Available

Willy

Border Collie · Male · Adult · 7 years

His Story: Willy arrived with his brother after his first years spent more or less left to fend for themselves. Very fearful at first, Willy has become a very endearing and lively dog. He is the mascot here and takes his place at every event: he proudly represented the SPA at the Octobre Rose walk with our caretaker, at the Marche de l'Enclave, and he often takes part in group hikes. Extremely intelligent, he learns very quickly. Walking on a leash is still a bit "explosive," and this will need more work, but he learned "sit," "lie down," and "heel" in less than an hour. Needless to say, in a family, with consistency and repetition, he would learn all of that and many other things besides. Since he is as clever as they come, he really needs proper training, because he will quickly get the better of you. Affectionate, greedy, and lively, he will need a fenced garden (as he may enjoy wandering off on his own) and plenty of activity, because he is an athlete! He chases cats, so tomcats should be avoided. As for other dogs, he can live with a female and with certain males: he has his moments, but in general it goes fairly well, even very well. Willy should not be placed with young children or elderly people, as he can be quite rough in his movements.

FR·Show original

Son histoire Willy est arrivé avec son frère après de premières années passées plus ou moins livrés à eux-mêmes. Willy, très peureux les premiers temps, est devenu un chien très attachant et plein de vie. Il est la mascotte ici et il tient sa place dans tous les événements : il a fièrement représenté la SPA à la marche d'Octobre Rose avec notre gardien, à la Marche de l'Enclave et il participe souvent aux randonnées collectives. Extrêmement intelligent, il apprend très vite. La marche en laisse est encore un peu "explosive" et il faudra travailler encore cela mais il a appris "assis", "couché", et "au pied" en moins d'une heure. Inutile de dire que dans une famille, avec la régularité et la répétition, il apprendrait tout ça et bien d'autres choses encore. Comme il est malin comme pas deux, il faudra vraiment lui donner une éducation car il aura tôt fait de vous entourlouper. Affectueux, gourmand et vif, il aura besoin un jardin clos (car il peut aimer partir en balade tout seul), et d'activité car c'est un athlète ! Il court les chats, il faudra donc éviter les matous. Quant aux chiens, il pourra cohabiter avec une femelle et avec certains mâles : il a ses têtes mais en général ça se passe assez bien, voire très bien. On évitera les jeunes enfants et les personnes âgées avec Willy car il peut être assez brutal dans ses déplacements.

Size

—

Age

Adult · 7 years

Location

🇫🇷France

Shelter

SPA Grillon

Living with Willy

✓Good with kids

Cared for by SPA Grillon · France Learn about Border Collie →

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Listed 1 month ago

Bringing Willy home

What you'll need for Willy in week one.

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About Willy

What life with Willy looks like

Willy is an adult border collie dog waiting at SPA Grillon in France.

An adult dog fits most household rhythms once the first couple of weeks of adjustment pass. Two reasonable walks a day plus play time is usually enough. Plan a "decompression fortnight" — quiet routine, no visitors, no off-leash adventures — to let them settle.

🇫🇷Adopting from France

French refuges follow the SPA framework: adopters sign a cession contract that includes sterilization, vaccinations, microchip identification, and rabies passport. Many refuges work with rescue transport partners for cross-border placements.

France, France — browse more dogs in France.

Frequently asked

Adopting Willy, answered.

How do I contact the shelter about Willy?: Use the phone, email, or website link in the sidebar of this page. SPA Grillon handles screening and the adoption contract directly — TailHarbor doesn't broker the conversation. When you reach out, mention you saw Willy on TailHarbor so they know which animal you're asking about.
Can I adopt Willy if I live in another country?: Yes, in most cases. Rescues across Europe routinely place animals abroad — SPA Grillon will tell you what they need (EU pet passport, rabies titer, transport coordination) and whether they handle transport themselves or refer you to a partner. Transport is usually a separate cost, so ask for the exact figure before you commit.
Is Willy already vetted, vaccinated, and chipped?: Most dogs on TailHarbor leave their shelter with sterilization, current vaccinations, microchip ID, and an EU pet passport included in the adoption fee. The vet status on this page reflects what the shelter has reported — ask them directly if you need details on specific vaccines, recent bloodwork, or chronic conditions.
What happens if Willy isn't the right fit?: Every reputable rescue accepts an animal back if the adoption genuinely doesn't work — that's part of the standard contract. Talk it through with SPA Grillon early rather than rehoming privately; they know Willy and can place them more successfully than a second-hand listing can.
Why does the description sometimes read awkwardly?: TailHarbor translates shelter descriptions into English from the source language (FR). Translation is imperfect — names of streets, donors, and shelter-specific terms occasionally slip through unidiomatically. For the cleanest read, click the source link to see the shelter's original page.