Penny 11

Penny continues to enjoy life at her foster home. She sounds the alarm bell (barking) when her humans are getting the food bowls ready and gets so excited, running to her crate. She also shows her excitement when it is time for her and the resident dog to receive their chew bones each evening, by running to her crate. At treat time, she is patient waiting her turn. Penny’s humans have been practicing with her to sit before receiving the treat. They have been using hand signals because of her compromised hearing and eyesight. She has learned a hand signal for down when in a sitting position; they clap, use an arm motion, or make a sound to have her come. 

The amount of time Penny spends outside has increased, except at night. She doesn't run back to the door to be let in after doing her business now, choosing to wander a little bit around the yard. She will follow the humans around the yard when they are out doing yard work or picking up waste.

Penny continues to be a low energy dog. Lately, she hasn't shown the need to be around her humans all the time. She finds a dog bed, a crate, or the floor to nap on, and she enjoys napping by the door in the sun. Penny continues to sleep on her dog bed in her foster parents' bedroom at night. If the resident Goldendoodle beats her to the dog bed, Penny is content with sleeping on the floor. Although one time, she did try to settle in on the dog bed with the Goldendoodle; when she discovered there wasn't much room for her, she settled for sleeping on the floor next to her canine pal. Although Penny sees the resident dog jumping on the furniture, she hasn't shown any interest in lounging there.

Penny has her eyes cleaned and medicated ointment placed in her eyes twice a day. Her foster parents clean them as needed throughout the day and add eye drops for dryness. This is a good time for belly rubs, too.  

Continuing to accept belly rubs or all over petting, Penny enjoys meeting people and is not aggressive to them at all.  Are you ready to meet this precious girl?

It is so rewarding when foster parents experience “firsts” with a foster dog. Penny had her first “zoomies” in the house. Her gentle personality continues to grow.

Penny gets excited when it’s time to eat. She runs to her crate. She is also vocal if you take too long (so she thinks) bringing her food, and woofs and roos. She and the resident dogs race each other to their crates when it’s treat time, too. Her run is more like a bunny hop and fun to watch. Trotting is her speed, although once or twice, she has run.

Penny’s skin condition has improved greatly. The hair on her back, tail and ears has grown in nicely. Her hair is very soft. She still has times when she is itchy, and Benadryl is given to relieve the itchiness. Penny will be on prescription eye drops for the rest of her life due to her dry eyes and entropion. The entropion has improved. Drops are given in each eye twice a day after eyes are flushed with saline eye wash. She doesn’t mind this routine. Throughout the day, when needed, she is given regular eye drops to help with the dry eyes.

Penny’s teeth have been looked at by the vet. No dental cleaning or extractions have been done. Her front upper and lower teeth are almost to the gum and two canines are broken and a bit sharp. This does not hamper her eating or chewing on her dog treats. 

When needing to go outside, Penny continues to signal. She will abruptly get up and prance from room to room or go to the door. She is wanting to stay outside more when her humans are out in the yard.  Although she hasn’t yet gone on walks, she does great on leash when taken to the vet. She also does very well during car rides tethered.

Penny has done well with everyone that she has met.  Although she has not been around younger children, her foster mom and dad feel she will do well if the children are dog-savvy.

This sweet girl continues to be a low energy dog, welcoming any petting or belly rubs. She occasionally takes one of the dog toys and chews on it without being destructive.

At night Penny sleeps on her dog bed in her foster parents’ bedroom. During the day she seeks out a dog bed to sleep. She is crated when humans are away from the house, as are the resident dogs. On occasion, when she is sound asleep, she is left out of her crate if her people are away for a short period of time.

Penny has shown signs of wanting to play with the resident dogs. She would like a home with other dogs or, if an only dog, would like to have a human companion to keep her company. She is ready to melt your heart and be your sweet dog. Are you ready to bring this girl home and give her the love she deserves?

Penny 11 did very well during her spay surgery and she is recovering nicely.  The infections in her eyes and ears have cleared up after being treated with medication.  Penny has been diagnosed with dry eyes so she will need to have drops placed in her eyes several times a day for the rest of her life.  Foster mom has been flushing her eyes out with eye wash and wiping the dry crusties from around her eyelids.  The drops are artificial tears that humans use, and are purchased over the counter.  Little pieces of treats occupy Penny as she sits while her foster mom makes her eyes feel better.  Her eyesight and hearing are still compromised but that doesn't deter her from navigating in the house.  Speaking in a louder voice or clapping gets her attention right away.  

Penny's itchiness has subsided greatly; however, she does still have little bouts of being itchy in spots.  Topical spray and/or Benadryl is given, and depending if she really seems uncomfortable, she gets a bath with an itch relief shampoo.  Penny doesn't mind bath time.  Her coat texture has improved and is soft.  Although her tail is missing a bit of hair, she is a beautiful girl.

It has been easier for her foster parents to know when she needs to go out to relieve herself.  If not in the same room as the humans. she will bark to get attention and, if in the same room, she will abruptly get up and start pacing and panting.  She does know what door is used to go out.  While outside, she does her business and is ready to go back in. 

In order to get her some exercise, her people first get her attention so she will follow them around the yard.  At night time, she hesitates to stay out and that is only because she can't see that well in the darkness.  Her humans stay close to her then.

Penny is now sleeping in her foster parents' bedroom at night on a dog bed versus in a closed crate.  She sleeps quietly through the night.  Penny, like the resident dogs, is only crated when humans are away. She does protest but quickly settles down.  While car rides have been limited, she does ride well.  She only needs to be tethered; a crate is not necessary.  She enjoys chomping on her chewy bones at snack time.

Penny is a very low energy Springer.  She is a typical Velcro girl when she is awake.  She will seek out her humans and, satisfied that she found them, will then go find a dog bed and take her naps.  Belly rubs and just general petting are always welcomed by her.  Raising her paw  is a sure way to get more!   When visitors come to her home, Penny always enjoys meeting them and they are impressed with her sweet and gentle personality.  

Penny became a MAESSR girl when her Virginia kennel owner passed away.  On the two-hour ride to her foster home, Penny slept the last hour and 15 minutes.  When foster mom opened the tailgate, she had to wake Penny up.  Poor thing--she was exhausted.

Penny did have eye and ear infections and skin issues from an unknown cause (she was so itchy and smelly), so on her first day in her foster home, Penny’s foster parents trimmed the stained hair from her paws and body and gave her an extended bath with flea shampoo used for possible fleas and a prescription medicated shampoo used to help a little with her skin issues.   Afterward it was time to meet the resident dogs and cats.  Meet and greet went well with the dogs, but the cats kept their distance.  Since Penny had so many medical issues, she was kept crated except for walks outside to relieve herself.  When crated, Penny would growl at the dogs and cats as they went by.  Of course, she couldn’t see very well, and her surroundings were new. Penny ate and then slept well overnight.  What a busy day it was.

Foster mom was lucky to get a vet appointment.  Although she did have some health concerns, everyone at the office loved this charmer.  Penny has a great temperament—she is very calm and not very active.  She did very well during the exam, cleaning of her eyes and ears, blood draw and much needed nail trim.  Penny has not received her vaccines as she had medical issues to address, and the vet advised not to give them at her first visit She is scheduled for a recheck at the vet office.  Penny has a fatty mass on her hind that doesn’t need to be removed, per doctor, and foster parents will follow up with the doctor regarding dental.  Also, Penny will be scheduled for her spay surgery after her vet recheck and administration of vaccines. 

A typical Velcro Springer, Penny has been at her foster home for about two and a half weeks now.  The first week she became accustomed to the routine of going outside to do her business as the resident dogs are taken out frequently.  When she goes out to relieve herself, she tends to do her business and then come back to the door to go back in. This is typical behavior when a dog is not familiar with her surroundings, and foster parents have been coaxing her to stay out and get a bit of exercise.  She doesn’t mind.  Although the first week she had two pee accidents in the house, she hasn’t had any since.  The accidents happened when her family was learning to gauge her signs that she needed to go out. Penny’s signal to go out is that she will abruptly get up and trot from one room to another, seek out a human, or go to the door to take her out.  The first couple of days she was fed and given water in her crate.  She was shown where the water bowls are for all the dogs, and she learned to go there for her water. YAY! Penny.   For now, she is still fed in her crate as  one resident dog doesn’t feel his parents feed him enough and might help himself to her food.  Her mom feels that she would eat outside the crate, too. She knows what treats are now and lines up along with the resident dogs!  She is too cute for words. 

During the first week, foster mom and dad also trimmed Penny up to make her look pretty. She did quite well while being groomed by them. Penny did not fuss too much while foster mom cleaned her eyes and applied drops to them. With the recommended number of baths, topical treatments, Benadryl, etc., Penny’s skin problems have gotten better, but are still an issue.  Her eyes have shown signs of improvement, as well.  

Penny doesn’t mind the resident dogs or cats. She does not seek out the cats but will touch noses to greet them. As with the resident dogs, they have their own crates to use. The new girl is free to roam the house but is quite comfortable being in her crate.  For the time being, she is crated at night with door closed.  She does not make a fuss at all and sleeps through the night.

Penny enjoys belly and body rubs and loves the attention, raising her paw to ask for petting.  She is a quiet, low-key dog. When Penny is in a deep sleep, the tip of her tongue slips out of her mouth—too cute!  Although her vision and hearing are compromised, she does hear loud hand claps and the noise people make to call or get her attention.  She can see, but not clearly.  When outside and foster mom and/or dad are near she will look up to see where they are.  Making a noise or getting her attention gets her focused on them.  The same works inside if they are not in the same room as she.

Penny has not shown interest on getting on furniture except for her human’s bed.  She cannot get up there on her own and her fosters have discouraged her.  This love has some weakness in her hind end, and they don’t want her to be hurt if she got up and then jumped off.

SURPRISE--she chose one of the dog toys and took back to her crate and is using it to chew on--no destructive chewing on her part.  Foster mom bought Penny her own toy, and it is in the crate with her.

 Miss P.  has not been taken on any walks yet.  Foster parents feel she will not have any problem being leashed and taken for walks. 

Stay tuned for updates on this sweet soul who will be somebody’s lucky Penny.