Harley
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Hi! My name is Harley, and I am a very sweet, friendly, fun, smart, sensitive and affectionate 5 year-old, neutered, male Lab/Shepherd Mix!
I am a very affectionate guy...I give kisses a lot, and I love being scratched around the neck, back, and...well, everywhere really! I have a great zest for life, and love nothing more than taking long walks with my foster mom, going jogging with my foster dad, playing with my tennis ball, lounging on soft things near my people, and being well-loved. The rescue folks wonder if I was on my own a lot as a youngster because while I’m good-natured all the time, I have little confidence or ease in new situations and with new people. They say that I can be a real sensitive boy, and that it helps me a lot if I can take new things and new people slowly, and if I have the gentle encouragement and patience of my people.
I'm also an enthusiastic boy! I love my walks with my foster parents tremendously, especially when we get to walk through the woods and fields. I used to be a “serpentine” kind of walker, but my foster mom has taught me a lot about walking nicely next to her on the street. I’ve learned that “next to her” is where the chicken treats live! My foster mom is also teaching me to retrieve a tennis ball, and I’m really starting to get it, which is fun for me and also for her! I also am super talented at playing “hide and seek” with the tennis ball, and this is notable as I am both the “hider” and the “seeker” in the game (it is very, very cute)! But perhaps my favorite tennis ball pastime involves the fine art of “defuzzing.” Yup, I rid each tennis ball of all of that unnecessary fuzz, and seem to feel quite proud of each bald tennis ball that I create (it’s ok--I don’t eat the fuzz). It’s important to me to have a walk or some exercise in the morning and again in the evening, but for the rest of the day (and all through the night), I’m quite content and mellow in the house.
My foster parents say that I am very smart and thoughtful. I’ve learned a whole bunch of impressive behaviors such as sit, down, stay, come, shake, and leave it. And that’s all in just a couple of months! Turns out my foster mom is a certified positive dog trainer, so I guess I can’t take all of the credit. I’m a very lucky dog to be in such a loving and helpful foster home and I am very grateful every day. Since we are coming up on thunderstorm season, I should tell you that thunder doesn’t seem to bother me, but I do admit a (slightly embarrassing) fear of the vacuum cleaner.
I’ve been crate trained and sleep in one at night, but I really prefer to sleep on my dog bed under a sunny window during the day when my people are out of the house. My foster parents are so pleased that I handle separation so very well, as am I! I enjoy Kongs stuffed with food or peanut butter, Nylabones (the hard non-edible type), rope toys, and of course all tennis balls. I hope you check out my videos, there’s a cute one of me and my tennis ball!
I meet other dogs on leash very nicely, and seem relaxed and at ease when doing so.. I did have some rows with a dominant male dog in a foster home when I first came into rescue, but we’re not sure if that was because I was just so darn anxious (being in a new place and meeting new people and new dogs and learning new routines and expectations all at once,) or if living with a dominant or male dog just isn’t a good fit for me. The rescue folks take note of how nicely I have greeted both male and female dogs on walks for the past few months, and promise that we’ll carefully check out the dog-dog chemistry of any potential adopters who have a dog in their home. One thing we know for sure…I chase cats, so no cats in my forever home please.
I'm housebroken (proud to say I have never had an accident!), and am handsome and healthy. I hope very much to find a forever home with a loving person or people who want to go for long walks with me (or hikes or even runs!), who are joyful and fun-loving, and who will be understanding and patient about the things that make me anxious. If you think you might like to adopt me, please read about the adoption process today and live EITHER within 30 minutes of Ithaca OR very close to Syracuse, Binghamton, or Owego. We do home visits on every applicant, and can't do home visits where we don't have local volunteers.
