Duke (On Trial 25/9/14)

Duke is a male, 15 month old, gorgeous, red kelpie x. He is a sooky boy and love cuddles and belly rubs. He is very food motivated and eager to please and this makes him easy to train. He loves chasing the water out of a hose and is easy to bath. Two of his favourite things to do are walks on a lead and trips in the car. He is not aggressive to anything or anyone. He can be boisterous sometimes because he is still so young and so much is new to him.

He is good with children and also fine with cats. We have a pet galah and he sits and watches her in her cage but will come away when called.

Duke does not bark very much at all. Like most dogs his age, he gets bored easily and might chew things if he isn't taken for a daily walk. He needs plenty of chew toys and regular exercise and preferably a larger type yard.

I think he would get on well with other dogs his size. Duke and our cattle dog cross even share a kennel sometimes at night. Duke's probably isn't best suited to living with small dogs but would love a doggie companion close to his size or larger in his forever home.

Duke plays outside during the day then comes in of an evening so we can all enjoy family time. Overnight, Duke and our dog sleep in a kennel on the verandah. Duke seems to be house trained.

Duke will sit and stay with a bit of encouragement and we are teaching him to sit and wait for his food until he is given the command (okay) then he can eat. He has shown no food aggression at all and we throw biscuits on the lawn for the dogs to forage and share.

After some encouragement he will chase a ball especially if another dog is playing as well. Since he enjoys our dog so much, I think Duke would be best suited to a family that has another dog his size or larger, especially if adults work full time or part time.

When Duke's original owners obtained his mother they didn't know she was pregnant until she gave birth to Duke and his siblings. They wanted to keep them all and even spent over $2000 in vet bills after they ate a poisonous plant. Not all of the pups survived and when Duke got back home the other dog in the family, a bull mastiff, decided he did not like Duke anymore. So with heavy hearts his owners decided that Duke should have the chance of a better life with a new family.

We think Duke's ideal home would be with anyone who has another active dog and who has time to spend some quality time with him. He is so happy to see us when we get home from work! He lays down and his tail nearly drops off with excitement! He is a loyal and loving boy that is eager to please.

For more information or to meet Duke, please contact Alison on 0413 426 296 or email alie@live.com.au. Duke is in foster care in Medowie, NSW (Port Stephens, north of Newcastle) and is available for adoption interstate.

Duke's adoption fee is only $400 and includes his desexing, vaccinations, flea and worm treatments, microchipping, and lifetime registration. You can see all our available dogs at www.dogrescuenewcastle.com.au