KORBEN
Korben is a lovely 1 ½ year old border collie mix that absolutely loves people. Whether it's on walks, at the store, or an event, he is truly a sweet social boy that just melts when he gets to say hi to someone. He walks nicely in the neighborhood on a loose leash, but can also enjoy being your canicross teammate on the trails in the woods. At home he keeps himself busy and happy self playing with toys, chewing on raw marrow bones, or happily lying on the porch watching the world go by. It is absolutely a joy to watch him adjust his play style to match other dogs and play fairly and sweetly throughout the day. While he loves a good romp with a canine pal, I think he could also thrive as the only dog in the home.
Korben is crate trained and is quiet and settled in his crate. The only time he uses his voice is when another dog is running through the home while he is in the crate, in which case he has a little FOMO...who wouldn't! He wants to be the absolute bestest boy that he can be. If he exhibits a behavior that he learns is not appropriate, he will quickly learn how to fit in with the household boundaries. For example, upon bringing baby chicks home to grow in a brooder box, Korben was at first very excited about the chicks and eager to try and interact with them. However, once learning this isn't something we want him to do, he now pays them absolutely no mind, as though they aren't even there! There are also chickens in an outside pen that he ignores. He hasn't been tested around cats, but given how he learned to respect the baby chicks he could probably learn to do the same with a household cat.
Korben was a transfer to NY from a shelter in Georgia. His past is unknown, and he went through a very rough time upon arriving in NY. His neuter had a complication, and left him with an incision three times the normal size. He was on and off antibiotics healing from the procedure for two straight months. He was sheltered in Brooklyn with no access to the outdoors, living in a small crate stacked in-between wall to wall crates. He wound up severely underweight and developed hot spots on his leg and waist. Shelters are difficult for herding breeds in general, and this situation was extremely hard on Korben. He was personally pulled from the shelter by a dog trainer for a rescue-rehab-rehome. After five weeks of healing from this traumatic experience he is now healthy and happy, hot spots healed, and at ideal weight.
We didn't want to put too much pressure on Korben while he decompressed and healed, so we haven't done much formal training. He can be a little nervous to jump into the car, but he does well on drives and thoroughly enjoys whatever adventure awaits him upon arrival. He isn't possessive of food at all, but he can dart for a toy if you go to grab it from him during play. He isn't aggressive in his toy possession, but it is something to work on and be aware of. He does best with a game of two ball fetch and really has a great time playing tug with a bungee tug or flirt pole. Korben can be quite fascinated by moving squirrels, but again, with very little input he is easily redirected. In Brooklyn he took to herding automobiles if he was walked along a busy high-speed road. He does not exhibit this behavior in the suburban neighborhood with slower moving traffic, and may have gotten over this fascination as he has healed from the kennel stress, but a busy urban home is probably not suitable for Korben.
Korben has not tried out any dog sports, but he would probably be a great candidate for agility, barn hunt, rally, etc. He has not been tested on sheep or cattle yet but he may be a great candidate for that as he does have great border collie "eye" and the low crouching movements. That being said, he would also make an awesome active pet that just loves to be your best friend and sidekick. He's very low maintenance with his ability to self play and is just a joy to be around
Korben is around 40lbs, neutered, up date on shots. Korben has not been around young children, recommend a home with older children, gets along with other dogs and cats. No aggression issues whatsoever.
If you would like more information about Korben you can email sarah@awdogs.org or fill out an application below
