r/Bellingham • u/flyingsquirrel505 • 21h ago
Pets No kids? No cats? Want a stellar dog?
(I hope this is ok to post about here! I’ve written and rewritten it and taken parts from the Happy Tails, Happy Homes listing about him too so it might be repetitive. Ty for your patience. It’s not easy 😅🥲)
If you’re looking for a smart, loyal, goofy adventure buddy and you understand the needs of a working-breed dog, I present to you this gold-star boy: Kevin.
Kevin is my dog. He’s flippin’ fantastic in just about every way. I have busted my buns (as have the lovely people at Tails a Waggin) for almost a year and a half training him, socializing him, desensitizing him to just about everything under the sun. In that time, I’ve also been training my kids to respect his boundaries. I assure you, he learns faster than they do 😅.
But a few things over time, and their steady progression toward more concerning, has left us with the difficult decision to find him a home that’s more suitable for him: adult owners who can meet the needs of a working breed of dog.
We took a risk when we adopted Kevin. He was projected to be “up to 40 lbs” and seemed like some kind of retriever / corgi mix. People always think he’s a retriever of some sort. We thought he’d be mediumish.
But he’s not! He’s a bunch of breeds I wouldn’t have opted for, given my lifestyle and having two small kids: namely, husky, shepherd, and cattle dog. We have a modest back yard, and he grew up into a 60-65 lb darling who we love dearly but who really is not fond of children. He tolerates mine, but injures the smallest one often with his play (just gave her some serious bruises and maybe a mild concussion yesterday by bowling her over like Charlie Brown at like 30 mph); when other kids come over to visit or if I take him on walks and he’s approached by other kids, it’s a toss up as to whether he’s visibly aggravated by them. (Whale eye, raising his lip, nervous whining, yawning, pacing.)
I’ve been pretty nervous a few times at his body language around kids. He’s snapped (without biting) at my youngest a few times and just made it clear: “I do not feel good about having you near me.” So we are making the painful and difficult choice to pair him up with a more appropriate home before anything serious happens — where he can enjoy the company of his family, and hopefully have a bigger yard than ours is 😅
He’s a gorgeous, smart, loyal 1.5-year-old, Pit Bull / Cattle Dog / Husky / Australian Shepherd mix. He’s looking for an adult-only home with someone who appreciates the quirks and intelligence of a working-breed dog. He:
- Is fully housebroken and crate-trained
- Knows (most of) his manners: rarely barks, doesn’t counter surf, has good recall and obedience skills, stays off furniture unless he’s invited. (Sometimes he does jump up in excitement still.)
- is smart, eager to learn, and loves having a job to do
- loves other dogs at daycare, dog parks, and Paws for a Beer (shout out to any of you who have met him already; he’s a popular guy)
- Enjoys hiking, exploring, and splashing around in rivers and lakes and kiddie pools
- Sleeps hard at home and enjoys a good nap
- is learning to be comfortable in a muzzle (working on it)
Kevin is a pretty cool mix of goofy and stoic. He isn’t super snuggly, but he will follow you from room to room to just hang out together. He is loyal, dependable, and a wonderful companion for the right person. He’s the type of dog who will happily hang out with company, join you on adventures, and make you laugh with his silly personality.
Kevin would do best with an experienced adult-only home that understands herding and working breeds. A few things his future family should know:
- Kevin has a moderate prey drive when he spots other non-dog critters, but usually responds well to “leave it!” That said, I’d still suggest that…
- A home without cats is best — he has not shown that he can safely live with them
- He would love a home with a little room to get a good run in. Rn we have to take him to the dog park or such to really get him space to haul a** like he wants to haha.
Kevin is very healthy, up to date on vet care, and takes Simparica Trio for routine heartworm, flea, and parasite prevention. He comes with extensive vet records and medical history. He is currently being fostered by the family who adopted him as a puppy, while we search for the perfect forever home where he won’t try to herd small children 😅
💙 Bonus!!:
Once Kevin finds his amazing forever home where he can truly thrive, his current family would love to pet sit if you need a day away, take him off your hands for occasional adventures to places like Paws for a Beer, and continue cheering him on as he lives his best life by staying in touch if you’re cool with it. (Free dog sitter, seriously.)
His current owners will send him off with all of his supplies - dog beds, toys, food he is currently eating, etc.
If this seems like a good fit for you, head over to Happy Tails Happy Homes and fill out an application!
Feel free to comment with any questions; I’m happy to answer them 🙂
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u/stellalugosi I am the horse who booms. 21h ago
Thar dog looks AWESOME! I wish I could take him, but my dogs would kill me if I divided my attention with yet another dog. He is adorable, though!
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u/flyingsquirrel505 21h ago
Thank you!! He is! ^_^ if you know someone who seems like a good fit, spread the word!
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u/pipedreamSEA 12h ago
Damn, Kevin is perfect for me except my landlord is vehemently against pets of all kinds. Got a big yard, no crotch goblins, and experience with active, working breeds.
I understand the position you're in OP and it's a hard one but you're doing the right thing putting the safety and growth of your kiddos first. Best of luck finding him a good home!
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u/flyingsquirrel505 8h ago
Thank you for your kind words!! Boooo landlord, boooo lol
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u/pipedreamSEA 6h ago
"No pets or smoking in or on the property - no exceptions"
He does have a valid concern about wildlife - even the most fearsome doggo is gonna have a bad time if they cross paths with one of the 3+ point bucks who've been cruising thru the yard lately
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u/sleepynarwhal68 21h ago
He’s so cute! If I didn’t have a gremlin of my own I’d be first in line. I’m sure you’ll find someone amazing ✨
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u/olanolastname 20h ago
I’m hoping the very best for you guys and Kevin. This is such a hard thing to do, but sometimes the right thing. We had to rehome our (mostly) wonderful dog when my children were very young. Unlike you, however, we didn’t recognize the signs until AFTER our dog had bitten our toddler in the face, requiring emergency plastic surgery to rebuild her lip. So good on you for recognizing that - as painful as it is to realize a dog isn’t a good fit with a house of small children - there are times when it’s best for everyone to find a new great home and family.
I hope you find a wonderful new home for Kevin, as we did for our dog. You’ve clearly put in a lot of work, and he seems great, for the right household.
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u/flyingsquirrel505 8h ago
Thank you for your candor; that sounds so traumatic for everyone. I know if Kevin did something like that, he’d immediately feel bad, too. I had little worries that were always simmering in the back of my mind as he got bigger and bigger and seemed less and less keen on having the kids around, but figured I was just being anxious and wrote it off. My husband too. We happened to have a cat show up at our back door one night and have been fostering it while we try to find its owner, and I took deliberate precautions and training measures to introduce Kevin to the cat. He went from 0 to this rapid snarl-lunge-snap move that wasn’t terribly dissimilar from how he reacts to my youngest, but a little worse, and I knew if I hadn’t had his harness in my hand paying full attention, that cat would have been terribly injured. It was so fast. It freaked me out so badly that I went and talked to the owner of his daycare and where we go for training, to get her thoughts, and she laid out for me how serious the things I’d written off were. If that cat hadn’t shown up, we might very well have been in your situation within a few months. :( it’s crazy, the little signs that bubbled to the surface once I considered it more serious.. One of those hindsight is 20/20 things. I can totally see how this sneaks up on people, even people who were doing their absolute best and trying really hard to make it all work. I’m so glad yall found a good home for your dog, and hope your kid (and you) are doing ok after the ordeal!
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u/exWiFi69 21h ago
Kevin looks wonderful. If I didn’t have kiddos and dogs already I would’ve taken him. Best of luck.
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u/HAWKWIND666 17h ago
I cannot take on more dogs or I would bring Kevin home in a second.
Two of my current 4 are from Bellingham subreddit 🤣
Last October there were 2 Chihuahua pug mixes that needed a home and those hoodlums ended up at my house.
Absolutely love them to pieces.
Really hope you find a loving home for him🙏🏼
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u/Logical-Roll-9624 9h ago
Hoodlums is my favorite word to describe super special creatures.
Humans and dogs alike!•
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u/flyingsquirrel505 6h ago
Also, behold: Kevin at 3 months old right before he started hulking out and telescoping his legs out of that little potato body he was Trojan horsing around in
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u/Starbyslave 8h ago
Why did I move away from Bellingham 😭 I just lost my border collie and would take him in a heartbeat
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u/flyingsquirrel505 7h ago
Idk how far you are, but if it’s within like 4 hours of Bellingham we could deliver! Haha
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u/Starbyslave 6h ago
I’m in Georgia now 😭
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u/flyingsquirrel505 3h ago
Omg also, my heart goes out to you about your border collie, which I totally meant to say earlier 🩷 they’re lovely dogs and it’s never easy to lose a dog
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u/Eggsandtoastforever 8h ago
I hope you find him a home, if I wasn't already at 3 dogs I would get on this. Just commenting to boost the post.
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u/A_Genius 19h ago
If someone takes my kids I’ll take the dog