by Lee Juslin

Spencer, a beautiful little Doxie, came into Dachshund Rescue of North America from a shelter. He was turned in by a young man who said he had landlord issues and that he had gotten Spencer from another person. So, though they didn’t have much information on Spencer’s past, the shelter staff could see he was a very friendly boy. They called Susie, the area Dachshund rescue volunteer, and she picked him up within two hours of his being admitted to the shelter.

Spencer

Spencer was heart worm negative and had no health issues, unusual for a dog coming into rescue, except that he needed to be neutered and that he had a condition called Cryptorchism which means that one testicle had not descended. Susie had Spencer neutered as well as the surgery to correct his Cryptorchism. At only two years old and otherwise healthy, Spencer is recovering well.

Because Spencer is such a good looking Dachshund and has such a nice personality, Susie knew he would be easy to place, but she is determined to hold out for the perfect home and to give him time to recover fully from his surgery. Spencer is house-trained but he does occasionally engage in submissive peeing which Susie feels could stem from stern treatment at the hands of his original owner. Susie is working to correct this behavior and has also crate-trained him.

Spencer has fitted in well with Susie’s pack. He has become particularly attached to Kopper, the cart dog, and the two play together both in the house and out in the yard. Kopper is eager to play and this has helped him lead a more normal life. “I rarely put him in his cart anymore,” said Susie. “Spencer has helped Kopper become more independent. I put Spencer’s crate right next to Kopper’s at bedtime, and this has stopped Kopper from crying and whining at night.”

At dinner time, Spencer is fed last ,and he is fine with the arrangement since he gets along with all the other dogs in Susie’s home, including a couple of larger breed ones. After dinner, Spencer often gathers up a group of toys and puts them in his bed. None of the others seem to mind this eccentricity.

While Susie feels Spencer needs more time and observation, when he is ready for a forever home, the right qualifications would include a fenced in yard and a home with another dog for company. Susie thinks Spencer would be fine with children as long as they know how to treat a dog. He would also be okay with an older or handicapped person. “He’s a busy, active boy,” says Susie, “but he amuses himself with toys and chew bones or with a pal to play with. I know it will be hard on Kopper when Spencer is adopted, but Spencer deserves a great home and a family of his own.”

You can find more animal rescue, therapy animal, and other pet related articles in our pet section.

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Lee Juslin is a free lance copywriter living in North Carolina with her husband, Scott, and her band of misfits: Tarquin, a Wheaten Scottish Terrier, and three handicapped cats. They can be seen on their website: Hampshire Hooligans. She owns I B Dog Gone, a small embroidery business and is the author of the Nurse Frosty books for children and Frosty’s Story: Tales of a Therapy Dog. She supports a number of national and regional terrier rescue organizations.