Billy, looking for a new home

This is starting to be become an unnervingly frequent phenomenon- yet again, we have a (cough, cough) B#$%er Collie living at our house.

It IS only temporary- Billy is looking for a new home, and he is staying here to learn how to be a city dog (and all sorts of bad habits, courtesy of Muddy).

Boylee Billy is a short-haired working border collie, he and the gorgeous Gus are full brothers (later litter) to Richard's Fred. I think he's about 7 months old, and has just started on sheep.

Unfortunately Billy is a bit "different" from the other dogs- an independent "thinker", he's a sensitive little soul, and doesn't really get into the pack attitude of the other dogs. We think Billy would benefit from a home where he got more attention, could be an inside-dog, and could use his considerable intellect on things other than sheep.

Billy would probably be a great sports dog- he is very people-focussed, not distracted by other dogs although he will play with them if there's nothing better happening. He loves to play tug, and just bounce around with his person, and will work for just a pat. He really tries hard to please, and is very food motivated. He's also very smart, and took about 5 minutes to work out sit, drop and stand. He's full of beans when playing, but can calm down easily.

Not your typical go-go-go working dog, Billy settles easily in the house. He has been following the other dogs, and so far we are accident-free in the house (touching wood madly). He takes direction about what's okay to chew, and has easily learnt he should sit and wag his tail to get treats, rather than climb onto tables to get them himself. At the park, Billy is the dog trotting quietly at our heels, while the other dogs creat havoc. He walks nicely on leash.

On the down-side, Billy is a bit of a sook. I think its partly his age, but also his sensitive personality- he is quite sound-sensitive, and having never been in the city before, he has to learn to cope with traffic, bicycles, car alarms, and a whole array of strange looking dogs (tall, small, fluffy). He defers to everyone at doorways, and needs a bit of encouragement to go ahead, and if he thinks he's in trouble, he will sit and look pathetic- and if I didn't know for certain it was untrue, I'd think he'd been walloped. He is a mild resource guarder with other dogs, shows his teeth if they try to share his dinner, but no issues with people, and no toy guarding.

Once he's comfortable and comes out of his shell, Billy's an absolute cracker. He's adjusted to living with our cat, and seems okay with kids (on brief introduction only). He doesn't mind having his feet or ears pulled or played with, and is okay being restrained.

He's had only a few looks at sheep, and was initially keen, with nice cover, square flanks and medium eye- but he's found the pressure a little hard to take. With some maturity and a patient handler, he will probably gain confidence and enjoyment- he certainly has the right genetics.

Bill might look a bit plain, but in person he's adorable. Once he's leant against you, looked into your eyes and offered you his paw, you'll see what I mean.

If you are interested in Billy, drop me a line at nabudi@weavers.leet.com.au