Banjo

In the short time that I have had the priviledge of knowing Banjo, I can honestly say that he is a GREAT dog! He is super intelligent, affectionate and intuitive. Banjo LOVES people. In fact, when first meeting Banjo he will bow his head and walk gently in between your legs as if to say "Hi, my name is Banjo. I am nice and would like to be your friend." ( no smelling of private areas, just a simple Hello) At one point in Banjo's life he was very well taken care of and trained properly. Banjo knows basic commands, sit, paw, stay. He is very trainable. Within 2 days of acquiring Banjo he knew that when feeding time came he was supposed to sit and stay until I told him it was "Ok to eat." When he quickly mastered that, I added to the feeding ritual to sit and stay- I now kiss him on the nose before he is allowed to eat. This he also mastered in less than 2 days. I can have Banjo sit and stay with a bowl of food in front of him and he will look up at me longiliy, patienly waiting for a kiss on the nose so that he can eat. Banjo is not destructive in the home at all! I have left him home alone with no crate many, many times. When I come home everything is still in its right place and he greets me gently at the door. Banjo is also very polite when using the bathroom. He prefers to go up into the woodline of my yard or in the tall grasses or leaves. He does not leave his waste in the common area of the yard. This, I must say is a great perk. Banjo is a working dog. The first few days with Banjo we walked the perimeter of my property multiple times a day before heading for a walk down the street. By day three Banjo would not walk out my front door with out his leash on , and when he did walk out the door he would immediately walk the property line. He learned very quickly where the property was and was honored to patrol the yard. Banjo loves to go on walks. He is a great hiking companion or one for a leaisurely stroll. I would however, highly recommend using a Gentle Leader on him when walking in areas with other dogs or wildlife. Banjo likes to chase critters and will pull you to catch their scent and trail. With the Gentle Leader he walks like a charm. And you as the owner have complete and confident control of him. I really thinks he appreciates this. Banjo is pretty tolerable of cats. If you have cats in your home you will definately want to feed them in a separate space/room. He likes their food way too much. Shy cats are not going to be interested in him and may run or hide- Banjo is likely to chase a cat that runs because dogs like to chase things. A confident and brave cat will be his friend. I have 3 cats and my confident one loves to go on walks right beside Banjo every morning. They have quickly become friends. I would heed caution with Banjo in regards to other dogs. He is not exactly aggressive but he is defensive and highly protective of his owner and property. If he is around a dog or multiple dogs that are excitable and high energy he may go into a protective mode and exhibit signs of aggression towards the other dogs. Especially if he is not familiar with his surroundings or the dog. This is completely understandable given the fact that he is a rescue dog and has probably experienced some intense situations with other dogs. If your yard is not fenced in, or if Banjo will be in an area where dogs he is unfamiliar with may be walking without leashes or owners pay attention. Particularly if these dogs come onto his property or come close to his owner. Overall Banjo would be an excellent addition to an attentive family with lots of space and love to give. He would be an amazing guard dog for a home or even a farm. I could see Banjo protecting a chicken coop or other livestock with great pride and due diligence. He really wants to make his people very happy! I love Banjo. He is handsome, smart, distinguished and understands the simple joys of life. Food, family and friends. The ONLY reason I would not be able to keep Banjo in my home is because I unfortunately do live in an area where there are frequently unleashed/ unfenced dogs and because Banjo is such a defender this is not the best situation or environment for him. If I could move I wold take him with me in a heartbeat because he is AMAZING and deserves a good home where he will thrive and live his best dog life!