Elmo

Elmo the Border collie wants the rural life…

Elmo is an affectionate, sensitive, fun-loving young Border collie boy who wants to live a rural life with a dog-savvy owner.

Elmo specialises in resting his head in your lap and gazing adoringly into your eyes, but he’s not just a one trick pony, he also: travels beautifully in the car, is crate trained, house trained, has basic obedience and enjoys playing fetch and tug. Elmo needs the space and opportunity to run and romp most days of the week, but although he enjoys being active he’s also excellent at settling and spending hours at a time chilling out while his people get on with other things. He is easily motivated in training by food, play, physical affection and praise.

During foster care Elmo has lived well with horses, sheep, two dog-confident cats and a galah, and he’s also been good around cattle on properties he’s visited. Elmo’s only ‘real’ job during foster care has been to keep the sheep out of the feed shed during feed-up times each day, and he takes this responsibility very seriously – if he’s somewhere else on the property and he hears the gate to the shed being opened, he races back, takes up position in the gateway, and puts his ‘You shall not pass!’ face on.

Elmo LOVES swimming in dams and jumping in water troughs to cool off, and is happy to be out and about when it’s raining. Thunderstorms do bother Elmo but if he’s provided with a safe place to curl up in, preferably with the company of a chilled out human then, although he finds it stressful, he rides out the storm pretty well.

Elmo has lived with up to seven dogs at a time while in foster care, and when it comes to dog playmates, he doesn’t discriminate based on size or gender – his two favourite playmates during his time in foster care have been a sassy 2.5kg female Chihuahua and a goofy 40kg wolfhound cross boy. Elmo prefers playing with dogs who don’t have body-slamming play styles, and he can get overwhelmed if another dog brings too much intensity to the play, but if the other dogs are clear that it’s all just light-hearted fun and games then Elmo has a ball and makes a fun playmate. Elmo especially loves playing running and chasing games and usually prefers the role of chaser than chase-ee. Elmo is a big fan of bushwalks.

Although Elmo enjoys physical activity, he doesn’t have the makings of a competitive agility or flyball dog… those hustle-bustle crowded environments are just too overwhelming for him. He’s quite a noise-sensitive dog in general, and needs patient guidance to help him adjust to new situations; this is one of the reasons Elmo is better suited to an adult household.

A few more things to know about Elmo…
Under the right circumstances he would be okay as an only dog.
He hasn’t destroyed any furniture or household items when left without supervision.
He only requires grooming every couple of weeks to keep his coat in good order (how about that – he’s handsome AND low maintenance!)
He is desexed, vaccinated, health checked and lifetime registered.

Elmo’s good looks and smoochy nature have won him plenty of friends during his time in foster care (his happy smile is infectious!) but although he is a friendly boy he is not for a novice dog owner. Elmo needs a guardian who is both kind and clear in their manner with him, to help him enjoy life to its full. With the right guardian Elmo will thrive and be a rewarding and devoted companion.

Videos of Elmo:
Elmo having a dam good time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WkZ4oAy2XU
Elmo’s got skills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA9JD5Dh3BM
Playing tug with his scruffy little friend (and a noisy Chihuahua!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3noBKShxSo
A trip to the river: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im7HoiC6DGE
A battle with the Chihuahua!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCcPVaxDKmo

*Elmo is currently living in Bargo, NSW*