Breed
Australian ShepherdAge
Adult (18 months – 7 years)Gender
FemaleSize
Small (10 – 25 lbs) Learn More
Willow is a gorgeous 2 year old, 16lb mini Aussie. She is already spayed and up-to-date on vaccinations.
PLEASE READ this entire bio before applying for adoption.
Willow is fiercely loyal, devoted, snuggly, and smart as a whip. Seriously, nothing gets by this girl. In many ways, she is the perfect dog. She is great on leash, loves running at the beach and at dog parks, she is perfect in the car, potty trained, has no separation anxiety being left for a few hours at a time, and best yet- she is not destructive when left in the home. She is as gentle as can be and quick to give you her belly for a good ol fashioned belly rub. She is an exceptionally well-behaved dog.
Willow is mostly great with other dogs. She is usually uninterested in dogs when out in public but will greet them happily and either say hello, or keep going about her business. In her foster home, she LOVES playing with her foster brother. They are best friends, but she does get a little bossy and nippy around the bed and couch. It is easily managed provided the other dog is balanced and the humans are dog savvy enough.
She is very smart and needs mental and physical stimulation. For an Aussie, she is actually pretty chill. But, she loves running and playing outside and really wants to spend all of her time with her people. She would be a dream for a jogger or someone who likes to exercise outdoors.
She has made leaps and bounds in foster and we believe that with more time and patience, she will continue to do so.
What is her quirk? Willow was undersocialized as a puppy. She has stranger danger. This means that she does not feel safe when people come up to pet her. Which is a real pain because she is so darn cute and everyone wants to greet her! She will bark and growl, and like all Aussies- she will nip if she is cornered and afraid. That said, she doesn’t pay people any attention out and about. She is not aggressive… she just wants to be left alone by people she does not know (although she will eat treats from them!). When her foster takes her to the beach with a friend, she warms up to that friend within minutes as long as that friend understands to ignore her and not make a fuss about interacting with her. In the home, she is very nervous and will bark at visitors. She generally warms up after 10-15 minutes, but again- this takes time and patience. She warmed up to the dog sitter quickly and was following them around in about an hour. Deep down, she is ALL LOVE. Realistically, she may never be interested in interacting with strangers… she’s got all eyes for her own family.
Non-negotiables:
-She needs a backyard or quiet outdoor access to go potty. Loud noises on the street make her picky about when and where she goes potty. She is trained to potty on a leash, but a backyard would be ideal for quick potty breaks and a game of fetch.
-Must have experience with Aussies or similar herding breeds.
-If there is another dog in the home, they must be balanced and able to deal with a dog who needs support sharing her most cherished places and people. Which means having humans who understand how to support this.
-Quiet household without constant visitors.
-She is used to cuddling on the couch and in the bed. She is a velcro dog. She will be by your side no matter what, and she needs a home who is going to be okay with that.
-Someone home often and dedicated to her continued socialization.
