Vail

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Update 06/22/10:

Yes! When finally cleared by the cardiologist, Vail went for her dental and 7 teeth, yes, 7 were pulled. She did very well and is almost 100% back to normal.

Vail continues to get along great with her Springer sister who has become her “ears.” She will benefit from having a canine companion in her forever home and is expected to have a full and happy life with her heart problem well managed through medication. Vail is one lucky girl as will be the family who welcomes her into their home and hearts!

Update 05/25/10:

Brief news this time but too good to delay sharing! With a few months on her heart meds, it came time to see how Vail was doing. She did well on her follow-up with the veterinary cardiologist, so good, indeed, that she was approved to have her dental work done in a few weeks. Although she will need to stay on her heart meds for life, the vet feels that with the meds she will have a long and healthy life. It doesn’t get better than this!

Update 04/09/10:

Surely like many Springers and their foster families, Vail is very happy to see spring arrive. No more walks in the cold! Vail is doing well in her foster home, especially inside. Her foster mom says she’s an angel. She is still taking her heart pills and will go back to the vet for a recheck in a month. Fingers crossed that the meds are doing their part!

Because Vail doesn’t hear well, her foster mom taught her to sit with a hand command, and, when she puts her foot in front of Vail, Vail will wait for her to go out the door first. Vail gets a little excited when they go outside. Her foster mom says Vail is different when she goes outside. She says she has “flight drive.” That is, Vail just wants to run and chase everything she sees! Being very careful not to let Vail off leash unless in a fenced area is important. She does dig a little but is easily distracted when there is something else to do. On the other hand, her foster mom digs in her garden so Vail may just not see why she can’t!

Vail has learned from her Springer sister that if you look cute and make the “Woo, Woo, Woo” sound, you easily get what you want. She loves the food her family is feeding but, sometimes on walks, will still pick up stuff that her mom tells her to drop. Maybe somewhere in her past, Vail had to find food on the street.

This beauty is so beautiful in part because she is really good when her foster mom grooms her. Vail loves the extra one-on-one attention that this brings her way. She really likes having a home and continues to learn how to be a good dog. Her foster mom calls it “deprogramming” the stray out of her.

Vail is a great girl and will be a wonderful companion in her adopting family. Be sure to follow her steady progress if she could be a fit in your home!

Update 02/25/10:

Just wanted everyone to know how Vail is doing– that would be very well! Her stitches from the spay surgery are out and she is all healed. The heart rate drop during that surgery needed further investigation, so Vail had an EKG. The test showed a heart valve problem and medication was started. She will see the vet in a few weeks for a recheck on her heart and to find out whether it is safe for her to have her teeth cleaned. In the meantime, she takes her meds every 12 hours like a good girl. It must taste great as she takes it with no hesitation!

Not one to let a little valve leak slow her down, Vail is physically strong and will pull on her leash when out for a walk. Her family is working with her on this, though it has been difficult to get quality walking time in with all the snow this winter. She is starting to show more personality too. There’s lots of tail wagging when her family comes home and barking for treats. Her foster mom thinks Vail was on the streets for so long that she forgot how good hugs can be! She asks for them now when she sees her foster dad come in the door. Vail is going well– very well indeed!!

Update 01/31/10:

Miss Vail is a work in progress, as are most foster dogs. It was determined that she did need to be spayed so that was done. While under, the vet removed some fatty lumps on her tummy and she is still recovering. She was supposed to have her teeth cleaned at the same time. However, due to some heart problems while she was under anesthesia, the vet chose not to do her teeth. A dental can be done at another time but, for now, the vet wants to check her heart again in a week. One other thing her family is evaluating; they are still trying to figure out just how deaf Vail may be; they know she can’t hear most of the time and want to determine how best to help her with this.

Through all Vail is still very well mannered in her home and with the 2 resident ESS’s. She is still pulling when out on a leash but she is better than when she first arrived. With time to adjust and settle, Vail is becoming a Velcro Springer. She kept to herself when she first arrived, but now when something is going on in the home, she wants to be involved. What nice progress to see!

More on Vail to come!

Original:

On Christmas Eve day in true Santa style, MAESSR transport volunteers braved a major snowstorm and holiday traffic from West Virginia to New Jersey to deliver a sweet but stinky present to a MAESSR foster home. To acknowledge the wintery snowscape, the present was named Vail. She arrived covered in mats, dread locks, mud, and stench. However, underneath that exterior “veil” –pun intended– was a loving dog, happy to be among friends.

After meeting the resident Springers at her new foster home and about eight hours of spa treatments which included several hair cuts and a bath, Vail started to fit right into the household routines. It is assumes that she is housetrained as she has only had one accident in the home since she arrived. Vail has nice house manners; she does not counter-surf or beg and has respect for the furniture, favoring instead a nice quilt on the floor. Vail follows her foster parents around the house, but has not yet tried the stairs. She has a heavy walk, for only being a skinny 36 lbs.

Vail and the resident dogs eat together and Vail shows no signs of food aggression. Being a stray has been hard on her and has left her with very little in the way of teeth. Although some of her remaining teeth are very ground down, she is still able to eat. She gets along great with the two resident Springers, but she did have one spat with another foster dog, but that dog’s anxiety level seemed to spark the event.

During daily pack walks, Vail has shown a real love of the outdoors. She waits at the door eagerly for her walks. In her excitement, she does pull on the leash but her foster parents are working on this and teaching her some simple commands. During her transport, Vail proved to be a very good passenger as she was transferred from car to car along the way. Another thing that is readily apparent about her is that Vail really likes to chase squirrels! She will pop to attention when she sees one and will take off after it. She has a warmer greeting for her people; when her foster dad walks in the house, she welcomes him with a cute little howl! This sweet little girl is making good progress in adjusting to being an inside dog and to confined in a fenced yard when outside.

Vail’s is a continuing story but one that is sure to have a happy ending in the perfect forever home!