Burley Boy

Burley is an Aussie/Blue Heeler mix.  He's a rescue from a high kill/rural shelter in southwest Idaho last.  (He was brought in as a stray last fall).  We had him neutered & fully vetted.  The vet estimated his age to be 6-8.  We just say that he's 7. 

Why are we rehoming him? 
We currently live on an unfenced 5 acre property near Boise Idaho.  However, we are moving to a town home near Washington D.C. in August.  Unfortunately there will be a TINY yard for him- it would be like being kenneled all day.  I will be going to work full time and he’s used to being home with me all day.  We have 2 disabled inside cats which he doesn’t do well with….which is fine in our current situation.  We just put the cats in a bedroom when Burley comes inside.   My kids or I are almost always outside on our big property working or playing so he usually has someone to hang out with. But at the town home community.....he will be alone all day, in a tiny yard, with lots of people coming & going and we believe it will be too stressful for his protective nature.

About our Burley Boy...
 He is very calm & sweet.  Burley came to us trained, obedient, & very loyal.  He knows many commands & has great house manners  (doesn’t get on furniture, etc.). Everyone he meets comments on his good nature.  Occasionally if he is very excited, he’ll jump & “nip” the air or will mouth my hand as we walk.  But he never jumps on people.  Even when he is really jazzed up, he’ll run to me and immediately sit by my side.   He's always up for fun & an outing but otherwise pretty low energy.  
He’s housebroke but he did mark at the vet’s office & the groomers once.  The vet believes it was because he was just recently neutered as an adult dog.

He LOVES to play fetch & LOVES to have his belly rubbed.  His tennis balls are prized possessions! Burley also loves to go in the car!  Burley went with me most days to pick up & drop off kiddos at school.  He's a great traveler. 

He enjoys water & knows the word “fish”.  So his past life must have included fishing.  I haven’t taken him fishing but he’s had lots of playtime in natural water sources.  (he doesn’t really play in the sprinkler/hose) The most excited Burley gets is when my 12 year old is protecting the cherry trees from birds…when the pellet gun comes out, Burley goes into work mode!  He is right by my son’s side- very excited & focused.  We believe he possibly lived on a ranch or farm in his former life.

Burley walks great on leash!  Besides neighborhood walks, he goes with me once or twice a week to downtown Boise where we walk or hike in the foothills.  Also- he has spent a lot of time waiting for his human kids to leave & come back from mountain biking in downtown Boise.  He hasn’t shown any anxiety in busy parking lots full of mountain bikers coming & going- he’s curious yet totally chill.  He’s also great off leash.  We love the “off leash” trails and he usually stays close by me.

He is used to spending time with us inside every day.  Burley also sleeps inside every night (in our mud room).  We’ve not crated him but he’ll occasionally nap in his crate with the door open.  But he prefers his big comfy bed the most. His future family must allow him to be an indoor/outdoor dog!  

Woof:
Burley seems a little picky about the other dogs he’s around.   He doesn’t react when we’re on walks and dogs are aggressive through fences- like doesn’t even bat an eye!  He doesn’t mind other dogs in the park & is very polite when he greets dogs on the hiking trail.  However, he is possessive with other dogs in the park when it comes to his tennis ball.   Also, when dogs (even friendly ones) get in his face or sniff him for longer than he is comfortable, he stands firm & will growl very low.  Once the coast is clear….he gets the heck out of there and finds me!  I don’t believe he will do well with a young energetic dog/puppy or an alpha.   He had a great relationship with our neighbor’s female senior black lab before she passed away recently.

Meow:
Burley does NOT do well with cats.  He will also bark at squirrels & raccoons that he finds in the trees.   I do not know how he does around chickens.  He will nip through the fence at my neighbor’s cow but is very obedient about not going through the fence.  He is not obedient however if he has found a cat to chase (which may not end well).  He’s been known to chase deer through our field too. 

Other:

Once he bonded to our family he became a very loyal watch/guard dog.  He is vocal but calms down once he learns the strangers are safe &/or friends.   His bark is loud and because he is typically very quiet- it can really catch you off guard when he “talks”!  His eyesight isn’t as great at night so I’ve noticed he barks more at visitors during that time of day. 

We want him to go to a family that is familiar with Aussie/Blue Heeler breeds (prey drive, focus, protective, shedding coat, etc).  The ideal family will be gentle & affectionate, play ball with him daily (this is non negotiable), run/walk/brush him regularly (again, he sheds). 

We want to make sure his future owner(s) understand that Burley is older!  He is aging & not a puppy.   He’s at the companion dog stage of life. 

Companion/Family Dog:

Burley loves to be with his people & will always be near by.  I trust that when he’s outside with my kids, he’ll watch over them.  Burley is a wonderful family dog.  My kiddos are older (7- 12 years) & they understand his breed’s quirks.  I’ve always been with him when he’s been around smaller kiddos.  He doesn’t seem to mind them if they are respectful but I can see him getting tired of grabby hands & teasing.  Both of my boys received a little warning nip when they were to rough with him during play time.  It was when he was still adjusting to our home & the boys weren't respecting his space.

We adore this guy and want to find him the perfect situation.  The ideal family will be a situation similar to ours- a family with older kids, active (camping, hiking, etc.), who has a yard & is home regularly, etc. or an active retired couple/person who wants a companion dog.  

Before we found out we were moving, I was planning on working with him to be a therapy dog for the elderly- since he’s super chill.  My 83 year old grandmother lived with us until recently & she adored Burley.  I would often leave Burley with her for a couple of hours a day- she would pet him & talk to him.  It was awesome & it greatly improved her mood.  Also, Burley’s gentle nature is what helped my daughter over come her fear of dogs.

Location:
We are located in Meridian near Boise & Eagle Idaho.  I’m willing to drive him or meet up for the perfect family- Oregon, Utah, northern Idaho/Washington, etc….but the situation must be awesome!