving her that look of love to keep petting!

Her health is better and better all the time, and, while she can’t hear, she follows hand commands really well.  With just a wave of her foster mom’s hand, this senior lady is right there.  Of course, she is usually right there, anyway!!

Miss Tip loves going…anywhere, anyhow.  She likes to walk and really can go a good distance in rain or shine.  And, she likes to ride, especially shotgun.  The world’s a fun place for this gal!!

And, should you wonder, Tippy is still working on helping with her home’s rock garden.  Moving rocks is just part of her daily routine, and she has a good time even if she doesn’t exactly place them where her foster mom might want!  She also continues to love ball playing.  She happily chases the ball and brings it back again and again.

Tippy is ready for her forever home.  In spite of always having had her sister, Taffy, near, she would now like to be an only dog and naturally would like a few rocks in her environment.  So, you, out there, are you ready to spend the time of the seasons with this love…to share some summertime when the living is easy, to walk in winter wonderlands, to smell spring blossoms and spend cool autumn days together?  Ask about MAESSR’s honorary Springer, Tippy, who sends sunshine, lollipops, rainbows and love to you!

Update 05/18/2016: “Tippy will show her new family all the things she has become and how to be part of a family.” 

Tippy has become many things since coming into MAESSR’s care. This little girl is very loving; she loves to sit on her foster mom’s lap for attention, cuddling, and love.  She will rest her head against her foster mom’s shoulder and look with her loving, thankful eyes for the scratching and hugging to continue.  

Professional ball chaser and retriever is one thing Tippy has become…and her skill level is high!  Keep the ball going and she’ll keep the ball coming back to go again and again and again!  A big time favorite of Tippy’s is rock collecting!  Her precious rocks can be found everywhere, including in and out of the house!  Landscaping is part of her skill set also, as she gladly helped her foster mom move rocks from one spot to another. Added to Tippy’s resume is exercise trainer. While Tippy was moving the rocks in the landscaping job, she kept her foster mom moving to and fro and back again gathering up the rocks that Tippy was moving. What a great workout!

Tippy has also become quite the traveler. Besides trekking to the vet and the groomer, Tippy has traveled to a MAESSR picnic, where she met many people and other dogs.  She’s also traveled to a couple of events as a MAESSR ambassador. An excellent passenger in the car, Tippy knows where she is to sit and there she stays until arriving at her destination. Tippy is also an excellent walking partner. She patiently waits while her leash is attached; then, down the stairs and out the gate onward to wherever her nose will lead her…or where her foster mom wants her nose to lead her!

Tippy also knows when she gets a bit grumpy at the resident Cocker that a wag of her mom’s finger tells her, “Now that’s enough” and Tippy will oblige.  Still a work in progress is giving up a precious piece of paper, should she find one. She does, however, fall “prey” to her foster mom’s “bluff” that she’s holding something to eat, only to be fooled and then find her paper gone!  Well, Tippy thinks, “I have to check it out because sometimes my foster mom actually has a treat!”

Aware of when it’s time for bathing, grooming, and ear cleaning, Tippy is the ideal client at the spa and at home. She also knows when it is bedtime, with or without her foster mom being ready to go to bed. Very aware of the pre-bedtime snack, Tippy will gladly go to her sleeping spot and wait for the snack to arrive. Or, if already be in bed and asleep, Tippy will wake up in time to make sure she doesn’t miss the bedtime snack. Like a good girl, all snacks are taken very gently from her foster mom’s hand. Then it’s time to curl up in a nice soft doggy bed or blanket and off to dream of new adventures and a forever family.

Above all, Tippy has learned to be forgiving; for to forgive makes one able to move on.  Although she was left at a shelter, Tippy has learned she can love and trust another human. There are greener fields to explore and a new forever family to love. This sweet girl wants her new family to know this, as she will love them deeply and forever. Tippy will show her new family all the things she has become and how to be part of a family.  

Tippy’s resume is complete!  All she needs now is to find the family she dreams about – a family to love and to love her back.  Tippy hopes her new family will go for car rides, take walks, toss the ball, cuddle up with her and yes, of course, have a couple of rocks too!

Update 04/08/2016:  “Tippy would make a wonderful addition to a family who is active to a point, takes leisurely walks, plays ball and wants to snuggle up to a very special dog.”

Tippy is doing very well in her foster home!  What helps, besides the love she is receiving, is that her foster home has a lot of rocks outside!   Tippy is in “rock” heaven when she is outside!  Rocks here, there and everywhere!  She is even trying to start a rock garden of her own in the house.   Her foster mom takes them back outside only to find them brought back in again!  With the weather getting better, what better thing to do to celebrate the onset of spring than by getting a rock, and rolling on it on the grass!  Ah, sheer heaven!

Besides her love for rocks, Tippy loves to play ball!  Her foster mom will throw the ball and off she goes to retrieve it!  She’ll bring the ball back to be tossed again and again and again!  This lively senior even chases a soccer ball and, though she does have a bit of trouble trying to carry it back, she does try!  Tippy is very spry for her young age of thirteen!

The new girl in the family continues to do well with the resident dogs and cats.  She is, however, not thrilled when the blind resident cocker bumps into her and voices her discontent.  Sometimes the resident cocker will tell her to “chill out!”  They both kind of remind the foster mom of “grumpy old men” even though one is female!  Amazingly, Tippy does understand the word “NO” even though she can’t hear.  When she is being grumpy with the resident cocker, her foster mom will redirect Tippy to look at her; the smart lady seems to understand that a raised pointer finger means “NO,” and she will stop accordingly!

This beautiful girl went for her spa day and received an A+ from the groomer!  She did very well with her bath, the grooming shears, ear cleaning and nail clipping!  Tippy looked so pretty after her spa day!  Then the day came when she had to go to the vet for her dental!  Ah, her beautifully groomed front legs now have poodle cuts from where her IV’s went!  Does this bother Tippy?  Nope, she says it gives her “character!!”

Miss T. did well with her dental procedure which entailed the removal of five teeth.  She had several fractured teeth and one impacted tooth (wonder if the rocks had anything to do with the fractured teeth?  Hmmm….).  She passed with flying colors on the healing of her extractions and is maintaining her svelte figure!  She does have a cherry eye; her vet felt that Tippy has had this cherry eye for a very long time and recommended not removing it as it is not giving her any discomfort. .  It is dark in color and blends in with the warm brown color of her eye.

Tippy so enjoys going for her walks and can go for a fairly long way.  When the leash comes out, she knows exactly what that means and her little nub of a tail wags happily!  She also enjoys car rides and is such a good passenger!  Meal time is a special time for Tippy.  When the food bowls start moving, Tippy runs (yes, runs) to where she knows her food bowl is going!  She has a healthy appetite, loves treats and takes them very gently.

Tippy is a perfect sized lap dog and loves to sit on her foster mom’s lap.  One can tell by the look in her eyes that she is so happy!  She’ll snuggle up close to be hugged and loves having her chin scratched, neck, ears, head and everything!  When her mom stops scratching, Tippy will turn to her, and, by her eyes, her foster mom can tell that she is saying, “Oh please don’t stop!”

When it comes to the time of night that bedtime is drawing near, if her foster mom isn’t quite ready for bed but Tippy is ready, she will take herself to where she sleeps and snuggle in for the night.

Tippy’s only vice seems to be a piece of paper!  Paper is a guarded treasure to her, and she does not want to give it up. So when Tippy finds a piece of paper, her foster mom will redirect Tippy by pretending to have something in her hand.  Being the curious girl she is, Tippy must check it out!  At this point, her mom can step on the paper until Tippy is away from it so the paper can be picked up. When Tippy realizes her foster mom does not have anything in her hand, she will go back to get her paper only to find it gone!  Even though her foster mom checks everywhere for paper, Tippy just has the knack of finding it!

Tippy came into MAESSR’s care with her sister Taffy.  Tippy and Taffy do enjoy being with each other and will follow each other around, but their foster mom has noticed each has her own independent state and would most likely do fine without the other.

Tippy would make a wonderful addition to a family who is active to a point, takes leisurely walks, plays ball and wants to snuggle up to a very special dog.  She likes to meet and greet people and has done very well with all adults she has met.  Her thoughts on children remain unknown, as she hasn’t met any since in foster care.

This pint sized “honorary” Springer has a lot of love and life to share.  A sweet girl Tippy is, and she would make her forever family very happy with the love she has to give.  All she asks for is for a home that is filled with love for her…and maybe a rock or two!
              

Original:  “She roams about in the back yard sniffing what there is to sniff and deciding which rock to roll on (or steal); then she likes to snuggle in a soft doggy bed near her foster mom.”  

Tippy came into MAESSR’s care along with her sister Taffy when their Pennsylvania owner was moving and relinquished them to a shelter.  Taffy and Tippy are a bonded pair; where one is, the other is close behind!

Tippy is a very friendly cocker who just loves attention and is happy to hang out with her person.  She will follow her foster mom everywhere; when her foster mom goes into a room with a door closed, she’ll find Tippy standing at the other side when she comes out!

Miss T is crate trained but, when her foster mom is not at home, she stays with her sister in the bedroom with a gate across the door.  She is housetrained and signals by crying or going to the door to go out.  She quickly mastered the doggie door and is able to let herself in and out.  Tippy goes down the three deck stairs very easily and can come up them just as easily.

At mealtime Tippy dines in the living room with her sister and one of the resident dogs and does not resource guard her food.  If she misses her pill in the bowl, she will take it very gently by hand.  She does like treats and takes them in the same gentle way.  At bedtime Taffy and her sister both sleep in a puppy pen. 

Usually the good girl, Tippy does not counter-surf, trash dive, go on the furniture or chew on anything she should not…unless it’s a piece of paper that she thinks is hers and will not give up!   While her sister Taffy is very passive and low-keyed, Tippy is more energetic and boastful if she has something to say!   She loves her little blue squeaky ball which, if lost, must be found as quickly as possible; she will indeed search for it.  This love likes to chase the ball and bring it back to her foster mom.  Her mom waits until either Tippy drops the ball or puts it in her hands to be tossed again.  And, she is a “rock ‘n roll” girl at heart!  Find a rock, let’s roll on it!  And sometimes those favorite rocks need to be brought inside the house!

The new girl in the home gets along well with the resident dogs and cats.  She knows they are there and that’s about it!  She doesn’t usually interact with any of her housemates, except for a sniff or two every now and then.  But, if she has her little blue ball or an adopted rock, and the resident cocker comes near, she will voice her dislike!

Tippy does not seem to know any commands as she cannot hear, but she does know the hand sign for “come.”  She keeps herself busy during the day with her ball and/or rock and with a nicely paced walk.  She roams about in the back yard, sniffing what there is to sniff and deciding which rock to roll on (or steal); then she likes to snuggle in a soft doggy bed near her foster mom.  When her foster mom gets up to go into another room, Tippy is close behind unless she’s in a deep sleep.  

Tippy was good during her bath when she came home from the shelter and did not mind having her ears cleaned.  Her full spa day is coming soon.  She did well during her vet visit where she had no problem with having her ears prodded and her body checked.  However, she did not like having her temperature taken and let that be known!!  But, with a tight hug from the vet, the temperature was learned and recorded!  She was a good girl and perfect passenger on her way to the vet’s office but did need assistance getting in and out of the car.  Car rides are a fun adventure for Tippy.

This tiny miss simply goes with the flow and just wants to be lavished with lots of attention!  She loves chin scratches and will put her head right in her foster mom’s hands for them.  She will also crawl into a lap if her foster mom is on the floor. Tippy greets everyone she meets with a tail wag and a nudge for a pat on the head!  Her itty bitty tail constantly goes when her foster mom comes home from work to show how happy she is to see her!

Tippy would do well in a home that is quiet; having her people close a lot of the time and minimal stairs would be great. And, she would be very happy if her sister Taffy could come along too!  Stay tuned for further updates on the adventures of this very sweet senior girl!