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Calvin is being returned to rescue at no fault of his own. A new baby entered his life five months ago and is giving him anxiety. While positive reinforcement has helped enormously in relaxing around crying, new developmental stages bring new triggers and it does not seem fair to keep subjecting him to the stress. His family is very sad to let this little gem go, but want the best for him.

So many things make Calvin nearly the perfect dog – border collies like this don’t come around too often! He has lots of energy and loves to run and walk with his humans (though he needs some leash work and tends to ‘weave’). However, he also has a great off switch and is calm and relaxed inside most of the time, snoozing at our feet or on his bed. Calvin loves toys and if he can’t convince YOU to play with him, he’ll make up his own games or entertain himself with a bone. He would make a great playmate for the right dog. He is a bit nervous around new dogs (flicking his tongue), but with some well-orchestrated introductions I think he would warm up, especially to non-reactive dogs.

Calvin can be reactive at times – he gets overly excited when he hears a basketball bounce, or the blender or vacuum turns on. However, when we are vigilant about positive reinforcement during these activities, he learns quickly that they are ok. He does tend to get wound up when we pass dogs in the neighborhood and they bark, but some re-direction with ‘watch’ and treats goes a long way to helping correct that. He is cat intense, and used to run the fence and bark at the neighbor cat. We have trained him such that he now can be content just staring at the cat, but I’m not sure he would do well in a home with one. Calvin is a quick learner with clicker training and knows sit and lie down (with a stay until we release with ‘free’), wait, and watch.

Calvin is an excellent frisbee player and catches every throw. He is a blast to watch, because he likes to catch it as high in the air as possible. He then brings the disc back and drops it right at your feet. If it’s not close enough, just say ‘bring it’ and he’ll toss it closer! A ‘that’ll do’ lets him know the game is over, at which point he likes to get a nice drink of water and take a good roll in the grass.

He respects a 4 foot chain link and loves to hang out on the back porch to take in the sights and sounds. He’ll ‘knock’ on the door when he wants to come back in and be with his people.

When we pull out the peanut butter kong, Calvin runs straight to his crate without complaint. He is crated at night and while we are not home, but I suspect he could be left out now that he is older. Calvin knows he is not allowed on the couch so when his toys “accidentally” gets up there out of his reach, he has some pretty creative ways of trying to retrieve them. My favorite is when he leans on his chest without putting his paws on the couch – hey, you have to give him points for originality!

Some activities other than the above that Calvin might be excellent at are: tracking (he really follows scents closely), fly ball (he loves to fetch), agility, and maybe he could even try his paw at herding! Calvin likes his people, but he is not a Velcro dog and has some independence. I think he will adjust quickly to a new home that can provide him some constant work and keep those unpredictable babies away. We recommend he not go to a home with small children. Age 14 and above would be best. He is a beautiful animal with a zest for life, and is just waiting to reach his full potential with the right family. He the ideal dog for someone who has the time and energy and right environment for him.

Featured Dog
 

Willow (2023)
Border Collie (short coat)