Adopt

At Western Border Collie Rescue, Border Collies are top dog! Please read about our Adoption Process and Requirements below and then check out the list of adoptable dogs.

Adoption Application

Adoptable Dogs

Adoption Process

Thank you for your interest in a rescued Border Collie! While we think Border Collies are the greatest dogs on the planet, we also know they’re not the breed for everyone. That’s why we ask lots of questions. Our priority is to find the best fit for each dog in our rescue. Our application process can take 2-3 weeks because we are an all-volunteer group who work regular jobs in addition to volunteering with the rescue.

🐾 Step 1: Meet Our Prerequisites

Must be 21 yrs of age or older
Live in Colorado, Wyoming or immediately surrounding states
Have knowledge and consent of your landlord and roommates
Never been convicted of animal abuse
Be able and willing to spend the time and money necessary to provide training, medical treatment, and proper care for a pet

🐾 Step 2: Do Your Homework!

Please read our About BC’s page to learn more about Border Collies, their temperaments, needs, and whether a BC is the right dog for you.

🐾 Step 3: Complete an Application

We know our application is long, but this information is very important to help us determine if you might be an ideal home for a certain dog in the program. Our top priority is to find the most suitable home for each of the dogs in our rescue. We don’t have many dogs in our program, which means a waiting game for many qualified applicants.

*Upon submission, you should receive an auto-reply letting you know your application has been received.

🐾 Step 4: Home Visit

All adoption applications require a home visit with all household members present prior to approval. The Home Visit volunteer will be in contact to schedule a virtual meeting where they will do a short walk-through of your home and yard to ensure its safety and to advise on any areas of concern. Once the HV report is received by WBCR, it may take a few days for us to collate & review all of the information and get back in touch with you.

*You will be notified either way: whether your application is approved or if we do not have a dog that will fit your needs at this time.

🐾 Step 5: Matching/Phone Interview

Once your application is approved, now comes the fun part! An Adoption Coordinator will contact you to discuss specific dogs within our rescue that may be a good fit. “First Come, First Served” doesn’t apply here since we match each dog in our program with the most appropriate home for them. If we don’t think a dog is a match for your household, that does not mean you are not a good pet parent. It means that what you are looking for is not a fit with what that dog needs.

🐾 Step 6: Meets

Once we’ve talked with you about which dogs might be a suitable fit, it is time to set up a meet with the foster parent and prospective dog! Your Adoption Coordinator will help arrange the meeting with you, all your household members, your current dog(s), and the prospective rescue dog. It is important that all family members are present and have a say in whether you move forward after meeting a dog.

During the meet, keep in mind that rescued Border Collies may be rather aloof/timid at first meeting. While we have seen many meets where there is an “insta-bond” between the new dog and the adopter(s), many times that kind of bonding takes time. The meet is a great time to get any/all questions answered on the dog’s temperament, likes/dislikes, and what will be helpful in establishing a wonderful relationship with your new dog!

*If a meet does not go as well as planned, that’s ok. You may be able to schedule another meet with the same dog at a later date. But if you’d like to meet a different dog, please let the foster parent and Adoption Coordinator know so everyone is on the same page.

🐾 Step 7: The Adoption

If all members of your household and the WBCR foster parent feel the dog is a great match for you, the adoption may be completed at the meet. An adoption contract must be completed, signed and the adoption fee paid to complete the adoption. Please review our contract before your meet; it is available on our website or by clicking here. Please note that if at any time during your rescued dog’s life you cannot/no longer wish to keep it, WBCR must be contacted immediately.

🐾 Step 8: Follow-Up

To ensure a successful adoption, we have a network of volunteers happy to answer any questions/help you work through issues that may arise while your new dog is transitioning into your home, or ten years down the road! We are committed to each and every dog we rescue for the rest of his/her life, so please stay in touch with us. Plus, we love getting updates!

Adoptable Border Collies

Keller

Keller is a sweet and snuggly young man (1-3 yrs old) who enjoys meeting new people and other dogs. We don’t know much about his life before WBCR other than he was a backyard dog. He is learning proper manners and already is housetrained, crate trained, and has started on basic obedience. Keller loves his snuffle mat, interactive training with treats, playing with a flirt pole, and will run after toys when tossed. He doesn’t always bring them back right away, but he still enjoys the play time!

Keller has gotten along with both male and female dogs at his foster home but has not been introduced to small dogs, cats, or children. He is very obsessive about squirrels outside, so supervised and slow introductions will definitely be needed for small dogs or cats.

Having been a backyard dog, it’s no surprise that Keller is not used to a collar and leash. Right now, he twists and spins to get away when a leash is put on him. Once on, he walks fine. But he gets overstimulated quickly with passing vehicles and wild critters so leash walks are not recommended until both person and dog and learn how to de-escalate his behavior and allow him to recover properly.

Keller will need continued training with both leash skills so he can travel safely, but also his reactivity to noises and movement. A quiet household would be ideal. If another dog is in the household, it will need to be a calm, non-reactive dog he could role model from.

Being fostered in Wheatland, WY.

Octane

Meet Octane! This girl has brains, athleticism, energy, and loyalty…she’s the whole package! Octane can turn a game of fetch into a display of athletic jumps, speed dashes, and fancy catches no matter if it’s a ball, frisbee, or other fetch toy. Once she has the chance to show off her moves, she has a lovely off switch and loves to cuddle on the couch. Thanks to her extra dose of loyalty, she’s an excellent candidate for off-leash work. Her talents make her a great candidate for disc dog, flyball, dock dog, freestyle, tricks, nose work, SAR, or pretty much anything that you’d be will to train her on! Octane will herd the cats and can be mouthy during play, so no young children and only dog savvy cats. She must live as a single dog since she has had some tough interactions with other dogs. But she loves her humans and will wiggle her butt in a happy dance every time she she’s you. So if you are ready for your new BFF, check out Octane!

Being fostered in the Denver area.

Octane’s Amazon Wishlist

Parker

Meet pint-sized Parker! At just 35 pounds and about a year old, this adorable and endearing little squirt came to us from an Utah shelter where he was nothing short of terrified. We know very little about Parker’s life before he got to us but it likely wasn’t a great experience. Considering how afraid he was initially, he adapted amazingly quickly to his foster home where he learned people could be trustworthy and the world could feel safe.

Parker is reserved when meeting new people, but once he knows you, he gives you his whole heart. He bonded quickly with his foster family, both human and canine. He shows his sweetest smile, grinning with one side of his mouth anytime he is excited. He can get along well with other dogs and currently lives with three! But he has also shown leash reactivity with some new dogs. Parker can be very playful with those dogs who are game but only if given space to run if needed. We think he’ll be happiest with a confident, playful dog in his new home to romp with and role model off of, but this is not required. Parker spends his day relaxing on the couch while his parents work from home, or going to the quiet office with his foster dad. He enjoys his daily walks and backyard play time and any movement by the door to the garage elicits excitement with the hope of getting to take a ride in the car with mom or dad and one of the other dogs.

Parker LOVES to run, though he doesn’t currently seem interested in fetch. He’s just a moderate energy fella who will be happy with daily walks, hikes, or runs and some play time. Parker is a quick study and already knows how to sit to go in or out of the house, lie down, and working on stay. He is the only dog his fosters have had that figured out the handles on the patio door, quickly learning he could let himself out if his foster parents didn’t remember to lock the door!!! Parker has graduated to off leash privileges and is proving to have an excellent recall. He's also showing us that he really enjoys hiking and to play in the water! Parker will make a super outdoor adventure companion and he would love to live with a confident doggy sibling to play with and learn from.

Parker is nervous around loud noises so a household without kids would be ideal. The sounds of kitchen noises, his crate being moved, or even squeaky toys from another dog can make him seek out a quiet area to hide.

Are a quiet person who is ready for a slow-build relationship? It may take Parker 2-3 weeks to adjust to living with new people in a new environment, but once you earn his trust, he will reward you in cuddles and his adorable smile. And if you like to run or hike in areas that aren’t busy…that’s even better!

Being fostered in Denver, CO.

Pete

UPDATE: 5/26/25

Pete has made so much improvement when meeting new people. He will go up to investigate people and dogs without growling at them from a distance, like he used to. It is, however, very important for new people that do not know Pete to not try to pet him. Pete still needs to feel safe and pets invade his personal space.

Pete recently went to a petsitter’s house for a couple weeks and he warmed up to her and her multi-dog household within a day! What AMAZING progress! He still needs his safe space (crate and xpen) where he can retreat and sleep.

Pete has also gone along skiing and hiking off-leash with other people and dogs and was happy to play and romp if the other dog was game! He has also figured out the car takes him to fun places and willingly jumps in.

Pete still has a personality in which he will express his wants and desires confidently. He still must be given the option to retreat or choose not to do something. His foster can give you lots of tips on how to read his body language (for example: like how he will freeze and stare, indicating that he either is not comfortable doing what was asked or doesn’t understand. In the past, this would have elicited a growl. But his foster mom now will back away, which gives Pete space but also gives him time to reconsider what was asked and his foster mom can think about how to ask him to do the thing in a way that may be more clear) Knowing his body language cues, she has not heard a growl from him in months. We all want to be understood, Pete. We get it.

ORIGINAL POST: December 2024

This handsome, classic rough coat is Pete. He is about 1& ½ years old and as far as we can tell, he had a rough start. He was found as a stray in Idaho and never claimed. He is on the smaller side (35-40 lbs). Pete will require an experienced handler with fearful/reactive dog experience.

Pete can be slow to warm up to people and dogs, although once he is willing to meet dogs, he greets them nicely. He doesn’t always care to engage with other dogs after the initial sniff. It took several weeks before Pete was comfortable enough around his foster dog-siblings to play and then he will engage only one dog in play at a time and only inside. If there is a dog running loose in the backyard he has no interest. If there is a group of dogs running around or play becomes too arousing, Pete will turn into the Fun Police and shut down playtime like a grumpy old man- barking and inserting himself. He does not seem interested in toys, fetching, or tug but he LOVES using his nose. He also enjoys puzzles, chew bones, and learning tricks in addition to physical exercise like hiking, walking, running along a bike or cross-country skis. He does not show any interest in herding other than the above-mentioned, self-appointed Fun Police role.

When it comes to people, Pete is an introvert at heart. He prefers to be with the trusted inner circle and doesn’t care if he meets new people. When he must, he does not want to be petted on the head and has a large personal space bubble. It can take a few weeks for him to fully trust new people, but once he does, he is a super friendly lapdog (on his terms). He will often ask for love and when he has enough, he will retreat to his pen/crate where he can still visually see his humans. He has a good off switch inside the house and can settle when left alone. He enjoys being brushed.

Pete adjusts quickly when going to new outdoor places (like trails), but if there are new people involved, greeting people should be on his terms and definitely no pets.

Pete doesn’t love the kitchen blender or loud, farm-life machinery. He will bark at the noise but can be calmed and redirected easily. He manages fine if a loud vehicle goes past on the road, but if there is a 4-wheeler or machinery in the yard, he will bark and become increasingly aroused unless re-directed. We feel that a rural setting would limit the loud noises he would encounter and help his overall wellbeing.

Pete is learning basic manners and has also learned to “wait” for food and to go outside, and sometimes he will even get happy feet, prancing in place like he can’t contain himself! Pete LOVES food and can be protective of his food if not given enough space while eating. At his foster home, each dog has its place to eat and they all respect that.

Pete is fully house trained and has even traveled on multi-day trips in hotels and long car rides without incident.

Pete should live in a household where there are NO children younger than a teenager living or visiting. He has nipped out of fear when grabbed at or when he feels cornered or trapped. Since younger children can be unpredictable and don’t understand dog body language, we want to set Pete and his new family up for success!

Pete will sniff the foster cats but not chase them. There are also horses and sheep on the foster property, and he can co-mingle with them in the field, not showing any tendency toward herding. If they come too close to the fence line, he will bark at them but not chase. Any introduction to any new animals should be made with slow, supervised introductions.

Pete would do best in an adult household who is willing to take him on walks or adventures where he won’t encounter people frequently. He has graduated to off-leash privileges in areas where there aren’t other people and has good recall there. But with a new household, this skill may backslide a bit.

He can live as a solo dog or with other dogs since he prefers his people over other pets. He must go to an adopter who is willing to continue his fearful/reactive dog training for continued confidence building. This will also provide needed bonding with you as his new person so that he can look to you when he feels scared or threatened instead of reacting. Ideal setting would be on acreage since he barks outside if there are people nearby (like a suburban neighborhood typically has with neighbors sharing fence lines).

Even though Pete has some idiosyncrasies, he will make a great companion for someone who is willing to help him learn that the world isn’t as scary as he thinks! Do you love to recreate on the non-busy trails or want to pursue scent work or other dog training? Pete may be your guy!!

Currently fostered in Lander, WY

Pete’s Amazon Wishlist