Jasper, STAR #2056

Jasper has been adopted by the McGowen family, and he’ll be the 3rd STAR dog to join their home, following in the pawsteps of Sammi #73 class of 2000 and Penny #1291 class of 2017.  Thank you, Annie for helping us get Jasper from the shelter and fostering him as we searched for a forever family.

Jasper is a handsome, standard red-tri–Australian Shepherd male estimated to be 3-4 years old and weighing approximately 48 pounds. He’s fully vetted, neutered and microchipped. His bio from his foster home:

Jasper is an athletic, intelligent dog who loves to be active and mentally engaged. He has demonstrated great house manners in his foster home. He is fully house-trained, does not chew inappropriate items, and enjoys his toys and bones.

He is comfortable being on furniture, including the couch and bed, as this is permitted in his foster home.

We don’t recommend a home with cats, as he has a high prey drive and goes after squirrels with super speed. He has shown no issues with people and is friendly and confident with adults and children alike. In his foster home, he lives with two other dogs and, after a brief adjustment period of learning the pecking order, he integrated superbly into the household. He is very playful with his fur buddies and loves having a pack.

Jasper is a true “Velcro dog” who loves to be close to his people and follows his foster mom from room to room. He has some separation anxiety when left alone, but we expect this to get better over time as he settled in and knows he’s safe.

Jasper loves his daily walks and gets very excited when it’s time to head outside. He will absolutely help you get your steps in! We are working on leash manners – and staying focused on walks vs. being so interested in the other people and dogs that pass by. We are also working on polite greetings and manners. His forever home will need to be prepared to continue with this leash training (STAR will offer $ toward training fees). Jasper is so smart – we know that with patience, consistency, and confidence – he’ll learn quickly.

He does not display food aggression and is not highly food-motivated – which is good for his trim/sleek physique but makes treat-based training more of a challenge – praise works best and of course, consistency.

In summary – Jasper is such a good boy and moldable lump of clay! Keeping in mind that he’s currently showing a need for lots of exercise, mental stimulation and confidence building – we think his perfect home would be an Aussie-savvy home that’s prepared to invest time in training, ensure he’s given lots of TLC and exercise, mental stimulation and will incorporate him into their daily routines. He’d also do well with fur buddies that help build his confidence and show him the ropes.