Azuma Collie Columbia, MO

Azuma is a medium-large size black, white and grey dog with bright brown eyes, an athletic build, and the cutest pointy ears. He is a very sweet, kind and curious pup.

When Azuma arrived at my house, he was very afraid of everything. Because (with his first family) he had not had many experiences outside of the home, he is unfamiliar with many things that might be normal to other dogs. However, Azuma is quickly adjusting to the new, more colorful, vibrant, and active life that he deserves.

Personality: Azuma's perfect family would be very patient, loving, physically active, attentive, and have enough time to work with him. I would not recommend Azuma live with a first-time dog owner. At this point, he is not the most social dog (with people or other animals), so a small, quieter family or individual would be best for him. Although he is new to going on walks, he seems to really enjoy going on walks. Azuma needs time during the day to be active and get some exercise outside of the house (around 1-2 hours of dedicated movement). Like any dog, active time helps him to be a lot less restless/bored when it is time for bed. When Azuma finds his person/people, he will be your little shadow (literally!). He likes to follow me around everywhere I go, so it is pretty easy to keep track of him. He likes to watch what I am doing and sniff around in the things that I am working with because he is just so curious about the world (within reason). At this point, Azuma is not the cuddliest dog, but he is a very good and sweet boy, and he wants to do the right thing. Once you familiarize him with a routine, he will want to follow it. He can get anxious sometimes when there is a lot going on, so the combination of patience, and having a quieter environment would be best for him. Although he can be anxious, he has NEVER shown even the slightest sign of aggression at all. He has never growled at, shown his teeth to, bit, or jumped on me or any of my guests. Azuma doesn't even bark in front of people. He has only barked when in his crate and in need of attention when I was somewhere else in the house. However, I would not recommend Azuma live with other dogs or small children at this time because he requires a good deal of attention to be in his optimal state. He also needs to be around people who have the awareness to recognize his signs of stress and can give him space to come around on his own rather than being bombarded with attention. I would not describe him as very independent at this time, because he is still learning a lot about the world, so he needs your time, patience and guidance to help him feel most comfortable and work towards confidence with new things.

Skills: Azuma is mostly crate trained and potty trained, but we are working to perfect those skills! He enjoys being in his crate because it is his safe space. He does not use the bathroom in his crate, so if you are attentive to him and take him outside right away, he will not use the bathroom indoors. He has had two accidents while in my care, but only because I did not take him outside soon enough. As he continues to become more comfortable with me, we will also start working on basic commands like "sit", "stay" "lay down" "come here" "crate" etc.

He likes to chew on soft toys and enjoys eating Milkbone treats. He doesn't like being petted on the head so much as being petted on the neck/chest. He is fearful of other dogs when we are walking but has not come into close contact with any other dogs. So far, he doesn't seem to care much about chasing rabbits or birds when walking, so it is very easy to keep him under control when we are out. Azuma has a lot of long hair and sheds pretty consistently during the summer, so be ready for regular cleanup and brushes every few days!

Azuma will be so happy to find his forever home with his perfect match!