Charlie

Charlie is a fun, boisterous and affectionate young man who requires a committed and dog-experienced home to call his own. At only 17 months old he has his whole life ahead of him and just needs the right family to help unlock his boundless potential.
Charlie’s personality is that of a big, gambolling, fun-loving Labrador, but with some added Kelpie smarts thrown in. This makes him highly trainable, as he is clever and loves food! He is an earnest boy and just love, love, loves being patted, scratched, cuddled and brushed. He will need some consistency in his training, particularly with recall and walking on a lead. Charlie has learned that jumping up will not earn him a pat…. But sometimes it’s hard to keep that big, wiggling bottom under control! Charlie has a big personality so it’s key his new family know how to work with him to bring out the best of his character.
Charlie strongly desires to be part of life’s activities and adventures so it’s very important that he has a family who includes him every single day. He cannot simply be a backyard dog who is forgotten about when his humans get busy with other things. He hasn’t shown signs of separation anxiety or naughty habits so long as his exercise and mental stimulation requirements are met. If Charlie is isolated, bored and lonely he will bark, so exciting enrichment toys are a necessity of life for him. He is a generally confident guy but if he’s not sure about something he puts the brakes on and won’t budge. To overcome this you need to earn Charlie’s trust and gently encourage him with patience and compassion. He cannot go to a home that is forceful or intolerant of taking things at Charlie’s pace. Because he’s a big, strong boy who doesn’t realise his size (and he’s still trying to work out how to move those four clumsy paws in the right order!) he won’t suit a home with small children as he can easily send them flying by accident. His foster family feel he may have the right temperament to potentially be a family dog, but only with older, respectful children and a family experienced in navigating this.
This young man is extremely playful and fun with other dogs. Because of his size and enthusiasm, he needs playmates that match him in intensity and isn’t suitable to be re-homed with a fur-brother or sister who is a small dog or in the later stages of life. He has lived with cats in the past and is interested in chickens but has demonstrated no aggression towards them. Appropriate fencing for Charlie is of, course, necessary. He would do best with either a suitable sibling at his new home, or humans who are around a bit during the day and can fulfill his desire to play. After a big runabout he’s happy to crash out and have a snooze!
He is toilet trained and crate trained, so after snuggling on the couch with you in the evening, he happily settles in his bed and sleeps through the night like the good boy he is.
Charlie’s ears are the gift that keep on giving and he will increase your daily laughter ratio tenfold with his funny tricks and cheeky character! This sweet, lovable, earnest boy deserves his own family who are absolutely committed to his wellbeing and to caring for him for the remainder of his life. If that’s you - Charlie can’t wait to meet you!