Hobbes Australian Shepherd Greenwich, CT

In Milford
Hobbes is a 3 year old blue merle looking for an experienced Aussie owner to be his long term partner and companion. If you're not experienced, here is what you need to know:

Hobbes is a typical velcro Aussie, pure bred, so he is very loyal, which also makes him very protective. He will tolerate strangers and other dogs if introduced properly, but he prefers to be your only friend/buddy. Yet, he gets along with other Aussies and can be part of a pack (especially if they have the same temperament). He currently lives with another Aussie and they correct, follow, and play with each other fine; as a typical Aussie they prefer rough play. He has very high guarding instincts, so a quieter environment is ideal for him. No kids; yet if they visit, he will play fetch with them nonstop!

He does have anxiety, but his Foster Mom noticed it gets better once you establish a good routine with him, and you MUST stick to it. Having an Aussie like Hobbes is A LOT of work, but very rewarding.
Now more about Hobbes' personality - he is a very sweet boy, will follow you around, he lives to make your life his priority; he wants to protect you, play with you, hike with you, etc.. in other words, he has dedicated his life and time for you, so he is looking for someone to be his guide. Someone with a strong personality. He is very structured and obedient. Knows all of the basic commands: sit, stay, wait, come, no, down, spot/place, kennel, up, down, go get toy, & jump. He is very intelligent and learns new commands in a couple of days!

He is house trained & crate trained. Up to date on his vaccines, heartworm & flea/tick meds.
Foster Mom has been working with him on boundaries for inside vs outside the house. When we are inside, he lays down on the couch, watches TV, enjoy a chew toy, etc.. very low stimulus activities. No toys after 8pm, which is dentastix time. Breakfast at 7:30am, dinner at 6pm. Apple snack at his spot around noon. He usually hangs out by himself in the hallway while foster mom works all day remotely. Sitting before any treats, sitting and waiting for a few seconds before meals and before exiting any doors. Outside, we chase ball/frisbee, work on agility and dock diving training, or even go for a long walk. He LOVES the water, even if it's a kiddie pool! But he prefers to fetch his toys from the pool or the ocean. He has no OFF switch and he had very high drive, so he will depend on you to tell him when enough is enough. He also makes a great hiking companion! He walks well on leash and off leash. But be careful of strangers, as I mentioned he believes his job is to guard & protect you, so you need to make sure you have any new situation under control, otherwise he will consider it a threat. With that said, once you establish trust with him, you'll need to get him outside his comfort zone. For example, take him to a store on non busy hours while they are restocking, and treat him in response to any unfamiliar noise or visitors, etc.. he will need to be continually socialized, otherwise he will get even more protective of you and you would not be able to take him anywhere.

Foster mom thinks he will be a great companion to hikers, ex-military or a very structured person. As previously mentioned, the less chaotic environment, the better for him. He also makes for a great sport dog which makes for great bonding time, he would be great at agility, rally, frisbee, and/or dock diving. He is a very quick learner and will do best in sports with a handler.
His foster mom will be very heartbroken to let him go, so expect her to be bugging you to make sure you're taking care of her second baby. Please reach out if you have any questions. If interested in having Hobbes as your companion, please fill out an application on our website and note his name in the comments. Thank you. Milford, CT. Also, check out his fb page, Hobbes !

Here is our application:
https://www.australianshepherdsfurever.org/adoption-application

All adoption fees are used for future rescue efforts.