Irish Setter puppies and dogs in Michigan

Socialization: Goose started her life in a hoarding situation where she was not offered the opportunity to be exposed to really anything. When she came to me, she was scared and anxious of the bigger world she was being exposed to. For the first week, she was in a state of alert with all the new noises, smells and sights she was encountering. With patience, calmness and treats day by day, she was able to relax and open up to my 2 dogs. She is a very smart and goofy dog that loves to play with both my boy dogs. She is anxious with each new person or environment she encounters, but with time, patience and treats, she gains confidence in herself. She will bark at new people until she is comfortable around them. I have been working on introducing friends and family. Treats really help her move past her anxiety. With that I believe Goose would be a wonderful dog for a single person or couple. I think children would be difficult for her at this time with the energy level that come with smaller children. I also believe she would do best in a home with another dog(s), so only homes with at least one other dog will be considered for her. She has gained tremendously with her anxiety by living with my 2 english setters (both rescues). I have not exposed her to cats, and I am unsure how she would be with one. Training: Goose is a very smart dog, and she 'kennels up' immediately and without fuss. A huge shift from the first few days, when she would only tolerate it for short periods. She is fine when I am working away from home, and I have been away for 4-6 hours. She has also learned 'wait' with the hand command and knows to wait for her meals until she hears okay. She does eat fast and will try to steal from the other dogs. I am working on calling her away, and my boys are tolerant to her intrusion. She does come when called, sometimes, but treats are a good recall for her right now. I am working on sit and down, but she has an attention span that is short, so sessions are many but short. I have been focused on her socialization with other places and people, and she is making good progress. It took time to get confident about her house training. Her anxiety to new noises hindered her wanting to go outside at times. Working with a rountine of times going out on a leash, she has learned to jump at me to let me know she needs to go out. Working on the jumping :-) She will pee if she gets scared and cornered, but I know that will diminish has her confidence builds. She likes, not loves, walks and does better when I walk her with one of my other dogs. She is not a puller and her pace is matched with yours. She does get nervous with others getting to close. Her growing confidence will get her past this as well over time. Activity requirements: Goose loves playing with my 2 dogs, and does get the zoomies with them, running circles around the both of them. My one dogs tries to play tug with her but she doesn't really pull back. It is funny to watch because my one dog nudges her nose to try to get her to pull back. She loves all balls, and right now her favorite is a nubby kong ball that she will bounce down the stairs and then run after it, and she carries it back up to top to do it all over again. Her play time with the dogs does get her energy out, along with the morning and evening walks she gets from me. Fence requirements: Goose will need at least a 5'-6' fence. This will allow her to run her circles in the back. With her fear/anxiety level, I do not think an invisible fence would work for Goose. Only homes with a physical fence will be considered for her. Personality: Goose's personality is basically all goofy. She loves to wrestle play and when she want attention she likes to throw herself on you. She is pretty independent and will cuddle for small amounts of time. She has worked her way into sleeping in bed with me and the other 2 dogs, and she is a wonderful alarm in the morning. She will stand with her face looking right into yours until you open your eyes. She is shy and timid with new people and new places. Just be her support and have lots of treats to work her through it. Health history:  Goose is spayed, microchipped, up to date on vaccines, and on monthly heartworm prevention. She is a healthy 36 pound puppy at around 13 months old. The tip of her tail has been broken, but has healed up nicely and does not bother her at all. Goose is a domestic, US rescue and will not need leishmaniasis testing. Foster comments: Goose is a wonderful, beautiful girl with the biggest heart. She started her life in horrible conditions, but she is on her way now to live her best life. She will thrive with a person/family that is patient with her and offers her the time and support to continue to build her confidence. This family should understand that she will need time to work with her anxiety and fear, and that it will not happen overnight. She is a sensitive dog and responds to people with a gentle touch and caring voice. I do recommend that she goes with a person or family without children at this time. The activity level would be too much for her. She would be great with another dog and would enjoy the company and playtime with another dog. Goose will become a great companion for the right person or couple. Foster location: Minneapolis, MN 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. ##2513239##