Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix

Richmond NW near Tamarack NW, Grand Rapids MI

Description

Phoebe is looking for a forever home with absolutely NO cats, small dogs, or other small pets. She is a 3 year old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix that is spayed, microchipped and vaccinated. She is a medium sized dog weighing about 40 lb. THE GOOD: She is a sweetheart. She is super friendly, playful, energetic, and loving. She loves her humans, giving lots of kisses and affection, and often wants to be a lap dog. She is fully housebroken and crate trained, and will let you know when she needs to go outside. She LOVES to play chase/fetch with a tennis ball and will come with a bag of tennis balls and a Chuck-It launcher. She is a quick learner and catches on fast to commands. She walks well on a leash and loves to go for walks. She plays well with other dogs her size and larger. She's well-behaved in the house when someone is not home. She is incredibly smart. THE BAD: This is a herding breed who needs a job, and she is HIGH ENERGY so she needs lots of exercise, play time, walks, training, and socialization. She was poorly socialized in her previous home so she can be territorial and defensive of food, toys, or anything else she perceives as hers (resource guarding) - including her favorite humans. She will need additional work on socialization and obedience to be her best self. She has a very HIGH prey drive and cannot be trusted around smaller pets - she chases cats. She does play and interact positively with smaller dogs UNTIL something triggers her defense mechanisms and she grabs them by the neck and shakes them. She tries to herd or corral humans - nipping at the heels and backs of legs, pushing or headbutting legs, circling. She barks enthusiastically and loudly when excited. She digs when bored. I adopted her a couple months ago when her previous owner passed away, thinking she would be a companion to my male dog who is similar in size and energy level. However, I was not aware of her reactive behavior towards smaller pets which has resulted in injuries to 3 small dogs. I didn't want to give up on her and have worked with her and with a trainer to manage her behavior, but I realize that this situation is not safe for her or my small dogs in the long term. Phoebe needs a home where are her physical and mental needs are meet. The ideal family for her is a very active person or family, with a fenced yard or an inground fence ( or a willingness to walk and run her multiple times a day), and absolutely no small pets. She loves kids though she can be a little too enthusiastic and may knock them over so not recommended for kids under 8. Experience with high energy breeds and willingness to provide training are absolutely necessary. There will be an adoption application and home visit to ensure that I am making the absolute best choice for her since this needs to be her forever home. She will come with her harness, leash, and toys, as well as some food. A crate can be provided if needed. The rehoming fee is $125.