Have you ever seen a more colorful collie? Kayleigh is an absolutely gorgeous, blue merle collie with unique markings and color combinations. She is about 2 years old, small in stature and underweight at 43 pounds. It is hard to believe that this little head turner was only a day or two away from euthanasia when she was rescued from an overcrowded shelter in Kansas. She had been taken to the shelter when she was found as a stray, and her beautiful coat was brittle, matted and full of ticks. The shelter worker actually had to cut the mats around Kayleigh’s collar in order to get the collar off. But through all of this, Kayleigh remained happy and loving, and once her coat recovers from its makeshift grooming and poor nutrition, she will be even more stunning. .

Kayleigh is still very puppyish, and though she is fully house broken, she needs to be confined when her foster family goes out, because she is still learning good house manners. But learning is no problem for Kayleigh: she quickly learned her new name, how to use the doggie door and to “sit” on command. She is extremely bright and eager to please and would respond well to obedience training to help her learn to be a canine good citizen. She dislikes her crate and tends to bark and whine when crated. She walks well on a leash, but since her foster family lives in the country, it is not known how she would react to city distractions. She also rides well in the car, though she can be a bit vocal if she is crated. Kayleigh has not had much experience with grooming and though she likes the attention she tends to be wiggly. .

It is not known how Kayleigh would be with children, since there are none at her foster home. She is an affectionate, playful girl who would almost certainly like kids, but she is at an age where she is very “mouthy.” She tends to use her mouth the way humans use their hands, and this can be frightening to a child and could be misinterpreted as a nip. Her foster family is working with her to help her learn that this is not acceptable behavior, but until she either learns better manners or grows out of this stage, she should not be around young children. She gets along well with other dogs, particularly young active ones that will run and play with her. She quickly learned the pack dynamics at her foster home and would probably benefit from having another dog to emulate in her forever home. .

Kayleigh also likes cats. One of the cats at her foster home even allows Kayleigh to groom her, although the other cat is not so tolerant and responded to Kayleigh’s attention with a hiss and a bat on the nose. Even so, Kayleigh remained gentle and respectful. She acts as an unofficial lobbyist for the felines at her foster home where the cats are not given free range of the house. Kayleigh sits by the door where the cats are confined and whines and paws her disapproval at this form of cat discrimination. Kayleigh’s forever home will definitely have to include a more enlightened, free range cat policy! .

Despite her energy level and puppyish mannerisms, Kayleigh is a very loving and affectionate girl. She is extremely social, loves her people and wants to be near them. In the evening, Kayleigh likes to snuggle up to her foster mom, nuzzle against her neck and give her little collie kisses. .

Kayleigh is looking for an active family that will include her in their activities and help her to reach her potential. She is such a quick learner and would benefit greatly from obedience training and the consistent, gentle discipline she needs to become the well mannered, confident collie that she wants to be. She would love agility training, fly ball or just a rousing game of fetch. Then, at the end of a busy day, Kayleigh would like nothing better than to snuggle up on the couch and give collie kisses.

Kayleigh is being fostered in Independence, KS.