Kody came into our possession through my step-son (J) in 2019. J asked for us to keep Kody for about 3 months so he could get settled in his new apartment. A year later and J had basically abandoned Kody with his father and I. 6 years and a divorce later, Kody is still with me. I have come to realize that my home and lifestyle are not a match for Kody and what he needs. Kody needs a household that can give him a job (either through activity or lifestyle) and all of the exercise he needs.
What I know of Kody's beginnings is that he was a product of backyard breeding. J received the dog from his aunt who insisted (or at least J insisted) that the parents were full bred Australian Shepherds, but neither are registered and none of the puppies were registered. She (the aunt) sold the puppies, but gave Kody to J to raise. As a puppy, Kody was raised in an apartment where all of the adults worked night shift. He only left the apartment for walks, mostly at night.
Kody came to us scared of everything, including his shadow. He has learned the icemaker isn't out to get him and that odd noises aren't cause for concern. He is still afraid of thunder and fireworks, but has stopped hiding in our closet and no longer pants a puddle unless the weather's really bad. His previous humans/J apparently "disciplined" him with a fly swatter - I cannot pull one out without him cowering and running away. He has never been touched by a fly swatter in my presence, but years later, he still reacts.
Kody is a loveable dog that just wants to please. He tends to favor one human in the household (that was me) and feels really deeply when his human leaves (when J left, he howled and mourned for at least 2 weeks and every time afterwards when he came over, it was a repeat until Kody adjusted). He doesn't get anxious when I leave currently, but he is well accustomed to the current household routine. I suspect he'll mourn with the rehoming process just like he did with J.
Kody doesn't necessarily play with toys - or maybe I just haven't found the right one for him. He will chew on squeaker toys until they are destroyed in about 5 minutes. He has been around 2 different dogs - one a boxer/pit mix and the other a dachshund mix (picture included of the 3 of them for size reference). He plays/engages with the boxer/pit and was bossed around by the dachshund. There were never any fights, growls or shows of dominance that I witnessed.
He doesn't use the pet beds that I have around the house - prefers to sleep on our hardwood floor. I allow the dogs to sleep with me if they want, he still prefers the floor to my bed. He's never gotten into our trash, but will dig through laundry for underwear if accessible. We have a pet door and Kody is used to coming and going as he pleases. He has never made a mess in the house - always outside.
Kody is a great dog - I'm just not the right human for him.