Meet Rudy, a two year old male (neutered) Labrador/Australian Shepherd Mix. He is a playful, devoted, and discerning pup. His coat is mostly black with a touch of white in the chest and paws. He has had a hard life, spending the first three months of his life with one family, then was surrendered to the Rockwall Animal Shelter where he spent six more months before being adopted into the home he lives in now. He was surrendered the first time because the family he lived with had a child with autism that was a little too rough on him, so he spent most of his time outside with little to no socialization.
While in the shelter, he became very social with other dogs and shared a kennel with another pup which helped a lot, but he developed some skepticism towards humans. He has no history of illnesses and has been well taken care of with shots and flea/tick/heartworm preventatives. Currently, he is covered on preventatives through February 2025. He is microchipped which even had a thermometer to tell his internal temperature!
Rudy is cautious at first and may take a little while for me to warm up to you, but once you have his trust, his full personality comes out. Food and treats are always the fastest way to his heart. While he has never been around cats, he currently lives with a five year old Blue Heeler and has never met another dog that he hasn’t liked. He hasn’t had a chance to be around children, so his interactions with small kids should be respectful and monitored. He is used to all kinds of living situations.
Currently, he spends most of his time inside around the house while I work from home, but he does well in the kennel during the day when I have to leave. He sleeps in the kennel at night beside our Heeler, but he also loves cuddling in the bed or on the couch. He does not require much exercise, but it would be good for him to get out and build his social skills. While he is pretty flexible with various living situations, it would be best to keep in a calm, stable household! He may do better with older children or older adults.
He is a really great dog because he does not jump on people or counters, can walk on a leash well, does not run away if he gets out of the house, and has never been reactive to other dogs on walks, unlike our Heeler. He is potty trained and knows the command ‘sit.’ We paid an in-home dog trainer to help teach us and him how to manage his anxiety and work on his social skills. We can let you know what has worked for him!
The reason that we have made the hard decision to find Rudy another home is because my wife and I have recently welcomed a new baby into our family. The stress of having a new baby and two dogs has been much more than we anticipated. There have been recent career changes in our household as well and he won’t be out around the house as much as he used to and in a kennel for longer during the day. Rudy deserves to be in a family that can provide a better life for him.
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If you have a specific question about Rudy, then please email newdigs@dallaspetsalive.org. If you are interested in applying to adopt this pet, fill out the application at the link above.
Rudy is participating in the Dallas Pets Alive rehoming program. All of the medical, behavioral and other information about this pet was provided by the pet’s owner. Dallas Pets Alive encourages all adopters to verify the information prior to adoption. Please note that Dallas Pets Alive (DPA) is acting as intermediary to connect prospective adopters with individuals wanting to rehome their pets. DPA is not liable for any information provided about this pet and the adoption transaction is purely between the pet owners and adopter. DPA is not responsible for any damages, injuries or adoption returns as a result of any adoption transaction. DPA! is not responsible or liable for any animals involved in its New Digs program. DPA! acts solely as a facilitator of adoption between the animal’s surrenderer and potential adopter and makes no claims as to the accuracy of the animal’s medical or behavioral history provided by the surrenderer.
