Ursula

Please read our dog bios carefully to be sure that the dog you are applying for suits your family and lifestyle. At Pound Dog Rescue, we believe in the benefits of post-adoption training for our dogs and their families. This allows for continued socialization, and learning and helps to create a well-mannered and balanced dog. Post-adoption training is a requirement in our adoption process.

I’m so excited to introduce you to Ursula!

Ursula is a 7-year-old chocolate brown merle Cocker Spaniel who is about 25lbs of pure love. She has soft white markings on her coat and luxurious curls on her head and ears. She has big expressive eyes and a tiny little nub of a tail that almost never stops wagging. The moment I saw her (before her incredible grooming session) she made me think of a little brown bear so I named her Ursula which means little she-bear.

Ursula came to us as a retired breeding dog from a large-scale breeding operation. She has been able to leave that life behind her for the most part and embrace her new duties as full time cuddler and loving family member. She is a bit timid with new people and new situations but her friendliness always wins out! She just needs a patient home to help her continue to learn about life outside the barn.

Ursula has been very quiet since joining our home, the most I’ve heard from her are some whines and cries if she wants out of her crate. For this reason, I think she would be good in any home environment. She is able to do stairs although she still needs some encouragement and because she is not a dog who requires endless amounts of exercise a yard will not be mandatory. Ursula has gotten very good at walking on the leash and rarely, if at all, pulls or swerves. She will, however, pickup and carry little treasures she finds along the way – maybe it’s a stick or a piece of paper. She has not attempted to eat anything she has found and always drops it when asked but it will be something to pay attention to – she may be a bit of a collector.  

If we see other people when we are out walking her entire back end starts wagging and she is happy to meet anyone, young or old. She may even let out an excited little pee. This was a regular occurrence when she first joined us, and not at all uncommon for a cocker spaniel, but this improves every day. When seeing other dogs, she may stop to watch them for a moment but never does anything other than wag her tail at them. Little creatures scurrying about garner a bit more attention and maybe even a half-hearted run or jump in chase.

Far and away my favorite thing about Ursula is her cuddling – she is an expert. She has the softest coat and the biggest paws and I love to hold and pet her. She loves it too and has not yet found enough of this love! One thing she still wrestles with is some anxiety about the TV – especially if she is sitting right in front of it. She seems fine when she is in her crate but if she is out lounging in the family room and the TV comes on with sound she makes a hasty exit from the room! This is just something that she needs continued exposure to with lots of tasty treats. She has made great strides in adapting to life outside the barn but she needs a patient and consistent home where she can continue to blossom.

In the short time that she has been with us she has adapted perfectly to crate training and happily rests in her crate when I am away from the home as well as overnight without a peep. I work out of the home 3 days a week where she is crated in the morning and again in the afternoon with a bathroom break at noon. She handles this schedule fine and would be ok to continue in this way or similar. She also eats in her crate without issue. Aside from the submissive/excited peeing and 1 episode of gastro upset she has not had any accidents in the house. She enjoys her walks and readily takes care of business once we are on our way. She does not require enormous amounts of exercise but she loves a good, fast paced walk with lots of opportunities for sniffing. She is still nervous in the car so it’s best if she rides in a crate for the time being. This will continue to improve with positive exposure. She could also ride in the backseat with a seatbelt. Ursula has a coat that will require regular grooming so her new family must be ready to keep a grooming schedule and be familiar with the costs associated with this. Failure to keep her coat at a proper length will result in painful mats. She has had several baths since coming into rescue and her coat is still recovering from years of neglect. She has a bit of dry skin but that will continue to improve with regular grooming and good food.

Ursula is being fostered in a home with multiple dogs and she has shown great dog manners. She is not overly interested in the other dogs but she doesn’t mind them being around her. She is right in the middle of the pack when I’m getting a meal ready in the kitchen or if I’m handing out treats! She would be ok in a home with dogs of similar energy but she would not want a dog who pesters her. She would also be fine as the only dog in the home, gobbling up all the attention for herself. She has not been cat tested but I expect she would be fine with a dog savvy cat.

Ursula has met lots of people at this point and has fully approved of everyone as long as they can pet her! She would be fine in a home with children as long as they were taught how to properly engage with her and treat her kindly. There is an inherent flight risk associated with dogs who have lived only in a breeding environment and as such any children in the home should be old enough to be trusted to keep doors and gates closed. 

Ursula has shown to be a smart dog with how quickly she has picked up on the routine of the home. She will thrive in obedience training and this will be a mandatory requirement of her adoption. She has come to love her treats and she wants to make her people happy so I think she’ll be a great pupil.

Ursula has been spayed and has healed up without incident. She had her dental recently where she had 12 teeth extracted. The rest were given a thorough cleaning but her new family should expect to deal with another dental for her in the next year or so. We dealt with what was emergent but she does have a few teeth that are in the lesser stages of dental disease that will need to be monitored with her new family and vet. She has also been battling some yeasty buildup in her ears that we are making a serious dent in but will still need to be monitored in the coming months. Aside from these remnants of neglect she is a healthy girl and she’s feeling great after all of this wonderful vet care!

Sweet Ursula is looking for a forever family to call her own where she is never again mistreated. She needs a patient home with a family who will introduce her to new things and include her in their adventures. She will require a family who can ensure she gets the vetting, grooming and training that she needs so she can feel healthy and safe and supported. And most of all she needs a family that is committed to giving her the endless love that she craves. I promise that she will give it all back tenfold. If you think you could be her love match please fill out an application and I would love to talk to you about her!