Entered: 05/28/2015
Status: Adopted
Age: 8
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 60 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Goochland, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, receiving treatment for low thyroid, benefiting from medication for anxiety, treatment for Lyme disease and intestinal worms complete, treatment for ear infection complete
Temperament: Good with adults and older teens and should be placed in a home without young children, good with submissive dogs, good with cats
Update 02/27/2018: “He is happiest when he can be close to his people….if there are feet or a lap to lie on, it is even better.”
Vern was returned to MAESSR after an incident with a young grandchild. Vern was sitting at his human dad’s feet and the toddler was going across the room to her grandmother. Vern growled and snapped at her. Fortunately no one was hurt. The decision was made that Vern would have to return to MAESSR because they could not take a chance with their young grandchild.
Vern was quickly moved to another foster home. He was always grumpy with the other dogs and seemed to just not feel well. His thyroid levels were checked and the results were not surprising: Vern’s thyroid levels were low. He has been started on a thyroid supplement and is currently in the process of determining the correct dosage for him. The difference in Vern’s demeanor is much improved. He is not as grouchy with the other dogs, he has more energy, and he likes to go outside and play more. Vern will have to stay on this inexpensive medication for the rest of his life. Since Vern has had some skin issues in the past, it is hoped that getting his thyroid regulated will keep his skin and ears free from infections.
It was also noted that Vern had some anxiety in new situations and when there was a lot going on around him. He has been started on an inexpensive anxiety medication and this has helped Vern to feel much more secure. Vern’s forever family will be required to keep him on the anxiety medication for a minimum of six months after adoption.
Vern is a very sweet boy that loves attention. He is happiest when he can be close to his people….if there are feet or a lap to lie on, it is even better. His foster mom feels that Vern should not be placed with young children. They make him anxious. This boy has excellent house manners and will definitely liven up any household he joins.
Original: “Vern obviously likes being in a home again. He is affectionate towards his people and loves getting lots of attention.”Vern came to MAESSR from a shelter in Ohio where he had been taken after being found as a stray.
When he arrived at his foster home, this poor boy was covered with fleas and had extremely itchy skin from all of the flea bites. His foster mom spent a lot of time bathing him and trying to relieve his itchiness. Now, Vern has almost fully recovered from his skin issues caused by the fleas. At his vet appointment, he tested positive for Lyme disease and for intestinal worms, so he is being treated for both. His ears were infected and he has completed treatment now; his ears will need to be watched.
Vern is a sweet boy who likes meeting people on his walks. He walks fairly well on a leash except if something gets his attention; then, he will pull. Taking obedience lessons that would stress positive reinforcement would be beneficial for both Vern and his new owners. Possibly having received some heavy handed training in his past, Vern lets one know when his limits are pushed and he will grumble and curl his lips if he is corrected hard. His foster mom thinks Vern would be best in a forever home with adults only since there’s just a level of intolerance she sees in Vern that wouldn’t do well with children hanging on his neck, for example.
Used to having his own space, Vern was surprised at the togetherness the resident dogs and cats show. So, he will grumble at them if they are crowding him. The resident female Springers are really laid back and are used to sleeping piled on top of each other. When they did that to Vern, he grumbled at them to get off. The senior female foster dog in the household, however, pushed his buttons and he let her know he wasn’t a push over. He rolled her over and got in her face. He won’t go look for a fight, but won’t back down from one either. His foster mom could see him having issues with another dominant dog in the house.
The resident cats can be affectionate to the point of being annoying, wanting to rub against the dogs and get into their faces. Vern had to tell them to go away, too. He has never tried to hurt the cats, though, and he ignores them mostly.
His foster mom is giving Vern a refresher course in house manners after his time loose on his own as a stray and having to forage for food. If given a chance, he will counter-surf and get into trash cans and litter boxes. Vern thinks it is nice that the resident cats leave him presents in the litter box and he cannot understand why his foster mom gets upset when he samples some. Hopefully, these behaviors will dissipate once he internalizes that food will be readily provided to him and he doesn’t have to scrounge for it. He bolts his food so a slow-feed bowl would help him slow down. Vern is still a bit underweight.
Housetrained, Vern will let his people know when he needs to go out. His is also crate trained, staying in his crate when his foster family is out and when it is bedtime. He is a bedding shredder and will shred anything covering or next to his crate. So, a plain crate without a pad or dog bed is best for him. Vern is pretty good riding in the car, crated.
Vern obviously likes being in a home again. He is affectionate towards his people and loves getting lots of attention. He likes to explore in his yard and he quickly learned that Springers aren’t supposed to eat toads. Unfortunately for the toad, it was a lesson learned at his expense before Vern spit him out. Vern must have had that awful taste in his mouth for almost an hour, drooling and foaming and shaking his head!
Soon, Vern will be ready for a family to call his own. Will that be yours?