Meet Twinkle (Tinks / Tinky)
Located in Christchurch, Twinkle is a 20-month-old rough-coated Border Collie, large for her breed at around 31 kg. She’s bright, loyal, and absolutely gorgeous.
For her first 10 months she d on a remote Otago property. It gave her plenty of room to run, but little exposure to new people or dogs. After we relocated to Christchurch, she found urban life stressful. She can be anxious with strangers, new dogs, or unfamiliar noises and tends to bark when startled. Because of this we limit her walks to quieter times and spaces.
She’s still learning that the world isn’t as scary as it feels. With patience and structure she’s showing progress – we’ve been working with a trainer and have already seen small wins.
Twinkle is crate trained and finds comfort in her own space, especially when things feel overwhelming. She isn’t yet desexed or vaccinated. Vet visits are difficult for her right now and she’d need slow, positive exposure to build confidence. She also shows some resource guarding around food and the people she’s bonded to. This stems from anxiety rather than aggression. Once she trusts you she’s affectionate and loves nothing more than a belly rub from her favourite humans.
She’s quick to learn and knows several commands including sit, stay, lie down, go under, and bark on cue. She responds well to calm direction and enjoys working things out with you.
We’ve made the difficult decision to rehome Twinkle because our current environment and lifestyle don’t give her the space and activity a working collie truly needs.
She would thrive in a home with:
Plenty of space and purposeful activity
An experienced handler who understands fear-based reactivity
A calm, consistent environment with few competing pets
Someone patient, kind, and committed to ongoing training
She’s d around chickens and stock before and was comfortable with them, though this would need to be re-tested after settling into a new home.
Twinkle is microchipped and registered, and we’re looking for a home where she’ll remain part of the family, sleeping indoors, loved, and involved.
You will receive an email when new pets arrive - completely free!
