Polly

CBCR courtesy lists dogs for individual owners, other rescues, and shelters wishing to place their Border Collies or Border Collie-mixes themselves. These dogs are not in the CBCR program. CBCR does not warranty any of the information provided about the following dogs. Should any issues arise, CBCR will not be held responsible. Fees requested and policies may differ from CBCR.

BONDED PAIR – See Gruff’s listing.

About Polly :

• Sex: Female
• Age: 3-years-old
• Coat: Blue Merle
• Weight: 40 lbs
• Activity Level: Active Pet

House Trained, Spayed, Current on Vaccinations

Children – Unknown  Other Dogs – Not a Good Fit  Cats – Not a Good Fit

Biography

Everything was going great for Polly, Poppy, Gruff and Olive on Christmas morning.  Plenty of presents in their stockings hanging from the mantle above the fireplace, the whole family spread out over the Living Room and lots of love and attention for dogs.  A wonderful morning for all.  They had a great day too.  It was cold.  They ran in a local field playing with each other and us.  Christmas night my wife was not feeling well and went to bed early.  Later in the night she got up and collapsed in my arms, where she died suddenly and unexpectedly of heart failure before the EMT’s arrived.  When the EMT’s, Police and Fireman did arrive, I put all dogs in the Living Room, which is separated from the rest of the house by glass French doors, to keep them out of the way, hoping that my wife might be revived.  That did not happen.  We were heartbroken, in shock and absolutely traumatized.  All of the dogs were too.  Gruff would not leave the couch for a week.  They eventually wandered out of the Living Room, thoroughly confused and frightened.  Their housetraining went the way of the wind.  That has fortunately returned.  My wife’s mother took Poppy home with her.  She now lives in a large old farmhouse surrounded by fields and forests north of Winston Salem.  Polly, Gruff and Olive remain with me.  I thought I could care for all the dogs on my own.  I can.  That is all I can offer them. My wife worked from home and was with them all day, keeping them entertained and engaged.  I work full time and cannot provide much excitement for them during the day (I do manage to come home for lunch though) and that is the main reason I hope to find them a better life than I can now offer them.

Olive will remain with me.  She is approaching 14 years old, and I won’t let her go at that age.  She has lived here all her life here, since coming home from the NHC Animal Shelter, and I won’t put her through losing the home, though sadly depleted, she has known all her life.

I would like to try to adopt Gruff and Polly together.  They get along well, play together, and would I think be a comfort to each other as they adjust to a new home.

Polly is a blue merle collie cross.   She has one full blue eye and one fully brown eye.  She has a curved spitz-like tail, which, when she is concerned about a situation, relaxes to its full length.  She came, with her sister Poppy, to my house from a friend who is a physician in rural SE North Carolina.  One of her patient’s dogs had a litter of puppies that the owner could not care for.  From photos I have seen, the father of the litter appeared to be a classic b&w BC.  The mother appeared to be a merle Australian Shepard. They were headed to the local animal control warehouse, which is not a healthy environment for two 3 month old puppies.

Polly is now two ½ years old.  She will 3 in November.  A perfect age to adopt a new companion!  Polly is on the small side for a collie weighing in at about 40 lbs and approx. 18” at the withers.  She is current on her vaccines, spayed at 8 months (had I to do that over again, I would have waited for another 8 months) and is healthy with a good appetite, very energetic and very fast.  She is current with both heartworm and flea medication. She is a smart, biddable dog that learns quickly and has excellent recall. I live in an urban environment, with several busy streets nearby, so I haven’t allowed her off lead often. I do have a fenced back yard though and she returns when called.

Once again, the main reason that Polly is looking for a new home is because my wife died on Christmas night.  I continue to work and she, Gruff and Olive are at home alone all day.  This is no life for a very intelligent and active dog. If they are adopted separately, (not my preference) I think Polly would be suited for either a home with a no other dogs, or other dogs, probably a male dog, that is older and larger.  She very “herdy” and will try to push other dogs around.

Polly is housetrained and crate trained (her crate will be included with the adoption).  I keep her crate with me in the bedroom.  She settles down quickly once inside and sleeps throughout the night without whimper.

Polly has lived in a house without cats or other small animals.  She has not lived with small children either.  She tries to avoid going outside when neighborhood children are outside shrieking.  She was an occasional heel nipper, but that behavior has almost entirely faded away.

Polly’s difficulties:  Polly can be leash reactive to other dogs, not so much to people we pass on the street though she is concerned about their presence.  I am not sure the reason for this as she has never had a bad experience on a walk.  I have allowed her to greet friendly dogs I know without restraining her with the leash.  (That has gone well.) Initially, I thought she was trying to be protective of me, however that is only speculation.  In any case, I’ve had limited success in altering this behavior.  Polly is also a very timid dog.  I think that is her nature; she’s been like that since she arrived at our home.  I have tried to introduce to her to people outside of our immediate family, and she will generally relax around strangers after a minute or two, but it is still not a preferred situation.  In the evening she settles down easily at home though.  She is not a lap dog but will settle quietly within a few feet.  She loves to sit next to me on the couch in the evening with gentle pets to her tummy and ears.

It is a very difficult decision for me to try to find Polly and Gruff a new home.  I love both dogs very much and they will only be adopted to the right home.  Please do not try to pressure me into making an adoption decision.  Both dogs are members of my family. I never contemplated having to make a decision such as this before and am inexperienced with reaching the right decision.    I arrived at the decision with the thought that another home may be able to respond to their needs and personality better than I can. They will only be adopted to an someone living close enough to me so that I can complete a house visit.  I live in Wilmington NC.   In addition, vet references and completion of an adoption contract is required prior to adopting Polly.  I am going to ask for a $400 adoption fee for each.  This is because I am trying to keep a home on a single income now, because I have spent well over that on their vet care alone, and because I need to know that you are serious and willing to make a commitment to them by adopting them.

Does the dog have any medical issues?
No

Does the dog have any history of aggression such as growling, lunging, snapping or biting any adult or child?
No

Does the dog have any history of aggression toward other animals?
Yes

Please explain the aggression toward other animals.
Leash aggression.  See above.

Reason for re-homing?
Can no longer care for four dogs.

Location & Contact
Polly is located in Wilmington, NC.

If you are interested in adopting Polly and Gruff, please email Edward at ewdmccaleb@yahoo.com with “Polly and Gruff” in the subject line.