Meet Reese

Reese is a sweet and charming 7 year old purebred BC. He loves to cuddle and bonds deeply with his people. His favorite thing is playing with toys - he loves a good tennis ball but also loves “herding” bigger balls like basketballs, shoving them around with his nose. He can get really hyper focused on his toys and will ignore everything around him when he is in drive. He can be very demanding when he wants you to play fetch with him - he’ll shove a ball repeatedly at your feet, or literally throw a tug toy at you. But he’s good about disengaging if you put the toy away and tell him all done. He has a really great off switch and settles really well - he is relaxed around the house and if you are with him and sit down/stop he will lay down and settle until you ask him to do something or start moving again. Though he has a deep love of toys, he also has a high food drive - he loves treats and eats his meals well. Reese is very neutral about other dogs, he will ignore them when he is out walking with you, and when meeting other dogs he very quickly will dismiss and leave them alone. He also doesn’t really care to play with or interact with other dogs either, he prefers his people, so he would probably do well in an only dog home. But it’s not a requirement - he currently is living with a number of other dogs at his foster home with no issues. He also ignores the cat and has not reacted when the cat has hissed at or smacked him. He lives with a professional dog trainer and has accompanied her to work where he works as a demo/neutral dog - even with other dogs barking at him he won’t react. He is eager to learn new things and work with you, he is very smart and learns quickly. He is also very trustworthy off leash - he wants to stay with you and will stay with you, even if you don’t have a toy or food. He likes to carry his ball while he walks with you - he’s been a great trail dog. If it sounds like he’s the perfect dog - he is - 90% of the time. Reese can get startled relatively easily and will alarm bark at strange humans. This is primarily when he’s at home, but it does sometimes happen when he is surprised by strangers out and about, especially children. He is also not a fan of the vet and has been muzzled during veterinary procedures as a precaution, but if he focuses on his foster mom with food or a toy, he has tolerated blood draws and vaccines and stayed still. He is also very environmentally confident and does not get bothered by loud noises or other sudden environmental changes (like something large falling and clattering). One of the things we suspect has caused his startle and occasional grumpiness is that he was not in great shape when we got him into rescue. He had fleas and hair loss and was incredibly itchy, but flea treatment and a cytopoint injection fixed that. While he was neutered, the vet x-rayed his hips and spine after he had shown some weakness and sensitivity in his rear. He has spondylosis and significant arthritis in both hips. Since then he has started taking carprofen and is on several joint supplements and that has made a big improvement. He also had a lot of muscle wasting so his foster mom has been working on improving his muscle tone and stamina which has also helped. Since he’s started feeling better, in addition to doing training sessions with his foster mom, his behavior around strangers has improved notably. However, his foster mom believes he will always harbor some level of sensitivity around strangers and especially young children. He should not go to a home with children, and his new home will need to exercise caution when he is out of the house so he doesn’t end up in a situation that causes him to lash out or react. His ideal home is an moderately active individual or couple who will be devoted to them, who has another dog or two and a relatively calm home without frequent visitors. Bonus if they let him sleep in bed with them. He does not actually require a large amount of exercise, but enjoys doing everything with his people. He would not do well accompanying a runner or other high impact activities, but he likes walking (in the neighborhood or on trails) and swimming and those are good for him. He also enjoys training and other mental enrichment. He is one of the sweetest dogs you’ll meet, and fun and silly. He deserves a great home that is understanding of his quirks and understand that he will always need to be managed (with children/strangers and with his arthritis and spondylosis) to some extent, but overall can live a happy normal life and bring joy to you every day.