Whiskey (TRANSFERRED) is a very active, 11 month old, 42 lb. cattle dog pup. He is a super playful and fun-loving guy, with a seemingly limitless capacity to play and race around. He loves all variety of toys and is learning to play fetch. He is confident and curious about the world. Because he was not taken out or socialized much before we took him in, he a little cautious and protective when first encountering new things, people and other dogs. However, Whiskey’s basic nature is a gentle, submissive dog, who is very friendly and wants to please his people. When he's chill, he is a sweet pup, who enjoys cuddling and giving kisses.
Our guy fits the classic description of his breed. Whiskey is a very high energy cattle dog, with a lot of stamina. He is a very smart, thinking dog, with the courageous, pushy, persistent quality that is needed to keep the cattle in line. He is strong and athletic, and enjoys being physical. Whiskey has much of what we love about this breed. He has an exuberant, silly nature, and a cattle dog’s ability to make you laugh. He also very much wants to please his person, and is extremely loving with the human and canine members of his pack. Whiskey would be a great companion and helper with livestock, or some other daily physical activity. He could be a tireless sport dog for agility, fly ball, etc.
Whiskey would love to be in a home with another dog for him to play with. Our boy is so full of puppy energy and loves playing with his canine foster sisters so much, that he can exhaust his playmates. Whiskey is a little mouthy, but he's learning. When playing, he likes to give herding nips to other dogs, in a playful way. In a multi-dog household, Whiskey would need work to learn how to respect and be polite to the other dog(s). Currently, he is an adoring, but pesky little brother to his foster sister. He constantly pounces on her to engage her in play, or leaps on her as he races across the room to fetch a toy. Also, His Pushiness he will try to squeeze himself between his foster dad and his dog sister, while making comical howling sounds.
Whiskey has been great with his foster’s 11 year old nephew and 13 year old niece. He may be a little too active for young children and toddlers. He also became best buddies with a small, 6 year old, male dog who stayed with them. Because of his rough sense of play, we do not recommend Whiskey for a home with cats.
Like a small child Whiskey doesn’t want the fun to end. If he is too rambunctious and his foster ushers him into his crate, he will complain with a bark or whine, before finally settling down. However, he will frequently choose go into his crate on his own, when he wants to nap or it’s bedtime.
Whiskey is mostly quiet, but he can also be vocal, expressing his moods with different sounds. Our boy will often growl his discomfort about new things, which his foster believe will stop, as he learns the ways of the world around him. He will use his cattle dog high pitched bark, when he wants to play. HIs foster is teaching Whiskey to have an inside voice.
Before we rescued him, Whiskey was rapidly growing into a “teenager” without knowing any rules or boundaries. He did know the basic commands: sit and down, when treats are involved, and come. Although Whiskey is just now beginning to learn proper behaviors in different situations, he can still be a wild child at times. His adopter(s) will need to continue the work we have begun, and be a patient, unwavering leader, who is up to the challenge of providing consistent guidance and training. While Whiskey has a mind of his own, he is now starting to learn boundaries. He seems to be improving a little each day. Once he understands the rules and learns manners, he will grow into a wonderful partner and loyal companion.
As with many cattle dog pups, Whiskey is playful mouthy, but learning the proper limits of play. Whiskey is still in his youthful chewing stage, and will need a variety of chew toys to keep him busy during quiet time inside. As a curious, explorer, he will follow his nose and get into trash and things within his reach. Fortunately, he takes reprimands and corrections quite well from both his canine and human fosters. Whiskey does NOT guard food or resources (toys, treats, special person). When he knows he has done wrong, he becomes very submissive.
It seems Whiskey was never exposed to the sights and sounds of a neighborhood. On his first few walks, he seemed quite insecure and defensive, growling, pulling and barking at nearly everything he encountered. He is now learning how to behave when encountering other dogs, and fast moving things, but is still very alert and tense when outside the safety and familiarity of the house. He will need continued, regular, exposure to everyday life in order to gradually become more confident and calm on walks. Whiskey enjoys car rides, but continues to be alert and vocal about unfamiliar things outside.
If you are interested in meeting Whiskey, please first complete our adoption form, the first step of our pre-adoption process. At our website (hittgv.org), click on the Adopt button near the top of the page, for our online Adoption Form. If you have specific questions, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..