Lucian, STAR #1852

Lucian is heading home with the Svahn family, and we could not be happier for him.  The family recently lost their much loved, 13yr old Aussie to cancer and were missing having that Aussie energy in their home.  The family are avid campers and have a koi pond in the yard – both things that Lucian will get to enjoy.  Their last dog used to bark when it was time to feed the fish, so Lucian may be learning a new trick soon!  Thank you, Bill and Elaine for fostering and helping him find a great home.

Overall, Lu is a wonderful family Aussie in the house, in a fenced yard, as well as at the dog park.  While he’s recently showing improvement, he still needs help with leash reactivity.

With tan and black colors complementing his blue merle, and his big brown eyes, Lu is a very handsome 4 year old, 41 lb boy!  In addition to being good looking, Lu is quite smart, and has a good sniffer for smells. 

Lu is a happy boy, often seen wiggling his butt, and may jump up on you if excited.  He knows his name, and responds well to it. Lu knows sit, down, crate, drop it and is learning “move along” when walking. He hasn’t shown a preference for men or women.

Lu bonds with his person, likes to be around them and other family members, and to interact with them – he becomes part of the family!  Lu was fine with visiting dog-savvy 4 and 8 year old children.   

Lu really (really!) enjoys fetching thrown objects, both inside and outside, and returning them to you. Sometimes he’ll drop them for you to throw again, or he responds to a “drop it” command.  While he has a fair amount of energy, he has an off switch too.  

Lu has a crate that is his safe spot, and it’s not unusual for him to plunk down in it during the day. He also sleeps in it.  We don’t close the door to crate him, as he is relaxed in the house when we’re away, as well as at night. 

Lu was a single dog before coming to STAR, and he has done well learning to interact with our resident pack. Although he’ll run with the pack, he hasn’t engaged in any dog play yet. He enjoys visiting the local dog park.

He has a loud authoritative bark, evident if something is on the other side of the fence, or the doorbell rings, or, while out walking, he spots someone with/without a dog.  On leash reactivity, treats help to provide a diversion when walking, however, an obedience class or trainer might be considered. A fenced yard with room for Lu to chase a tennis ball or frisbee would help with exercise and mental stimulation, especially while working on his leash reactivity.

If Lu is focused on smelling something or excited/ready to fetch, his front and/or back legs may vibrate slightly. Our vet ran several tests, which didn’t identify a cause. While Lu is OK with people touching him, he can be sensitive about anyone probing inside his mouth.

He is neutered, current on shots, microchipped, heartworm negative, taking monthly heartworm and flea preventative, and is house trained. 

Lu is being fostered in Georgetown.  If you’re interested in adopting Lu, please fill out an application available on the “adopt” page of our website.

Lu is a 4-year-old 42 lb. blue merle male. His family is moving overseas and is unable to take him. We will get him vetted and evaluated and find him a new family. His foster home is in Georgetown. Lu should be available for adoption around middle of October.