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Tatum

Adopted

Description

Name: Tatum (Lucy)
Age: 10 Months
Sex: Spayed Female
Estimated Breed: Border Collie Mix
Weight: 34 lbs
Good with dogs: Yes
Good with cats: Unknown
Good with children: Unknown
Special/Medical needs:
Estimated Energy Level: Med/High
Current Location: Diamond Valley, AB
Adoption fee: $725



LUCY (Tatum)
We love her.
Lucy is still a pup at about 10 months and her border collie X personality shines through. She is a healthy spayed 35-pound ball of energy, and I think most of her growth should be completed. A nice sized dog for someone who wants all the advantages of having a big dog, but a compact size!

I have 2 dogs, a 1-year Corgi-Aussie X and a 13-year-old Corgi X. Lucy has been spending all her time with them. She adores the 1-year-old and respects the 13-year-old. She gives my senior dog her space and watches her language to know what is permitted and not permitted in her space. When leashed she tends to be quite fearful of other dogs while we walk. Her tendency is to sound off with high pitched bark and pull on the leash, it might look like aggression to a passerby, but we have been working on this challenge, and making some progress. It seems that if she is allowed to greet the other dog, she is polite and friendly. There is just a fear associated with the anticipation of meeting. She gets into a high zone quickly but with patience and reinforcement I am certain this issue can be fixed quickly.

I do not have cats, so this is unknown to me. However, my guess is she would approach a cat with her high energy, and if the cat were able to stand his ground, she would allow that cat to make all the rules.

I have not had the opportunity for her to be around children in my home. We live near a school and walk by many children every day. She has a natural curiosity about them. Nothing aggressive noticed. She is fearful of meeting new people, but doesn't mind walking by strangers, using her nose in a relaxed manner to sniff everyone as they walk by, she is curious about new people, but needs a slow introduction. Although she is still young, she may have missed out on important socialization as a puppy, so her new home would have to be patient and careful to ensure a positive experience to build her confidence in new situations.

Lucy eats well and loves mealtime with zero food aggression. She enjoys treats and is perfectly housetrained. She is an excellent traveller, very relaxed in the car. She knows how to sit, she can stay, and her leash walking is excellent for her age. She is easy to redirect and wants to please. She is relaxed and happy to sleep on the floor in my office while I work, with the occasional wrestle time with my younger dog. She sleeps in her crate at night easily. She does like to jump on you in excitement, but this jumping is very indicative of the breed and just needs a bit of work.

This is truly a lovely dog, if I didn't have 2 dogs, I would consider her mine. But for those who are thinking of adopting Lucy, should be aware that, although she looks full grown, she is still very much a puppy. She likes to chew, and she needs a lot of attention. She loves chewing every toy she can find, destroying it quickly and sometimes the occasional article of clothing if left lying around (oops)! Having a second dog might be helpful, as she loves to play and she is much more relaxed with other dogs to set the tone, so my recommendation is that the second dog(s) be calm and well trained.

It's hard to put into words a personality, but she is sweet, loyal and would make a wonderful companion dog. She wants to be with people, but I think she would bond very quickly to one person. She makes a point to be sitting with you or laying by your feet. She loves affection. She is very attentive to where I am always and has excellent recall. Due to her breed and energy level, I would love to see her go to someone who also enjoys being active. I have had her running on the trails with me, she runs beautifully on the leash beside me, and she climbed a summit in Kananaskis last weekend. I bet she would make an excellent mountain biking trail dog! She is an excellent companion for someone who loves the outdoors and wants a dog to enjoy the outdoors with them. She is a young dog filled with so much potential in the right home.

This girl deserves the very best.

Adoption costs: $725.00