Stirling Collies

ZEKE BIOGRAPHY ZEKE - AKA ‘ZEKEY’

• Due to no one’s fault, Zeke needs to be rehomed.

• Zeke is just 4 years old. He will turn 5, July 31st. We adopted him from a humane society in central WI, when he was 8 months old. Several months earlier, our beautiful 10-year-old German Shepherd had crossed the Rainbow Bridge. When we searched for another dog, we found this beautiful long coat, shepherd/collie mix, and fell in love with him instantly.

• Zeke is a hybrid/designer dog - He is 1/2 purebred German Shepherd & 1/2 purebred rough Collie (long coat) mix. He’s a ‘Shollie’ - A hybrid/designer dog. The breeder’s papers are in his folder. He is a large dog, currently weighing 81 lbs. His size and weight are characteristic of the male Shollie. We lovingly refer to him as 1⁄2 Rin-Tin-Tin and 1⁄2 Lassie.

  (Note Zeke’s black tongue – It’s a characteristic of a pedigree/purebred dog.)

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• Zeke loves people but should be introduced to new people with care. He does not bite or attack, but he gets super excited - when he meets someone new, and with his large size & energy, he may be too animated for some people.

• Zeke is devoted & loyal and is a good guard/watchdog. He will bark & alert you – even in the dark of night. If he senses anything unusual, he will alert you.

• Zeke is in the class of working/herding dogs, and would greatly benefit from daily walks and/or activities, and a fenced yard for play time.

• Zeke has not been a kennel/crate dog – indoor or outdoor. He is not destructive or a behavior problem inside or outside. Inside, I keep plenty of chew toys (No rawhide or leather!) & lots of soft/stuffed furry toys. Outside, in the yard, he loves his squeaky Kong tennis balls and some bigger ‘Jolly’ rubber, toss balls.

• If there are children in the family, it might be best if they are at least 11+ years old. Because of Zeke’s size and energy, younger children may not be a good mix.

• We took Zeke through 2 levels of training at Petco. He loved his trainer. If possible, he would benefit & really excel with further training. He is very intelligent & a quick learner.

• Zeke is leash trained, but being that he is a large dog, I would recommend an adult for walking & handling.

• More Helpful Notes . . .

• Zeke gets 1 NuVet Canine vitamin pill each day. – He loves that pill! He eats it like a treat!

• I feed him twice a day. I divide his daily amount into 2 portions – one feeding in the morning & one feeding in the afternoon.Zeke is highly food motivated – especially DOGGIE TREATS. Any further training will benefit from having plenty of TREATS on hand for rewards. He thrives on rewards/treats.  Since he is full grown, he could be fed once a day.

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• If Zeke should snatch a piece of clothing – scarf, gloves, sock, etc. -or just about anything you wouldn’t want him to have – (It’s kind of a game for him). Do not attempt to take the object away by force! Since he is highly food motivated – He responds immediately to the word TREAT. Simply get a good-sized dog treat – let him see you with it – then hand it to him or toss it a short distance – He will drop the object he had in his mouth, and run for the TREAT. I always follow it up with praise (“Good boy to give”) for him dropping the object.

• Zeke is completely up-to-date with all his medical needs/records. He sees our vet twice a year. He just completed his spring wellness checkup with his required vaccinations and preventative flea & tick meds.

• Use only POSITIVE training and POSITIVE behavior corrections. Zeke is such a beautiful & intelligent dog - He responds 100% to CALM & POSITIVE voice directions – followed with praise and/or a TREAT.

• Zeke is 100% housebroken, and he has excellent house manners. If you need to be away for a couple hours, he is totally good by himself – he just lies down on the sofa or by a window and watches the activity outside. He is totally good – he does not cause any problem. And, once he gets totally familiar with your home, environment & expectations, he can be trusted for longer periods of absence – if necessary. He will always be waiting at the door for you when you return.

• Zeke is 100% good with my 2 adult cats – (kittens would most likely need close supervision). My cats were full grown when we adopted Zeke.

• Zeke sleeps in the bedroom with me – He has a thick memory foam doggie mattress on each side of the bed. He sometimes changes sides from time to time during the night. I always give hem a few treats at bedtime – He’s so well-conditioned, he runs straight to the bedroom when he sees me getting the treats and when I say “Bedtime!”

• Zeke has been my constant companion – He’s never more than a few steps away – where he’s loved & hears me praising him dozens of times a day. It breaks my heart that I am unable to keep him. Please give him lots of love and reassurance.

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• Zeke is totally housetrained – He has absolutely NO issues with pottying in the house. If he should whimper/cry/whine during the day or night (it has happened if he ate something that didn’t agree), take him out to go potty. He’s “telling” you that he needs to go potty.

• He is not crate/kennel trained – He has free run of the house – and has NO indoor - or outdoor - behavior issues.

• He LOVES being outside, but only if someone is out with him. DO NOT leave him out alone – He will cry & bark himself sick. When he’s not out for play or exercise, he is an INDOOR dog and wants to be near his people.

• Zeke has 2 orthopedic dog beds – one on each side of my bed where he sleeps at night, and he has one in the family room where he has his toys & can look out the patio windows.

• Zeke has a beautiful coat! It does require frequent brushing, though, to keep it beautiful. He’s used to being brushed & is good with it – just keep talking & praising him, and keep it calm. Treats help, too – I often fill his ‘kong’ with treats and that keeps him entertained while I brush him.

• He LOVES car rides! He gets super excited to go for a ride.

• Our pets consist of Zeke & our 2 cats. He is super with my cats – They are indoor cats. As with most dogs, be certain to monitor if he’s introduced to an unfamiliar indoor cat.

  Words Zeke knows -

• SIT: - DOWN: - UP: - COME -doesn’t always respond to COME, though, unless followed by the

  word TREAT (be sure to give him the TREAT when he responds & comes): TREAT (his favorite word) - DIN-DIN (dinner/meal); GO POTTY - GOING OUT - GOING IN - DOLLY (his soft toys): BRUSH-A – BRUSH-A (for grooming & brushing)

• Zeke is neutered and microchipped. He has regular/routine vet visits/appointments – twice a year. He is up to date with all his vaccinations. My vet has prescribed a very safe calming medication for his vet visits. It is safe and inexpensive. It can be prescribed and gotten from your pharmacy. I t makes his vet visits more pleasant.

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As with any family member, pour on the LOVE & CARE! You will be rewarded with a loving, trusting, & confident pet.

I hope these notes help. I hope & pray that you will give Zeke a lifetime of LOVE and CARE. Just be patient with him, and give him time to adapt. You will be rewarded with 100% love and loyalty.

and patient family without a lot of commotion in the home. He is still understandably cautious at first with new people. Zeke will need an indoor home and a fenced yard. He enjoys running in a yard but is also good on leash.

Time has passed and Zeke is now ready for a family. A good fit for him would be an active

This is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do!

Due to a broken arm and advancing health issues, and the necessity of moving to housing where Zeke will not be allowed, is the determining factor necessary for rehoming him. I love him dearly and it breaks my heart to part with him. He has been a loving & comforting family member here for the past 4 years –and has always been loved and cared for as a family member.

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