**BANDIT

**Please scroll down and read the entire bio before emailing with questions. We will not respond to emails that ask questions already in the bio of the pet or generic questions of "how old is it?", "can I get more information?", "oh it's so cute", etc. You must fill out an application in order to schedule an appointment.
**Here is a link to our online application https://almosthomenm.rescueivey.com/apply/adopt
The application can also be found and downloaded from our main website https://almosthomenm.org/available-for-adoption
Once you have filled out an application please watch your emails to schedule an appointment. We typically respond within 24 hours if you do not hear from us after completing the application please send us an email [email protected]
Approximate DOB 12/2/2025 - 32 lbs
History: Bandit came to us after he bit someone. He was scheduled for euthanasia however, due to his eagerness to learn, his love for people, and his age the shelter he was at reached out to us to see if we could assist. We agreed to take him in and work with him. He was transferred to us in July 2026 and we have been working with him to learn how to properly interact with people. He still has work to do but he is learning. He is a very smart boy and eager to learn. Our belief is that at some point in his young life he was played with roughly to the point that he became snappy in defense. We have been working on it and he has learned I can take his stuff and handle his food without him having to worry I will take it all away. He is an amazing boy but accidents tend to happen with herding breeds and we don't always know what happened or why the bite happened. Was he herding someone, was he mouthing, was it truly an aggressive bite? From what I have read the person who claimed the bite had no marks and by his behavior coming in we believe it was due to just puppy mouthiness, excitement, no training, and being a herding type dog.
Current Behavior: Very smart and learns quickly what is expected. He is a shadow dog who loves to be with his people. He does at times gets over excited but that is expected with young herding type breeds. He does at times think he is a lap dog so will run and take a flying leap into my lap but most of the time is just as happy sitting at my feet watching his surroundings. He knows how to walk on a leash, sit, and place, loves to play fetch and tug, uses the dog door like a champ, and is crate trained. Overall he is just a lovely boy. His only issues he is still working on is he shows his teeth during play (not mean just when he's playing tug his teeth show when he's super excited). He was originally possessive of his food so I have been petting him and handling his food and switching out treats for some o his kibble so he associates me sitting there with something good and now he could care less if I take his food/treats/toys or not. He does know "no" and soft when playing when he gets too close to my hands so he's doing much better. Because of his past issues and his excitement we are not recommending him for younger children (though he is wonderful with my 6 year old granddaughter) - he's just a tad too excitable to be gentle enough not to hurt them and we would hate for him to grab a finger or hand on accident or even jump on a child while he's playing. He needs an active adult or teen who can play fetch, run with him, and/or swim with him to tire him out as he is high energy but he is amazing when he's tired. Bandit is a high energy boy who would do best in an active engaging family who can spend time with him. He is also a collector of everything that might fit in his crate.
Housetraining- perfect with a dog door, doesn't mark, crate trained and well behaved inside
Dogs- He loves other dogs and has learned to be gentle- even with puppies. He has now started showing puppies the toys and water whereas before when he first came in he was quite possessive of the toys and water and wanted to attempt being the boss. He has since learned other dogs are much more fun when he has manners so he has learned what is acceptable and not acceptable when playing with others. He will still sometimes try to boss my large resident dogs around but quickly backs down when they get mad. But puppies he never has issues with.
Cats- He likes to stare at them. I don't think he really understand what they are and mine is old and mean so she just stares back at him. He will go into my bedroom just to see what she is doing but has never chased her. He does hate being in his crate when she is in the living room.
His ideal home should be active or at least willing to work with him and hep him burn energy by putting his intelligence to use with running, toys, games, maybe agility, etc. He is a quiet boy who watches everything and just loves to be with his person playing and hanging out. He would excel in speed events such as flyball, agility, etc - but even just someone who bikes, hikes, and/or runs would be awesome. Maybe an older kid wanting a dog to train would also be great as he is very smart and eager to please. He loves people and playing with the other dogs he's just young and needs to continue working on training and learning how to behave properly. He will make a wonderful addition to a loving, active family that can hang out and cuddle in the evening.
Neutered, microchipped, and current on all vaccinations
Adoption Fee $200
We do welcome out-of-state adoptions. Adopters must make arrangements to come out to meet and complete the adoption.
The link to our online application is at the top of the bio or you can send an email to request the application or download it from the main site www.almosthomenm.org and email it to [email protected]
Dogs are seen by appointment only after an application has been submitted and approved. If you have other dogs it is recommended you bring them out to to the meeting.
Steps for adoption: Read bio, complete the application, once approved you will receive an email asking you when you would like to come out to meet the pet, we will schedule an appointment, and then directions will be emailed to you. Adoption fees are cash only.
If you would like to provide toys and snacks for the dogs in our care while they wait for their happily ever afters we would truly appreciate it.
Monetary donations can be made either by mail or electronicallyPaypal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=554P2X8HF6U6A&source=url&ssrt=1739385801234Check/money order to Almost home NM - PO Box 772- Peralta, NM 87042Venmo https://venmo.com/u/almosthomenmCashApp https://cash.app/$adoptahnm