Meet Shooting Star, a 3-year-old, 45-pound sweetheart with a goofy personality, an adventurous spirit, and enough affection to light up any room.

Meet Shooting Star, a 3-year-old, 45-pound sweetheart with a goofy personality, an adventurous spirit, and enough affection to light up any room.

Star is the kind of dog who wants to be part of everything her people are doing. Her favorite place is wherever her family happens to be, whether that's curled up beside them on the couch, tagging along for a hike, carrying around a stuffy, or happily learning something new in exchange for treats. She's incredibly affectionate, food motivated, and eager to please, with a goofy side that seems specifically designed to make her people laugh.

Star is also proving to be a wonderful family companion. She loves everyone she meets and has been friendly with both men and women. She has experience around young children and recently did wonderfully with both a 9-month-old baby and a 3-year-old child. During a recent hike, she was especially attentive to the kids in the group, making sure to stay near them or happily lead the way. Like many young, exuberant dogs, Star can jump up or mouth hands when she's excited, but she responds well to redirection and is continuing to learn polite greetings.

She's an active dog without being nonstop. Star enjoys a couple of short walks each day for sniffing and potty breaks, along with longer adventures like hiking, and then she's perfectly happy to settle down and snooze while her people work. She may have a few zoomies around the house, but once she's gotten some exercise, she settles beautifully.

And if you're looking for an adventure buddy, Star is ready to clock in. On a recent hike to a dam, she confidently navigated rocks and fallen trees with impressive agility. She loves exploring and would happily join an active family for walks, hikes, and other outings.

Star is also a smart cookie who genuinely enjoys training. She knows "sit" and is making progress with "stay," "come," and "leave it." She's very food motivated, which makes positive reinforcement especially effective. She does have a sneaky side and may occasionally try to steal food when she thinks nobody is watching, but she handles correction and redirection well.

Her leash manners continue to improve. She walks well overall, although she can pull strongly when she spots another dog because she's excited and wants to say hello. With continued training and guidance, she's making good progress.

Star has also made huge strides with the resident cats in her foster home. This week, she was able to sit right beside one of the cats without a barrier while calmly waiting for treats-a major milestone! She is still excited by cats and may chase if one runs, so she will need continued supervision and management around feline friends. A confident, dog-savvy cat may be the best match, or Star could happily be the only pet.

When left alone, Star does well. She isn't particularly enthusiastic about going into her crate, but once she's inside, she settles comfortably. She's continuing to build positive associations with her crate and has no trouble relaxing once her people leave.

Her housetraining has also come a long way. She had just one accident this week and successfully alerted her foster every other time by walking to the door and waiting to be taken outside. She's clearly learning how to communicate her needs and is making excellent progress.

Star's favorite things include bones, stuffies, walks, hiking, cuddling, treats, and being within approximately three feet of her favorite humans at all times. She absolutely loves snuggling and wants to be near her people whenever possible.

Shooting Star is a loving, playful, goofy, adventurous dog who would thrive with a family that wants a true companion-someone to take on hikes, teach new tricks, cuddle with on the couch, and laugh with every day. She's especially wonderful with children and has the enthusiasm and heart to make an incredible family dog.

If you're looking for a loyal adventure partner who will happily follow you anywhere and then curl up beside you afterward, Shooting Star is ready to meet you.

Shooting Star is currently enjoying the comforts of a foster home. If you're interested in meeting her, please complete an application and email dogfosters@barcs.org for next steps.