Lexi - Foster 2/9/08 - 3/7/08

3/7/08 Update: Lexi went home with a great family from Lancaster (Reillys). She will be playing with her little brother Sterling and her two human siblings plus lvoing parents. She didn't even glance back!

3/2/2008 Update: Lexi is very sensitive even though, once she's comfortable around you, she'll seem very confident. Her bluster hides a very vulnerable and insecure pup. She'll need purely positive training with nothing harsher than a squirt bottle (which she would absolutely hate). She plays like a doberman or smaller dog--she goes straight for the legs. She also plays very well and is happy to romp and roll around with other dogs.

Lexi bites when she wants something (not hard, but not very gently either). When she gets excited or happy, she bites. She loves to bite your nose (with teeth, not a dainty little nibble) and she will chitterbite (gently) at your head. I think this is all because she has had much more social time with dogs than with humans. Other than that, her main vices are counter surfing and just general bad manners in a puppy like way. She demand barks, she's somewhat barrier aggressive, and she's pushy. She also pulls on leash. But all of this is easily worked on.

On the plus side--and there are many pluses--She's very good in the crate, she's very sweet and loving. She loves to cuddle and play, she sits and gives paw. She's sweet as can be and, due to Shark's more pressing issues (separation anxiety), I let her get away with murder here. She'll do well in a home that has structure and routine, where she can be confident without being obnoxious.

2/16/08 Update: Lexi has been here for a week and is ready for action! She would do well with an active male dog who can play hard and hang out with her. She's a sneaky girl who snuggles up to you and slowly crawls onto the bed from your lap so that you don't notice that's where she wants to be! She's fun loving and easy going and wants to sit in your lap with paws on your head or shoulders. She gets along well with her foster brother but wants him to play more. She would gladly steal his food or stuffies, is also a MAJOR counter surfer, and is fine climbing furniture to get to snacks out of reach. I'm hoping to kid and cat test her this week sometime.

2/11/08 Update: Lexi is a little dane lady who is sweet, affectionate and quite pretty. She has a delicate face and nice markings. She is low keyed, and content to hang at home in her crate (even with the door open). She has house manners but I'm not quite sure she's housetrained yet--she's certainly crate-trained, however, so as long as she's in the crate, there will be no accidents. Lexi will look at you with her big innocent eyes and you'll be suckered into thinking she can do no wrong! But, alas, she loves to trash pick and is happy to put her paws up to find hidden goodies and open cabinets to find goodies inside.

She knows sit, down and paw and is very well mannered when receiving treats. She's also learning touch (nose to palm). She's eager to please and very happy to work for food. Lexi is a sneaky little girl who conns you into thinking that butter wouldn't melt in her big brown eyes, but she is a bit of a resource guarder as well, and likes to put herself square in the path of her humans so that no one else can get to them.

Lexi loves to burrow her head in your lap and try to climb up so that she's attached to you everywhere--it's adorable! She'd like to play with other pups but the other foster here isn't interested in playing with her yet, so she's biding her time. She's such a dane that, the other day in very high winds (60 mph or so), she stuck her nose out the door and then ran and squeezed herself into a corner between the crate and a wall so that she didn't have to go out. She later had an accident while gated in the kitchen.

If Lexi doesn't want to do something, she runs away from you and tries to make sure you can't get to her. She will most likely be very scared when leaving her known environment but that soon settles out and she'll be wagging her tail and having a good time in only a few short days.

This dane was fostered by the Delaware Valley Doberman Pinscher Rescue Alliance.