Online Dog Adoption Application

Online Cat Adoption Application

When little Nayden was rescued, he was sitting in the middle of a busy intersection, late at night. He was literally sitting there, staring at the oncoming car. Thankfully for him, that car stopped, not knowing what he was. When they saw it was a little dog that didn't have any plan on moving, their teenage daughter got out to move him. Seeing that he was a sweetheart, had no identification, and it was late at night they took him home.  After contacting authorities and posting flyers, no one claimed Nayden and turned to PRBJ to find him a loving home. They named him Nayden because it means "found" in Bulgarian. Pretty cool, huh?

It's clear that Nayden has spent his entire life on a porch or backyard. He came to us covered in fleas, not house trained, has no idea what a toy is, and hides his food instead of eating it immediately. Its common for an outdoor dog that does not get fed frequently to hide their food as they don't know when they will get more again and they don't want any other animals to get to it. 

Nayden is thriving in his foster home. He has new experiences everyday, loves to snuggle with his people and fellow dogs alike. He will be a great dog for any family, even a first-time dog owner.  He definitely looks like a long, mini aussie. His coat is an aussie coat, not a long-haired dachsund's coat. He doesn't shed much at all so it will most likely shed the way an aussie's will: twice a year one big "poof" where you'll have little clumps of hair here and there that you can just pick up easily (sooo much easier than a short coat that is constantly shedding and going everywhere).

He's a little guy at 14 lbs. See the photos at the bottom of the page to see how small he is compared to his foster brother, Jasper, who is a former Judy dog himself!  These two are best friends!

Here are some highlights about Nayden:

• 100% crate trained
• 80% potty trained
• Sweet and happy personality – will be fantastic with any kids and other animals
• Has some separation anxiety that is improving daily
• Soft, GORGEOUS coat
• Extremely playful, always chasing after one of the other dogs to play
• Peacekeeper – if other dogs in house are playing too rough, he barks at them to try to stop it
• Wannabe Alarm System – he let’s us know whenever there is someone coming to the door (he’s very proud of himself)
• Will not eat treats (yet) – he has no idea what they are
• Has no idea what a toy is – he now thinks that his foster mom loves tennis balls and bones (she has been shoving them in his face to show how fun they are)
  • He has improved to picking them up to bring to drop at her feet. He looks up, wagging happily as if he thinks he has brought her a present. VERY proud of himself.

 According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, despite the misleading name, the Australian Shepherd is not Australian at all, but was developed entirely in the U.S. to work as a herding dog on ranches. It is possible that the name was derived from one of the dog's ancestors. The breed's principal forebears were most likely Spanish dogs that accompanied the Basque shepherds and herds of fine Merino sheep exported to both America and Australia in the early days of the colonies. At some point it probably crossed with Collie stock. It has only recently gained recognition as a distinct breed. Its many talents include, retrieving, herding, watchdogging, guarding, police work, narcotics detection, search & rescue, agility, competitive obedience and performing tricks. Australian Shepherds are easy going, perpetual puppies that love to play. Courageous, loyal and affectionate, they are excellent children's companions that are great with active children. A devoted friend and guardian, for they are naturally protective. Very lively, agile and attentive - they are eager to please, with a sixth sense about what the owner wants. Australian Shepherds are highly intelligent and easy to train. Though aggressive when at work with livestock, the Aussie is gentle with human friends. Australian Shepherds needs lots of exercise and a job to do, as the breed is very intelligent, active and easily bored. They can become nervous and destructive if left alone too much without exercise. They are naturally suspicious of strangers, so they should be well socialized as puppies. Working lines of Australian Shepherds may be too energetic to be suitable pets. Some like to nip people's heals in an attempt to herd them. They are quiet workers, unlike some breeds, which are bred to bark constantly at livestock. This breed is not usually dog aggressive. They have a life expectancy of 12-15 years. This breed is often sensitive to ivermectin; however, the dosage for heartworm preventive is considered safe. Be warned that higher doses of Ivermectin are also used to treat mange and caution should be taken.