A Better English Setter Rescue

Meet Milton! 

 

Milton, affectionately "Milty", is a sweet, confident, approximately one-year-old English Setter. He was found as a stray in Kentucky, and has been enjoying settling into his foster home in Washington, DC. He is 41 lbs, but the vet says he's very underweight for his frame, so he probably has another 10-15lbs to fill out before he's fully grown. He is a showstopper, and gets tons of compliments on his tri-color coat and freckled spots. 

 

Milton still has a ton of puppy energy, and he is an incredibly happy dog who is not afraid of anything. He runs faster than any setter we have ever had, and he loves any type of water including ponds, baby pools and showers. Milty flies up and down our stairs and can jump over any household obstacle. He will play and stay outside for as long as we let him. When he's inside, he just wants to cuddle and be near us and will curl up on the couch with us, sneak into our bed, and jump into our laps. 

 

Milton has been sharing his foster home with our one year old ABESR alum. The two of them puppy-wrestle non-stop, and Milty can hold his own against any other dog. He's also content to ignore other dogs who are not interested in playing. At the dog park, he runs by himself, and is in his own world. If it weren't for our dog, we'd suspect he'd be pretty chill indoors. We think Milton would be great in both a single- and multi-dog forever home - he can keep himself occupied, but also enjoys the company. Milton is not food aggressive, although he eats very quickly (probably because he was a stray), and will sneak our dog's food if he doesn't finish it quick enough.  

 

Milton is extremely bird-obsessed, which is both a good thing and a slight challenge. He can stay outside or at the window for an hour not moving, staring at the birds in the trees - it's very cute! He is also not afraid of any city noise as he's just zoned in on the birds, trees and bushes. However, his bird obsession makes him an escape-risk as he can jump quite high, and run extremely fast to chase birds. Milton will need a forever home with a high enough fence. He also is still working on his leash manners as he pulls as hard as he can toward the birds on his walks. 

 

Milty does not have the destructive tendencies of typical young setters. He is fully potty trained, and has never had an accident in the house. He is crate trained, and seems to enjoy sleeping on his bed in the crate overnight and during nap times if we are nearby. When we leave the house, we crate him, and while he is definitely sad to see us go, he doesn't have harmful separation anxiety behavior. When we get home, he makes sure to give us love and kisses for a few minutes before bolting for the backyard and his birds. Milty knows "sit", and we are working on "stay", but recall seems like it will take some time due to his bird obsession. He takes treats gently, but will sometimes jump for them. He will bark at the mailman, and isn't afraid to voice his opinion at the neighbors. Milton would love a home where he can continue to work on his basic commands and leash manners. 

 

Milton loves life, the great outdoors, and snuggles. He's looking for a home where he will get a lot of attention and exercise, and the benefit of some additional training. He is fearless and will likely adjust well in any loving home. He would be a wonderful addition to an active family, and he can't wait to get to his forever home!