Barney is a sweet, happy, playful darling. He's full grown, but still looks like a puppy, with his long legs, big head and sleek body, and enthusiastic playfulness.

He loves to follow his human around the house and help out whenever he can, especially if there's a spoon that needs to be licked clean. If his human goes near a bed or a couch, Barney will jump up onto it to make face kisses easier.

But where Barney really shines is playing with other dogs. He loves to play with his foster brothers, as well as his many dog friends. Barney is the one leading the play. He has the speed and stamina to keep up with any dog. Barney is an athlete, and needs to play hard, daily.

Barney has the loudest, deepest bark ever, which most humans take to mean he's aggressive. Luckily, dogs are smart enough to see his wagging tail and can tell that he's usually saying "LET'S PLAY!!!"

Barney absolutely LOVES dog parks, and makes friends with every dog he meets there, then picks one to be his new best friend for an hour. He isn't particularly interested in fetching, but he likes getting one toy and chewing it while playing with other dogs.

Barney has a big brain and loves the opportunity to solve problems or figure things out. He really enjoys his puzzle feeders and various treat toys. He takes treats gently but eagerly.

Barney loves the water. He hates horses, but wants to play with birds, though he hasn't found a bird who feels the same way. He gets obsessed with squirrels who tease him relentlessly.

Barney is learning to be gentle on leash. He pulls, but not too hard. He is obedient and trustworthy off-leash when safe, and not only comes when called, but doesn't venture far from his human and "checks in" often. He is a very good dog on his regular country walks and forest trails. He also lets his human trim his fingernails without complaint. He is very well behaved during car rides and canoe rides, and in a tent on camping trips. Barney adapts well to new situations and enjoys whatever is going on.

Barney's one big issue is that he usually doesn't trust new humans outside of dog parks. He'll bark his big bark and want to chase the new human away. He has a bark or two for anyone walking or biking past his house. He's usually okay with any human that his foster dad lets into his house though. At worst, he'll bark at that human to let them know he's not too sure yet.

Getting to know Barney requires knowing and practicing proper dog body language, a gentle voice, and patience. Barney likes humans a lot better within dog parks, and having a dog vouch for you goes a long way. That said, he is calm and well behaved at the vet clinic, and has visited strangers' homes without problems(although they had dogs to play with). Once Barney accepts you though, he will be as kind, loyal, gentle, and affectionate as any dog you'll ever meet. He has lots of kisses to share and loves to cuddle up tight to sleep at night.