BLUES TRAVELER - 8 months, 42lbs, Collie/Shep Mix, Neutered
Expected to be about 45lbs full grown
PLEASE NOTE: This dog does best in calm parts of the city and beyond. Would love a home in the burbs or in a calm neighborhood with access to greenspace.
Is eligible to join our foster-to-adopt program. Please email fostertoadopt@socialteesnyc.org with the animal’s name in the subject line if you are interested! Want to straight up adopt? Submit an adoption application at socialteesnyc.org.
Their Foster Says: "Blues Traveler is a big, sweet lovebug! He’s still getting used to the sights and sounds of the city, so can be a bit spooked on walks, but he’s slowly gaining confidence! He loves kisses, belly rubs, greenies, and especially loves his big foster-sister Ella (he lights up every time she comes in the room and loves to kiss her face/play with her!) Based on his interactions with humans, it seems he may be more drawn to women and trusts them a little more easily, as opposed to men. He responds well to commands, is super intelligent (we potty trained him in about 5 days!) He still likes to get into a bit of mischief with chewing, but is learning quickly. Our daily routine consists of a 60 minute walk in the morning, or a 45 min walk first thing followed by another 30 ish minute lunch walk shortly thereafter. Around dinner we go out again for another leisurely 30 ish minutes, depending on how long the earlier walks were. And we always make sure we take him out right before bed! He does better walking with our senior pup, Ella, than he does on his own (confidence in a pack!) He’s inquisitive, a bit shy, especially when meeting new people or new dogs, but ultimately the sweetest dog in the world! He sleeps through the night, and has only ever made one mess in our house (first day we had him! We believe this was due to nerves/high stress from the travel). He’s a big fan of his cong. We’re working on crate training him, but can tell crates really freak him out, so it’s going to be a slow process. He does well when left alone (a few minutes of whining, but after that just sleeps while we’re gone! We have a furbo so we can watch him and Ella together. Should note that we leave them out together now, with no issues). We truly believe he is made of special stuff. He’d do particularly well in the suburbs, or with a backyard, but he’s also learning to enjoy and love the city. Just going to take a bit more time to fully adjust to the noises and activity!"
Level of dog ownership experience needed:
INTERMEDIATE: As an adult, this dog will need significant structure and plenty of daily exercise, training, and mental stimulation – 90 consecutive minutes of movement in the morning plus potty break walks and brain games throughout the day. The adopter must have relevant primary care experience with a similar breed, temperament, and/or energy level. (Primary care experience includes ownership, fostering, or dog sitting as an adult, not a dog you grew up with.) Relevant puppy care experience is a huge plus, but bare minimum the adopter must have TONS of time and patience. Raising a puppy can be a lot of fun, but it’s also tremendous work. Puppies’ personalities and exercise/stimulation requirements change dramatically between now and when they’re a year old as their bodies and brains develop, so an active lifestyle and the ability to adapt to a pup’s evolving needs are a must. We strongly urge professional dog training with a rewards based trainer from the get go. Adults only or kids ages 8 and up – all puppies go through a mouthy, rambunctious phase and often accidentally hurt children when playing. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN BREED RESEARCH to make sure you have a better understanding of the kind of temperament and exercise requirements this dog may have as an adult.
Energy level
MEDIUM: Very young puppies sleep and nap a lot, but their energy level skyrockets when they become teens (4 months to around a year). As an adult, this dog will need significant structure and plenty of daily exercise, training, and mental stimulation – 90 consecutive minutes of movement in the morning plus potty break walks and brain games throughout the day at a minimum. (This is regardless of dog size – many small breeds were designed for lots of activity and will exhibit unwanted behavior when they’re understimulated.)
Energy Level
Medium — Not bouncing off the walls but needs long walks and playtime, likes to be active
Cuddle Bug Level
Medium — Likes to snuggle when he's in the mood but often stays in his own bed
Potty Trained
Yes — Few or no accidents
Comfy with strangers?
Quite the wallflower - very shy with new people and takes a while to warm up.
Good with Children? (ALWAYS requires supervision)
Yes for 12 and up — may be a little energetic or a little skittish, best with older children that can be extra gentle or that are big enough not to get accidentally knocked down
Good with Other Dogs?
Yes — Good with all other dogs (sizes, breeds, etc.) as far as we know and enjoys socializing with other canines
Good with Other Animals? (cats, small pets, etc.)
Yes — Seems to get along with other animals, either tries to play with them or is mostly uninterested. We are able to cat test for approved adopters. We suspect he would be fine with cats based on his temperment.
Mouthy Behavior?
Medium – Is respectful of hands, feet, etc. but does like to chew on things it’s not supposed to like shoes, furniture, etc.
Leash Manners?
Getting the Hang of it – Probably hasn’t been on a leash much in its life but he/she is figuring it out. Might be a mild puller but responds to correction.
Okay in the city?
Sort of — Spooked easily by loud noises and bustling areas but walks pretty well and probably just needs more time to adjust (may be a puppy or a brand new rescue)
Jumping on People to Say Hi?
Medium – Jumps up only on people the dog knows when really excited. Stops with correction.
Separation Anxiety?
(Please be sure to leave your foster dog home alone every single day for at least 20 minutes.)
Low – Might cry for a few minutes when you first leave the house but settles pretty quickly and has no problem being left alone.
Crate training?
Working on it – We set one up and leave the door open but rarely close it because the dog freaks out when we do.
Medical status:
Healthy as far as we know. Up to date on their DHPP and Bordetella vaccines (for dogs under 4 months old, adopters will need to finish the DHPP vaccine series and administer the Rabies vaccine at 16 weeks of age), spayed/neutered; microchipped; treated with dewormer upon
How this dog ended up with Social Tees:
Most of our dogs come via partner groups who help us save them from shelters where they are at risk of euthanasia in Tennessee or St. Thomas. There are very few spay/neuter resources there and many more animals in those areas than there are people to adopt them. Rescue groups like ours bring them to the northeast where the desire for pets like these allows us to save their lives.
PLEASE NOTE: We cannot guarantee any breed mix, exact age, or full grown size (if the dog is under a year old). We do our best with very educated guesses though!
This animal is not at the Social Tees office, all are in foster homes.
LEARN MORE ABOUT US: socialteesnyc.org and Instagram @socialteesnyc
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