Meet Billy:
Billy - Lab Mix - 11 months - male/neutered - tan medium coat with white marking on chest - 35 pounds
Billy is one of the finest pups we have ever had. Affectionate, responsive and wonderfully curious and alert, he is an exceptionally loving and lovable fellow.
We are not certain of Billy’s breed components - one ear is bent down, and one pricks up. He is proportionate and sturdy, and is probably just a handsome, mid-sized mutt. His eye contact is direct, open and warm, and if you hold his gaze for too long he’ll jump in for a kiss.
Fun-loving, playful, and very tactile, Billy is a happy guy. His loved to cuddle and he will snuggle right up to anyone who will receive his intentions, often laying his head right next to his human’s head.
Billy’s strong suit is his outgoing, friendly, accepting nature. His foster mom lauds his ability to “go with the flow”. He adapts well to whatever is going on in his foster household, and he accepts new people and dogs with ease.
Billy’s history is unknown to us. He was found as a stray and taken to a rural animal control facility, where he quickly warmed the hearts of the humane staff. When we went to the facility to meet him, he greeted us as old and dear friends, and we were immediately smitten with him.
Billy joined his foster home with eagerness and appreciation. He embraced his new foster parents, and his new canine foster brother, with joy and love. He accepted his new routines, including being crated at times, with a cooperative spirit. He undertook house training and he learned “sit”, “come” and “off”. He also learned his name, which was given to him by the Animal Control officers.
Billy is remarkable to us in another way. Having come into care as an adolescent, Billy managed this often … we’ll say “flamboyant”... .. time in a dog’s life in a reasonable, focused, gentle manner. His energy level is entirely appropriate for a young dog; certainly he has outbursts of excitement and enthusiasm - he loves to play and he wrestles gamely with the resident dog in his foster home. But Billy is also genuinely happy just to chill and watch a movie when the weather is bad, and no one is up for playing and running. He greets each morning with anticipation, but he waits calmly for the household to get up and go downstairs. This is what we mean by his reasonable nature. He is not demanding or brash; he is hopeful and expectant, and filled with heart.
Billy loves his treasured stash of toys, and can often be found carrying one of them about in his mouth. But all bets are off when Billy sees a chance to snuggle. There is nothing that Billy wouldn’t do - no position too uncomfortable for him to assume and nothing that can distract him, if he sees an opportunity to be cuddled, stroked, and hugged. He is very gentle in his overtures, and he gives soft, careful kisses.
Billy has been fostered in a rural environment, and will need focused work on his leash training. We have noticed that Billy seems very frightened by cars that pass by on the road. If leash walking is a goal, his adopter(s) will need to put concerted, patient, and positive effort into helping Billy learn how to walk without pulling, and to help him not fear the passing traffic. He is also not completely comfortable riding in a car, although he does well, and his love of being included seems to override his concerns.
Billy’s ideal home would be one in which his strengths can be developed and celebrated - his love of people, his desire to be part of the family, and his capacity to bond. We have been touched by Billy’s willingness to trust people, and we would like to see his faith and innocence be protected and rewarded by his adopters. Billy has been welcomed on the bed and on the couch in his foster home, and we would like him to continue this kind of lifestyle. His foster mom wants to add that his favorite possession in the world is his yak horn, and supply of them would not go amiss.
We are requiring a securely fenced yard for Billy so that he can have a safe opportunity for daily exercise, and a stress-free environment to learn and improve upon his leash walking skills. We are not recommending Billy for a home with very young children.
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