Athena

🐾 Meet Athena ❤️

A gorgeous girl who is learning

Athena is a gorgeous 5-year-old Boxer x Kelpie who is discovering the world and learning all the things she was never given the opportunity to learn before. She has the spark and vibrancy of a puppy!
Straight out of transport from a NSW pound she was ready to get started on her new life!

When all you have known is a backyard for most of your life, with little guidance or training, the world is a very exciting place. Athena is now discovering how wonderful life can be — and she is proving to be a bright, affectionate and incredibly quick learner.

Athena absolutely loves people and loves being around her humans. Everything is exciting to her, she would love a home where she gets all the affection to herself, she is learning how to navigate the world around her and how we ask our dogs to behave in a human-centred world.

With guidance from her foster family and trainer, Athena has already made wonderful progress. She learns new obedience commands very quickly and is showing just how clever she is. She would suit a home with a dedicated, patient and knowledgeable owner who has an interest in progressing her training and keeping her enriched and active. With the right person, she will be a superstar companion!

Her foster family have been taking Athena out into the world to experience new sights, sounds, people and dogs. While she can still be very excited initially when she sees someone, she is learning that she doesn't have to greet everyone. Once she realises she isn't going to say hello, she settles beautifully.

They have been spending time hanging out at shops, and after a few minutes Athena is able to completely settle, listen to her foster and take everything in. This is a really important part of Athena's journey. She is learning to process the world around her, rather than feeling like she needs to be involved in everything happening around her. Once she's had her needs met, with walks and some play, Athena is now a very chilled girl for most of the day. ❤️ Her progress has been incredible.

Athena can also recognise when she is tired and will sometimes take herself off to another room for a quiet nap. She is crate trained and happily sleeps in her crate with the door open.

She is house and toilet trained, although she may need a little patience and guidance while settling into a new home.

She also travels well in the car when secured with a seatbelt, although she would very much prefer to be riding up front beside her humans! 😂

Being a Kelpie cross, Athena has plenty of energy and a natural herding instinct. She loves exploring and discovering her surroundings, so her lead skills will need further developing - once she has checked out her surroundings she tends to relax

Athena currently lives with 2 other dogs and is good with them, but her enthusiasm can sometimes be a little overwhelming for them. For this reason, an only-dog home would be ideal, giving Athena the opportunity to continue developing her skills without overwhelming canine housemates.

❤️ What Athena is looking for:

Athena needs a family who understands that learning doesn't stop when a dog reaches adulthood.

She is looking for someone who will continue the work her foster family and trainer have started, and who will enjoy helping her discover new things and watching her confidence and understanding grow.

Her ideal home will have:

🐾 A family who are patient, enjoy training, and are dedicated, and commited to further developing her skills
🐾 An active lifestyle with plenty of exercise, enrichment and mental stimulation to meet her needs
🐾 A secure backyard - (she is a kelpie of course!)
🐾 Someone home more often than not
🐾 Preferably no other dogs
🐾 No cats - untested
🐾 No children - untested

Athena isn't looking for a quiet life where she simply spends her days lounging around. She is an energetic, intelligent girl who needs to use her brain, explore, learn and be part of her family's life.

In return, she will give you an enormous amount of love.

And just look at how far she has already come.

When Athena first arrived in care, she had spent much of her life without the guidance and experiences that help dogs understand the world around them. Today, she can settle in busy environments, listen to her foster, enjoy her adventures and even respond to recalls in public.

We will be here to help guide and support you as Athena settles into her new home and continues her learning.

Athena is desexed, vaccinated, microchipped and flea and worm treated

Athena has also made wonderful progress with her weight. She arrived weighing just 12.7kg and is now 16.7kg, gaining 4kg since coming into care as she works towards a healthy weight.

Her diet consist of 2 meals a day of premium dry food, Prime100 rolls or Lyka + a KONG with Peanut butter and treats for training throughout the day.

Athena is ready for the next chapter of her life.

If you feel you can give Athena the home she needs and deserves, please complete the adoption form below
https://zfrmz.com.au/8lV6kTX7SZ6DGEJ6wqiC