STATLER

Foster dog name:  STATLER  A&B#18-078-1

Gender:  Male (Neutered)

Age:  Approx. 10 years YOUNG! Since his age is a guess, I would guess less than 10 by his youthful enthusiasm.  

Size/Weight:  45+ pounds

Color:  Mostly White with Black, Dalmatian freckled ears, Butt and base of fox type tail black.

Breed:  Mixed - Setter mixed with Shepard (?)

Background:  Statler and his brother Waldorf were welcomed under the umbrella of care of Above and Beyond English Setter Rescue. It is my belief that both had been outside dogs their entire lives. I discovered, soon after they arrived in foster care, that Waldorf had aggressive skin cancer. I requested to keep both of them (and not list Statler) until after Waldorf had passed over. They were bonded brothers until the end. Now, I have had over a month to interact and watch Statler without his brother. 

My Favorite Qualities:   Statler is a velcro boy! He wants to be by my side whenever possible. But, living with 10 other dogs, he doesn’t get that opportunity as often as he would like. Statler takes it all in stride. He is a dog that would want to be with you as much as possible. And when with you…I do mean by your side…in the same room…preferably at your feet. He is very attentive! And if you are sitting, he envisions himself as a lap dog and cuddles right on top of you! Note: I am 53 years young and he cuddles very gently! But if I say “No,” then he lays as close as he can get to where I am sitting.

     Statler is a “gentle jumper upper.” I have worked on the down command…a lot with him…and will continue to. But when I come home, he gently jumps up to put his paws on me and looks me straight in the eyes – and he has the sweetest puppy face at that moment. I can’t help but let him stand there as I soak in those soul filled eyes and that sweet devotion. Do you need to feel loved? This boy is for you!

     Statler gets along with my entire crew…from a little Chihuahua all the way up to other setters. He actively engages them to play and occasionally gets a good run with my springer or with my beagle mix. However, he did have one issue with another male setter last summer - - - both were in that first month of recovery after being neutered. They were getting along fine for over a week. Then one day when I got home, everything had changed. They were enemies and had to be kept separated and out of each other’s line of site. What exactly occurred I will never know. Currently, he is fine on walks when meeting other dogs, or at the vet, or when my friends bring their dogs over.

     Statler is not a picky eater!! All food is good to him. If you have ever endured a picky eater, you will understand why I list this as a huge plus!!

Qualities to be worked on: Leash walking – Statler is a puller. I use a rounded prong collar when he and I go walking.

House Training – Statler’s house training is ongoing. I kennel him “too much of the time” and then hustle him right out the door to go potty outside. He always does the big stuff outside, but his desire to mark remains strong. If I leave him loose in the house for too long and/or don’t keep an eye on him, a marking will result.

Jumping up – I know most people don’t want a dog jumping up (even if done gently) so we continue to work on that.

Good with Children:  I have never “tested him out” with children, but I have no doubt in my mind he would be fine. . . of course a young child walking around with an oreo cookie in its hand will probably get the oreo stolen. As with any dog and young child, supervision is a must! 

Good with Dogs:  YES

Good with Cats:  No/Unknown.  He shows waaaayyy to much interest in my cat who lives in a three level high rise cage in the dining room.

House trained:  No.  Like I wrote, we have made some progress, but he must be watched.   

Crate trained:  YES! He Loves his kennel at bedtime. He asks to go to bed on some evenings.  Kennels up pretty much on command … or with a cookie as a motivational treat.

Leash trained:  No … But responds well to a rounded prong collar.  I do not have experience with a gentle leader.

Activity Level:   Playful! Absolutely loves to play fetch in the backyard. You will wear out before he does. I had to get a red Kong ball because he has a thing about chewing yellow tennis balls to pieces. He also loves stuffed toys – for the purpose of tearing them to pieces as well.  I get cheap toys at Good Will. I wash and dry them – remove bean bag type stuffing or plastic eyes – and then toss them out to the kids. Statler shreds his to pieces! And eventually, he shreds everyone else’s to pieces! Goofy kid! One thing you will see in the pictures is that Statler loves to roll in the grass – definitely a favorite pastime. When his brother was still alive, the two of them would roll in unison! 

Fence:  Statler enjoys playing fetch so much that I would recommend a fenced in backyard – 4 ft tall. When allowed to look out the front window he is a barker…so a privacy fence might also be a plus.

Medical History: He is up to date on all standard medical shots and preventatives. There is a note in his file from June that he could use a dental.

Foster Comments:  I wish I had $100,000 to build a three season porch with a doggie door to the outside…then Statler could spend less time in a kennel. He is such a sweet and loving dog that he deserves even better than what I can give him. (BTW: the entire time I have been writing this bio. he has been by my side. Every once in a while he will stand up and budge my hand for attention. A few good head rubs, with moans of happiness, and then he lies back down. What a sweet boy!)  

Adoption Fee: $150.00