Foster Dog Name: Sammy Anne
Physical Appearance
Approximate Age: 7 years
Sex: Female
Breed Type: English Setter (field bred)
Color: White w/orange
Size: Small, but not the smallest I’ve ever seen
Weight: Now 40 lbs (came in at 31 or so)
Personality
High/Low Maintenance: Low maintenance
Temperament: Sweet, even-tempered
Energy Level: Low, but playful in yard. LOVES the couch and dog beds.
Lap/Velcro Dog or Independent/ Loner: Intermediate. Likes to lie NEXT to me on the couch, but then will get up and lay across the room on another couch or chair.
Riding in Car: Very good. But likes to stand with front feet on the console between the front seats. I don’t allow dogs in front, so that’s as close to the front as she can get. I discourage the console trick.
Playful with toys? Likes soft toys to carry around, and only rarely tears them apart. Likes Nylabones for chewing.
Birdiness: Very. Also catches tweedy birds. They die, but she is still very gentle with them.
Interactions
Adults (Males-Females) in home: Great with me – female (only human in house). Loves all who come visit.
Little Kids: ADORES them.
Meeting Visitors/Strangers: Sometimes barks, but really loves visitors and strangers. Then will go lay down – sometimes next to them on the couch.
Other Dogs: Gets along with all.
Playfulness with other dogs: Playful outside, but is calm inside.
Behavior around Cats: Leaves them completely alone inside. Perhaps too interested in them outside.
Barking: Barks when playing, or when other dogs go by the house.
Behavior Inside House: Very mellow. Follows me from room to room, but loves to sleep. Alert to what’s going on outside the house. She has favorite places to sleep, and they are all soft!
Behavior Outside in the Yard: Birdy, watches for squirrels, playful. When tired, she will lay down in grass.
Behavior Away from Home (pet store, dog parks, etc): At dog parks, she runs and runs, but checks in periodically. At dog park, she cannot be prevented from going into deep mud puddles (like small ponds), lying down, and putting her whole head under to drink. This results in a bath after the park. Since all of mine do this, they all get baths after the dog park, if the puddles are still there. She likes to follow Caleigh at the dog park, but does not have to.
Sammy is afraid of thunderstorms, and doesn’t like rain. She is doing better in storms with an anxiety t-shirt (t-touch). Although she is NOT terrified, she does like to be touching me (couch or bed) when the storms come.
Training
Commands: Sit – new command for her and she is still learning it. Come – reasonably good, but not perfect. Right Here – means walk at my side. She usually chooses the right side. I use this for crossing streets and for oncoming pedestrians/runners. WALK – I use this for Caleigh, and it means DON’T PULL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES OR YOU’RE IN BIG TROUBLE, and Sammy has decided that she knows what it means, too. I have introduced Down (as in lay down), but she hasn’t really figured it out. Wipe Paws – used when I need to wipe muddy paws as they enter the kitchen from the back yard. Sammy listens to what I say, and understands most of it.
Tricks: Stands up at chain link fence and poops standing up. She does not always poop this way, but it’s really funny when she does. She does this on her own. No commands will get her to do it.
Potential as Hunting Companion: Excellent. She was part of a hunting kennel in
Agility: I have not seen any inclinations this way.
Therapy: I think that Sammy would make a great therapy dog. She might also do really well in a school program. We have one here where the kids read to a dog that comes in for that purpose. I bet that she would like that. I might volunteer her for that. It doesn’t take any special training (for me).
Housebreaking: Mostly fine, but has trouble holding it for a very long time. She does better if she gets a break in the middle of the day. Rarely, she will need to get up in the middle of the night.
Crate Training: She will crate, but prefers not to be crated. I give her a treat when she goes into the crate. She sleeps in my bedroom on a dog bed, though.
Leash Walking: Mostly great. If she gets excited, she can pull a little. Does not need a gentle leader, but will tolerate one if you put one on her.
Off-Leash/Recall: Reasonable good, but not perfect. Usually comes.
Health
Appetite: Good.
General Health: Good.
Ongoing Medication/Maintenance needed: Currently on Solid Gold’s Berry Balance supplement for urinary tract health, as she’s had a urinary tract infection a while back. Sammy’s teeth are now in pretty good condition, but they were not when she came into rescue. With raw bones and raw sweet potato, her teeth have gotten a lot cleaner. Tooth-brushing helps to keep them that way. We brush her teeth every night. She doesn’t like it much, but we keep doing it every night.
Foster Parent Evaluation of the dog
Special Qualities: Oh, so sweet. This little girl quietly wins hearts.
Type of Family/Home for best placement: She would love a home with a mom and a dad, although just one would be fine, too. She ADORES children of all ages, so if there are no children living in the home, she should have a chance to visit with some children, or have children come visit her.
Special Requirements/Needs: Sammy should be crated during the day when the family is gone for extended periods of time.
Fence Requirements: Virtually any will do. She does not challenge my 3 ½ foot chain link fence.
Additional Comments: This little girl will make any home happy. She is sweet and loving, although not terribly demonstrative. It takes her a little while to warm up to a new home, but she adjusts well. Love is something she is getting used to, but it seems like it might be a little foreign to her. This does not mean that she doesn’t want your love and attention, though. Give her a chance, and she will tell you how much you matter to her in her own quiet way.
