A Better English Setter Rescue

From the Foster Mama:

Judy is a darling little pocket setter, weighing in around 33 lbs. She is 7 years old, but don’t tell her! She thinks she is no more than 3 and is easily as active as a younger dog! Her favorite outdoor activities are racing around the yard – just in case there are bunnies or squirrels outside the fence that she could bark at! She gets along with all the dogs we have introduced her to.

 

Like any youthful setter of 7, Judy needs a lot of exercise, and without it (full disclosure) she will look for things to chew in the house. She discovered early on where the toy basket was in the living room and promptly started in on them, and that was fine.

 

Judy is very smart, but rather stubborn – a typical setter! Here are the things we are working on:

“Watch me (eye contact)” – can easily do it in the house, but outside … not yet

“Touch” (touch my hand) – eager to do it in the house, have not tried outside

“Come” – occasionally in the house, very hard outside. Easier if combined with “touch”

“Sit” – definitely a work in progress. She will sit in the house without the command but does not like it as a command.

“Cookie” – YES PLEASE!

“All done” with hand clapping (= time to come in from outside) – often does it, but not if she still has an agenda out there.

 

From Judy:

Hi! I’m Judy. My foster Mama calls me Judy the Jujube! I come here to Minnesota from South Carolina. What a surprise cold weather was! I never even HEARD of “blow-zero” or snow and ice before I got here! I don’t like the super-cold, but I do think that snow is fun, and I love the Minnesota delicacy: eating ice!

 

When I am inside, I love to look out the “dog window” on the stairs, looking for bunnies and squirrels, passing dogs, and delivery trucks. I always announce them loudly (just in case someone can’t hear me)! When I get tired of that, I love to lay on a couch or chair with my head on the arm, or on a dog bed with a pillow for my head. I really like it when my foster Mama sits on the couch, and I get to cuddle with her. I would like to sleep on the bed, but there is another dog here that won’t let me. If I get to come to YOUR house, I hope I can sleep on the bed with you, but I understand if you say I should sleep on the dog bed on the floor. Just give me a nice pillow for my head, please!

 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE long walks, and I am really trying to learn about leash manners, but it is very hard. I wish I could have a new Mommy or Daddy who might take me for runs – although you would need to teach me running leash manners. But I don’t mind doing my running in the yard, so walks would be fine for me!

 

I went to visit another house and I saw a cat. The Mama made sure I saw it, but I turned my head away. I did not want to look at it. Mama says that means I am probably “cat safe”. I’m not convinced I am safe from the cat…