Reston Pet of the Week: Checkers

Meet Checkers, a 1-year-old male Border Collie in need of a home.

Here is what the people at Blue Ridge Border Collie Rescue have to say about him.

Checkers is a beautiful young Border Collie (could be a mix). He is mostly white, with a deep auburn face and auburn spots. Checkers was picked up as a stray in DC and ended up in the shelter. His owners were contacted but they elected not to keep him. He was highly stressed in the kennel at the shelter and stayed laying in a corner so a nice lady at the shelter contacted us.

When I brought him home a week ago, he was stressed at first, but has settled in nicely. Checkers is easy to live with, he is sweet, smart and good looking! He wants to be at your side. He bonded quickly and wants to be close to his person.

Checkers is relaxed in the house. No reaction to normal household items (vacuum, dishwasher, etc.). He has a high environmental confidence and will step on or nose novel objects without hesitation. He has barked a couple times when he heard noises outside, but recovered within seconds. Outside, at night, he has barked at strange noises and neighbors talking. At first, he was unsure of crates and since he had just been neutered and was on crate rest, I’ve been working on feeding him in the crate and now he will go into the crate when asked. Checkers likes toys, but leave other things alone. When I leave he whines a bit, but settles down nicely. He has been wonderful with my dogs and ignores cats.

Checkers is a high-energy young dog who needs a home where he will get lots of exercise. While he is a sweet dog, he would probably not be the right dog with small children. He would make a great agility dog.

To start the adoption process, please fill out an application on our website at www.BRBCR.org and then contact Sue at [email protected]. All potential adopters are required to have a home inspection prior to placement of one of our rescues. Checkers’ adoption fee is $250.

Are you and Checkers a match? If so, let us know and our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, will send you a sample of dog treats and $100 in Becky’s Bucks.

Want your pet to be considered for the Reston Pet of the Week?

Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet.

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks.

Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Reston and Northern Virginia.