Posted 3 days ago
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Socialization: Spithas is good with meeting new people, although he did jump up to greet them at first. He has been better about sitting/standing for meeting people, although occasionally still jumps up when excited. He is friendly and happy to meet new people and has a wagging tail. He even did well meeting my veterinarian and her staff, he didn’t have nervousness about meeting people in unfamiliar surroundings. He was friendly and good with everyone on his transport to me. He is friendly with kids, but still likes to cuddle to the point of sometime stepping on you which younger kids may not appreciate. He also likes to paw at you for attention, so can accidentally scratch you a little. So older kids would be more ideal in a home with him or a home willing to work on him on this further. Spithas is great with other dogs. He was temporarily in a kennel in Greece with plenty of other dogs and got along with everyone there. He does well and plays with my other setter mix (lots of running, jumping, wrestling, etc.). He seems to understand when my smaller dog wants to play or wants her space. He also loves playing with the neighbor’s puppy through the fence. He has been friendly to all dogs we have met on walks, always wagging his tail. Those that saw Spithas interact with cats in Greece, said he was good with them. I do not have a cat to see what he thinks about them. We saw two on our walk recently, and he didn’t seem very excited/interested about them. (So I don’t believe he saw them as prey to chase.)
Training: Spithas knows the “sit” command, but we are working on practicing that every day. He knows the word “walk” and will go sit by the front door to be leashed up. He is well behaved in the home and will honestly follow his owners around 90% of the time unless napping/chewing on a toy. We have had one inappropriate chewing incident involving a pillow, but he was easily redirected to a toy. I do crate him when he is home alone. He may bark for 2-3 minutes, but then seems to calm quickly and relax. I do scatter some treats in the crate to encourage him to walk in. When first released from the crate he should be taken outside to immediately potty. He did some counter surfing in the first two weeks here, but has finally been behaving and sitting calmly in the kitchen – even if there is food on the counter on a plate. He has realized I have a crate of toys in the living room that he can help himself to playing with. He has been doing well with the housebreaking. He only has had one accident in the house, but that was my fault. I let him out of the crate while putting away groceries when I should have taken him outside first. He potties either in the yard or on walks. He is an all-around good & happy boy. When walking him with just leash and collar, he was a very strong puller on walks. I have gotten him a no-pull harness and that has improved the pulling during walks. He no longer weaves for the entirety of the walk. He still will need further practice and training to walk in the heel position. He will still pull when he sees rabbits and squirrels on walks. He pulls and barks when he sees foxes on walks. Spithas is a very vocal dog when happy or excited. He will roo and dance before any meal time. He will also roo and jump around excitedly when I get home from work. On his first day here, when watching my little dog eat slowly, he whined a bit for 10-15 seconds. He should have a slow-feed bowl for meals.
Activity requirements: Spithas is a typical one year old setter, he has energy for days. Indoors he will cuddle or sit by you wanting pets or just to be nearby. He gets 3-4 walks a day to help burn off energy. (Morning, afternoon, and before bed.) On nice weekend mornings, we walk for about an hour in the morning and he happily walks along with some sniffing along the way. Leash walks can be sufficient for his daily exercise. He walks well on a leash when wearing his no-pull harness. He will pull strongly if he sees squirrels or rabbits on the walk and barked when seeing a fox. I am able to walk him along with my two other dogs. He seems to enjoy exploring the fenced backyard. He will chase tennis balls in the yard and likes to grab different toys and attempt to bury them in the yard. He can be destructive of soft/fluffy toys, so needs supervision when playing with them. He can rip them open fairly quickly.
Fence requirements: As long as you have a plan to exercise him, he will not need a fenced yard. I have a 4-foot split-rail fence with wire here that he has not challenged.
Personality: Spithas lived outdoors in a doghouse, chained outside in Greece. So I believe that is why he craves attention/affection so strongly. Spithas is a friendly dog who thrives on attention. He really loves attention, to the point he will push in front of other dogs to ensure he gets it. So other dogs in the home will need to be chill/understanding. He’s energetic, playful and happy. He enjoys toys, but needs supervised play for soft toys as he will eventually tear them open. He enjoys following me around the house. He loves to cuddle next to me when I sit on the couch. He seems willing to learn and take correction/redirection. He loves going for walks or being the yard (so long as you are with him in the yard). He is playing more and more with a variety of toys in the yard.
Health history: Spithas is neutered, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations and on monthly heartworm prevention. When he first arrived, he was very emaciated, so I’ve been giving him extra meals and large servings and he has been gaining weight each week. He probably is about 2-3 weeks away from being his ideal weight. He also is missing one toe nail from his right back paw, that doesn’t seem like it will grow back. The missing toe nail isn’t a major health concern, he seems unbothered by it. His next leishmaniasis test is due in September, 2026.
This dog originates from Greece where Leishmaniasis is endemic. They tested negative before coming to the USA, but the parasite can remain dormant in the system for many years, so potential adopters must be willing to commit to annual testing for the next 7 years. Typically, the test needs to be sent to a special lab, but any regular vet can draw the blood and send it to the lab. The cost of the test seems to vary widely by area, but is approximately $150-$250. or if your vet is willing to send the test to a veterinary college lab, cost can be as low as $80.
Foster comments: Spithas is a wonderful boy! He would enjoy an active home with one or more people to shower attention on him. He has been ok with my working on weekdays, but I have a dog walker stop by mid-day to give him a 20-minute break. I just need to ensure he has plenty of exercise on weekdays, both before and after work. Everyone who has met him in Greece or here has fallen in love with his personality. He loves people and gets along well with other dogs. He has settled into the routine here and I have gotten used to him following me everywhere. He’s even sitting alongside me as I compose this write up, laying calmly by my side. He has been good for grooming, although can at times get silly and wants to chew the brush versus letting you brush him. He did well for his initial bath and had lots of fun running zoomies on the deck as I tried to towel him fully dry. He hasn’t minded walking in the rain or snow and really enjoys playing in the snow. He likes to eat snow and roll in the snow. His ultimate joy is being with his people and receiving affection and attention from them. He will need additional training when he gets to his forever home.
Foster location: Manassas, VA
Socialization: Spithas is good with meeting new people, although he did jump up to greet them at first. He has been better about sitting/standing for meeting people, although occasionally still jumps up when excited. He is friendly and happy to meet new people and has a wagging tail. He even did well meeting my veterinarian and her staff, he didn’t have nervousness about meeting people in unfamiliar surroundings. He was friendly and good with everyone on his transport to me. He is friendly with kids, but still likes to cuddle to the point of sometime stepping on you which younger kids may not appreciate. He also likes to paw at you for attention, so can accidentally scratch you a little. So older kids would be more ideal in a home with him or a home willing to work on him on this further. Spithas is great with other dogs. He was temporarily in a kennel in Greece with plenty of other dogs and got along with everyone there. He does well and plays with my other setter mix (lots of running, jumping, wrestling, etc.). He seems to understand when my smaller dog wants to play or wants her space. He also loves playing with the neighbor’s puppy through the fence. He has been friendly to all dogs we have met on walks, always wagging his tail. Those that saw Spithas interact with cats in Greece, said he was good with them. I do not have a cat to see what he thinks about them. We saw two on our walk recently, and he didn’t seem very excited/interested about them. (So I don’t believe he saw them as prey to chase.)
Training: Spithas knows the “sit” command, but we are working on practicing that every day. He knows the word “walk” and will go sit by the front door to be leashed up. He is well behaved in the home and will honestly follow his owners around 90% of the time unless napping/chewing on a toy. We have had one inappropriate chewing incident involving a pillow, but he was easily redirected to a toy. I do crate him when he is home alone. He may bark for 2-3 minutes, but then seems to calm quickly and relax. I do scatter some treats in the crate to encourage him to walk in. When first released from the crate he should be taken outside to immediately potty. He did some counter surfing in the first two weeks here, but has finally been behaving and sitting calmly in the kitchen – even if there is food on the counter on a plate. He has realized I have a crate of toys in the living room that he can help himself to playing with. He has been doing well with the housebreaking. He only has had one accident in the house, but that was my fault. I let him out of the crate while putting away groceries when I should have taken him outside first. He potties either in the yard or on walks. He is an all-around good & happy boy. When walking him with just leash and collar, he was a very strong puller on walks. I have gotten him a no-pull harness and that has improved the pulling during walks. He no longer weaves for the entirety of the walk. He still will need further practice and training to walk in the heel position. He will still pull when he sees rabbits and squirrels on walks. He pulls and barks when he sees foxes on walks. Spithas is a very vocal dog when happy or excited. He will roo and dance before any meal time. He will also roo and jump around excitedly when I get home from work. On his first day here, when watching my little dog eat slowly, he whined a bit for 10-15 seconds. He should have a slow-feed bowl for meals.
Activity requirements: Spithas is a typical one year old setter, he has energy for days. Indoors he will cuddle or sit by you wanting pets or just to be nearby. He gets 3-4 walks a day to help burn off energy. (Morning, afternoon, and before bed.) On nice weekend mornings, we walk for about an hour in the morning and he happily walks along with some sniffing along the way. Leash walks can be sufficient for his daily exercise. He walks well on a leash when wearing his no-pull harness. He will pull strongly if he sees squirrels or rabbits on the walk and barked when seeing a fox. I am able to walk him along with my two other dogs. He seems to enjoy exploring the fenced backyard. He will chase tennis balls in the yard and likes to grab different toys and attempt to bury them in the yard. He can be destructive of soft/fluffy toys, so needs supervision when playing with them. He can rip them open fairly quickly.
Fence requirements: As long as you have a plan to exercise him, he will not need a fenced yard. I have a 4-foot split-rail fence with wire here that he has not challenged.
Personality: Spithas lived outdoors in a doghouse, chained outside in Greece. So I believe that is why he craves attention/affection so strongly. Spithas is a friendly dog who thrives on attention. He really loves attention, to the point he will push in front of other dogs to ensure he gets it. So other dogs in the home will need to be chill/understanding. He’s energetic, playful and happy. He enjoys toys, but needs supervised play for soft toys as he will eventually tear them open. He enjoys following me around the house. He loves to cuddle next to me when I sit on the couch. He seems willing to learn and take correction/redirection. He loves going for walks or being the yard (so long as you are with him in the yard). He is playing more and more with a variety of toys in the yard.
Health history: Spithas is neutered, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations and on monthly heartworm prevention. When he first arrived, he was very emaciated, so I’ve been giving him extra meals and large servings and he has been gaining weight each week. He probably is about 2-3 weeks away from being his ideal weight. He also is missing one toe nail from his right back paw, that doesn’t seem like it will grow back. The missing toe nail isn’t a major health concern, he seems unbothered by it. His next leishmaniasis test is due in September, 2026.
This dog originates from Greece where Leishmaniasis is endemic. They tested negative before coming to the USA, but the parasite can remain dormant in the system for many years, so potential adopters must be willing to commit to annual testing for the next 7 years. Typically, the test needs to be sent to a special lab, but any regular vet can draw the blood and send it to the lab. The cost of the test seems to vary widely by area, but is approximately $150-$250. or if your vet is willing to send the test to a veterinary college lab, cost can be as low as $80.
Foster comments: Spithas is a wonderful boy! He would enjoy an active home with one or more people to shower attention on him. He has been ok with my working on weekdays, but I have a dog walker stop by mid-day to give him a 20-minute break. I just need to ensure he has plenty of exercise on weekdays, both before and after work. Everyone who has met him in Greece or here has fallen in love with his personality. He loves people and gets along well with other dogs. He has settled into the routine here and I have gotten used to him following me everywhere. He’s even sitting alongside me as I compose this write up, laying calmly by my side. He has been good for grooming, although can at times get silly and wants to chew the brush versus letting you brush him. He did well for his initial bath and had lots of fun running zoomies on the deck as I tried to towel him fully dry. He hasn’t minded walking in the rain or snow and really enjoys playing in the snow. He likes to eat snow and roll in the snow. His ultimate joy is being with his people and receiving affection and attention from them. He will need additional training when he gets to his forever home.
Foster location: Manassas, VA
Submit Application
After initial application, we do a call with your vet to make sure current dogs are well taken care of.
Interview
Home Check
Approve Application
Once approved, you are approved to adopt from us, not for a specific dog. Our fosters choose who is the best fit for their dog.
