About Benny

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE BIO ON THIS DOG BEFORE REQUESTING AN APPLICATION. MANY OF OUR DOGS HAVE STRICT REQUIREMENTS FOR THEIR ADOPTION. 1. Needs an Aussie savvy adopter. 2. Children age 12 and up only. 3. Needs a fully fenced yard. 11 month old male Aussie mix, about 50 pounds. He is VERY active and requires a good 45 minutes of fetch every day to keep him in the proper frame of mind. Herding breed or Aussie experience required. He is a typical Aussie; fun, active, talkative, affectionate and goofy. He has a ton of energy and really does need some form of daily exercise. He loves water and playing with the hose! He would love playing fetch into the lake! He's not the smartest Aussie in the bunch but he does figure things out quickly and is very smart about some things. He is still growing into his body and doesn't always know where his legs are. He will still need further training, socialization and be closely monitored and guided when around other animals, especially dogs. He does have a good prey drive and will give chase to bunnies, squirrels, small dog, etc. But he is not very fast, so they have the advantage. He might really like learning to herd sheep. He is not an apartment or suburban living type dog! He would do best on a large property with an assertive, herding breed savvy owner. Eventually, with further training, he might be able to live with one other balanced, well trained dog that will leave him alone. Benny is awesome with people, but very selective with dogs. Benny is a quarantine raised puppy that did not get the social skills and training that he needed to be a solid citizen. This is especially problematic for herding breed dogs that need excellent socialization as a puppy. He just doesn't know how to interact properly or play with other dogs. He always goes on the defense first. Benny received two months of training to help him understand how to stay calm and 'be' with dogs. Benny can now co-exist, in a social setting, with balanced dogs that leave him alone AND with a human that is controlling the interactions. He does not do well with dogs with frenetic, chaotic energy and those that get up in his business or try to dominate. If left to his own decisions, he has proven to be dog aggressive. He will need to continue with his training before he can be fully trusted (if ever). He does not resource guard his ball or his food, but will get growly about his human when other dogs ask for attention and can get barrier (fence, crate) aggressive. His human needs to be willing and able to correct this behavior immediately when it happens. He takes discipline well and has taken to training willingly. Children 12 and up Benny really needs an Aussie savvy, assertive human to play ball, go on adventures, build a wonderful bond and likely be the only dog. Calling all Aussie lovers! Adoption contract and fee applies. All adoptable dogs can be met at adoption events hosted every weekend. For a list of scheduled events go to: https://www.facebook.com/SmidgetRescue/events . Smidget Rescue is not a shelter, and dogs cannot be seen at the Rescue location. All dogs are fostered throughout the Puget Sound area and are brought to the events where they can be met by prospective adopters. Additional pictures of adoptable dogs can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/SmidgetRescue/photos_stream?tab=photos_albums. All adoptable dogs are spayed or neutered at 6 months of age or older, and always before being placed in their new homes. APPLICATIONS CAN BE OBTAINED BY EMAIL ONLY. Adoption process includes application, meet & greet, home visit and reference check. Email Jamie at [email protected] or click on the CONTACT link on this page. PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS BEFORE SENDING. We get a fair number of incorrect emails and Jamie is not able to contact potential adopters. Notice: We do not ship dogs out of state. If you live within a five-hour radius of Seattle, WA, (such as Portland, Vancouver B.C., etc.), we can arrange for a home visit. If your home seems like a great fit for the dog you would like to adopt, you must then drive to meet the dog at one of our weekend events or at the fosters home.

King County
Maple Valley, Washington