Lady Bug Labrador Retriever & Australian Shepherd Mix University Place, WA

If you are interested in adopting, please apply directly with bigdogrescueproject.org/adopt.

Available for adoption in WA, OR, and TX.

Lady Bug was born around November 2018 by our best estimation, she is now 2 years old. She was found when she was about 9 months old dumped on the side of the road in East Texas. Her DNA has been tested which revealed her as 25% Lab , 25% Australian Shepherd, 25% American Staffordshire Terrier, 12.5% Great Pyrenees and 12.5% Breed group (including companion and herding breeds). She is a fit 49 pounds and the sweetest temperament you could ask for in a companion. She is spayed, up to date on shots and takes one Cosequin tablet a day for healthy joints. She is also on Heart Worm preventative. Overall a very healthy girl.

Lady Bug has spent her time with large dogs, small dogs, older dogs and younger dogs (both male and female). She gets along famously with all of them. She is very considerate of the older dogs not wanting to play and the smaller dogs who are much smaller than her. She loves playing with dogs who want to. She is a caregiver, and will go around checking on the other dogs to make sure they are o.k. She would do great in a doggy day care environment! Lady Bug needs at least a 5 foot fence. She could easily clear a 4 ft. fence but has not tried (so don’t tell her).

Her traits are typical of her Aussie heritage. She has stamina for days but not overly excitable or active since she is only 25%. She could handle long walks, hikes or jogs. If she doesn’t have a large back yard (she currently has 4 fenced-in acres) to explore she could probably use at least one of those a day. If around livestock, she has been known to get them into a circle for safe keeping but never touching them. She is very curious, but does not bother things that are not her designated toys even a trash bag that needs to go out. You may want to pick up any stuffed toys she is not allowed because she may mistake them for her own. She is used to a box that has all her toys!

Her Pyrenees traits are obvious when around livestock as well, she likes to guard them and keep them off the fence line. She also will sit for hours just gazing into the distance. She loves the outdoors but enjoys her inside time as well with her family. She is a good guardian and will alert to things she doesn’t think belong at night.

Probably included in her Labrador traits as well as Aussie is her ability to sit under a tree for sometimes hours waiting on a squirrel to come down (she hasn’t been successful yet in catching one). She has a very long attention span and a lot of patience during her outside time. She is very trainable and loves to learn new things. She loves to sit on the step of the swimming pool when it is hot, so I am sure she would love to see the ocean someday. Her favorite weather is cool to cold.

She is not afraid of storms or thunder, loud noises or even gun shots (she currently lives in the country so there may be one of those from time to time). She does not mind the rain, in fact we think she sort of likes it since she may go out and spend 30 minutes in the rain then be happy to come in and have someone dry her off with a towel. She enjoys car rides where she can hang her head out and smell the breeze. She is not crate trained because she has been a perfect princess with a doggy door and the ability to go outside whenever she wants. I am not sure she would enjoy a crate unless the door was open to sleep as she likes the bottom bunk bed when not sleeping with her people. She has stayed with a family that had two older females with no doggy door and did well learning their routine of outside visits often. She is not used to having a potty schedule but would do well with one that she could learn that stayed the same if no doggy door was available.

If you are looking for the perfect companion dog for yourself, your family or other pets, Lady Bug would be the right choice. She would probably be happiest in a home with at least one other young dog she could play with. She has lived with as many as 6 other rescues at one time so she is used to a large family. She does extremely well with children of all ages and all people, she doesn’t meet a stranger. Lady Bug may be considered the “perfect” temperament you could have in a dog. She is a very happy girl and does know the command sit for snack time. She has always been free fed (she tends to be a snacker) and has absolutely no problem eating or drinking with the other pets. She loves to share.

Our adoption fee includes age appropriate vaccinations, deworming, microchipping and transport expenses. Adoption fee is $450 to help offset travel and medical expenses.

All children at home should be at least age 5 to be approved for adoption!

Applications can be made at bigdogrescueproject.org/adopt