Legend Border Collie Mix Neosho, MO

Legend is a four year old Border Collie mix weighing in at only about 45 lbs. He was brought in as a stray and has been at FFAA for over 200 days now.

Because of his length of stay, we recently had someone reach out to us and volunteer to foster-for-a-day so we could learn more about what he is like outside of the shelter! It gave us some great insight regarding him, his ideal future home, and reassured us that although he does struggle with pretty severe kennel stress, upon an environmental change, he becomes a totally different dog.

According to the assessor's summary:

"Legend was a very good boy for his day out!

'Car rides: We did struggle getting him into the car, but I was eventually able to coax him up into the backseat. On the car ride, he laid down politely in the backseat and panted. He did get car sick on the drive back to the shelter, but not on the way to my house.

"Dog interactions: While at my house, he met two other dogs - one an aloof, standoffish 35lb border collie and the other a boisterous, in-your-face, 60lb Catahoula. He met the Catahoula with a stiff body and wagging tail, hackles down. When she bopped him on the head and play bowed, he moved away from her. As the day went on, he sought her out several times to sniff and acted like he wanted to play, but then got scared when she initiated. With the smaller border collie, she did not approach him, but he was fascinated by her. He attempted to chase her around the yard, but she was so much faster than him that he couldn't catch up. He enjoyed this game a lot! He's definitely a herding dog.

"Toys: he really liked tennis balls and a tire toy I had in the backyard. He played fetch and tug of war with me and did not attempt to guard toys from me or the other dogs.

"Food: I gave him several treats both by himself and around my other dogs. He appeared to know "sit," "down," and "come." He did not attempt to guard treats from me or other dogs. Indoor behavior: I kept Legend tethered to me in the house so that I could monitor his marking behaviors. He did attempt to mark 2-3 times in places where previous fosters have marked in my house. He was only successful once. The other couple of times, I was able to interrupt him and he stopped. He seemed very nervous inside and scratched at the door frequently to be let out. I think the sounds of machines - washer, dryer, refrigerator buzz, all freaked him out a bit.

Handling: Legend sought out attention all day, and primarily wanted me to pet his head/neck or rub his belly. He did not mind being pet on his back and sides, but did [react] l if I reached like I was going to try to pick him up. I worked with him rubbing a harness and belly band across his back, sides, and belly and rewarding with treats and praise. He responded very positively to this.

"Legend's ideal home: I think this guy would do best in a quiet home with at least one another confident dog and no small children to invade his personal space. He is very eager to please and has the potential to overcome his weirdness, he just needs some time to decompress."


All of these observations are in line with what staff has noticed about Legend as well. He is very prone to keeping velcro-dog close and initiating interactions with staff and strangers alike, and if given the chance to shake of his anxieties for awhile, he eagerly delves into play.

If you are in search of a four-legged friend who embodies intelligence, charisma, and a heart full of love, consider Legend. With a name like that, you know he's a rockstar in the making!