Casey
Prior to our loss of Grady we decided, with the help of friends, that we needed to plan ahead for that inevitable day when we would not have him around. It was a suggestion that seemed to make sense. Bring another puppy into the house and let Grady help us to train him. You know, sort of show him the ropes and boundaries so as to become a good citizen. It sounded good and in another story I will tell you all about Tripp. This story, however, is about Casey.
Having just Tripp in the house, after we lost Grady, was a house that was just not quite complete. Tripp had a taste of a companion but lost him all too soon. I think Becky and I both decided that what was needed was another Springer. We never said anything to each other, but I know now that we were on the same wave length. I had heard from Tripp's breeder that she was considering retiring Tripp's daddy in a couple of years and would be looking for a loving home for him. At the time we thought that this was a possibility. After giving it careful consideration, however, we decided that there were two problems with this. The first of which was that we did not want to wait that long for another dog to come into our home. Most importantly we decided that a six or seven year old stud wasn't such a good idea even if he was to be neutered We also were afraid that there was a possibility of aggression between Tripp and his daddy, Ruger. We decided to put the idea on the back burner. We both felt that there must be a better alternative.
I have had a love affair with Springers for many years and a soft spot in my heart for the work that English Springer Rescue America has done over the years. About ten years ago we commissioned Jim Killen to paint a portrait of Grady. The painting is the most outstanding rendition of the beauty and grace that was Grady. After a few years Jim decided that Grady's portrait should be printed allowing others to enjoy this work. In exchange for the rights to run prints we would receive a number of them for our own personal use. That year at the South Eastern Wildlife Exposition we visited with the volunteers manning the Springer Rescue booth. We decided to run home and gather up some of the prints and donate them to the group in hopes that they may be able to generate some money from them.
Fast forward to the present. One day with nothing to do I logged on to the ESRA website to view the pictures and read the stories of the many Springers housed in foster homes awaiting adoption. As I scrolled through the pictures, one jumped out at me. It was the photograph of a most beautiful black and white boy named Casey. He was striking a pose with one foreleg up in a manner right out of a Robert Abbott painting. I read his story and couldn't wait to show him to my wife when she arrived home from work. When she saw him she said “Call them, I want him!” Wow, Becky never jumps at things like that. She has a demeanor that is calculating, weighing all the possibilities before committing to anything. This, though, was different. She had her mind made up in a flash and gave me a look that said I best be in agreement. Of course I was.
That night I sent an email to Pam Civilie. Pam is the Carolina's coordinator for ESRA and Casey was being fostered by Pam and her husband Mark. I told her who I was and why I was contacting her. I told her the story about donating the prints to ESRA and that my wife and I were hoping to adopt Casey and give him the forever home that he deserved. Pam called me the next day and told me that she was the one that we had given the prints to and that she knew we were, in her words “Springer people” and if we wanted to bring Casey into our home, it was okay by her. It was decided that we would meet halfway between our two homes and she would transfer Casey over to us for a trial run and sleep over. The ten day wait before that day seemed to last an eternity. But on the appointed day off we headed to a Fayetteville rest stop.
I think that this is as good a time as any to tell Casey's story prior to joining the Neuhaus family. There is a lot of missing information but there is certainly enough to tell you that all was not a bed of roses. This much we know. Casey belonged to a family in North Carolina. Was he a purebred? No one knows. But by looking at him you can't help but think that he certainly came from good stock. For some reason he was dropped off at a shelter after living with a family at the age of four and a half years. Did he live with only one family or had he been passed around? We will never know. The people at the shelter were told that they said he was too exuberant with the family's children. He is a Springer. They are supposed to be exuberant. They are athletes. The vet that checked him out labeled him as aggressive. Duh! His world has just been totally turned upside down. Wouldn't you be a little defensively aggressive too? They also said that his name was Sidney but he would not respond to that name for anyone. A word game was played and as soon as he heard the name Casey he perked up. Was this his way of trying to forget his previous life and forge a new identity? Could be. He also seemed to mistrust women to some degree and would tend to get aggressive when placed in a crate. He suffered from a mild form of separation anxiety and would get excited when he saw a sport utility vehicle. He had never been neutered but he was in great physical shape. He obviously had been well fed and had not a trace of any physical problems. Ears were clean, teeth white, and properly groomed.
Here is my spin on Casey's story. He belonged to a young couple but was mainly the husband’s dog. He was taken everywhere in the couple's SUV prior to the arrival of children. Once children arrived, his whole world changed. The trips in the vehicle ended and he was forced into a cage or crate as soon as the husband was off to work. The new mother had no time for a dog while taking care of babies. Sidney lived in that crate, possibly in a garage or some other room while the husband was at work. Once he arrived home Sidney was let out and attached himself to his master like velcro. He did not especially like the lady of the house and possibly relayed that in some fashion. Eventually she said “It's either me or the dog”. Sidney, through no fault of his own, was thrust into a cage at the shelter awaiting his fate. Fortunately someone there recognized that this was no ordinary stray. Not that a stray has any less of a need to be taken care of and loved, but this was a breed that had an organization that would take this beautiful animal at a moments notice and work toward getting him in foster care and eventually adopted to a forever home. It was a no-brainer for the shelter people. A business card on the wall had Pam's name and number on it and after the call she was on her way to pick him up. After bringing him into their home, Pam and Mark started the process that would get Sidney's shots up to date as well as having him neutered. A micro chip was injected under his skin to let the world know that this guy has a home. This was about the time the name changing came into play. They also recognized some of his behavioral problems and noted that it would take a “Springer person” to fully understand Casey and pull him through some of his problems. Several families visited Casey in hopes of adopting him. Pam and Mark turned down these people mainly because they sensed that Casey had special needs and that most people were not equipped to tackle the issues and get him through them. He did not need to be passed around. For some reason she felt that we were the ones.
Off I-95 and into the rest area. We pulled up next to their vehicle and put Tripp on a leash and walked toward Mark and Casey. Pam was a short distance away watching how we approached Casey and how we all reacted. Becky went right over and dropped down on her knees to greet him. I handed Tripp off to Pam and walked over to greet him in the same manner. I was not prepared for what was to come next. Casey bared his teeth, growled and snapped at me. I safely pulled my hand back in shock. This was not what I had expected and my first thought was to get back in the truck and drive back home without him. After a few moments I took the leash and proceeded to walk him around. This seemed to break the ice between us and in short order the eyes softened and he leaned into me for support and affection. Casey had attached himself to Mark and I was an intruder that was coming between him and the person he trusted. We agreed to give it a try and headed back toward home. I will admit that I was not completely convinced that this was going to work out but I was willing to do anything in my power to make it work and give this boy the home he truly longed for and deserved.
There have been some bumps along the way, but the road is getting smoother. He exhibited some aggression towards some visitors to our home. All were female and they did nothing to provoke him. Working with a very brilliant dog trainer has helped me become a better trainer and I have shown Casey that I am the one in control and that he must live by the rules that I have set. A major part of this is exercise. By that I mean the type of exercise that has his tongue dragging on the ground. He also has been getting training that includes all the obedience stuff that every dog should have. This he has taken to with enthusiasm. I love this dog. I can't erase all the bad stuff that has happened to him. I only hope that his new life is so good that he shoves all the bad stuff to a place he never has to visit or remember again. Oh, one very important thing happened less than three months after he joined us. My daughter and her two small children came for a visit. I was apprehensive about how he would react. Within minutes of their arrival Casey, Ben, and Maddie were all in a large dog bed watching cartoons.
Now, months later, I can somewhat complete Casey's song.. He has learned several new things. One of his favorites is to ride on our boat and stand up in the bow with a pose that lets the world know that this is his boat. He will then turn and head for my wife and try to leap into her arms as if he is saying “Thank You!” We had introduced boating and the beach to Tripp at an early age and now it was time to see how Casey would react to the ocean. So, early one morning we headed out to Sullivan's Island hoping that he would enjoy this as much as his buddy. Tripp headed straight for the water and started splashing and swimming. I kept Casey on his leash and slowly walked him into the shallows. He was a little reluctant at first. But his trust in me allowed him to overcome his fears and in a few minutes he was swimming for perhaps the first time in his life. I turned to my wife and it was obvious that we both had tears in our eyes. Two weeks later we went back to the beach. We unsnapped both leads as we cleared the dunes and both Tripp and Casey ran for the surf. Both hit the water at the same time, turned around and headed back to us on a run. I know the expressions on those two boys was an expression of total joy. It was as if they were saying to us “hurry up, the waters great!”
Pat Neuhaus
I have had a love affair with Springers for many years and a soft spot in my heart for the work that English Springer Rescue America has done over the years. About ten years ago we commissioned Jim Killen to paint a portrait of Grady. The painting is the most outstanding rendition of the beauty and grace that was Grady. After a few years Jim decided that Grady's portrait should be printed allowing others to enjoy this work. In exchange for the rights to run prints we would receive a number of them for our own personal use. That year at the South Eastern Wildlife Exposition we visited with the volunteers manning the Springer Rescue booth. We decided to run home and gather up some of the prints and donate them to the group in hopes that they may be able to generate some money from them.
Fast forward to the present. One day with nothing to do I logged on to the ESRA website to view the pictures and read the stories of the many Springers housed in foster homes awaiting adoption. As I scrolled through the pictures, one jumped out at me. It was the photograph of a most beautiful black and white boy named Casey. He was striking a pose with one foreleg up in a manner right out of a Robert Abbott painting. I read his story and couldn't wait to show him to my wife when she arrived home from work. When she saw him she said “Call them, I want him!” Wow, Becky never jumps at things like that. She has a demeanor that is calculating, weighing all the possibilities before committing to anything. This, though, was different. She had her mind made up in a flash and gave me a look that said I best be in agreement. Of course I was.
That night I sent an email to Pam Civilie. Pam is the Carolina's coordinator for ESRA and Casey was being fostered by Pam and her husband Mark. I told her who I was and why I was contacting her. I told her the story about donating the prints to ESRA and that my wife and I were hoping to adopt Casey and give him the forever home that he deserved. Pam called me the next day and told me that she was the one that we had given the prints to and that she knew we were, in her words “Springer people” and if we wanted to bring Casey into our home, it was okay by her. It was decided that we would meet halfway between our two homes and she would transfer Casey over to us for a trial run and sleep over. The ten day wait before that day seemed to last an eternity. But on the appointed day off we headed to a Fayetteville rest stop.
I think that this is as good a time as any to tell Casey's story prior to joining the Neuhaus family. There is a lot of missing information but there is certainly enough to tell you that all was not a bed of roses. This much we know. Casey belonged to a family in North Carolina. Was he a purebred? No one knows. But by looking at him you can't help but think that he certainly came from good stock. For some reason he was dropped off at a shelter after living with a family at the age of four and a half years. Did he live with only one family or had he been passed around? We will never know. The people at the shelter were told that they said he was too exuberant with the family's children. He is a Springer. They are supposed to be exuberant. They are athletes. The vet that checked him out labeled him as aggressive. Duh! His world has just been totally turned upside down. Wouldn't you be a little defensively aggressive too? They also said that his name was Sidney but he would not respond to that name for anyone. A word game was played and as soon as he heard the name Casey he perked up. Was this his way of trying to forget his previous life and forge a new identity? Could be. He also seemed to mistrust women to some degree and would tend to get aggressive when placed in a crate. He suffered from a mild form of separation anxiety and would get excited when he saw a sport utility vehicle. He had never been neutered but he was in great physical shape. He obviously had been well fed and had not a trace of any physical problems. Ears were clean, teeth white, and properly groomed.
Here is my spin on Casey's story. He belonged to a young couple but was mainly the husband’s dog. He was taken everywhere in the couple's SUV prior to the arrival of children. Once children arrived, his whole world changed. The trips in the vehicle ended and he was forced into a cage or crate as soon as the husband was off to work. The new mother had no time for a dog while taking care of babies. Sidney lived in that crate, possibly in a garage or some other room while the husband was at work. Once he arrived home Sidney was let out and attached himself to his master like velcro. He did not especially like the lady of the house and possibly relayed that in some fashion. Eventually she said “It's either me or the dog”. Sidney, through no fault of his own, was thrust into a cage at the shelter awaiting his fate. Fortunately someone there recognized that this was no ordinary stray. Not that a stray has any less of a need to be taken care of and loved, but this was a breed that had an organization that would take this beautiful animal at a moments notice and work toward getting him in foster care and eventually adopted to a forever home. It was a no-brainer for the shelter people. A business card on the wall had Pam's name and number on it and after the call she was on her way to pick him up. After bringing him into their home, Pam and Mark started the process that would get Sidney's shots up to date as well as having him neutered. A micro chip was injected under his skin to let the world know that this guy has a home. This was about the time the name changing came into play. They also recognized some of his behavioral problems and noted that it would take a “Springer person” to fully understand Casey and pull him through some of his problems. Several families visited Casey in hopes of adopting him. Pam and Mark turned down these people mainly because they sensed that Casey had special needs and that most people were not equipped to tackle the issues and get him through them. He did not need to be passed around. For some reason she felt that we were the ones.
Off I-95 and into the rest area. We pulled up next to their vehicle and put Tripp on a leash and walked toward Mark and Casey. Pam was a short distance away watching how we approached Casey and how we all reacted. Becky went right over and dropped down on her knees to greet him. I handed Tripp off to Pam and walked over to greet him in the same manner. I was not prepared for what was to come next. Casey bared his teeth, growled and snapped at me. I safely pulled my hand back in shock. This was not what I had expected and my first thought was to get back in the truck and drive back home without him. After a few moments I took the leash and proceeded to walk him around. This seemed to break the ice between us and in short order the eyes softened and he leaned into me for support and affection. Casey had attached himself to Mark and I was an intruder that was coming between him and the person he trusted. We agreed to give it a try and headed back toward home. I will admit that I was not completely convinced that this was going to work out but I was willing to do anything in my power to make it work and give this boy the home he truly longed for and deserved.
There have been some bumps along the way, but the road is getting smoother. He exhibited some aggression towards some visitors to our home. All were female and they did nothing to provoke him. Working with a very brilliant dog trainer has helped me become a better trainer and I have shown Casey that I am the one in control and that he must live by the rules that I have set. A major part of this is exercise. By that I mean the type of exercise that has his tongue dragging on the ground. He also has been getting training that includes all the obedience stuff that every dog should have. This he has taken to with enthusiasm. I love this dog. I can't erase all the bad stuff that has happened to him. I only hope that his new life is so good that he shoves all the bad stuff to a place he never has to visit or remember again. Oh, one very important thing happened less than three months after he joined us. My daughter and her two small children came for a visit. I was apprehensive about how he would react. Within minutes of their arrival Casey, Ben, and Maddie were all in a large dog bed watching cartoons.
Now, months later, I can somewhat complete Casey's song.. He has learned several new things. One of his favorites is to ride on our boat and stand up in the bow with a pose that lets the world know that this is his boat. He will then turn and head for my wife and try to leap into her arms as if he is saying “Thank You!” We had introduced boating and the beach to Tripp at an early age and now it was time to see how Casey would react to the ocean. So, early one morning we headed out to Sullivan's Island hoping that he would enjoy this as much as his buddy. Tripp headed straight for the water and started splashing and swimming. I kept Casey on his leash and slowly walked him into the shallows. He was a little reluctant at first. But his trust in me allowed him to overcome his fears and in a few minutes he was swimming for perhaps the first time in his life. I turned to my wife and it was obvious that we both had tears in our eyes. Two weeks later we went back to the beach. We unsnapped both leads as we cleared the dunes and both Tripp and Casey ran for the surf. Both hit the water at the same time, turned around and headed back to us on a run. I know the expressions on those two boys was an expression of total joy. It was as if they were saying to us “hurry up, the waters great!”
Pat Neuhaus
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