Sterling D15702

Hi! My name is Sterling and I am from Minnesota. Sterling started with a foster for Minneapolis Animal Control in February of this year before being transferred to a foster with The Bond Between in March. Sterling was adopted in July but returned in early October due to a resident dog not getting along with him. We picked Sterling up the day he was returned to TBB and we absolutely LOVE this guy!! He's 5.5 years old and about 45 lbs. Not only is he the sweetest, goofiest dog ever, he is the easiest dog we have ever had as part of our family. He's just an all-around good boy! His tail doesn't just wag side to side when he's happy; it wags in a circle like a windmill. His body is stocky and strong, and his head is a little large for his body. This paired with his gorgeous coloring and adorable face makes him the coolest dog ever! In adopting Sterling, an adopter will have to be okay with always coming in second to his ball :) This guy LOVES his toys, especially a large ball. It's almost like a pacifier he keeps in his mouth all day. He is perfectly content lying out in the sun, chomping on a massive ball for hours at a time. He can also be found nudging a ball with his nose and "chasing it a couple steps ahead. I am not kidding when I say he entertains himself for hours. This guy loves chomping on toys so much that his first day at our house he found a small tennis ball and started chomping on it. By the time we realized what he was chewing on and that it was probably a choking hazard for him, he had it so far back in his mouth that he just swallowed it. This led to surgery his first night with us. He was incredibly easy-going and trusting of everyone at the vet clinic. Sadly, this wasn't Sterling's first time having a foreign body surgery. A week before he was adopted, he swallowed a large rock that also led to surgery. But this guy isn't walking around looking for small things to eat. He just likes to chomp on toys! So as long as there are large toys around for him, he is perfectly content with playing with those and not things he shouldn't. Possibly one of the reasons this guy loves a toy so much is because they have gotten him through restrictive times following multiple surgeries. Not only has he had two foreign body surgeries this year, he has also had surgery on both of his knees; one earlier this year and the most recent in mid-September. The recovery time for both of these have been pretty extensive and he's been very restricted on movement. This is probably why he's such a pro on lying still and keeping himself busy all day! Despite his restrictions on playing for the time being while his knee continues to heal, you can tell he just wants to run and play - something he will happily do by himself or with his humans. Despite his former adoptive dog sibling not being his biggest fan, Sterling has been great with every dog we've met. When our resident Boston Terriers give him attitude when they all go after the same toy, he immediately backs off. He's a total sweetheart! And while he loves playing with his toys, he will also take a break from them to cuddle up to you or let you give him hugs and kisses. He is good with kids of all ages and our understanding is he is also good with cats. He is potty trained and crate trained. Most nights he goes into a kennel to lay down but we encourage him to sleep in a cozy dog or human bed which he seems to love even more! We're not really sure how he does on walks since he hasn't been able to go on them yet following his knee surgery. We did try walking him across the street to the mailbox but he seemed scared and wanted to go back in the house. It may have just been something about the location because he has had no issue walking in a leash in and out of vets or adoption events. Sterling does great in a car and seems to really enjoy his car rides. He loves to eat (cue windmill tail) and is a good listener. His only real downfall is he is sloppy with his pup cups from the coffee shops so have some wipes handy if you decide to stop to get him one!