Entered: 05/13/2010
Status: Adopted
Age: 3
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Aston, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, overall good health
Temperament: Good with people ten and older, good with other dogs, previously lived with a cat, ignoring it
Original:
Tugger was originally bought by his New Jersey owner for her elderly father; however, a Springer puppy turned out to be too much for him, so she took him. Tugger was fine with the owner’s teenagers, a 15-year-old autistic girl and a 16-year-old boy. Tugger reportedly will try to herd toddlers and the owner was concerned about her 3 year old granddaughter. For this reason, he was relinquished to MAESSR.
In his foster home, Tugger likes his new humans and has no problems with the resident Springer and the resident male terrier. Though really people-oriented, Tug fell into comfortable habits with the resident dogs almost instantly. Despite just being neutered, he has had no aggression issues with the terrier and the threesome go out on leash walks together. Tugger’s leash manners are a work in progress. He doesn’t pull so much as want to sniff every new scent along the walk. He had not been walked on a leash in his original home and did not even wear a collar there as he was reported to be trustworthy off leash. He has not had any formal obedience training but knows the commands sit, come, and shake.
Tugger’s house manners are generally good. Other than a first-day marking incident for which he received a stern no, Tug has been completely housetrained. He is working on his crate training but currently he has full freedom in the house with no problems. At night he will occasionally sneak up on the sofa to sleep. At meal time he shows no food aggression, eating out of a tandem bowl with the other Springer. He doesn’t counter-surf or disturb the trash, but he will occasionally beg at the table until told to go away. When people knock at the door, Tugger doesbark, but other than that he is a quiet boy. He rides well in the car, though takes a few minutes to settle down since he hadn’t had much experience traveling except to the vet.
Without being obsessive, Tug loves to fetch balls and reportedly loves the water and swimming. When it’s hot outside, he reportedly will dig in the yard. Out on neighborhood walks, Tug (named after Tug McGraw) greets new people quietly. In the vet’s office, he was not aggressive at all to strange dogs; he just stood by and looked.
Tugger is a happy dog waiting to do whatever needs to get done around his foster home. According to his foster dad, Tug is just a straight-forward good guy with a positive “what’s next?” attitude. He’ll make someone a fine buddy!