Socialization/training: Sarah has done well with our dog and other neighbor dogs and has ignored outdoor cats & bunnies while on walks. She has not been tested with indoor cats. She does not exhibit a strong prey drive. She knows her name, sit, down, ‘outside’, and ‘inside’ commands. We are working on drop it and off. She comes when called and responds both to her name and to a whistle. She would do well in an obedience class to learn some additional commands and to bond with her new human. She will need to be supervised with young kids as she is a larger (50 lb) dog. She needs continued reinforcement to not jump up when excited. She is house trained and will let you know when she needs to go out by circling repeatedly or barking at the door.
Crate trained: Yes, she is crate trained – she spends 7 hours sleeping in her crate each night and does well for 4 hours in the crate while foster parents are at work.
Leash trained: Sarah walks very well on a leash for her age. She will get distracted by smells (especially garbage cans) so keeping her on task is something she will need to continue to work on. After dark she prefers to be walked on a shorter leash. She walks well both in our neighborhood and also on local hiking trails.
Activity Level: She loves to explore the yard. We started her on e-fence training and she really blossomed as she now has the run of our 1-acre yard. She would do well either in a fenced yard (hard fence or e-fence) or with multiple long walks per day. Given her size and loud bark, she would not be the best choice for a multi-unit housing situation.
Sarah is a generally mellow young dog, but will surprise you with her energy level when she gets the zoomies.
Fence: Sarah has completed e-fence training and is doing well with continued direction and reinforcement in our yard. She would need to be retrained on an e-fence at an adopters home (yard would need to be flagged for a few weeks). She will do well with either an e-fence or physical fence. Although a fenced yard is preferred, a home without a fenced yard would also be considered if there is a solid exercise plan in place for her via a safe alternative (e.g., leash walks, fenced dog parks).
Behavior: Sarah was hit by a car in Greece. Subsequently her eyes do not track together 100% and she has some vision issues. Because of this, she likes to be close to her human or another dog for added comfort and guidance when exploring a new area. We have noticed that walking outside after dark makes her a little unsure of herself. She feels secure when on a short leash with her human after dark. During the daylight, she happily plays and runs around in our yard with our other dog. She loves to chase a thrown tennis ball or toy, but needs further work on retrieving it. We haven’t allowed her to be on furniture but she loves to cuddle on the floor with her humans. Her favorite indoor activity is to tear apart plush dog toys (they usually last about 2 days) so keeping shoes/ clothing/ etc out of her reach will be important. She can be easily redirected with an appropriate chew toy or bone.
Medical History: Sarah is microchipped, up to date on vaccines, and on monthly heartworm and flea & tick prevention. She has not been spayed and will need to be adopted on a puppy contract and get spayed in her adoptive home when she is old enough. She was hit by a car as a young puppy in Greece and has some eyesight issues that should resolve over time according to the vet in Greece. Our vet in Illinois said there is nothing physically wrong with her retinas or optic nerves, but her brain may need to reconnect neural pathways to her eyes over time. Her next leishmaniasis test is due by June 2025. She is currently 45 lbs but she is still growing, she will be between 50-60 lbs once fully grown.
This dog originates from Greece where Leishmaniasis is endemic. They tested negative before coming to the USA, but the parasite can remain dormant in the system for many years, so potential adopters must be willing to commit to annual testing for the next 7 years. Typically, the test needs to be sent to a special lab, but any regular vet can draw the blood and send it to the lab. The cost of the test seems to vary widely by area, but is approximately $150-$250. or if your vet is willing to send the test to a veterinary college lab, cost can be as low as $80.
Foster Comments: Sarah is a 7 month old Setter Mix puppy originally from Greece and has typical puppy energy. She is a lovely, mellow, larger girl who will thrive in her forever family. She is sweet, wants to please you, and would love to be in a family with kids or dog siblings.
Foster Location: Lake Barrington, IL
Volunteer transport can be arranged in the Continental US within a 1,000-mile distance between adopters & foster home. If interstate transport is provided for your adopted dog, there will be an additional charge of $50.00 for the required Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (“Health Certificate”). Typically, we are able to transport your adopted dog to within 2 hours of your home. *Dogs can be adopted outside the 1000-mile transport distance; however, adopters must be willing to either fly their adopted dog, drive to a location within the 1000-mile transport range, or make independent transport arrangements for their adopted dog. Transports to far Western states, from Eastern states, may have additional restrictions.
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