Philo

Philo is so fun! He is mostly a heeler rather than a border collie and his personality is very standard for that breed. He is verv bold and brave until he decides he doesn't like something and then he shows his true colors. Philo had a rough start with canine socialization. New dogs can be intimidating for him. He will defend himself as well as start altercations it he feels threatened. however he has come a long way in a short 3 weeks and now can intermingle with my pack of 4 males and even met a female dog that was truly love at sniff. With that information it is strongly suggest a home with less dominant dogs or well socialized females and a dedicated adopter willing to put the work in to a safe environment for him while he adjusts. Philo has really learned a lot and seen a lot while being in our home. He listens incredibly well and has perfect manners (until he doesn't. He does jump when excited and when he's really excited he will accidentally headbutt you and will play bite. With soft corrections he does great! Philo does not tolerate loud noises or children playing very well. A home with small or rambunctious children might be overwhelming for him for a lot of reasons. We have yet to experience thunder but construction noises, horns, children and playing and so many other things send him into flight mode. I do believe over time he will relax and with a strong confident owner would forget all about the scary noises. Philo does amazing in the car! He rides so quietly and comfortably you’ll forget he's back there! He does get excited when at the destination but listens to a firm stay and waits to get out until told, this is something that will require consistent training for his safety since he does have a strong flight response under stress. Philo is decent on a leash but will pull. Harnesses work well and a pocket full of treats really keep is attention. Philo is on a 3 a day feeding schedule since coming into the rescue severely under weight and has managed well on a high protein diet. He is a very energetic dog and burns a lot of calories while playing. He is very food motivated though and will enjoy being rewarded with treats. Philo LOVES to play. Frisbee, soccer balls, tennis balls, stuffed toys, you name it, he'll play with it! Philo would most likely thrive in a sports home. Agility would be a breeze as well as possibly fly ball or sheep herding (he did meet my livestock and showed zero interest though). Philo will love every human in his life. He hasn't met a stranger yet and is truly overjoyed with human affection. Philo has so much potential to be the most amazing adventure companion! He Is strikingly handsome, gets attention wherever he goes and will bring his human endless joy! Fill out an application at: https://azbcr.org/Adopt/AvailableBorderCollies/RescueDetails.aspx?rid=5671