BELLAMY-MINI AUSSIE (MINIATURE AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD)
State: near Albany,NY area
Age: 2 years
DOB: unsure
Weight: 34 lbs
Sex: male
Neutered/UTD: yes/Yes
Coat Color: red tri color
Children under 4: no (no history)
Children over 4: Yes
Separation Anxiety: no
Dogs: yes
Cats: probably with dog savvy cats
Crate Trained: learning
House Trained: yes
Obedience Trained: No
Leash Trained: learning
Microchipped: Yes
ADOPTION FEE: $675
9/29/23-Bellamy is his foster mom’s little shadow. He loves being around me and my dogs. He loves meeting new dogs but is still quite skittish around new people. Bellamy is definitely a ladies’ man and will take some time to warm up to men in the home (he isn’t aggressive at all but he gets stressed and runs and hides). His forever family will need to be prepared for this and take things slow and on his terms. He is such a lover once he warms up to you, but two years in a puppy mill has understandably left some trauma that needs to be worked through. We also don’t think anymore that he has to have another dog if there are women in house as primary or only caregiver. Bellamy is still doing well with his training. He is actually the best listener in my household! He was licking his incision from his neuter but it is starting to heal up beautifully. He is enjoying all sorts of treats and toys but his favorite activity by far is wrestling with his foster brother. It is SO entertaining to watch him bounce and spin trying to get the upper hand on a dog 3x his size!
9/23/23-Bellamy has had a great week. His appetite has come back in full force. He is exploring all of the toys we have in the house and it is so adorable seeing him learn how to play. His current besties are a pit bull and a golden retriever—both 90lbs each—and he wrestles with them as if he was 3x his size. Bellamy doesn’t seem to have much fear when it comes to meeting new dogs and is most comfortable around them, so we strongly feel that he would do best with a doggy playmate in his forever family.
Bellamy has really settled into our routine. He is very content to sleep next to or under my desk (depending on which spot isn’t occupied by another dog) during the day, and enjoys his walks around our property. He has the cutest zoomies when he is excited and an excellent recall (though this trust will of course need to be reestablished in his new family and we never have him off of his 50 foot leash).
We had a couple of days where he tried testing boundaries with my lab (Barking at her) and with us (not listening) but after a couple of quick no’s and keeping an eye on him the issues have completely disappeared. Bellamy is a very smart boy who just wants to keep his pack (humans and dogs) happy. He is really the perfect size to add to any pack and has the softest rabbit fur that melts away any stress as soon as you start to pet him. We will miss this boy but it’s time he find his forever family!
9/18/23-Bellamy is doing very well here. We have determined that he would do best with another dog in the house. The more dogs the better to be honest LOL. He is still pretty skittish and hasn’t warmed up to my husband yet (though I’m confident he would with more time), so he needs another dog to show him the ropes and give him confidence. I think that being alone with strangers and no dog to look towards for guidance would cripple him for a while. Belly needs his pack. We actually are watching my parent’s two dogs as of yesterday and now have 4 other dogs at the house and I’ve seen Belly open up more quickly overnight than he has in a week with the addition of more dogs. just love him so much, his new family will be so lucky!
9/17/23-Our little guy has been coming out of his shell more with each passing day. His neuter went well but he howled the entire evening afterwards, mourning his lost manhood. LOL Bellamy doesn’t howl often, but we have noticed that he does it when he has big emotions. He was back to his normal self the next day. Bellamy absolutely loves meeting new dogs and gets along with all sizes, genders and ages. He has met the dogs that live on either side of us and will wait at the gate to see if they want to play now. We also have my parents’ two dogs for a total of five dogs in the house at the moment and he made quick friends with them. He doesn’t even mind that he’s the smallest kid by at least 30 lbs!
One of the cutest quirks that Bellamy has is always wanting to find a den when he relaxes. Whether it be underneath a chair, behind a door, or tucked under a side table, Bellamy will make it work! When we left him the other day for a couple of hours we found him upstairs (we have been carrying him) when we got back. He was brave enough to follow my dogs up but then was too afraid to come down! We are working with him on this. As Bellamy opens up more he is more receptive to training and is a quick learner. He is super smart and just wants to please his humans.
One of the cutest quirks that Bellamy has is always wanting to find a den when he relaxes. Whether it be underneath a chair, behind a door, or tucked under a side table, Bellamy will make it work! When we left him the other day for a couple of hours we found him upstairs (we have been carrying him) when we got back. He was brave enough to follow my dogs up but then was too afraid to come down! We are working with him on this. As Bellamy opens up more he is more receptive to training and is a quick learner. He is super smart and just wants to please his humans.
9/12/23-Bellamy is doing so beautifully in his new life as a pampered pooch! He has not had one single accident in the house since we got him and he lets us know when he has to go out. We have been working on recall since his favorite place to be is outside, and he is doing beautifully with his training. He has the cutest bouncy little run and would do well with a large, fenced in yard. We are still working on leash training. He pulls less now, but doesn’t love to be directed to go somewhere that he doesn’t want to on a leash. We are going to work with a longer leash on this as this gives the dogs more space to feel like they aren’t trapped or forced into doing something.
Bellamy sleeps through the night next to the bed (his preference), put will put his little paws up on the side of the bed when he wants some snuggles in the morning. We still need to work on stairs but don’t want to push him too hard too quickly as he still is a bit timid. He is fine with the couple of steps on our front porch but our steep 200 year old stairs are a lot for this little guy! He does allow us to pick him up and carry him without issue. I work from home and Bellamy is quiet and cozy sleeping in my office while I work. I wish my two dogs would learn some habits from him LOL.
Bellamy is well aware of his status as #3 in our pack and respects it. He listens well to corrections from my two dogs and does not challenge them. He engages in play with my 3 year old golden retriever but gives my bratty 7 year old lab mix the space she wants. As mentioned, Bellamy is a bit timid still, but is coming out of his shell every day. He will circle the house if he gets anxious and then settle himself down pretty quickly. He does not like to be chased (or feel like he is being chased), and is sensitive to loud noises (barking, my husband walking loudly LOL, a door slamming), but this is all SUPER common for a mill dog who hasn’t been exposed to our big, loud world. I expect that these anxieties will lessen significantly within a week or two. This is my first time fostering a mini aussie and I am SO impressed and in love with the breed now! Bellamy has the softest coat, is so gentle, and SO smart. He will be an easy addition to any family. He is getting neutered tomorrow, 9/13, and then will be ready go home to his forever family.
9/10/23-Bellamy had a great first night with us. He is such a snuggly boy and did not need to be crated as he is great in the house. He let me know twice when he had to go potty during the middle of the night! Bellamy LOVES his time outdoors and would be extra happy with a fenced in yard of his own. He is still timid about playing with my dogs which is understandable since they are two and three times his size! I’m sure that will change very soon. Bellamy is even starting to learn his name and has the cutest little nubbin (tail) wiggle when you love on him. He is going to need work on the leash since he pulls and has been great with letting me know when he has to go potty. At his overnight spot Bellamy saw a cat briefly through a pet gate they had up dividing rooms. Their cat walked up to the gate and Bellamy sniffed noses with him, wagging his tail and never growled or gave any negative response. But the two did not have the opportunity to mingle together. So he will probably be ok with dog savvy cats, keeping in mind Bellamy is a herding breed so instincts are often to “herd” a cat. Lol. This handsome man will be a great addition to any family.
9/9/23-Introducing Bellamy! Bellamy means good friend, and we know that his future adoptive family will be getting a new best friend in him. He is two years old and was sprung from the puppy mill just yesterday. He’s a bit timid right now, but we have already learned that he is a dream in the car, loves pizza and gives the best kisses. Bellamy will be ready to go home after his neuter next week!
09/08/23-Bellamy is a very sweet beautiful 2 year old red tri-color male mini aussie (miniature Australian shepherd). He was saved from being killed by a puppy mill as they just got done breeding him. He arrived safely into rescue tonight thanks to his transport & overnight volunteers. He is being neutered on Wednesday 9/13 & will be ready to go home after that. More updates soon on this sweet boy!
