English Setter puppies and dogs in Michigan

Averell is a 7-month old puppy. Mom is a full setter (Alani), and dad is unknown, but our Greek colleagues believe dad is a Kokoni (an ancient Greek breed). The Kokoni is described as "a Greek breed of small domestic dog of toy type, usually kept as a companion animal. Small companion dogs appear on ancient Greek vases dating back to the fifth century BCE. These dogs were often illustrated sitting beside their owners or playing, highlighting their role as cherished household pets. Archaeological findings and historical texts suggest that small dogs resembling the Kokoni were common in Greek homes, valued for their companionship and alert nature." This description certainly reflects their personality. Averell is happy, social, playful and cuddly. He loves toys and playing chase with other puppies and he also loves to be held, petted and cuddled. The puppies have also demonstrated outstanding agility and can run faster and jump higher than you would ever imagine on those little legs! They currently weigh 16-17 lbs and will probably top out at around 25 lbs. If you are looking for a happy, loving dog that has the the energy for a nice hike but also the desire and the perfect size to warm your lap, these cuties are for you!!   Location: Kalamazoo, MI 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. Transport note: We are able to arrange volunteer transport to get dogs from their foster home to their adopter as long as the adopter and the foster are within a 1,000 mile radius of each other and the adopter is located in the USA. If the adopter is more than 1,000 miles from the foster home, adoption would only be possible if the adopter is willing to drive the distance beyond the 1,000-mile transport limit. Long distance adoptions may also be possible if the adopter is willing to pay for a flight to get their dog from the foster home to their location if the foster feels this is an appropriate arrangement for the specific dog. Canadian adopters would have to drive into the USA to pick up their dog, as we do not transport outside of the USA. ##2681524##

Socialization:  Morgan has loved every person he has met so far! He is very friendly meeting new people, though he gets excited and jumps on people. He leans into you for hugs and love. Morgan has not been exposed to children in my home, but I feel with proper introductions he would not be a problem for older children but with the jumping he might accidentally knock a younger child over. Morgan has never had a problem with my female English Setter since the day I picked him up and she was with me. He has tried to initiate play with her but is a little more rambunctious than she likes so she doesn't join in. He seems fine entertaining himself or playing with me instead. He was fine with the overnight hosts' female dogs and very chill male dog. He has barked/growled at two dogs at the vet clinic (it might be best to wait outside until it is his turn to see the vet) and barks at neighborhood dogs when they walk by the house and up to our fence. Due to his high prey drive, cats are probably a no for him. Training: Housetraining is going very well. He has only had 2 accidents in the house since he has been with me this short time. I suggest using a belly band initially while he learns a new routine. He has quickly picked up our daily schedule and is doing well in this area. We are working on him learning commands (off, woah, come, sit, wait, place, and okay) with a trainer. Morgan has enjoyed the mental stimulation of learning and has picked it up very quickly. He behaves very well inside the house and also in his crate. He is not fond of going in his crate on his own (unless it is thundering and then that is his safe space) but he will go in when encouraged with treats. He will sometimes bark for about 15-20 minutes then settles if I need to be gone for 3-4 hours during the day. He is crated at night next to my bed and sleeps through the night without a peep. Prior to coming to me, there were reports of resource guarding of his toys so we have been mindful of that by providing a separate playtime for Morgan. He is very good when playing with me and lets me take toys out of his mouth to throw without any problem. Continued training in this area would be beneficial for him. The only thing he has bothered in the house was stealing a belly band off the counter & tearing it up. In general, he has not shown signs of destruction to things inside and telling him 'no' has seemed enough for him to learn boundaries of things he needs to leave alone. Activity requirements:  Morgan has a high prey drive and pulls very hard on the leash. He is a challenge to walk on leash at this point because of the pulling and his focus is on anything moving instead of the walk. I am currently using a regular harness but a no pull harness along with continued training would be good for him. We've just started to address this area in our training sessions. He would benefit from being able to run off-leash in a safely fenced area. Fence requirements:  He will need at least a 6' fence. Due to reactivity towards some dogs, his adopter would need to prepare for this on walks and use appropriate boundaries and leads. He would not be a good candidate for a dog park. An invisible fence will not be considered for him, and a physical fence is required to adopt Morgan. Personality:  Morgan has the biggest heart and absolutely loves people and being with you. Outside he is active and alert at every sound and enjoys watching for critters (squirrels & blue jays especially get his attention). Inside the house, he is very good (unless he sees something out the window that he needs to let you know about). He loves being part of the family and snuggling next to you on the couch or relaxing in the same room while you do chores. Health history:  Morgan had severe trauma to his lower jaw when he was found in Greece and had been unable to eat for who knows how long. He went through an 8 hour surgery to rebuild his lower jaw so he can eat properly. He is missing the bottom front part of his lower lip, which makes his tongue peek out and adds to his charm with that million dollar smile. He still needs to gain weight and is very food oriented. I separate him from the other dogs while I am preparing his food and while he eats. A slow-feed bowl would work best because he tends to eat his food fast. He doesn't have trouble with sweet potato chews and I haven't given him anything harder. He doesn't have any health concerns with his mouth. He is neutered, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations, and on monthly heartworm prevention. 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:  Morgan has a pretty high prey drive so a home with experience in that area would be a good fit for him. He is such a love and very good in the house. He is a quick learner, eager to please and just wants to be part of whatever you are doing. Morgan would be fine as an only dog household or possibly a female with about the same energy level. Foster location: Oregon, MO  Transport note: We are able to arrange volunteer transport to get dogs from their foster home to their adopter as long as the adopter and the foster are within a 1,000 mile radius of each other and the adopter is located in the USA. If the adopter is more than 1,000 miles from the foster home, adoption would only be possible if the adopter is willing to drive the distance beyond the 1,000-mile transport limit. Long distance adoptions may also be possible if the adopter is willing to pay for a flight for getting their dog from the foster home to their location if the foster feels this is an appropriate arrangement for the specific dog. Canadian adopters would have to drive into the USA to pick up their dog, as we do not transport outside of the USA. ##2581639##

Socialization:  Chloe is a very sweet and well behaved girl! She gets along very well with other dogs. She is respectful of their space and enjoys "hunting" with them in the backyard. She doesn't play with them but she happily coexists! She loves her people and likes to be near and enjoys cuddling on the couch. She is timid but curious with new people. She is interested and wants affection from new people but is hesitant to approach. She overcomes her hesitation quickly with some encouragement and I imagine this will get better over time as she learns people are nice. She can get spooked by loud/sudden sounds, so she will need a calmer home without lots of comings and goings. She prefers to have a person to cuddle with during thunderstorms! Busy/loud urban living and a home with young children who are loud and unpredictable are not a good fit for her. She is not cat friendly and will go after a cat. Training:  Chloe is house trained and very well behaved in the house. She is very easy to have around! Currently, she is crated when I leave and also overnight. After some initial barking for a few minutes (only when I leave the house), she settles down quickly and does well in the crate. Other than a bit of barking when crated, she is a very quiet dog and has not barked much at all. She also has not been destructive, so she could free roam in the house after some time. She is eager to please, food motivated, and very responsive to correction, so she learns fast. For a setter, she listens reasonably well when I call her (unless she is focused on a bird/squirrel) and comes running. When she would like affection, she will come up to you and automatically sit down and lean right into you. If you don't notice her, she is happy to let you know she wants attention with a cute gentle nudge with her nose! She enjoys walks but it's a work in progress, as she is in full hunting mode on walks, so it's good to be on guard when walking with her. She will definitely need work with leash walking. Activity requirements:  The weather has been nice, so I have left my back door open for the dogs to come and go as they please, and Chloe LOVES to be outside guarding the backyard from squirrels. She has quite a bit of energy to burn off daily and can get a bit restless in the house on a bad weather day when she's stuck inside. She has started to play with some toys on bad weather days, but she will need to be well exercised daily. She needs to be able to run in a safely fenced area daily. If her adopter plans to walk her, it needs to be with patience as she is very prey focused on her walk. Fence requirements:  An interesting and decent sized backyard, fenced with a physical fence is required for adopting Chloe. She needs to be able to run daily to burn off her energy. Leash walks are not sufficient exercise for her and dog parks are likely not a good fit. Due to her timidness, an invisible fence is not an option for her. Personality:  Chloe is a very kind, gentle and happy dog with a wagging tail and even a joyful bounce. She is very affectionate and loving with her people. She is a very sweet girl and enjoys her cuddle time. Her nature is to be happy and friendly but she's probably a bit timid with new people because of bad experiences in her past. She often gets excited and when she's happy, she's got that wagging tail! She is curious and eager to please, she is all about her people (and the squirrels, of course) and she prefers to be where her person is but she wants to be close without being overly needy or clingy. She is a really nice balance between being sweet and affectionate and being independent and keeping herself occupied when need be. She has been very easy to have around and has been a dream foster! Health history:  Chloe is spayed, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations, and is on monthly heartworm prevention. She was treated for heartworms prior to her arrival in the USA and is now a healthy girl with no health issues! Her next leishmaniasis test will be due in June 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: Chloe is a very sweet, loving, affectionate and happy girl! She has been very easy to have around and a dream to foster! She will need a forever home that has a fully fenced backyard that is interesting enough for her to be able to explore and entertain herself. She happily coexists with other dogs, but she is all about her people, so she would do fine as an only dog or in a home with another dog. Her ideal home will not leave her home alone for long hours, I would like her to go to a home where someone will be able to be with her most of the time. She would do best in a calmer home. A home with young children who are loud and unpredictable or in a loud, city environment are not good fits for her (she would likely be fine with quieter kids). Foster location: Akron, OH ##2459793##