We have a new foster in the house. His name is Kyle and he is a Cocker Spaniel.
Kyle is a sweet, lovable little guy. He's about a year old and weighs under 20 lbs. He is very much a puppy still in that he is playful, mouths a bit, and is not completely house trained yet. But we're really working with him on that last one.
Kyle loves a good tummy rub. If you get just the right spot, you have the joy of watching him move that back leg at top speed. And sometimes, you'll get both back legs going!
He's an amiable pooch. He warms up quickly and seems to like everyone he meets. He gets a little over excited sometimes with new people, and sometimes he'll piddle a bit (but that's not overly unusual for Cocker Spaniels). He does fine with other dogs, but he's really all about the people and would therefore do fine in a home as the only dog. He is cat-safe as well. He is interested in cats, he'll sniff them and try to check them out, but if they let him know they don't want his attentions, he'll back right off.
How would Kyle do with kids you ask? I'd say he'd be great with kids! I wouldn't recommend him with children under 7, only because he needs consistent training and in a household with real young children, that may not always be possible. But he allows you to handle every inch of him without a care. You can play with his stub of a tail, flop his floppy ears, play with his muzzle and mouth, hold his paws and even pull at his fur! So he's a kid-friendly dog.
Kyle loves a good stuffed toy to play with. He enjoys chewing on it, making it squeak, and rolling around with it. He also loves to play with his people and have a gentle little "wrestling match" on the floor. Afterwards, he's happy to curl with his people on the couch and take a snooze. (We even took a nap together on the couch over the weekend.)
Kyle is a quiet soul for the most part. He doesn't bark at every sound or movement or falling leaf. But he did bark at our neighbor's dog when it was out in its own backyard. And when my husband was bringing the trash can back in through the back gate, Kyle barked at him until he realized who it was. So he can be a good little guard dog when the situation calls for it. Though I'm sure if an intruder came into the house, that Kyle would happily direct him towards the television in exchange for a good belly rub. ;D
Kyle does need some training. And a very patient adopter. He does not know any commands, at all. He is starting to learn our command for no (we make an "eh-eh" sound rather than saying "No") and he does at least know his name. I believe he can learn, but it will take time and patience. But what he lacks in smarts he more than makes up for with his utter cuteness. He is getting better about being constantly under foot, but he still wants to be right near his people, so his adopters will need to be aware that he might be snoozing at your feet when you're cooking dinner. He also needs a little work still on leash, but he's not bad. I think he may not have had much training in his previous home. But he obviously did receive a lot of interaction with people and is well socialized. He's just never had any sort of training whether it be potty training or leash manners.
Kyle is not yet completely housebroken, but we've made some progress in that department and managed to have an accident free weekend. Kyle has only been with us for a week now, so I'd say that's pretty darn good progress.
He's not a picky eater at all, and eats very well. He enjoys both dry and canned foods and loves the Mother Hubbard peanut butter treats.
Bath-time with Kyle is a joy. I've had fosters that whine, growl and struggle at bath time. And unfortunately, a bath is often called for when they first come to stay. Kyle has a tendency to pee on his front legs sometimes when he does his business. So his legs smelled less than sweet when we brought him home. I gave him a bath and he did beautifully! He acted like it was an every day occurrence for him. No whining, no struggling, no growling, and no fear of the faucet or the shower head! He just stood still and let me shampoo him and rinse him and then wring him out. And he loved, absolutely loved, the drying process. He charged into the towel I was holding and rolled and grrr'd and rolled some more. He was having too much fun being towel-dried.
Kyle is not yet available to the public. He still needs to be neutered. But he has his appointment for later this week so he should be visible on the website this coming weekend or early next week. If you're interested in Kyle, you can look for him this weekend at our
website and fill out an
application for him.
Thanks for reading. See you at the Dog Park!
