Available Dogs Northeast

Available Dogs - Northeast

NY, CT, RI, ME, NH, VT

Please visit our adoption page to read about applying for a New Spirit dog.

The link to the application is at the bottom of that page.

Many times, a dog on this page will already be adopted by the time we process your application. If a dog you were looking at no longer appears on this page, please check our "Happy Endings" page

to see if they've been adopted.

Don't wait until you see the dog of your dreams to put in an application!

Coming Attractions:

The dogs in Coming Attractions are not yet available but if you see one that interests you, please submit an application now to allow time for processing.

Hold:

These dogs in the New Spirit program are currently undergoing medical treatment or behavioral assessment. No applications are being accepted on them at this time. Please check back for updates.

Ben is a 5 1/2 year old red merle male (neutered) with one blue and one golden eye and no tail. He weighs about 56 pounds and is extremely shy and nervous. He is on medication 2x a day for his anxiety and it helps a lot. He is loving and hungry for all sorts of positive attention. Ben LOVES to be brushed and is getting more receptive to having his feet handled.

Ben is excellent with the resident cats in his foster home; they are very dog-savvy nice old felines. Ben is not very interested in playing with other dogs but gets along really well with both the personal and guest dogs in his foster home. He can be rather clumsy in his physicality but only due to his unbridled exuberance. He charges headlong into any and all invitations to engage at home. He is very high energy, very high velcro, and very high flight risk due to his fears. He MUST have a hard fence with a vigilant handler and no mistakes. Ben is now house-trained; he was not upon arrival as he'd not lived indoors and just did not know the expectations.

Here are some videos of Ben in action:

Video 1

Video 2

Ben had had a history of fear nipping but it's been a year since the last incident and we think that his confidence has increased enough so that he does not feel the need to self-protect. He is NOT recommended to be around children younger than teens due to his puppy-ish behavior in a big, fast-moving dog body.

Ben is extremely hypersensitive in terms of sound and sights that are unexpected. He will bolt to save himself if he registers any threat. One example that may give clarity: we were on a leash walk several months ago and neared a signpost that he wanted to sniff ... his leash touched the post, he heard the leash:post friction (leash was loose) startled, and began his escape making the harness tighten and he was then in a total and full-blown mind and body panic, trying to escape the horror he thought he was in.

This sort of "normal thing" happens often. He is terrified of thunderstorms and fireworks; a thunder shirt has not helped. He is also very fearful of normal activities such as clothes folding, opening a door that he's not expecting to be "moving", and, as mentioned noises that are not transparent as to their origin or familiarity. Ben has zero recall when scared so cannot be off a leash unless in a fully enclosed area. He is up to date on all vaccinations, on heart worm prevention, and has a very healthy appetite!

Ben is fostered in Coastal New Hampshire. NS2915

Wyatt is a 7 year old blue merle mini Aussie with copper accents. He has one brown and one blue eye, no tail, and weighs about 32 pounds. Wyatt is reserved-to-guarded meeting new people but with a confident handler he can relax and be part of a small group both at home and out on leashed walks.

Wyatt is fine with the resident foster cats; they are very dog savvy too. He is selective in who he enjoys playing with and gravitates to dogs that are his size. He will hump when anxious but accepts redirection from a trusted handler. When out on town walks he ignores most other dogs who are kicking up a noisy fuss. He is medium on the energy scale but does love to swim. Wyatt prefers to be near his person and will join you in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, outdoors, basement... He is very healthy and up to date on vaccinations and on heartworm prevention. Wyatt is reliable in the house and does not require crating. He does not favor crates. He is quick and agile, can catch tennis balls, and has an uncanny ability to analyze and predict what his environment and person are up to. He is not a fan of getting into a vehicle but is working on that, and once in, rides tethered in a harness in the back seat.

Wyatt is too small to counter surf but is very food driven. He will resource guard his food treats and snaps up any food that may drop. He must have a hard fence as he is protective of his space; the "surprise factor" of an e-fence would not align with his personality. Wyatt takes some time to warm up to others and favors his person over anyone else. This is a keenly perceptive dog who needs a focused and Aussie-experienced partner for assurance as he navigates the world. He is on HOLD while we work with him and his anxiety. Wyatt was adopted and later returned to NS and has landed softly back in his original foster home. NS2712

Please check back for updates.

Axl

Axl is a 35 lb 2 year old male blue merle mini Aussie. He is apprehensive and barks at new people he meets, but he warms up quickly with treats. Has a major Aussie wigglebutt.

Axl is a very gentle and sweet dog. He behaves respectfully toward the resident cats and is good buddies with the resident Aussie. Axl has a medium energy level, and on the velcro scale of 1 to 10, he's an 11. Loves to snuggle. He is housebroken, but will urinate submissively if frightened or startled. Once he gets past the initial fear, he has been good with both men and women; he has been untested with children. He is mildly interested in playing fetch, but really loves to carry around his stuffed animals. He pulls on a leash, but does very well with a no-pull harness. He responds well to the clicker, has started at-home nosework training and is catching on quickly. He has been going to daycare once a week and gets along well with the dogs and people there. He knows basic commands: sit, down (with treat), stay, come, and his favorite: shake (proficient with both left and right!) He does well in the crate and loves to ride in the car. His favorite things are: being near his people, snuggling, treats, and walks.

He has not been well-socialized and is afraid of new people. He will bark and growl, but if the visitor gets down to his level, looks the other way and ignores him, his curiosity wins out. He suffers from separation anxiety, but it is improving. When left alone, he does well in his crate with a licki-mat, a stuffed kong and some relaxing music. He is on anti-anxiety medication and this has definitely reduced his stress and fear.

Other than this one issue, he is an absolute treasure and behaves extremely well in the house. Axl is fostered in Rochester, NY.

Apply here for him. NS3408