Darby
Adoption Status: Accepting Adoption Interest
Gender: Male
Breed: Shepherd Mix
Age: Est DOB: 06/2025
Dog Friendly: Yes
Cat Friendly: Likely due to young age
Kid Friendly: Yes
House Trained: Doing great!
History: Our Out of the Cold Rescue Effort was a great success in welcoming over 180+ animals to rescue from rural areas in North Dakota before the cold set in. These animals are all so deserving and thankful to get a second chance in finding a forever home of their own!
Darby recently needed a tibial fracture repair and is doing well post-surgery!
A Note from the Foster: Sweet little Darby came into our home at the beginning of November a little shy and reserved but his confidence has been growing each day and he is blossoming into a happy, friendly, and playful pup. He loves to give kisses, get belly rubs and butt scritches, chew on bones and play with toys. Though he has been known to destroy any stuffed toy he gets his paws on. Sometimes he can be hesitant with new people and dogs at first but he comes around quickly, and this has been getting better as he continues to be exposed to new people and dogs. Darby would do well as any only dog with other doggy friends in the family or neighborhood to play with but would thrive in a home with another playful dog to learn from. He worships the ground the resident dog walks on and wants to be with him all day. Darby takes cues very well when playtime is getting too rough or space is needed.
Darby is on his way to being fully potty trained. He keeps his crate clean and dry overnight and when his foster parents are at work for the day, and has never had an issue holding his bladder when he's hanging out in our home. But he will occasionally have an "I'm so excited to see you I can't hold it" piddle when he's been in his crate for a longer period of time or when the resident dog decides it's playtime. We are working on greeting him in a calm manner and getting him outside right away but this will also probably become less of an issue the older he gets.
Darby absolutely loves walks, exploring new places like parks and pet stores, and just overall being active. But this boy knows how to chill and take nice, long naps too! He wasn't so sure about the leash and leaving our home at first but with consistency, treats, and watching his foster brother now his whole body wiggles when I grab his leash to go outside. He could use some work on not pulling but he's still young and a smart little dude so I'm sure he'll learn quickly. Speaking of learning, he already knows how to sit and lay down on command thanks to his love of food! We are working on walking nicely on a leash, keeping 4 on the floor when he's excited to say hello to someone, and when it's appropriate to use those little puppy teeth. He will be an easy one to continue training when treats are involved.
Darby doesn't currently live with kids but has done very well when meeting them and would do well with a family that has kids to play with, help him learn new tricks, and give kisses to. Darby is a quiet and polite boy in the house. He only makes a couple soft cries when put into his crate for the night but that doesn't happen every night, and he only barks when playing. He hasn't chewed on anything that he isn't supposed to, doesn't counter surf, and is very respectful of the boundaries we have in our home. Darby is a great boy who would love an active family looking for an adventure followed up by lots of love and cuddles!
Adoption Fee: $560 + tax
Adoption Status: Is this dog available? Submitting an application is the best first step to learning if a dog is still available. There is a chance this dog could have a pending adoption when your application is submitted, however our team will offer approved applicants to be put on a waiting list for that dog. Additionally, we can make recommendations on other dogs that may be a match. Pending adoptions do not mean the adoption is finalized. Why did we implement this change? We implemented this update because, unfortunately, dogs were pending for applicants for several weeks and then the applicant would change their mind. This happens more often with puppies, as applications are submitted impulsivly more often for them. Our process is great because it takes a little time, so impulsive decisions fade. However it was unfortunate for the dogs, and the foster homes, as then the process needed to be re-started. By securing a wait-list we are able to move forward more quickly if a pending adoption falls through. This is a new process for us, so your feedback along the way is helpful! Thank you for supporting rescue and adoption!
