Hi! I’m CHARLIE and I’m around 18 months old. We youngsters tend to be very energetic. When I was adopted from the shelter back in December, I was so glad to be going to a home that I almost took Mom bodysurfing when we left the building. It was a good thing that she held on tight to my leash! I'm now trained to a halti, and am easier to control with that. Meeting folks on walks is usually uneventful, but I can be startled in dim light. I do calm down with verbal reassurance. I don't try to lunge or to run away - I just bark!
I was really a handful the first few months. I had absolutely no manners. I must have been left on my own a lot and never inside the house. With lots of love, training with positive reinforcement, and a touch of discipline, I’m a completely different boy today. I’m not only handsome, but I’m also housetrained and crate trained, and even I know basic commands. I love people (especially Mom) and other dogs. I am trustworthy when left uncrated for short periods, too.
Cats are toys to be chased and played with. Mom says I play too ruff with kids, so I'm destined to live in a forever home with no cats and no children or pre-teens. I get very jealous of Mom’s daughter, especially when Mom snuggles with her instead of me, but it's only because I am so special that I deserve to be the center of attention!! Mom wishes I would be nice to the little girl, cuz that's the only reason I will be leaving this home.
Mom took me to school, and I did pretty well. She’s also taught me that when she says “uh-uh”, I’m doing something I’m not supposed to be doing. Mom follows the “uh-uh” with an “off” or “leave it” command and I generally obey, albeit slowly sometimes - you know, that Selective Hearing Disorder we Irish are afflicted with - but when she’s not looking…
I countersurf. I’m just the right height, so what’s a fella to do? Anyway, if I see or smell something good, I just have to put my front paws up and snatch it (or at least take a bite or lick if I don't have enough time for a heist. Just this morning, I tried my first apple and found it to be pretty good. Mom says I’m just like a toddler and she has to watch me all the time. Honestly, there are lots of times I'd prefer she NOT be watching!! I hope she doesn't tell anyone that I can open the refrigerator door!
We have a big back yard and I love to chase anything that flies or floats. Once, when Mom and I were in the backyard and I saw a really BIG bird in the air. I stopped and pointed and was about to take chase when Mom told me it was an airplane. I guess airplanes are harder to clean and dress than other birds, or maybe they don't cook up real tasty. I'm not sure...
I don’t jump our four foot fence. Mom thinks it's because I really like home. Maybe she's right! I can open sliding glass doors, so they will need to be kept latched. As for the other doors, I have been known to bolt out, and then the race is on!
I really go crazy when someone knocks or rings the doorbell. Mom says I need work on greeting people. I try to sit and stay when Mom opens the door, but I get way too excited and am overly friendly which, for a big dog like me, isn’t appealing to visitors. Sometimes when Mom takes me outside to play, I can get so excited, I forget my manners and start jumping on her or whoever is around.
Mom says I’d do well to have some doggy playmates that can run and keep up with me. She’s probably right because when I go to Camp Bow Wow’s doggy day care I run and play with all the other dogs all day. Take a look at one of my photos from Camp Bow Wow. That’s me rearing up with ears flying.
I also like to bark when strangers are allowed in my house (especially men), or when I hear strange noises. I bark when I awake from a sound sleep from hearing a noise in another part of the house. Mom tells me that it was just her making the noise, and that aliens have not invaded our home, but it can take several minutes for me to settle. Bald men are like aliens to me - waaaaay too scary!!!
Of course, the things that endear me most to Mom and others are my handsome looks and my affectionate and tender ways. I love it when Mom smothers me with hugs and massages my head, neck, and legs. I also like it when Mom lets me pretend that I’m a lap dog. I just can’t get close enough to her and others when they pet me, so I lean into their bodies as much as I can.
Mom lets me sleep in her room at night. She has a blanket on the floor at the foot of her bed. She makes me get on the blanket before she goes to bed, but once she is sound asleep, I sneak up onto the bed and lie very quietly so I can be next to her. She sleeps better knowing I'm close and will protect her from the aliens, and I know that it's my job to cuddle... er, I mean protect the household.
Sometimes I’m just plain goofy and I will make people laugh at my antics. Mom says I’m just too smart for my own good, and sometimes a little stubborn… well, maybe a lot stubborn… but I’m Irish, so what do you expect?
I'm a little flaky when I go to the beauty parlor. As soon as we walk in, I hit the floor and try to melt into the floor in the hopes that they won’t see me, but it never works. When Mom comes back to pick me up, I stand up on my hind legs, front paws on her forearm, and lean in for a full body hug. Finally, we're outta there. Grooming isn't so bad, cuz afterwards, I look even more handsome than I did before, and everyone tells me so.
I've just recently learned to trust people and that people can be good. I can still get scared though, so I need a gentle hand to guide me. I need a forever family that will be patient with me and give me lots of praise when I do the right thing. Mom says I need consistent reinforcement at all times along with daily training, and I'll soon be ready to advance to intermediate training lessons so I will be an even better companion than I am now. Well, I’m not so sure about all that… it sounds like a lot of work. I think I’d prefer to just play more! Fostered by Jeanne in CO.
Save Our Setters, Inc.
CHARLIE
