Size
(when grown) Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Details
Good with kids,
Good with dogs,
House-trained,
Spayed or Neutered,
Shots are up-to-date,
Story
Socialization: Maverick is a youthful 10-year-old, 44lb, neutered, male English Setter with a sweet, quiet and gentle nature. He is a loyal companion who aims to please his owners and likes to know where they are in the house. As much as he wants to receive your affection, he enjoys demonstrating his affection to his owners. He will randomly walk up to you during the day and put his head in your lap, curl on your feet, or give you kisses if you are at his level. In our time with him he has had multiple meet-and-greets with neighbors and trades people, and he successfully wins them over by simply sitting in front of them and leaning in on their legs. His interactions with children have been very brief, but he allows them to pet him while he sniffs their faces. He has met multiple dogs face-to-face and enjoys a brief introduction but generally wants to move on and explore. Occasionally he will linger longer than desired when sniffing another dog, but a call of his name and he redirects his attention. Maverick loves the car and has no suspicions about it. One nice weather days, he likes to use the car in the driveway for himself to stretch out on his own, catch some fresh air through cracked windows and sun himself. When the car is in motion, he stays in the back and is happy to put his head out an open window. He will settle in by laying down in the backseat during the ride. He is happy, playful and sweet, and just wants love from those he is around.
Training: In addition to knowing his name, Maverick knows multiple commands from his previous owners: SIT, HOLD (which is similar to stay or telling him to wait before he eats), WHOA (stop or wait up when walking on a leash), LOAD-UP (i.e. up into the car) and KENNEL. He is obedient and understands that “NO” means he needs to redirect his behavior. He is house broken / potty trained and has been capable of going throughout the night without any crying or accidents (approximately 9 hours). At times he may tell you he needs to go outside by coming up to you at a time you would not expect, placing his front paws on your lap, and his head across his paws – this is his method of saying he needs to go out. Maverick has not shown any destructive behavior (chewing, inside digging). If he does test out a couch or chair, and you do not want him on that particular piece of furniture, a firm No, brief redirection to something else and positive reinforcement has gotten the message through to him. Maverick is very quiet – we have never heard Maverick bark indoors or outdoors. We have done some training and nose work with Maverick, and he was picking up on it right away, leaving him very satisfied. It is our method of redirecting if he is pestering our resident dog by crowding the cage. He would benefit from continued nose work to build trust in his forever owner.
Crate trained: Maverick is crate trained. The first few nights he spent with us he slept through the night with his crate closed. He did not make a sound. He has earned our trust and now we leave the door to the crate open through the night for him to wander to his heart’s desire and comfort. He will seek out his crate at his leisure and nap inside multiple times each day, for up to 2 hours per stint. If you need to crate him, he does know the word “kennel” which is a command for him to enter his crate. If there are times we need him to enter it and he may not be ready to go in on command, so tossing a couple of treats in will entice him.
Leash trained: Maverick previously had no formal leash training, but is learning quickly. We use a “Walk Right” harness and he does not dash or pull the leash holder off their feet. He also does not strain to the maximum extent of the leash. His only vice at this point is that he likes to zig-zag across the sidewalk taking in as many smells as possible, but this has improved in the time. On cold days, Maverick loves to wear one of his vests (and can get cold if he doesn’t have it on).
Activity level/requirements: Maverick’s energy level is of an adult dog that is conscientious of his surroundings. If he is not laying down relaxing when he is inside the house you can expect you have a shadow watching you in the kitchen, ironing, or pacing the house with you while you talk on the phone or enjoy morning coffee. Maverick does know how to entertain himself with toys (especially squeaky ones) and will show interest in any toy that you show to him, but he is very gentle in taking it from you. He has never attempted to play keep away with our dog or show off his toy possession. He will seek out his owners during the day and before bed if he wants some pets briefly, sitting down at your side, but after 4 or 5 minutes (tops) he will crumble to the floor and curl up near your feet, or walk away back to one of his padded beds. Maverick’s outdoor exercise comes in the form of multiple manageable walks per day around the neighborhood. Maverick has been off leash a few times within fenced tennis courts, and he will stroll the perimeter. He loves the outdoors, watching birds, and may stop on walks just to see their flight paths. Squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks are also something he will stop and watch, but if they run across his path he does not chase them. He has not had any exposure to cats while staying with us.
Fence requirements: We do not have a fenced yard and it has not been our practice with any of our dogs to just let them outside on their own as we live in a fairly urban suburb. Per his previous owners, he did not attempt climb the fence or jump it. When he is at a dog park with us or within fenced tennis courts his interest is in sniffing the perimeter. There has been no digging, chewing the chain-link, or a desire to escape.
Personality: Maverick is very affectionate and a fun-loving setter. He wants love from his people, and he also knows how to spend time to relax on his own in a quiet place in the house. He does not bark or whine at all. He did very well at the vet, with a few training visits, at the groomer, and meeting children during Trick-or-Treat. He has obeyed commands well and wants to please the people he is with. He may show some interest of what you’re working on in the kitchen or at your desk, but calmly ignore him and he will get four on the floor before finding something else to do. Maverick is potty trained. He recognizes his harness for walks and his vests which causes some wiggly excitement, but he knows sitting means he will be walking outdoors that much sooner. He is attentive during any training we have attempted and may listen to a male voice faster than a female, but he will demonstrate the trained behavior to both. The first few days we had Maverick, he did display some anxiety, which is expected for any dog landing in a new spot. Within 5 days he understood his routine with us and our resident dog. Members of his forever home should just remember to be patient, but know that he wants to learn how you want him to fit into your routine and to provide him with his own routine. In those first few days if we took him on walks, went on a car ride, or went into a pet store, he calmed down and was fine. He was always also very comfortable in his crate. He does not like the “tone” text message sound on an iPhone. I changed my tone to a different sound, and it wasn’t an issue after that. We have limited interactions with other dogs on walks, but passing on opposite sides of the street he never barks, growls or pulls. Maverick is affectionate, playful, loves his squeaky toys, loves the outdoors, and warms up to people quickly. He is looking for a loyal companion.
Health history:Maveric k is in excellent health. He is on preventatives for flea & tick and heartworm. He was neutered a few years ago and has shown no signs of male aggression. During his stay with us he had an appointment with our vet and the only notes were early signs of cataracts and potentially a need for a teeth cleaning in the future, both of which can be expected for him at this age. Otherwise, his health matches that of a regular adult and NOT a senior dog – he is up to date on all vaccines. He is 44 lbs. and looks very trim.
Foster comments: Maverick is a fun-loving dog who wants a place to call his forever home – he shows his loyalty very quickly and he appreciates the home and routine his people provide him. Once he became familiar with his new surroundings and routine his wonderful personality has shined through all day, every day. He is a great dog for people of all ages – if you want the setter affection and an all-around great dog, low maintenance, Maverick is the guy for you! We hope to find a great forever home for Maverick – he really deserves it!
Foster Location: Milwaukee, WI
Volunteer transport can be arranged in the Continental US within a 1,000-mile distance between adopters & foster home. If interstate transport is provided for your adopted dog, there will be an additional charge of $75.00 for the required Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI). Typically, we are able to transport your adopted dog to within 2 hours of your home. *Dogs can be adopted outside the 1000-mile transport distance; however, adopters must be willing to either fly their adopted dog, drive to a location within the 1000-mile transport range, or make independent transport arrangements for their adopted dog. Transports to far Western states, from Eastern states, may have additional restrictions.
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