Thank you for taking an interest in Nelly, a fun and loving 1 y/o border collie mix who can’t wait to be your sidekick! Affection and loyalty are this pretty girl’s forte, so expect a warm welcome of puppy kisses when you come home and a second shadow as you go about daily activities at home. True to her border collie DNA, Nelly is as smart as a whip. She responds to both verbal and visual commands of sit, down, come, and shake, the last of which she learned in only 4 attempts! Now, I swear every other time I ask Nelly to sit, she sticks out her paw expecting me to ask her to shake too :) She’s also potty trained and nearly crate trained- she doesn’t love the act of going in the crate, but once she’s in there she lays right down and just chills or falls asleep.

Being the queen extrovert that she is, Nelly loves meeting new people. Nelly is currently in a foster home with six (yes six!) young women in college. Naturally, she has been well socialized around people, as we often have a lot of friends over. We think Nelly likes having lots of people around because she knows they will fall prey to her irresistible charm and give her lots of ear scratches and belly rubs. Moreover, Nelly has spent considerable amount of time at her foster mom’s parents’ (foster grandparents’?) house, which has included hanging out with her foster mom’s younger siblings (ages 12 and 14). Nelly loves cuddling up to the kids on the couch, and loves it even more when they take her for a walk through the neighborhood. Nelly has also spent time around a 3 year old kid and 3 month old baby, whom she mostly ignored (save for some sniffs and a kiss or two).

Nelly’s amiability extends not only to people but also to dogs. Nelly has lived with adult dogs in a previous home, and a 4 month old puppy in her current foster home. Boy, Nelly sure loved hanging out with the puppy and teaching him the ropes of how to play nice, cuddle, and impress the humans with a goofy smile and a perfect “down.” At times, Nelly would ‘mom’ the puppy by grabbing him by his scruff if she noticed him doing something naughty. Since the puppy has left, Nelly likes playing with our downstairs neighbor’s pug and other neighborhood dogs we see on our walks. I should also mention that Nelly is a rock star when it comes to meeting new dogs, as she likes to gently greet them by sniffing their nose and then their bottoms. Nelly doesn’t bark at other dogs unless they bark first, though she will occasionally whine if she sees one of her friends but can’t play. As for cats, Nelly has had limited interactions with them. For the most part, Nelly is either timid around them (scared whines with shaky legs) or she ignores them. I have yet to see her chase a cat, and she's been around them perhaps ten times since I've had her. 

Going for long walks and runs, playing with her kong, cuddling, and falling asleep on the kitchen floor while her foster moms study at the kitchen table are some of Nelly’s favorite activities. Nelly is a medium energy dog, meaning that she definitely needs to be exercised through long walks or runs. That being said, Nelly also snuggles ups in fuzzy blankets and takes super long naps. When it’s time for bed, Nelly’s favorite place to sleep is with one of her foster moms, where she passes out for sometimes 9 hours without a peep. Oddly enough, it’s Nelly’s foster mom that has to wake her up in the morning and thankfully not the other way around.

Thanks again for your interest in Nelly! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Nelly will make a great addition to your house and can’t wait to meet you!