Cassie Border Collie Mix Manhattan, KS

Miss Cassie is a sweet soul who wants nothing more than to sidle up to you to be petted. She is a 2-3 year old spayed Border collie mix who was found as a stray roaming the countryside before being taken in by a shelter and ultimately making her way to her current foster home. We are hoping that her next stop is her forever home.

Cassie is very smart. She picks up on training very quickly. She is house trained and has never had an accident in the house. She knows how to sit, lay down, come, wait, go, and stay. She walks well on a leash, and listens really well off-leash unless she sees another dog that she wants to go be friends with. She sleeps all night either by or in her fosters’ bed or on the couch. She started out staying in her kennel while they were out of the house, but now she is fine being left on her own out of the kennel. She is sensitive and wants very badly to please her people, so she readily responds to gentle corrections.

She’s a little lanky, and came in only weighing 38 pounds, but now she is up to a healthier 42 pounds. Eating is her second favorite activity (after being petted). She does not get into the garbage or take food off counters or tables, but she keeps a keen eye out for anything that may have fallen on the floor. She is spayed and up to date on vaccinations as well as flea & tick and heartworm preventives.
Cassie will readily get into a car to go with her fosters, but she is an anxious passenger and will nervously pant on road trips. She may also experience a little car sickness. She doesn’t get sick in the car, but she exhibits a depressed appetite for a while after getting out of the car. Medication for her car sickness is fairly inexpensive and can be obtained from a veterinarian, but if you enjoy frequent road trips, taking Cassie with you may not be in her best interest.

She can be intimidated when approached by strangers; after all, she is only a few months removed from having to fend for herself. So you’ll have to forgive her for being apprehensive at first and remember that slow introductions are best. After a proper introduction she has yet to find a person she doesn’t like, including children. When she plays with her fosters she can be a little rambunctious and mouthy since she is still young, but stops the minute you tell her that’s enough. A home with older children would probably be best. She still needs some work on proper socialization and learning to trust. She can also get a little grumpy when she hears the neighbors coming and going because she thinks someone is intruding on her house. She doesn’t bark though, she makes an under her breath “burf” sound just to let you know she hears something. For this reason an apartment would not be her ideal home.

Cassie has been introduced to one cat that is an old pro when it comes to living with foster dogs. Cassie showed some interest in the cat, but did not bother it. She has, however, shown interest in chasing the squirrels, bunnies, and stray cats in her back yard. Cassie likes to meet and play with other dogs, but she is often too excited, which upsets many dogs she meets. Again, she still needs some work on socialization.

Since she is only a few months removed from being a stray, some instinctual behaviors will crop up from time to time such as gently scratching or pawing at blankets, couches, or carpets to “nest” when she goes to bed or trying to find places to “bury” or hide her treats for later. She responds well to correction, but needs someone who can provide consistent reminding of proper manners. Her ideal new family would be one that has experience with the Border collie or similar working dog breeds, understands her instinctual behaviors, and are able to appropriately work with her to correct any undesirable behaviors. They should also be able to give her plenty of daily exercise. Since she has recovered from her bout of kennel cough, she has become much more active. Ideally her new family would be able to let her run off leash daily.

Cassie is a very special dog that deserves a wonderful forever home. She is so sweet, exceptionally smart, incredibly loyal, and full of love. She deserves a family that will love her back just as much as she will love them.

Our adoption fee for dogs is $200 - this covers the cost of getting them fixed and updated on shots.