DALE

Dale is our sweet, tall boy that is just shy of 1 year old. Dale is a shepherd collie mix that came to us through a local animal shelter. He and his siblings were found in a barn when they were under 4 months old and were brought into the shelter in hopes of them finding the life they very much deserve. Unfortunately, Dale was one of the pups that had a harder time in the shelter. When we brought Dale home, he was very low in confidence, had no idea how to live in a home environment and struggled to show love towards those who tried to care for him. This is so far from the life he now lives.

Dale loves to make friends with all dogs so with the help of some four legged friends, we built up his trust with his foster humans during his intake assessment. After his assessment period, Dale moved to a home where he was the only dog with two adult humans. Here, he has excelled way beyond our expectations with the help, guidance and advocation from his foster parents. Dale is fully crate trained and his crate was a huge help in setting up boundaries as he settled into his new home and routine. From there, his foster parents have worked hard on helping him learn how to settle without needing his crate. With the implementation of a “place” command and spot in the house, Dale is now able to settle and relax not only his body but also his mind. Currently, Dale knows the following commands: crate, sit, down, drop it, place, heel and break (his release command).

Dale has been working hard with his foster parents and his amazing trainer on his leash manners. Previously, walking on leash was something that was a major struggle for Dale. He could not focus and would spook far too easily to do a normal leash walk in his neighbourhood. Since starting his training with The Balance Lab (Barrie), Dale’s walking skills have done a complete 180. Dale is now confident on his walks, trusts his foster parents to advocate for him and enjoys soaking up as much time outside as he can. Dale also love his time on a long lead and loves it so much when fetch is involved in his adventures. Dale is working towards his off leash freedom with the help of an e-collar. Dale’s foster parents and Dale, himself, are working together weekly to build on his skills and get him to a point where he can one day enjoy even more of the world.

Dale can be shy when meeting new people but warms up quickly when he is given the space to warm up to someone new on his terms. Due to the fact that young children don’t always understand that dogs need space, we recommend a child-free home for Dale to be able to shine his brightest. A home with previous dog experience is also an asset. Dale needs a home that understands confidence building, is willing to continue his balanced training (with his current trainer or one in their area) and a home that is going to be encouraging as he continues to grow. Dale missed out on critical developmental milestones early on in his life and deserves to soak up everything he should have had during puppyhood, and more!

What Dale’s foster mom would like you to know about Dale: 

Dale is a loveable goofy guy who will make you laugh on the daily. He needs a good amount of exercise to keep him happy, but he loves to play fetch and would do best with a dog buddy to play with to help tire him out. He can occasionally be a testy puppy but makes up for it with his adorableness and hilarious zoomies. Dale will need a family to continue his training to make sure he realizes the world isnt so scary after all. The last thing I want for this boy is for him to live a small life due to his fears. He has proven he can work through them but just needs someone willing to go the extra mile to help him.