Name: Rhody

Breed: Australian Shepherd

Born: feb 9, 1997, by Ahhsie (sire) and Nyssa (dam) of Arboretum Aussies in Quaker Hill, CT.

About His Owners: Rhody's guardians are Wade Roush and Kevin Park, who recently moved from a tiny apartment in San Francisco to a new house in Las Vegas. Rhody doesn't dig the heat here, but he loves having a whole house to run around in.

Why Rhody: We wanted a dog that would be smart, loyal, and handsome but not as neurotic and hyperkinetic as a border collie. People say Australian Shepherds are "border collies with an off switch."

Rhody Likes To: Run on the beach; chase flies; snooze in the window seat; sit in the driver's seat when we leave him in the car; bark at children (until they come up to him, then he thinks they're funny); receive tummy rubs; kiss us when we get up, when we're putting on our shoes, when we get into the car, when we're getting back to San Francisco after a drive, when we're upset... any excuse, basically. Lastly he enjoys interrupting conversations with his own vocalizations (like "rou-oww-oww-ooourr").

Recommendations:

• San Francisco animal hospitals: Pets Unlimited
  
• San Francisco doggie day care: Fog City Doggie Day Care
  
• Bay Area kennels: Citizen Canine
• Las Vegas kennels: Las Vegas Pet Resort
  
• Rhody and Wade's website: Travels with Rhody