Foster Dog Name: Rachael
Physical Appearance
Approximate Age: 3 years
Sex: Female
Breed Type: English Setter
Color: Black & White
Size: Medium
Weight: 42 lbs.
Personality
High/Low Maintenance: Medium.
Temperament: Very friendly.
Energy Level: Pretty high.
Lap/Velcro Dog or Independent/ Loner: She loves to be close and will follow you from room to room to be with you. She’s still learning how to cuddle.
Riding in Car: She does well, just curls up on the back seat.
Playful with toys? She LOVES stuffies that squeak.
Birdiness: She’s very birdy.
Interactions
Adults (Men-Women) in home: She loves both equally.
Little Kids: She’s friendly, but can steal toys from toddlers, so a home with kids older than 8 would be best for her.
Meeting Visitors/Strangers: She’s friendly, but a bit cautious when people visit by the fence.
Other Dogs: She gets along fine---can protect her rawhide when chewing it.
Playfulness with other dogs: Not interested in playing with them.
Behavior around Cats: Unknown.
Barking: She barks when hearing unfamiliar noises, but is otherwise a quiet girl.
Behavior Inside House: She’s pretty quiet inside. Loves to play with stuffies and chews on rawhides and otherwise likes to be a couch potato.
Behavior Outside in the Yard: Spurts of activity where she chases birds, then she’ll be happy to lie down on the patio for some R & R.
Behavior Away from Home (pet store, dog parks, etc): Does very well, isn’t extremely outgoing when meeting new people, but friendly and happy.
Training
Commands: Sit
Potential as Hunting Companion: She responds well to a pheasant wing, but would need to get used to gunshot sounds, as right now I think she’d start barking every time.
Agility: Unknown.
Housebreaking: Is housebroken, but may have accidents when left alone for more than 5 hours. The week when my husband was on vacation and I had to leave her the full work day, I crated her and she did wonderfully.
Crate Training: Is crate trained and will usually go in willingly. She’s currently used to be fed in her crate and goes in to wait for her food and sits pretty. Can be trusted in the house uncrated for about 5 hours (see housebreaking notes). Has never been destructive when we left her uncrated.
Leash Walking: She walks pretty nicely when on an easy-walk harness or English Slip Leash. On regular leash she pulls a bit too much. Rachael loves to go for walks. She does criss-cross a bit at times when seeing birds and may stop to go into a point.
Off-Leash/Recall: Her recall at home, inside and in the fenced backyard is wonderful. When you call her, she comes running every time. Now when she escapes the yard to go birding, that’s another story---she ignores you completely.
Health
Appetite: Great! She loves her food.
General Health: Rachael was treated for Lyme Disease. When hearing unfamiliar sounds, she will start barking, will spin and chase her tails for a few seconds. This has decreased since she’s been treated for the Lyme Disease with Doxycycline. For now she still does some spinning, but (judging from a couple of other foster dogs that did exhibited similar behavior) it may totally vanish within the next few months.
Ongoing Medication/Maintenance needed: None.
Foster Parent Evaluation of the dog
Special Qualities: We think that Rachael is a very smart girl. She’s learned the doggy door in 5 minutes and seems very observant as to what’s going on around her.
Type of Family/Home for best placement: Somebody that enjoys a happy little girl with a golden heart. This girl will blossom over a long time and learn what home life is all about. It’s rewarding to watch.
Special Requirements/Needs: None other than fence requirement.
Fence Requirements: After a month of seeming fine with our low chain link fencing, Rachael started climbing over the fence. She will need a secure high privacy fence, or invisible fencing. We are in the process of installing a cheap radio fence to keep her in the yard. She’s responded well to an Electronic collar already, that we have used in the meantime.
Additional Comments: Rachael may not be the most beautiful English Setter girl out there, but this girl has a lot of heart. She’s very affectionate and makes you smile the entire time she’s with you. She fits easily into family life and makes a wonderful companion.
