ASPEN

Gender: Female

Age: 7 months

Size/Weight: 20 lbs

Color: Orange & White

Breed: English Setter

Good with Children: Yes.

Good with Dogs: Yes. She’s slow to warm up to new dogs but loves and plays well with her brother Forrest and foster sister Lucy.

Good with Cats: Seems to be. She plays a bit with our indoor / outdoor cat, Ringo.

House trained: Work in progress. She is still having some accidents but it’s getting better.

Crate trained: Yes. Sometimes hesitant to go in but will immediately with a treat. Once she’s in she is fine and doesn’t make a peep.

Leash trained: Work in progress. We haven’t spent enough time consecutively on the leash with Aspen. On our walks she has always been with Forrest too and they tend to sweep in opposite directions which is a chore to correct. When she is on leash, she doesn’t pull. She just needs more training time on her own.

Activity Level: Moderate. Aspen loves to zoom around the yard with Forrest and Lucy in the morning but comes right back to me for lap time and petting pretty quickly. She might run after a bird in the yard but her running around doesn’t last too long. She would rather be with a person getting loved on or laying around chewing on a toy.

Fence: Required. Can be physical or invisible fence, but she is a nose-to-the-ground curious little girl and loves to explore. She has escaped through our farm gate a couple of times to make friends with our neighbor’s goats, llamas, and chickens.

Training/Behavior: She knows her name, is learning the “sit” command, and comes when called about 90% of the time (unless she has found a new bug or amphibian to check out!). She is learning the word “no” and when we want her to leave something alone a simple “eh!” does the trick. She is a fast learner and settled into our routine very quickly. She has had some accidents in the house but is still learning what it’s like to live in a home, having come from a shelter in Greece – it’s all very new. We think Aspen may have “littermate syndrome”, being so very closely bonded with Forrest. She is timid and startles easily with loud noises and new people around. It takes time to warm up and needs to be held when being introduced to new people and pets. Unfortunately she has also gotten a bit aggressive with Lucy and even her brother. We believe she feels as though she has to protect her brother against Lucy and was becoming territorial with certain spots in the house. She is much better now, we just have to separate them when eating, during play times when Lucy and Forrest want to wrestle, and put them in separate crates. We believe this behavior will not be a problem if she is separated from her brother in a new home.

Medical History: Aspen is healthy, UTD on all vaccinations, and is on flea/tick and heartworm prevention. She is a good weight for her petite frame. She is scheduled to be spayed on 06/11/19.

Aspen originates from Greece where Leishmaniasis is endemic. She 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. The cost at my vet is $140.

Foster Comments:
Aspen’s mama Goldie was rescued in Kalyvia, Greece (just outside Athens) just days before she gave birth. Goldie was in really rough shape when she was rescued so there’s a chance the puppies wouldn’t have survived had she not been found. So you could say that Aspen is a miracle puppy.

Aspen has stolen our hearts so it was a very hard decision to separate her from Forrest and help to find her another home. We have all come to realize though that her bond with Forrest, albeit very sweet most of the time, might be detrimental to her chances of living a normal, happy life. She would thrive in a home where she received lots of attention, lap time, and some training.

I did a home survey and asked everyone what their favorite thing was about Aspen so we could include it on her profile. For me, it’s first thing in the morning when I let all the dogs out – the other two go zooming out the door but she just wants to stretch her front paws out on your leg so you can reach down and scratch her belly, back and ears. Her little face is in total bliss, it’s so cute. My husband said it’s her “chill mode” at night because she flops over onto her back for belly rubs and snuggles and that she is a sweet girl. Our son (12) said it’s her winged eyeliner and that she is very sweet. Our daughter (10) says she is fun to play with and likes to cuddle.

Adoption Fee: $395

Foster Location: Saint Johns, Florida