Meet Sassy (Robert 6)! This sweet and spunky 6-year-old, 36-pound lady may be six, but she has the heart and playful spirit of a puppy. Curious, happy, affectionate, and always ready for a little adventure, Sassy loves exploring the world with her people and then settling in for some serious snuggle time.
Sassy is an excellent little adventure buddy. She loves exploring trails, following her nose to investigate interesting scents, and confidently checking out new sights and surfaces. She also enjoys getting her zoomies out in the dog run, although her foster says she usually only needs about five minutes of running around before she's ready to "chillaxxx." Once she's back inside, Sassy settles down quickly and is more than happy to curl up with her people. Her energy level is generally medium, and she is wonderfully adaptable-playful and bubbly when the opportunity arises but calm and relaxed when that's the vibe at home.
Playtime is another favorite. Sassy loves squeaky toys, although she's unfortunately a little too enthusiastic about destroying them! She's also a big fan of tennis balls and has been working hard on her fetch skills. Her foster has since removed her stuffies because Sassy was having a little too much fun tearing them apart, but she has discovered a new favorite activity: playing with rope toys! She's food motivated, eager to learn, and has mastered sitting nicely when she's getting a treat. Her foster says she's doing AMAZING!
But as much as Sassy loves exploring and playing, nothing compares to her love for people. This girl is an absolute cuddlebug who wants to be as close to her favorite humans as possible. She loves climbing into laps, giving kisses, and soaking up every bit of affection she can get. Her foster's answer when asked whether Sassy enjoys snuggling and being near people? "Absolutely 101%." She has an endless supply of kisses and seems convinced that everyone she meets is a potential new best friend.
Sassy recently attended an adoption event and was thrilled to meet so many new people. She can get a little overexcited when greeting strangers because she simply wants to get as close as possible and collect ALL the love, which can sometimes turn into enthusiastic jumping. She's been working on those manners, and she showed just how capable she is of making good choices when she met a young girl and her mom at the event. Sassy was incredibly gentle with the little girl, giving her sweet kisses and not jumping at all. Her foster was understandably very proud of her!
Sassy has continued meeting new people both inside and outside the home and has been wonderful with everyone. She is friendly with women, men, and children. She may still greet people with an enthusiastic jump, but her foster is working with her on keeping all four paws on the ground. Sassy simply loves being close to people and doesn't want to miss an opportunity to make a new friend. Her foster is also looking into attending more adoption events with her as scheduling allows.
Sassy also recently enjoyed a weekend sleepover with a volunteer and proved to be a wonderful houseguest. She tolerated her glow-up bath like a champ, hopped into the car with just a little treat for encouragement, and happily looked out the window during the ride. Once home, she explored the flower garden, went for a neighborhood walk, met new friends, and enjoyed plenty of time with her people. She wasn't particularly interested in squirrels, other dogs, or joggers-she was much more interested in sticking with her humans. Inside the house, Sassy had excellent manners and didn't bark or get into anything. She even happily stretched out across a lap to watch TV before eventually conking out for a well-earned snooze.
Sassy is also making excellent progress with housetraining. With a consistent potty schedule, she has had no accidents since her first few days in foster. She stays in her crate when her foster is away and has had zero accidents there. She may whine a little when her foster leaves for work, but having a few extra toys in her crate and some cartoons playing in the background seem to help her settle. Her foster reports that she continues to do great when left alone and is improving more each week.
Her leash skills continue to be a real highlight. Sassy typically walks right alongside her person without pulling, and she's easy to redirect with treats when something catches her attention. If she hasn't had a chance to get her quick burst of energy out first, she may pull because she'd rather run around and play, but a few minutes in the dog run is usually all she needs before she's ready to get back to walking nicely. During her busy trip to PetSmart, she was easily redirected with training treats, and she's continued to show that she's a very capable and responsive walking companion.
Sassy has continued doing well on her walks. She occasionally gets a small burst of playful energy, but it doesn't happen often, and she can be redirected easily. When it does happen, her foster simply gives her a little playtime to release those zoomies, and then Sassy is ready to continue walking nicely.
Sassy has also started being introduced to her foster family's resident cat. She's very playful and can be jumpy, while the cat is understandably still getting used to having a new, energetic dog around. Sassy simply seems to think her feline roommate would make an excellent playmate and is eager to engage, so her foster family is continuing introductions at a comfortable pace while teaching her that sometimes the cat would prefer a little personal space.
Sassy has met other dogs at the shelter and prefers playful dog friends. She requests to meet any potential doggie roommates to make sure they're a good match.
This happy little lady has so much to offer. She's affectionate, playful, food motivated, eager to learn, wonderful on leash, increasingly reliable with housetraining, and remarkably quick to settle once she's had a little time to play. Most of all, Sassy absolutely adores her people and has enough kisses and cuddles to keep her future family very well supplied.
Her foster describes her as bubbly, playful, and a total girly girl. She is always ready for some fun when the opportunity arises, but she is just as happy to be calm, cozy, and chill with her favorite people.
Sassy has met other dogs at the shelter and prefers playful dog friends. She requests to meet any potential doggie roommates to make sure they're a good match.
MVP Up to Bat! I'm a BARCS MVP because I'm still working on my social skills with other dogs. I like playful pals, but I can be selective, so a little guidance helps. I'll just need to meet any potential doggie roommate first to make sure we click! Please contact our Dog Foster team at dogfosters@barcs.org to connect with my foster family, and get to know me better! I can't wait to meet you.
Every animal deserves a home run! BARCS MVPs are overlooked pets in the shelt
