Toby 13

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Update 10/08/12:

Toby has really advanced in his social skills with the other dogs in his foster home and gets along with them well. He now plays with all of them and he even chases a ball! Outside, he bounds around the yard like a deer. This funny guy loves water and will bite at the water as it comes out of the spout when his foster parents are watering plants!

Vocalizing his desires is something Toby takes to heart. Because he was unhappy being left in his crate for the night, he barked non-stop. He now sleeps peacefully in the master bedroom until about 6:00 AM, when he barks to let his foster parents know that he need to go out. What a terrific alarm clock for early risers! When his parents are gone for any period of time, Toby is crated.

Toby continues to work on proper Springer behavior. He knows the command, “sit” and will, at times, offer his paw. Proper leash behavior is a work in progress because he pulls when walking. Going for rides in the car is an activity that Toby enjoys. Although he eats voraciously, Toby is a good house guest who tidies up the mess around his food bowl. 

This sweet boy loves his humans and loves to rest his head in a lap. He is still a bit mouthy and likes to put his mouth on a hand, but he never bites it. Toby demonstrates his love of life by being very exuberant. For this reason, he could accidently knock down small children so it would be best if any children in his new family were teenagers.

His foster mom describes Toby as a great dog that is very smart. He will do well with a loving family that will spend time with him and continue his training. With his intelligence and eagerness to please, he would be a willing pupil.

Update 08/04/12:

After several weeks of living with the canine pack in his foster home, Toby has really started to come to life. He’s discovered the joys of having friends, and now runs and plays with the other dogs; he has even started to notice the toys. 

During his vet visit a skin infection and ear infections were diagnosed. Currently he is on a major course of antibiotics to get those cleared up. Of course, ear infections mean ear cleaning and eardrops……which are not on Toby’s list of fun things to do. His foster mom is determined to win that battle!

Behaviorally, Toby’s foster family is working on modifying a few issues. For example, Toby likes to bark…… and he does it loudly and frequently. If his humans don’t move fast enough, he “talks” to them. Just like a two year-old human, it looks like Toby needs to learn to be more patient and to use his “inside voice!”

Toby is a loveable young pup who is learning so much in foster care. He would thrive in a family that would keep him active and provide him with a loving, guiding hand.

Original:

Toby came to MAESSER from a shelter in Virginia, relinquished by his owner for unknown reasons. A young boy, Toby is estimated by the vet to be between one and two years old. During his check up, he was given a clean bill of health; neutering is still pending.

Toby is a very loving pup who thinks he’s in heaven when his people scratch and rub him. He has not met any children yet, but his foster mom hopes to provide him with that experience soon. With four adults in his foster home, he’s very excited by the human attention he’s receiving. Recently, Toby has started to jump up on people and act a bit “mouthy,” so his foster family is working on shaping proper Springer behavior. He’s an energetic dog and, at 48 pounds, can knock a person over. He would do best with older children for this reason. It appears that Toby may not have been socialized with other canines, but he is now living with five dogs and is starting to learn to play. He has not met any cats, but doesn’t chase the birds and squirrels that visit the yard. 

Toby is housetrained and has learned to use his foster family’s doggie door. If he finds it closed, he will bark and dance to indicate his need to go out. Good boy! He loves to ride in the car and walks nicely on a leash. The command “sit” is understood, but sometimes his wiggly butt gets in the way of total compliance. Toby doesn’t counter-surf nor does he get up on the furniture. He is crate-trained and sleeps in it at night. He also is crated when his foster family is out of the house. Although he protests when they are leaving, he does settle down. 

A visit to a groomer hasn’t occurred yet, but his foster mom has discovered that Toby doesn’t like her to play with his back paws. She is working on making him less sensitive about that. When she attempted to trim mats from his ears, Toby pulled a lot to avoid the detangling process. At the vet he was good when getting his injections until they tried to give him one in his back leg. Toby yipped and pulled away and was immediately comforted by the tech…….which he ate up! When the vet examined him, he was wiggly, but his foster mom found out later that he just really, really needed to go out! 

Since Toby is still a youngster and very smart, his foster mom believes that he would do well with some basic training. This also would provide an excellent bonding experience for Toby and his adopting family. An ideal forever home for this sweet, energetic pup would be one with older children and family members willing to give him the playtime, guidance, and love he craves. Does this sound like your home? If so, you and Toby could be a perfect match!