Libby is a real gem. She has the instinctual obedient personality of the Sheltie mixed with the fun and attention seeking Golden Retriever. She is a lovely pup that will make any family proud. She is submissive and another dog in the home could be helpful but it would need to be a gentle dog. Libby herself is very gentle and would probably do best with older children and/or a family that was looking for a calm, well behaved companion. She will need some further training but all in all Libby is a wonderful girl. She is approximately 9 months old and weighs just 35 lbs.
Libby is initially cautious of strangers. However after 2 or 3 minutes of ignoring her, she comes up, gets affection, and becomes very sucky and social. She waits to see how you interact with a stranger and then becomes open and trusting depending on your body behavior toward that "stranger". She has never shown any aggression toward people. She does run when chased or followed. She is very submissive to anyone.
When Libby first came into our care it was impossible to get her to come. After 2 weeks, she had completely come around, and started to follow us around the house and demand affection. If she suspects you are upset with her, she will run from you, so its important to sound happy if you need her to come to you. She is getting much better at this, and is learning quickly since she is a puppy and still very influenced by those around her. She is great with other dogs. I do not know how she would be with cats. She actively seeks out the rabbit that visits our back yard and does chase after it whenever she sees it.
As a puppy, she can have some pent up energy. Her anxiety when we leave or go to sleep is directly related with how much exercise she has received in the day. On a rainy day, she'll cry for 10-20 minutes when we go to bed, but if we've taken her for a good 30 minute walk in the evening, she zonks right out without a whimper.
I can see why she was not adopted in the pound - She initially feared people. She didn't know what affection WAS. So she'd hide away and cower. Now she's realized - "Hey! This chin rubbing/petting ain't bad!" as such, once she realizes you're not going to chase her or hurt her, she's the biggest cuddlebug we've had to date. If she's not being pet by you, sleeping, or sniffing around, she's chewing on her nylabone. Shes still young, so you've got to watch for socks/clothes on the floor. She's left our shoes alone.
Libby does need regular exercise, and when she's had it, she is calm and very well behaved. On a rainy weekend, she gets antsy and will "bug" you for attention frequently. So, I'd say she's a "medium" energy dog. She barks once or twice when someone comes to the door, or she hears an odd noise she wasn't expecting. Its a breed tendency, and she is by no means a constant barker - Just a great doorbell.
Libby is healthy as an Ox! Eats, Sleeps and poops regularly - The perfect dog. She's mastering "Come" but can be intimidated by an authoritative voice. You need to sound happy. She has pretty much got "sit" down pat, but its really cute when she's excited as she gets a full "body wag" while trying to sit, she can fall over. (particularly when you're making her sit before she gets breakfast/dinner). Shake paw is in the works, and she's mastered the "sit on entry" We have a towel by our backdoor because our backyard is muddy - She knows to come in slowly, sit, and wait on the towel for us to wipe her feet. You'll thank me for training her this! She really wants to please, so training her will be easy. I don't think she's going to be learning how to walk and talk any time soon, but her desire to please you will make training the basic commands very very easy. The most gentle "scolding" makes her mope for a good 20 minutes. As she is a puppy, she is still teething. No plush toy is safe, and she's even punishing a nylabone and Kong. As such, we've been using a crate. She doesn't see it as "home" but goes in with minimal protest. She may cry for a few minutes but gets over it quickly. Make sure to leave her a toy to entertain her or she'll be more vocal.
She's great on a leash! I couldn't believe how good she is. She naturally doesn't pull, and is really starting to stick at your "heel" a gentle tug is all that is needed to get her back to your side with slack on the leash. She has got an interest to see outside, but she has never darted. I feel like she is the kind of dog that could eventually be off leash at the cottage - but don't quote me on that one. Her desire for affection once "bonded" to you would keep her close, but she is curious and might catch a scent trail. You'd have to keep an eye on her. She rides well in the car - after sniffing every square inch of the car, she lays down and sleeps. Opening a window results in ears flapping, tail wagging excitement as she takes in the cornucopia of scents assaulting her nose.
Libby has been a very easy dog to have in our house. If you've had prior experience managing a dog, it would be best - She has calmed down a lot since "moving in" with us, but I feel she could easily become a High energy "stupid" dog if she was exposed to hyper kids on a regular basis. Calm, assertive, loving environments is what she would do best with, particularly because of her mild skittishness. She's improved by leaps and bounds. I did deliberately expose (subject) her to 4 10 to 12 year old kids at the same time - She looked to me as if "I don't know about this..." and I reassured her, and she calmly tolerated the barrage of affection and "awweeeees" from the neighbourhood children.
I feel like the best environment would be a family with teenage kids, who are looking for a dog to keep them company, and bring the family together.
If you think Libby would be a good addition to your family, please submit an application for consideration.
