Gender: Male
Age: 1 year
Color: Black with white
Size: 42 lbs.
Breed: Guessed to be Setter/Border Collie mix
Good with Children: Tweens and older.
Good with Dogs: Yes and no. Sparky is constantly grabbing ears, jumping on one male dog in foster home, but is learning to accept signals to back off.but When he is separated from other dogs, he’s relatively mellow and tends to play with toys. The same type of behavior was reported from the shelter and his original owner.
Good with Cats: Yes. Tries to engage them, to the cats’ dismay, but not harmful.
House-trained: Yes. Goes to the door when he has to go out.
Crate trained: Yes. Takes some effort to get him in, but he is fine for the night and when people are away. He has shredded his bedding, so care should be taken as to what type to sue. He also does well in a confined area (like a laundry room) when the people are gone.
Leash trained: Thinks leashes are for playing tug with. We are working on his leash manners.
Activity Level: Medium/high. A little puppy chewing, but not bad.
Fence REQUIRED: He's a young & energetic. He needs more than leash walks to keep him stimulated. A jogging person could provide ideal exercise for him.
Medical History: Sparky is healthy, fully vetted, neutered, heartworm negative, up-to-date on shots, dewormed, on heartworm and flea/tick preventative & microchipped.
Foster Comments: This handsome young dog came from a shelter in Arkansas. His paperwork said he was a Springer Spaniel born on 2/4/17, but he is clearly part Border Collie by looks and behavior. He is young, but the birthdate is also questionable. Vet’s best guess is he is 10-12 months old based on teeth.
Follows me like a shadow. He could be snoring away (yes, he snores!) on the couch and if I get up – he’s right on my heels. Loves snuggling on the couch. He goes “shopping” regularly in the toy basket– but thinks these toys are for chewing. Charlie is showing him that playing chase with them is much more fun.
Sparky will have a great life in the right setting. The notes from the shelter said he was separated from his litter too early and when the family who bought him didn’t know what to do, they put him in a crate or a kennel for long stretches.
He is a very laid back and happy boy with an obvious desire to bond and please. No indication of aggressive behavior at all. Sparky won’t be a good candidate for the dog park as he needs to be with dogs he knows.
Sparky knows basic commands: sit, stay, down. He is also learning "off" and the sound of "Eh!" rather than hearing the word "no" all the time. He is very affectionate and when invited into a lap, will lie down and never leave. He loves kids, he just can be a lot for them to handle and will tug on shirt sleeves and pant legs to get attention - we're working on that.
This is a very sweet dog who doesn’t know the rules because no one taught him! In a short time with foster family, he has begun to settle down and is learning appropriate boundaries. He’s a little timid with new things—he couldn’t be convinced to go up or down steps for a few days and when he was taken through a tunnel on a run, he stopped halfway and wouldn’t budge! Being talked to gently got him out after a few minutes; he digs in when forced to do something he’s unsure about.
Sparky’s ideal home has older kids or no kids and a large fenced yard. He will be a good only dog or could be paired with an equally playful dog, but not a dog who stresses easily.
He will need daily exercise and ideally, a dog job... maybe agility? Sparky is a smart dog and responds well to training.
Getting into rescue means Sparky gets a do-over and a chance to have a great life!
Adoption fee: $300.00
Foster Location: Springfield, VA
In most cases volunteer transport is available for your adopted dog to within 2 hours of you
