Shelby

ADOPTED

This wonderful and sweet girl is Shelby.

Shelby is a 4-month-old Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever/ Poodle mix) puppy who is about 30 lbs and growing.  She could easily reach 60-70lbs so will be a large dog.  She is an extremely lovable, outgoing, and happy puppy. Shelby has a beautiful golden coat that is more Retriever than poodle, so she is a shedding non-hypoallergenic puppy.  Shelby is going to be a large dog when she is fully grown so her family will need to be confident with a large breed dog. Shelby came to Pound Dog Rescue from a puppy mill.  She was a bit shy but has now broken out of her shell and is looking for lots of love and adventures!

Doodles are mixed breed dogs and therefore exhibit a spectrum of behaviours that are present in the breeds of their parents, however there are some behavioural characteristics that are very common that people should make note of. First, Doodles tend to be very social dogs that do much better with their people around and engaged with them more than not. A Doodle that is left alone for long periods of time regularly can develop depression, anxiety, become obsessive about certain activities and these can result in other destructive behaviours. Doodles are also high energy dogs that need an abundance of mental and physical exercise, especially as they are growing into adulthood. These are not couch potato dogs that are content with a few short walks a day. If you have a more laid-back lifestyle and are a homebody, a Doodle will not likely be a great match for you. They are very intelligent dogs who like to work, so taking them beyond basic training is highly recommended to help them live their best life. They like to push boundaries and challenge you and many Doodle owners have claimed their dogs are always two to three steps ahead of them.  If you are committed to advanced training, lots of exercise and exploring, if you have a goal of learning dog sports, then Shelby might just be the girl for you!

Shelby’s most favourite thing in life are her humans.  She loves to be the centre of attention and wants all the snuggles that she can get.  Shelby is extremely affectionate and is always interacting with her humans.  She loves to play games, have belly rubs, snooze on the couch next to you and is a willing participant in all outdoor activities.  Shelby’s ideal forever family will be active and understand that she needs both physical and mental stimulation in order to live her best life!

Shelby has immersed herself into family life and has settled into a daily routine.  She is a healthy eater and has all meals in her crate.  Shelby is crate trained and enjoys time in her crate each day for a maximum of 3 hours.  At bedtime she settles in without a peep and is sleeping a solid 6-8 hours each night.  Shelby is a very smart puppy and has quickly learned that bathroom breaks happen outside.  She will indicate her needs to go outside by standing at the back door.  She waits quietly so don’t miss the cue as accidents can still happen.

Shelby is very smart, and food motivated so training has gone very well.  She knows the commands, Sit, Come, Time for Bed (to go into the crate), go get busy for bathroom breaks and always loves to hear that she a good girl!   She will immediately run over whenever she is called and will drop what she has in her moth when corrected with a quick ahh-ahh-ahhh.  Shelby’s future family must be calm and diligent with correcting her behaviour and giving lots of praise when she does the right thing. Shelby absolutely LOVES making her humans happy and loves being praised. Due to her high intelligence continued training past the puppy and level 1 is recommended.  She will also make a fantastic companion at rally, fly ball and other high energy games.

In her foster home, Shelby is living with 3 doggy siblings.  She loves to run and play outside for hours each day.  She loves every minute of it and can always be seen playing tug-of-war, keep-a-way, and chase.  Shelby looks at the older dogs for guidance and reassurance but has become quite a confident little girl.  Ideally, Shelby would have a large, fenced yard to run in with the companionship of another dog.  Shelby could go to a home with children aged 8 years or older.  She has not interacted with younger children and is easily excitable with a puppy’s tendency to jump and possibly nip.  Shelby would make a fantastic addition to a family with older children as she loves the attention and has wonderful playful energy.

Overall, Shelby is exactly what you would expect of a “Goldendoodle” puppy. She is loving, goofy, and sweet. She is clingy, curious and will be the best companion!  Shelby is going to make a family VERY happy and will be a great addition to anyone with an active lifestyle who has a lot of love to give. Now all Shelby needs is a family to call her own.  Are you the family for her?