Steffy has been adopted!
Sponsored by the Nesbitt family in loving memory of our Zia Camilla and Lady, her beautiful Irish Setter.
Steffy is one of those dogs who comes through your door and just shines. She is a low to medium-high energy dog. Foster Dad is very particular about dogs and he cannot stop raving about how great she is to everyone he chats with. She is a very loving girl, if you pet her all day, she will be thrilled, giving as many kisses as she can and when asked to go lay down she will. She knows “lay on your bed, In your bed, bedtime, she knows sit and can if there is enough room to comfortably position her one leg. She does not beg at the table though cannot resist an enticing scent. She loves her walks, other dogs, cats, is fully crate trained and housebroken. Steffy has been left alone for up to 6 hours in her crate and has been very good when left out of her crate too, running to the door when her foster mom comes home. Recently when she was away with foster mom, she slept in the living room on a dog bed all night without incident. We are not a barker. We rarely bark in the house and only bark to alert when strange people try to approach or will playfully bark at another dog when they are playing.
When we first committed to bringing Steffy to Save Me, she had the standard intake vetting we do for all of our dogs and she tested positive for Heartworm. Steffy completed her treatment in Tennessee before travelling to Canada and her foster home. Part of our protocol includes having Steffy on a particular Heartworm prevention for a year following treatment. The first six months of this has been given by injection. Full details about Steffy’s Heartworm treatment and follow up will be supplied to her potential adopter.
Immediately upon arrival, it was observed that something was not quite right with one of Steffy’s legs as her gait was a bit off at times and she would hold it out when sitting. We had Steffy examined by our veterinarian and x-rays done. The x-rays revealed that Steffy had a fracture at some point that had healed quite well but what was causing her issues was that her knee cap had shifted and was to the side of her leg. Even under sedation the knee could not be moved. We consulted with the orthopaedic surgeon that we work with and his advice is to leave things be. The knee is not repairable and he feels it will cause negligible issues for her. As she ages he would expect her to have some degree of arthritis in her knee which may require anti inflammatory medications at some point – something that we see so often even without any pre-existing issues. We did inquire if this would be causing Steffy pain and it was the surgeon’s opinion that he would not expect it to and if it did it would be no worse than an achy knee at times. While Steffy might not be winning any races, she manages very well and has figured out how to do whatever she needs to in her own way. An incidental finding on her X-ray is that Steffy was shot at some point and there is a bullet present that is not causing her any issues. Unfortunately this is something we see far too often and it never fails to hurt our hearts for what dogs like Steffy have endured.
Steffy’s foster mom does want her potential adopter to know that Steffy will need time to adjust at her own pace to her new family, and the activity in the home as she can be quite timid in new situations. Once she is comfortable she is awesome. Foster mom does think that introductions to new people should be supervised, in her own home, where she feels safe as she is still not comfortable with new people and children are a curiosity at this point only. She does try to run away when a situation makes her nervous so off leash at this time is not recommended. She puts foster mom in between her and the things she is unsure of, vans, people on the street and recently cows while staying on a farm. Due to this, Steffy is best suited to an adult family with older teens with a fenced backyard. A trainer may be able to help the adoptive family resolve or offer tips on how to help Steffy develop more confidence.
A confident, energetic dog friendly dog in the home would be great for her too. She takes a lot of cues from the other dogs. If there is a confident energetic dog in the home, then she will run and play, chase a ball don’t expect her to bring it back though. With another playful dog we will play, run and wrestle engaging in tug of war then find a spot to lay down for a bit in the yard or deck waiting until they are ready to go again. If your dog is quiet, she will match the energy of the other dog. Doesn’t mean she won’t try to get them to play but is very respectful. On walks she will wag her tail at other dogs and watch them walk by. Once inside though she is very quiet, laying on her bed, grooming her stuffed toys and sleeping.
Steffy likes cats too and will play with them if they are happy to join. If she sees a cat on the street we stop and watch it until it is out of sight. Squirrels are equally interesting and a simple no is enough to remind her that we aren’t chasing anything. She is great in her crate with a comfy bed and goes in when asked; had been eating in her crate as she had shown resource guarding of food with other dogs and has recently graduated to eating beside foster sister without incident now. Steffy has incredible walking skills. She is great on a harness and leash, typically walking by foster mom’s side then in the park given her leash to explore and go to the bathroom. If she is distracted by something she is easily brought back to foster mom’s side. Even if the other dogs are running and playing she may jump ahead to join in but is easily reminded to settle. Steffy loves to spend time out in the sunshine on the enclosed deck, on her bed. If a fenced yard is available, she will happily lay in the grass and enjoy being outside and don’t be surprised to find a hole in the yard, it’s her cool down spot, especially if there is a tree to offer shade after a rigorous playtime with another dog.
Steffy will do best in a home with a backyard to explore and go to the bathroom. Initially tie outs were not working for her but a soft cotton “lunge” line has proven successful and we can be out lounging in the grass, chasing crickets and getting other important things done. She does fine going up short steps and has been practising main floor to second floor. She is afraid, so she just needs time to be comfortable going up and down alone. Car rides are fun, we like them but it is hard to get in the car so she will need help, foster mom gets in the backseat of the car first and then she follows sometimes needing a little help in. A ramp may be helpful too, especially if you have an SUV.
Steffy is the sweetest, loveliest dog and she deserves to have her best life. She is only 2 years old, so much potential and so many possibilities. Is she a hiking buddy on rough terrain likely not. She can definitely do easier, flatter hikes without issue. Jogging buddy, maybe in time. She is all dog and does not let her one leg hamper her. She has shown foster mom that she can do pretty much anything other dogs can do. Are you the family she is waiting for?
Selected potential adopters will need to have an In Person meet and greet with Steffy in Norwich to ensure a good match.
Steffy was lovingly fostered by Debbie
