Texas Heeler

Eugene OR

Description

Dharma will be 5 years old on May 18th this year. Ours has been a journey together. She has been by my side since she was 9 months old and I met her in the desert of New Mexico. A Texas Heeler is a mix between an Australian Shephard and a Red Heeler. She's truly a special dog. She has so much love to offer her humans. Beyond them, she holds reservations and doesn't trust others. She is intimidated by high energies and strangers and often growls at others to protect herself. She has never acted on her feelings in any destructive ways, but she has been starting to get a little hostile with our rowdy one year old that likes to chase her around. Our daughter thinks it's funny. Dharma does not. She seems rather stressed out in this environment and as though she cannot relax. The truth is, she isn't a good fit for a family with small children. If the kids were old enough to play fetch and respect Dharma's boundaries there would be hours of fun. Literal hours. Playing fetch is what Dharma lives for. In fact, this is the best way to get her to refrain from growling at strangers on a walk. Throw her a ball. When she gets used to you throwing a ball when she growls, she will begin to search for the ball instead each time she feels like growling. Dharma requires patience, compassion, love and diligence. She needs to go outside. She needs to play fetch. Playing fetch is more effective for stimulating her mentally and physically than a simple walk. I always found this helpful on days I was too tired to walk. I could just sit there pitifully flinging a ball across the grass while she galloped away. She doesn't like other dogs when on walks. But she lives with other dogs just fine and she is a gem at the dog park. The only problems she may have with dogs in the home is if anyone won't give her her space. One of our dogs likes to "shark" or swarm around her repeatedly, trapping her and trying to dominate her or steal her toy. She doesn't stand for this. She growls and scampers away. While she does tend to growl and bark at people who come to visit, or if the doorbell rings, after a good sniff to ensure the family's safety, she will immediately grab a toy and throw it at the new stranger in an attempt to bully them into playing fetch. And it can be difficult to persuade her to stop her unsolicited shenanigans. People seem to love it. If they don't, simply ignore her and she'll wear herself out. She's more timid around men and may take longer to adjust to. I assume this is because of her past owners before I had her. I know she was abused. She would be a great fit for someone who likes to go to rivers or lakes, go on hikes, walk or run, bike, play at the dog park, has a yard or just likes to be outside. She is very independent and very smart. Very loving and affectionate. She will nuzzle your neck and be your little spoon til the end of days. She will become family and family means forever in your heart. Our daughter has to come first now and Dharma deserves a home with less stress and more attention. I want to make sure she finds a good fit. We can meet at the dog park for a meet and greet and to see how we can best meet her needs if you are interested. I ask a rehoming fee of $150.