Time to meet our sweet Ethel! Ethel is a 4.5 year old Spaniel who came to MUTTS after being discarded by a puppy mill, where she was used solely for breeding. Despite her recent past, Ethel has excelled with her fosters and has earned her 100% Certified Angel badge! Ethel is a highly-adaptive lady who can’t wait to land in the laps of her adoptive family!

Many of our rescued puppy mill pups struggle with playtime – it’s an often unfamiliar or completely unknown activity. For Ethel, however, learning to play took no time at all! So far, Ethel hasn’t met a toy she doesn’t love. She easily occupies herself with toys, and when she’s had enough solo playtime, she runs around the backyard with her fosters’ dog! Ethel’s fosters share backyard fences with other dog owners, which means Ethel regularly interacts with a variety of pups. Though initially hesitant (she would stop and stare at any dog she saw), she now trots right up to the fence for sniffs! Her desire to socialize is also evident on her walks: she loves saying hello with a few friendly sniffs and is very relaxed in the company of other dogs!

New humans don’t pose any issues for Ethel – give the girl a belly rub and she will give you her heart! Ethel has had limited interactions with children. Once, while tethered on the front lawn, a group of kids came by. She sniffed, backed up and gave a little bark, so the kids carried on. The behaviour was not aggressive or concerning, but more so a clue that Ethel has never met these mystery creatures! With proper introductions to any kiddos (who are respectful of dogs and their potential boundaries), we believe Ethel would be a wonderful family pup!

While Ethel much prefers the company of her humans, she’s slowly learning that a little space is healthy and that it’s not necessary to follow her fosters into the bathroom every time! Speaking of the bathroom, one of Ethel’s favourite pastimes is snacking on the bathroom trash (tissues, etc.) or the corners of boxes. Thankfully, redirection with proper chew toys has worked well. Other than a little sneaky chewing, Ethel is a perfect houseguest who loves to smother her fosters with kisses and affection!

Ethel is microchipped, spayed, up to date with her vaccines and has also received some much-needed dental work. She initially had some issues with potty accidents indoors (she needed some time to acclimate to her new surroundings!), but she’s responded very well to positive reinforcement and now has the confidence to venture into the yard on her own for a potty break! She’s done well in her crate, so long as the door remains open and her humans are close!

Sweet Ethel is in the market for her family! Don’t sleep on this pup – she’s ripe for the picking and forever-home ready!

SOCIABILITY: Humans, dogs and cats (still learning not to chase, but responds well to “leave it”)
ENERGY: Medium
QUIRKS: She thinks the lawnmower is evil and out to get her!
TRAINING NEEDS: Continued basic obedience, leash skills (zig zagger, loves to sniff everything!)
MEDICAL NEEDS: None
WEIGHT: 33lbs
FOSTER LOCATION: Ajax