#2604 – Felicity, FKA Lassie
 
Status:   Adopted







Status: Adopted
Name:
FELICITY, FKA Lassie
Type: Sable & White
Age: 3-5 years
Gender: Female
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
Good with children: Yes
Good with other dogs: Yes
Good with cats: Yes
Housebroken: Yes
Foster Location: Madison, WI
Special needs: Fenced yard is preferred as she was a stray; would love to have a canine companion.
Adoption requirements:
Available for adoption with an application & home visit. Don't hesitate to complete our adoption application form
Adoption Fee: Click here for fee
Post-Adoption Update: April 1, 2009      Thought I'd send you an update on Felicity.....now known as Lucy.  The youngest ones in our tribe had so much trouble pronouncing Felicity, that they morphed it into 'Licy  and then into Lucy.  She is fine with it.....and absolutely LOVES the grands and they love her back.  They come over virtually daily to play with the dogs.  5-year-old Ainsley is amazing with Lucy.  Ainsley is tiny for her age, and it is so cute to see her looking at Lucy eye-to-eye, raising her hand so confidently and saying "Lucy, Sit."  Ainsley can get Lucy to do things no other child can.  She just confidently expects that Lucy will, *of course*, understand and do what she says....and Lucy does!  Lucy would play with kids all day long if they didn't have to leave and go to school.

     She has gained six pounds and has graduated to the Blue Wilderness that I'd been feeding Laddie.  She got to where she refused to eat something different -- seemed to think she was missing out on something and insisted on eating what Laddie and Anneka were getting.  She is thriving on it, so I go along with it.  I still sneak her Innova Evo into the mix because I have it and I want it eaten up!  Her face is noticeably filling out in her cheeks -- and we thought she had energy before! She runs and runs and runs in pure joy.  She moves like a dancer, so light and graceful.  Even her walking is a kind of a prance.  She is never still outside and I think she'd gain weight faster if she ever stood still, but then she wouldn't be Lucy without movement.  If Laddie is busy digging for moles or getting a drink or gazing off into the wind, she will run just for the fun of it.  Their favorite games are "leap dog", chase, and much to Laddie's delight - "whack a mole".  He is so happy to teach Lucy the fine art of digging up mole tunnels.  Our back yard now has several truly impressive excavations.  They'll dig and dig and then lay down, stuff their muzzles up the tunnel until only their ears show, sniff mightily, and then resume digging.  Anneka abhors the outdoors and will only stay outside if I am there with them, but her doggie playing skills are improving markedly.  Lucy is very persistent in badgering Anneka into playing and she has learned a few games like chase and "I'll lay down while you chew my neck off and then we'll trade".  She still will not try tug-of-war like Laddie and Lucy  play.  There are some tender moments too, when Lucy will initiate a quiet mutual ear-licking session.  Anneka is willing to spend time alone in the house and Laddie sometimes goes outside to get away from "the girls", but Lucy doesn't ever want to spend time by herself.  I get the impression she has had her fill of being "on her own" and alone, and doesn't ever want any more  loneliness EVER.  Lucy has also formed a sweet friendship with Mouse, who seems to like her best of all the dogs.

     The most dramatic change in Lucy is her coat, which is growing amazingly fast.  It has probably grown two inches in the past month and is surprisingly silky.  Her undercoat is about as light as Laddie's and her guard coat is very interesting.  It is light at the roots, mahogany in the middle and black at the tips, so her overall color is trending lighter.  She is learning to love brushing and comes over and nudges me when I'm brushing one of the other dogs trying to talk me into giving her a turn.  She especially likes her tummy brushed but not her ruff.  It takes a greenie to coax her into getting her ruff brushed.  She is just starting to blow her coat though, so I expect much of her new fluff to disappear in the next week or two.

     We've been working on house and public manners lately including greeting guests sitting down, ignore Anneka when she runs to the window and  barks at cars, don't beg, wait politely while your siblings get leashed up, don't get too snoopy when Mom is fixing your supper (Lucy is fine with this....but not Anneka....she needs the lesson), be calm and polite when going to visit PetSmart, wait politely for your turn when Mom is talking to people, be calm and watch Mom intently  when walking close to traffic, always sit at intersections,  etc.   Lucy has graduated to walking with a collar and leash now since we can no longer squeeze her into her harness.  I have a larger one but she is walking so well I am not using it.  Yesterday I tied Laddie and Lucy's leashes together and slipped them over my shoulders to walk hands-free and they both walked beautifully at my side....with a few gentle reminders that squirrels are a  "leave it".  I didn't trust her far enough to get my hands more than 2 centimeters from the leash, but figured Laddie and I could make a pretty good anchor if she bolted.  Scary things (like big scary men) make her velcro herself to my side or if it is REALLY scary, try to wedge in between Laddie and I.  Laddie and Anneka are definitely food motivated and train well with treats, but I think Lucy likes affection just as much.  She LOVES to have me pet her face, starting with both hands cupped around her muzzle and firmly sliding my hands back over her eyes and past her ears.

     Lucy's world has expanded in the past two weeks.  We've progressed into all walking situations except downtown.  She even handles parking lots, malls, and crowded stores.  She LOVES walks and will happily walk up to 5 or 6 miles, although I still don't let her do that more than 2 or 3 days a week.  Most days I'll walk her around 3 miles.  She now visits PetSmart and PetCo without totally going wide-eyed, but I wouldn't say she is at peace there yet.  I can down Laddie and Anneka and they'll stay down until released, but I can barely get Lucy to sit for more than half a second.  Lots of practice should help her learn she has nothing to fear.  She actually went to the vets for her weigh-in by herself this week and was calm about it.  It helps that she knows I'll tell her what to do like wait at the door, sit, up on the scale, stay till it registers, etc.  We have started taking all three to the off-leash park and Lucy LOVES it.  Several ACRES in which to run! When Maggie the Magnificent Boxer takes off like the wind, Lucy is always the closest behind her with Laddie slightly off the pace and fading.   All the other dogs in the park are strung out way behind.  (Maggie got her first practice with a real fly-ball team Wednesday, and her very first "big dog" run was a 4.04 second run even with a slow turn because she has just learned them!)

     We are all looking forward to a permanent return to warm weather and have big plans for dog park runs and bike rides.

Love,
Fe-Lucy-ty, Laddie, Anneka, Mouse, and Dale and Gail

Description: Named for her happy, outgoing personality, Felicity is a stunning 3-5 year old sable mahogany rough coat Collie, whose friendly exterior belies a recent past of severe deprivation. An  emaciated, nearly starved stray weighing only 35 lbs when she arrived at a shelter in Wisconsin, Felicity's survival makes her somewhat of  a miracle dog. Recognizing that she was a calm, sweet dog worth saving, the kind shelter manager contacted our rescue, and within a week Felicity was on her way to MWCR.

When she arrived in foster care, Felicity did not know her name or any basic obedience commands. It was also not clear if she had been in a house, or around other animals or people. She has adjusted and learned at lightning speed, however! She loves gentle, soft spoken people of all ages, though she sometimes backs away from those who lean over her or reach for her too quickly. She has been wonderful with the resident male collies, and the two female Border Collies, who have been willing guides and teachers. She has also been terrific with the four resident kitties.

In her initial exuberance to meet the resident animals and perhaps because she lacked real world/real dog experiences previously, Felicity has been "disciplined" a few times. She is quick to back down. She also remembers not to repeat the behavior the next time. She takes long daily walks (three miles) with the younger resident dogs and has happily met many of the neighbors and their big and small dogs ( William, the Boxer, is her favorite!). She has been alarmed by the rapid approach of bikers in big winter coats and hats, so she is working on watching/looking at her foster Mom instead of barking.

Felicity appears to have a medium energy level, with an off switch, meaning she can chill out/relax with the best of them! She does LOVE to play ball and tug with the resident dogs and sometimes even the cats, and does display some very mild herding and mouthing behavior when aroused. On the other hand, she is happy to sleep at your feet when you are on the computer or watching television at night.  Because she is still young and playful, Felicity would really enjoy living with another playful, confident, well balanced dog.  Felicity is perfectly house trained, and has not had a single accident in the house. She goes to the door to be let out or will bark to let you know of her needs.

Within 24 hours of her arrival in foster care, Felicity had learned her new name and had recall in the house and yard. Within a week, she has learned sit, stay, down, wait at the door, look/watch, leave it, ah/no, go potty, give paw/shake and walk easy!!  Because she is so smart, it would be best if Felicity went to a home that was interested in continuing her training in formal obedience classes.  She might also do well in agility or rally obedience or some other dog sport. 

Good food and eating regular meals has become one of the special delights in Felicity's new life. Foster Mom home cooks for Felicity and the other resident cats and dogs. Felicity happily takes her place in the pack, lying near the kitchen, smelling the meals that are being prepared for her and the others. Weighing in at 39 lbs after one week in foster care, Felicity is eating simply prepared meals of 50% protein, 25% fats, and 25% carbohydrates. She may continue on home cooking in the future, or switch to a premium commercial food. Her optimum weight should be 50-55 lbs.

Despite the hardships she endured, Felicity is in remarkably good condition. She is spayed, up to date on her vaccines, and heart-worm negative. She has no tick born illness or other parasites.  Felicity has an exceptionally luxurious rough coat, She has been professionally groomed with a holistic groomer who gave her a great deal of personal attention, and she thoroughly enjoyed that experience. Foster Mom's efforts to prepare her for grooming with gentle brushing, and mat and debris removal were also met with grateful looks and soft licks to the hands.

Felicity is a very loving dog who recognizes and is grateful for her good fortune. She is ready to take that next step of cementing her future with a new home and person/family.  Felicity is looking for an active home, with a retired or home-working single person or couple who would take her to formal training classes or otherwise develop her intelligence. She will require gentle, patient treatment, and positive only approaches. A willingness to provide her with an excellent diet so she can regain weight slowly and in a healthy way is also needed. Felicity would love to have another playful canine companion and can live happily with dog savvy cats. Might her new home be with you?