Introducing the silky, spotted beauty like no other: AIDA! Aida's name means "joy" in Old English and she both has a joyful disposition and is a true joy to foster!
Aida is listed as a Beagle/English Setter mix. She has striking good looks and like most English Setters, she is happiest when outside where she can run and hunt, doing laps around the backyard in pursuit of one of her canine siblings or chasing flies! Once inside, she settles down quickly and is content to lie in your lap or next to you with her head on your laptop....while you're typing....
Aida is the three important H's: healthy, happy AND house-trained! She's not a barker, will crate (though not with the same enthusiasm she has for other activities), knows her name and comes immediately when called! She will be spayed and brought up to date on all of her shots on Sept. 21, 2007. With her tiny adult size (only about 25 lbs and probably over 1 year old--we'll see what the vet says on Fri) and youthful enthusiasm, she is often mistaken as a puppy.
However, Aida is very much a "big girl"---no puppy behavior here! She seems to know instinctively what are "dog" and what are "human" toys (perhaps by the doggie smell?), and after a brief two-day adjustment period is pottying herself outside like a champ! She's looking for a family with room to play, and a coffee table under which she can build her patented "Aida Den" where she stores her chewies and stuffies that she's squirreled away during the course of the day. Once in the den, she likes to lie in the middle of all of her toys and luxuriate like
Scrooge McDuck in his gold on Ducktales.
Aida is extremely smart, and aside from learning to sit on command, has taken an analytical interest in my setter/border collie's behavior. For hours at a time they'll watch the other with very thoughtful looks on their faces, as if to say, "I wonder why she did that?" and "How can I take her chewie?" When not in a staring match, they stutter step, posture, and play all day---what a riot! While an extremely sweet girl that gets along well with other dogs, she does have a couple of quirks that could tick off a less confident dog. For instance, she throws her face into the first food bowl to hit the ground, no matter if there is already another canine occupant. She doesn't even have to growl--my 75 lb male just gives up, heaves a sigh, and asks his mommy for another bowl. She also will guard treats, toys, and high value people, if allowed, though my dogs constantly remind her that I'm not her "real" mommy (and that she's only 25 lbs) and she backs down quickly. It's amazing, though, how spunky she is for such a little bit!
I'd like to see Aida in a home of her own with a big fenced yard (tall wood, preferred), perhaps a canine sibling or two, though she's confident enough to fly solo. I would recommend against small children as when she does her "happy dance," she's in full-on spaz mode and could knock over or scratch a smaller kid. She has not been tested with a cat, though I have a feeling she might fit fine with a larger, confident cat. Despite her amazing displays of confidence, she
is very shy in public and will need work in groups. Parks are simply too stressful for her right now, which shocked the heck out of me after seeing her at home. Oh, well, I guess we can't all be perfect, but she's soooooo close!
Aida says, "Please give me a chance! Please, please, please! I'm such a good girl and soooo excited to have a family of my own to share all of my love and joy!"
