Meet Oia (pronounced E-ah) (after the Greek city we visited on our Honeymoon)

four year old male; half blue heeler/half mini Australian shepherd; 26 lb; neutered and up to date on vaccinations

Meet the best frisbee-catcher EVER! He has been our loyal, playful best friend since he was a puppy but we now have a very mobile unpredictable one-year-old who activates his resource guarding. 

His positives:
Very well trained, great listener
Passed his Pet Smart training class with flying colors as a 6-month-old (smartest dog in the class!)
Loyal, cuddly, loves his belly rubbed especially
LOVES frisbee playing in the backyard
Loves swimming
Potty trained and trained to not get on furniture
My dad is a runner and takes him on a run a few times a year, he can run 5 miles with him!
He is fine napping and laying around during the day, he appreciates a walk or frisbee playing at some point in his day

His negative:
Just one, he is a resource guarder.
He has been this way since his first week home with us as a pup, it’s something he was most likely born with. We have done training with him to identify his triggers (food bowl, rawhides) and have worked to de-sensitize him. Additionally, he is on a puppy Prozac daily medication ($10 a month) to help. The behavioral specialist is VERY impressed with his progress. The specialist explained to us that you can’t completely cure guarding, you can manage it. If it was just my husband and I with him we could handle it, but with an unpredictable and curious 14-month-old in the house it is getting harder and harder to keep them both safe. He would do best in a situation with land (or exercise if you don’t have land – we do frisbee in our .25 acre lot and walks) and it’s OK if kids visit at holidays for example – he does well kept in a separate room or wearing a muzzle.