Breezy (ADOPTED!) is a very gentle, sweet natured, and quiet Australian cattle dog and possibly Labrador mix, who weighs around 45-50 lbs. She is calm and unassuming, and very friendly with all people. Most herding dogs who are Breezy’s age, are highly energetic, but Breezy seems to be mature beyond her 2-3 years. She is a moderate energy girl, who is happy to go on walks in quiet surroundings, and then hang out with her person/people. Occasionally, she will get a spurt of glee, pick up a toy and race around the house or property with it for a few minutes.
Breezy, adores human attention, and meets other animals calmly and politely. If a passing dog growls at her, she quietly ignores it or may hide behind her person’s legs. As an unassuming dog, she likes to know where her people are, and will just hang out somewhere in the same room or close by. She doesn’t feel the need to be at your feet, but if you move to another location, she will get up to see where you have gone. Because Breezy is unsure of herself, she often sits and observes the activity around her, only approaching if you invite her. When you re-enter a room, she will wag up to you to welcome you back.
Breezy truly wants her own person/people to bond closely with and follow around. Within a few hours at her new foster home, she was following her foster mom everywhere, watching for cues on what she should do. She has been trying to win over her foster dad, who usually doesn’t interact with her much. Whenever he enters the room, Breezy goes to greet him,wagging her whole body and gives him a big smile. Yes, this dog actually smiles. Most people initially think she is snarling, as she lifts her lips and shows her front teeth, while wagging and wiggling happily. Breezy usually does this when she is super happy to see you, and when she sheepishly realizes that she was caught doing something that she probably shouldn’t. Her smile is sort of an “Oops, I’m sorry. I’m really a good girl.”
Breezy is NOT mouthy, and has NOT shown any desire to nip at feet or hands. She is completely housebroken and will go out on her own if a door is left open. She does not know how to use a dog door, and is still a apprehensive about the swinging flap. She has come up to her fosters to let them know when she needs to go out. When walking on leash, Breezy walks right at your side and doesn’t pull. However, she is not familiar with leash walking, and tends to change sides, and sometimes bumps into your legs as she switches sides.
We believe that her original people did not take her off their property very often, as she lacks confidence in new situations. She and her 1 year old pup were found left out in a backyard, when the new owners of a house moved in, and was subsequently taken to a county shelter.
She needs confidence building through more exposure to new experiences, new people and other animals. When walking in town, she was very afraid of the cars that drove past, and when she saw bunnies in a pet store, not sure of what they were, she took a few steps back. Breezy also becomes very concerned when she hears people raise their voices. She likes to find small, protected spaces to relax in, and would enjoy having a crate to retreat to sometimes. Breezy has been excellent with the two dogs in her foster home. She has been better with them, than they have been with her. We have not seen any aggressive behavior at all from her in any situation. She is still learning the concept of eating out of her own bowl, when in a multiple dog household. She is getting better about not visiting the other dogs’ bowls during mealtime. We believe in her former home, the food was put down in a free-for-all.
In summary, Breezy is an incredibly sweet and easy going dog, who would be an ideal companion in a quiet, calm home. As a young dog, she would appreciate exercise and mental stimulation, and to be slowly exposed to new experiences and situations to build her confidence. Breezy would do best in a quiet rural setting.