Wendy

Everyone meet Wendy a 28 pound (12.5kg) approximately 4 year old english cocker spaniel.  Wendy is a nice medium sized dog with a gorgeous soft reddish brown coat and beautiful soulful brown eyes.  Wendy is a complete love bug and adores her people.  She is a very people oriented dog.

Wendy spent the first four years of her life as a mill momma. When she came to us she was in heat and therefore could not be spayed.  So any potential adopters will need to live within about an hour of Cambridge to accommodate the dropping off and picking up for her mandatory spay surgery at PDR expense.  Due to Wendy’s start in life as a mill momma she is a bit skittish around new experiences but she’s game to try if you are there to guide her. This has also made her somewhat clingy to her family.  She exhibits some whining when a member of the family leaves and some anxious pacing for a short period of time.  Because of this Wendy will need a home with stable routines and a calm household.

The best home for Wendy would be a home where comings and goings are minimal and routines are clearly established.  Wendy thrives on knowing what to expect and when to expect it.  She would not do well in a busy household with lots of activity and no clear routine.  A home with a couple or single person where one person is home most of the day would be best.  Wendy is not too noise sensitive.  She will startle at loud noises but will recover quickly.  Wendy is of medium energy and a couple short (30 min.) walks a day would be plenty. She currently lives in a home with a fairly large yard but she would do fine with a small yard because she will usually go out wander around a bit and then find a nice spot to lay down and relax. Wendy will occasionally vocalize by howling softly and she rarely barks especially when someone is home.

Wendy currently lives with three other small dogs, two dog savvy cats and a couple parrots.  Being a cocker spaniel she is very interested in the birds so it would be best to not have birds in the home.  She mostly leaves the cats alone but will occasional chase them but with no intent to harm.  So she would do fine in a home with dog savvy cats.  She shows little interest in the dogs and does not play with them.  She would do best as an only dog or with a dog of similar energy that is not looking for a playmate.  She loves being around her people and will occasionally want to snuggle but is generally content to be near her people in the same room or next to you on the couch.  Wendy has shown little interest in toys.  She will occasionally pick up a toy but will not play with it.  She will sometimes pick up a chew bone and chew for a short while.  We have tried playing with a tennis ball with her but again she shows little interest in playing fetch.

Wendy had to have her fur shaved very short when she came to us because she was severely matted and her grooming care had been completely neglected. Wendy will require regular brushing once her fur has grown back.  We currently brush her every other day or so to get her used to this routine.  She enjoys the interaction and likes being brushed. She will also need professional grooming every few months to keep her fur nice and free from mats and tangles. Wendy has done well at her house training and has not had any accidents for quite awhile.  She will go to the back door and run back to you to let you know she needs out. She will do this several times with increasing urgency if you don’t pay attention the first time.  Wendy sleeps in her crate overnight about 8 to 8.5 hours and spends time in her crate when we are not at home, about 2 hours.  She does not seek out the crate as a nap spot but will enter willingly and settle if a treat is put in the crate.  Wendy eats well and has no trouble eating around the other dogs. Wendy rides well in the car and generally settles down and sleeps for the ride.  Since it is not possible to crate her in the vehicle when the other dogs are along she will ride harnessed in like our dogs and is quite content with this arrangement.

Wendy has learned to walk on leash and is generally pretty good.  She has a tendency to lag at times especially because she likes to sniff everything along the way.  She mostly ignores other dogs but will react if the other dog barks or moves towards her.  She is easily redirected and will continue the walk.  She does react to wildlife and will try to chase them.  This is in keeping with her cocker spaniel flushing instincts.  For this reason it is important to keep a good hold of her leash and be aware of the surroundings.

Wendy has had the opportunity to go camping with us and she really enjoyed the experience.  She loved going hiking and did really well in the canoe.  She sat quietly in the canoe watching the scenery go by.  She chilled in the x-pen set-up we have for camping and handled sleeping in the trailer as if it was home. We brought along her crate for sleeping. She handled the new adventure with enthusiasm and enjoyment.

 Wendy has had no experience with children but would do well with respectful quiet teenagers. Wendy is a smart dog and thrives on training which teenage children could be very involved with.  She has already learned the sit and down command.  Wendy is very food motivated and will do anything for a treat.  Training with Wendy will be important to help with her confidence building and give her something to focus on.  We noticed a natural behaviour that Wendy does, which is crawling on her belly.  We have been re-enforcing this and are teaching her this as a trick she can show off.  She loves to do things to please her people.

Wendy is a healthy girl that has had all her core vaccines and has been tested for heartworm, parasites and tick borne diseases.  She tested negative and all is good with her health.  As noted earlier Wendy will need to be spayed when a sufficient interval has passed from her final heat.  PDR will arrange to have this done at their vet in Cambridge. The vet noted some mild dental disease but this is not something that needs immediate attention but will probably need to be done in the next year to keep her healthy.    She is also on flea and tick prevention.

If you are looking for an affectionate, loving companion who enjoys the outdoors Wendy could be your girl.  Wendy is equally happy snoozing quietly next to you as she is going on walks and exploring the neighbourhood or park or wandering around the yard checking everything out.  You will be able to enjoy many years of love and companionship with this wonderful girl.