Snickers is an Australian Cattle Dog with a zest for life. He is friendly to everyone he meets and really wants to get out into the world and experience life! He is an owner surrender- they simply didn't have enough time for a zesty dog like himself, so he found himself spending much more time in his crate than he needed to. We offered to help because we know that Snickers will find a family who will want to take him places with them and walk him daily. Snickers really just dreams of sleeping on the bed with his new family, and running around his new fully fenced back yard, going for walks with his pack, and car rides to the pet store would be super!

Snickers is the kind of dog who is fun to be around. When he first got to us, he spent hours just exploring the back yard, but when it was time to settle down, he grabbed his squeaky turtle toy, and we played away. He was loads of fun! He is the type of dog that you can tie a bandanna around and he'll jump into your jeep and drive to the beach or park with you.

Snickers is not very familiar with his name, despite the fact that he's had it his entire life. Because of this, we would recommend that he not be let off leash. He is not neutered yet, but will be before adoption, and we think this has a lot to do with his lack of recall. You can call him and call him and call him- but all he will do is sniff away and be off in la-la land. However, in the house he is like a Velcro dog and wants to play and be with you. He is a load of fun and we can totally see him being adopted by a super hip, young couple wanting a dog to go camping/hiking with! A retractable leash would be wonderful for Snickers!

Snickers has not experienced much of the outside world in his short 1 and 1/2 years of life, so new experiences are initially scary for him. He was afraid of my sliding glass door and drapery at first, til he figured out it wasn't a monster, then he walked right into my house. He does recover quickly from a startle, but will need a gentle, patient owner who is willing to take him loads of places to get him out to the world. He is totally worth it, because once he figures out that the curtain is actually just a curtain, he is soooo much fun to be around and will romp and play and is a joy to watch. I wish he was around when I was looking for my first dog, he'd have been the one! He is a very small "project dog" who will take no time at all to "fix" with his little anxieties, but you will feel like a million dollars in the end because you fixed him, and you would have bonded with him tightly in the mean time. It's a win-win situation with this guy. And he's handsome to boot!

***update*** From his foster mom: Snick is terrific! He is attention seeking, but quiets down with minimal correction. He is very smart. He loves his walks and  accepted the haltie with little fuss. He finally ate this afternoon. He's fine with Madison (their 13 year old Springer Spaniel), he gives our old lady her space when she needs it. There are absolutely no issues or concerns whatsoever. We are working on teaching him not to put his paws up on the counter.

**update** Snicker LOVES to play with other dogs, and we think we are going to make it mandatory that he goes to a home with another dog and a fenced yard. However, the current resident dog must have matching energy levels as he doesn't seem to ever want to stop playing! He'll need a pal who can keep up with him and his playfulness. He doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body, but he can be a bit annoying if the other dog tires out, Snickers is almost like that kid brother who wants to keep bugging you to play more, but you've just had enough of basketball for the evening and just want to relax and watch tv... but he keeps nagging you to shoot more hoops. So, your current dog will have to be able to keep up with Snickers in the backyard! :) Snickers is really fast and likes to zoom around the yard. A fenced yard is a must! He's fun to watch, but he's a perfect gentleman inside, he just needs to be reminded that play time is outside, but he takes correction very, very well and only has to be asked the first time. He is also a real people dog and just wants to be in whatever room you are in so he'll follow you around the house and just eats up those belly rubs. Everyone who meets him tells us that his pictures don't do him justice... why not see for yourself?

 

If you are not familiar with the Australian Cattle Dog breed, we suggest you read up on them before you fall in love with Snicker's picture. They are not for the couch potato family. While cattle dogs are loyal, "Velcro" dogs, they do need daily exercise and if not given a job to do, or left in their crate for hours on end, they can become destructive. (think border collie intelligence here!). They are super smart and loyal- loyal to the point that they would die for their people. They are super off leash and have a great recall. (Snickers may be okay with this in the future with the right owners, he just isn't right now and can't be trusted off leash AT ALL). They do need to be kept socialized, though, as they tend to want to be an only dog household, so playgroups and dog parks are a must in order to keep their sociability up. It's not that they become aggressive, they just tend to shy away from being friends with other dogs if not given the chance, and will stick to their owners and become somewhat "snobby" at the dog park if not frequented. However, if you are looking for a true companion that you can walk with daily, a cattle dog is the one for you!

Snickers is neutered and vaccinated including rabies, wormed, flea treated, micro-chipped, he is heart worm negative, comes with a free first vet visit, 30 days of optional pet health insurance, a dog goodie bag full of stuff, a new leash and collar, and a vetting folder made exclusively for Snickers.

www.BlackDogSecondChance.org

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