My name is Axle!

Axle's foster parents have called him "a dream dog". He is a handsome boy who is social and friendly with everyone he meets. He is a happy-go-lucky wonderful family pet. Along with is good looks, Axle is affectionate, playful and a fun dog to have in the home. He is intelligent and willing to please, enjoying life and the people and friends he meets along the way. Axle is a young boy approximately 1 1/2 to 2 years old and currently weighs 43 lbs.

Here is what else his foster family had to say:

Axle truly is a dream. He is a beautiful, well-behaved Retriever/Border Collie mix whose heart fills his whole body. He is a floppy, goofy, gently puppy in a full grown body. He is an instant friend to anybody he meets. He thrives on affection and attention from anyone but he is also independent enough to busy himself and stay happy when no one is paying any attention to him. Axle appears to be fit and healthy with a shiny, beautiful black coat. He has a moderate energy level. He loves his daily exercise but is undemanding of it - he does not get anxious if you are later than usual getting to his walk. He is also quite happy to just plod around the house sniffing things and looking in every room before finding a good nap place until someone is ready to play or take him out.

Axle is very social and is friendly with everyone. I have not experienced him with children, but he is a non-dominant happy dog that I cannot imagine having any issues. Everyone he meets is an instant friend and playmate. He is gentle and does not mouth when playing - he is happier to play with toys and playing fetch than wrestling or play-fighting with people. Axle has shown no aggression or possessive behaviour toward people. He has been possessive of food toward our other dog, but I was able to waltz in and take his toys/treats/food away from him without a problem. Axle is not shy or timid in any situation. He is ready to love and be loved, ready to explore, learn and play on a moments notice! We have a very busy house, with people coming and going frequently, and crowds are not uncommon. Axle is not phased at all by these situations, he is always happy to meet a new visitor and is as comfortable with new people as he is with his family.

Axle is currently living with one other dog. They are friends and they play and cuddle, however the other dog is sometimes shy or timid and Axle does not pick up on those signs AT ALL. He is SO ready to love that he cannot take a hint from her when she does not want to play or when she needs space. Sometimes this causes squabbles, but it is clear that Axle has zero malicious intentions or aggression. Every day they are getting better at cohabiting however, and I am sure that for him there would be no problems with living with another dog - so long as that dog could handle the intensity of his affection and attention. I have not seen him with cats or other animals, though my instinct is that he could learn to live peacefully with any other creatures.

Axle is a very relaxed and happy boy. He is very confident. He has not met a person or situation without excitement, and has never shown fear or shyness. He is hungry for affection, and enjoys any situation in which he can be with people or other dogs for company. He is a very undemanding dog, and is as equally happy exploring the backyard as he is playing in the park as he is running on a trail as he is cuddling in the house. He is very social and gravitates toward spaces where he can be with company. He is completely silent in the home. He does not even bark when people come in the house, unless he was snoozing and happens to be surprised, but when he figures out what’s going on he is quick to quiet down again.

Axle has great manners in the house. He does not counter surf or beg for food when people are eating around him. He has chewed a couple things he wasn't supposed to but only when left alone and without a toy, and when caught with something that’s not his and told to drop it, he does instantly. He knows general obedience like ‘sit’, ‘lie down’, ‘no’, ‘off’. He knows ‘stay’ and is very good at it for while you are there with him - if you’re asking him to just lie down in the room he will stay until told otherwise, but is still learning to ‘stay’ when you walk out of the room - as soon as he can't see you he will follow to where you are. Axle is house trained and knows he is supposed to do his business outside and if you let him out he will do that right away, but he hasn’t learned how to signal that he needs to go outside. So for now, paying attention to letting him out regularly is still important. He has never made a mess in his crate. He is completely crate trained. He sleeps in there overnight with no complaint and stays quiet until you let him out in the morning. Axle does not associate the crate with anxiety or fear and is quite happy to go in and just hang out there until you let him out. He goes in there at meal time and waits for his food. I feed him in his crate with the door open to reinforce that it is his space. Our other dog is not crate trained and Axle has no problem being in his crate even when she can roam free, as is sometimes necessary to give her some Axle-free space.

Axle is not leash trained, and he is very strong - but can certainly learn. He needs consistency with this but I don’t anticipate it being a problem to teach him. After just one session he understood that he is supposed to walk with a slack leash - but he would then ‘forget.’ He is better on the leash after he has had a time to run around and let off some steam. On a trail he will follow you and is okay off leash. He’ll stay within eyesight and will wait ahead on the trail, or else will run back and make a circle around behind you - a trait common to collie types. On the trail when you come across other people or dogs he sticks a little bit closer but does go up to say hello. For situations in which you need more direct control, such as at the park with lots of other dogs and people, he will still need to be leashed as his recall is poor with lots of exciting distractions. Axle does try gently to get out the door if people are coming in or out. If you see him and tell him ‘no’ he responds and backs off, but sometimes he is sneaky and pushes a nose through before someone notices. Axle is great in the car - very happy and quiet and stays in the back seat looking out the window.

Axle is a lovely companion, cuddle-buddy and playmate. He is undemanding, relaxed and very easy to live with. He would make an excellent addition to any family that is able to give him the attention and affection he thrives with, whether an only-dog with many human playmates or a new brother for existing pets. He would even make an excellent first dog for a home with little to no dog experience, as he is just such a delight and so easy to teach and guide.

If you would like to make this handsome boy a part of your family, please submit an application for consideration.