💔💔Shepp 💔💔

Meet the amazing,full of life and fun Shepp - Kelpie x German Shepherd  baby who is 6 months old and current weight of just 15 kilos Based on this we feel he will be a med size boy at full growth 

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If you are someone who is torn between wanting to adopt a kelpie or a German Shepherd, you will be thrilled to know that your lucky day has arrived! This  gorgeous little guy is 100% kelpie with 100% German Shepherd markings - and he is currently on the lookout for his forever home. He is lean and lithe and has a tiny little kelpie frame with fine features. He is a typical kelpie in so many ways - bright and alert, with the perpetually concerned expression of an old man, watching everything around him with an eagle eye and moving low and close to the ground whenever he sees something he feels is his business to sort out. Sleep-ins and endless hours spent snuggling on the couch in front of the TV are NOT Shepp’s idea of a good time - he is a working dog through and through and he just LOVES to be kept busy. He is an incredibly smart, loyal and fun dog and will make the perfect best friend for an experienced owner who will appreciate and celebrate his sweet and intelligent personality

Shepp has been fostered in a home with three large, boisterous resident dogs. He is extremely dog social and he has excellent canine manners for an adolescent dog, being gentle and respectful of the older dogs. He just loves to play, run and wrestle, and he does all of these things at an enthusiasm level of 100%. His little face lights up and he barks in pure excitement as soon as one of them shows any interest in his invitation to play, but being “boring old adults”, they tire of his games very quickly and he always looks a little heartbroken as he realises the game is coming to an end much earlier than he would like.  Shepp has been in care with children aged 10 years and older and has loved being in their company. He is a confident and happy pup around all people he’s met, however he is still learning how to use his manners when greeting people. He does tend to jump up in excitement when he first wakes up or when his people come home after being out - however this is easily managed by ignoring the jumping and rewarding good behaviour when he chooses to sit instead of jumping.  He is improving every day, and in a home with more time and attention to devote to reinforcing good behaviour, he will quickly learn the appropriate way to behave even when he is excited. Due to his friendly and people-oriented nature, Shepp is able to be adopted into a family with children older than 10 years and who are confident around dogs. . Everyone in the home must also understand that he is still a young puppy who may exhibit typical young puppy behaviour for several months to come. His potential for learning is literally limitless - even being the gangly, impulsive teenager that he is, this dog is still smarter than the average owner and his thirst for knowledge and new experiences is endless. He would make an amazing companion for an active person who is looking for a dog to teach some really cool tricks to.Shepp has been exposed to sheep, horses, cows, alpacas and kangaroos whilst in his foster home. True to his breed, he has shown signs of wanting to chase the livestock along the fence line but has no desire to hurt them and only wants to get them moving around, after which he will return straight back to his carer. 
Shepp is a fit and athletic boy who will require a walk every single day regardless of the weather - please do not apply to adopt him if you are not already an active person who loves the great outdoors as much as he does.  He would thrive being given a job to do in his new home to challenge his mind daily - this could be as simple as mental-stimulation toys or ongoing formal obedience training. He still keeps an eye on his career though and even if he takes off for short bursts to chase a rabbit or kangaroo, he will turn in an instant and return to his carer at full pelt if he feels he is at risk of being left behind. In full flight, Shepp is a true joy to behold - he is so light and so agile, and he literally flies back to his carer, covering hundreds of meters in no time at all, skidding to a halt beside his carer, ready for a rub of his ears and scratch on his chest.Shepp is reasonably easy to walk on a lead however it must be noted he displays an obsession with cars that is so common with working dogs. He fixates on a car from a few hundred meters away, and immediately crouches low to the ground, his excitement building with each passing moment until the car passes and he attempts to lunge at it. His carer can easily control him by using a slip lead held short but relaxed, however it is clear that his fixation on moving vehicles does impact on his enjoyment of his walk, as he is unable to relax enough to even enjoy a good sniff of the grass and lamp posts alongside the other dogs.  He does not appear to have the same obsession with bicycles. If his new owner plans to walk him on residential roads, we recommend some specific threshold/ desensitisation training around cars to ensure he remains safe and happy on his road walks. Shepp just LOVES toys, and watching his pure joy whenever he finds and plays with a toy is enough to melt anyone’s heart.  It is like watching a baby discover his parents’ car keys for the first time - he throws it around in the air, and he rolls on his back and holds it in his paws above him, apparently admiring it in absolute awe. He then contorts himself into all sorts of funny positions as he explores all the ways he can chew on it or rub against it. He constantly runs up to the other dogs to show them his treasure and to try and entice them to be as excited about it as he is - but they just don’t appreciate his excitement and he is usually left to play on his own. Like all busy and curious young dogs, if there are no toys to play with, Shepp will happily find and chew on anything nearby that happens to take his fancy, including shoes, socks and treasured human toys. His new owners therefore need to be prepared to “puppy-proof” their home to ensure he doesn’t get himselfinto serious trouble until he grows out of his adolescent phase. Shepp is literally a clean slate and apart from already knowing the “sit” command, he requires training from scratch. He is smart and eager to learn and just LOVES treats so he will be very easy to train and will make his owners super proud of him in no time. 
. He does not show any sign of food aggression whatsoever and will take treats very gently from your hand without snatching. He has enjoyed his bones in the safety of the laundry, away from the other dogs, and has been happy to spend 30-45 minutes fully engaged whilst chewing on it.  He quite likes cuddling up next to his foster carer to begin with but he is not a natural lap dog and will usually move off after a short while to his own corner of the couch. He sleeps in a covered crate in the garage overnight and whilst he is not keen to go willingly into the crate and still needs to be physically placed inside, he doesn’t make a peep once he’s there and he sleeps soundly from about 10:30pm to 7am. 

Shepp has a beautiful, easy going and friendly nature, however it must be made clear that he is not a dog for the faint-hearted, nor is he suitable for a first-time dog owner.  He requires an experienced, confident leader who will nurture his independence, free thinking and resilience, whilst giving him firm directions and clear boundaries so that he  can reach his full potential as a steady, well-balanced canine companion.  Shepp requires room to run and play, and with his propensity to bark in excitement, he will not be adopted to a home in the burbs that has a small yard as it simply won't suite him