About Bella

Beautiful Bella, a Catahoula leopard dog mix, is currently being fostered in Clearwater, FL (Pinellas County). Bella was surrendered by her owner at 6 months of age and was rescued from a Tennessee shelter in December at 8 months. She still has a lot of puppy in her and will not fully mature until 2 years of age. In spite of being surrendered so young, she knows her name and some basic commands (sit, off, lie down), and she is potty trained. Bella is a busy bee and requires a lot of exercise and stimulation. Bella will do best in a home with a high level of activity, with at least 2-3 hours of exercise and play each day. Crate time should be 4 hours or less, daily. Bella never met a stranger - she is very social with other dogs and people, even when on leash. She loves to run in open spaces and will enjoy the companionship of another active dog who likes to play chase and wrestle. Her herding tendencies do come out in play, so if overexcited she can nip or get 'mouthy,' but responds to an appropriate reprimand to settle down. Bella is friendly to kids ages 5+ and will fetch a ball and play tug o' war. She loves her chew toys and puzzle toys with food rewards. While she hasn't had an opportunity to go swimming during her foster stay, she does seem interested in the pool and enjoys walking on the beach and looking for interesting things to chew. Obedience training will help Bella learn her boundaries. She loves to take walks on the leash but her strong prey drive can make her unruly when she spots squirrels or rabbits. She is responding to positive reinforcement training on the leash but consistency and additional training will really help her develop. With work, she could become a great running buddy. Bella is spayed, with no known medical issues, and is current with all shots for her age. She requires a home with a fenced-in yard and another active dog to play with.

Manatee County
, Florida