Happy Tails

Bindi (ADOPTED!) is  a 2.5 year old, 45 lb., true blue cattle dog with classic breed traits. She is intelligent, happy, loyal, affectionate, and fun, with a kind heart and strong spirit. She bonds to her people, and gets an A+ for loyalty. Her intelligence is vast, and she has a strong desire to please which makes her a wonderful companion. Bindi is the kind of dog who would love to go on adventures with her family, and she would make any adventure more enjoyable with her fun and happy personality. Bindi loves to play with and hang out with other dogs, and would do best in a home with at least one other playful dog. She does need to build confidence with strangers, especially with men, who she is initially most nervous with. Ongoing socialization would be very beneficial for our girl.

Bindi has all the traits of an excellent working/herding dog. Her instincts for herding run deep. She is not a dog for everyone, and would do best with an experienced cattle dog owner who can be two steps ahead of her. Bindi is a high energy dog, and an incredibly intelligent girl who will think for herself if consistent direction is not provided.

Bindi is a high energy dog. If she is able to get the mental and physical activity she needs each day, she settles very nicely when it’s time to relax. She enjoys playing fetch, and going for hikes and walks. Bindi likes water - walking in the creek and playing in the baby pool in summer. In the evening she loves to cuddle with her people or take a snooze on the couch. As a velcro dog, she will often follow her foster mom around the house. She is very comfortable relaxing almost anywhere in the house, sometimes in with her crate, on dog beds in various rooms. Bindi likes to be in sunlight through the windows to catch some rays. When the house is relaxed, she is too. Bindi also does well when left alone in the house, as long as there isn’t any food on the counters to surf. Bindi has never been destructive and does not dig.

Bindi is very playful with other dogs, and has excellent social communication skills with them. She has been exposed to at least 20 different dogs at her foster home - large, small, the very old, and the very young, and Bindi has done well with all of them, and in a pack environment.

However, Bindi was born as a boss, and needs to be reminded that she is not the boss. At her foster home, there are anywhere from 8-12 dogs at any given time. She enjoys herding the other dogs, and will often cut them off and redirect them. When everyone comes inside, she will go back outside, to make sure that everyone has come in. When her foster mom lets them all out, Bindi has a bad habit of rushing to the front of the pack to turn around and nip at whichever dog is in front. Her foster mom believes that at the outset of the potty break, Bindi is establishing that she will be managing everyone so they better behave. Holding her back as the last dog to go outside, or walking in front and calling her name to keep her going forward, before she turns around, solves this problem.

Bindi has been great with a variety of cat personalities at her foster home, including a kitten. She is curious but with good intentions and she is gentle.

Our girl is currently living in a home with a 5 and 9 year old, and young adult children.
Because Bindi’s foster mom has given clearly defined boundaries that Bindi can easily understand, she has been fine with the children and their friends in and out of the house. Once as her 5 year old daughter was on a swing, Bindi wanted very much to nip at her feet as they swung by. Her foster mom was two steps ahead of Bindi, and prevented any action. In a different home, if there is little to no structure, and rules are not well defined, the potential for Bindi to make up her own job and create problems would be a real issue.

Bindi would probably not do well with children on wheels (bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, etc.), which is common trigger for herding dogs. For this reason, she should NEVER be allowed off leash if exposed to children on wheels.

She is insecure with strangers and needs the time and an opportunity to check out a person, and feel sure that she will be safe before she accepts a new person. Once she knows you, and trusts you, usually after two meetings, she is your friend for life. The more socialization that Bindi is exposed to, the better off she will be.

When she meets new people, especially men, she holds her head low, with her hackles up, and circles them, checking them out. Her people need to allow her to do this, if they want her to accept a new person. Bindi’s people must watch and prevent strangers from suddenly approaching and immediately try to pet her.

Bindi loves stuffed toys, and will make snow unstuffing them, but will also stop if you tell her to. She also adores tennis balls, playing fetch, and catching frisbees, and she should always have a “jolly ball” or two in her life! Bindi is not possessive over anything. She is very good at sharing food, treats and toys. She eats together with the other dogs. She has never had any issues with humans or other dogs.

Our girl walks fairly well on leash. She also rides nicely in a car. As with most cattle dogs, Bindi is mostly quiet, but will talk or alert you of things. She will bark if a stranger approaches the door, or the car, and when she hears doorbells on the TV. When she is very excited is the only other times she may say talk or give out a high pitched cattle dog bark. When she knows she is going on a walk, she gets excited and starts talking, and she also talks sometimes when playing with other dogs.

Bindi is super sharp and a fast learner. She needs to have a structured home, with clearly defined rules. As most dogs, she thrives on learning new behaviors, and practicing her currents behaviors. This allows her to please her people, which matters most to her. When provided with the right direction, so that she understands the rules and boundaries, Bindi can also be the ideal well behaved dog. At her current foster home, Bindi has shown none of the unwanted behaviors, ever, that she exhibited in her prior home. Her foster mom, who is also a trainer, believes it is because those behaviors are not acceptable in her current home. Bindi is smart enough to know this, and she wants to please.

At her prior home, for the past year and a half, Bindi lived in a situation where there were constantly new construction workers coming and going for supplies located just past her house. The anxiousness about these strangers caused her to feel threatened in her home and she was accidentally positively reinforced to believe that she was doing a good job in protecting her home.

Bindi’s foster mom says that she is a trainers dream. However, if you are not interested in training, Bindi she would NOT be a good choice.

With her focus on and desire to please her person, plus her keen intelligence and strong herding instinct, Bindi would be a great working dog with livestock. If kept as a pet in a regular home, she would benefit greatly by living with another dog who has equal energy and desire to play. Currently, she is thriving in the situation at her multi dog foster home. She also previously lived with a 1-year old male hound/saint bernard mix.

Bindi needs adopters who understand that the best way to keep everyone safe, is to be vigilant in avoiding potential issues. Bindi’s new owner(s) would need to understand the responsibility associated with owning a dog who has a high instinct to herd, and nip

If you are interested in meeting Bindi, please begin by completing our adoption form at this link: http://hittgv.org/index.php/adopt.  Please download and print the form to be completed. If you have questions, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave a message at (707) 583-9583.

Rocky (ADOPTED!) is a very loving, sweet natured, and generally happy dog. As a true blue cattle dog, he is devoted to his person. His favorite things are to stay close to his people, and having his belly scratched. At 6-7 years old, Rocky is very much in his prime, and still loves to run around the property. However, as cattle dogs go, he is a fairly calm, moderate energy guy. He weighs around 50 lbs.

With people he knows, Rocky is always loving and happy to see you. He will roll over immediately for belly scratches and wag his tail when you approach to greet him. When meeting new people, Rocky is generally friendly, but depending on how someone approaches, he can be cautious at first. He has been fine around children.

Rocky also gets along with most dogs. He would do best around females. With male dogs, he will guard resources (food, his territory, etc.), by barking and snapping at them. This is likely because until now, going to rescue to find a new home, he was not neutered. Otherwise, Rocky is polite and social when meeting and being around other dogs. He would do best having a female canine companion at his new home to help ease his adjustment into a new setting. It is not known how he is around cats. He is NOT good around chickens.

Rocky has all the traits of a classic cattle dog. He is a velcro dog who stays close to his person. In the past, he has herded cattle on the ranch, but outside of work, does not show any herding or nipping behavior. He is incredibly smart and observant. As a thinking dog, he can also have a mind of his own, and be a bit stubborn.

Rocky needs to find a new home, because his Dad has a terminal illness. His Dad’s daughter cannot keep Rocky because of her own situation, and she is desperately trying to find the right place for him.

He has been a ranch dog and an outdoor dog all of his life, freely roaming the property, and usually sleeping in the barn or on the front porch. As such, he does not know toys, and has never been crated. He has rarely been on leash, but recently when traveling to meet people, he has been fine on the leash, pulling only slightly. Rocky has only been in a vehicle a few times under stressful conditions for him. His new people should take him on short fun trips to help him associate car or truck rides with something good.
 
When on his home territory, with his people, and his dog companions, Rocky is a calm happy boy. When comfortable at home, he has no separation anxiety, does not a dig, and he is fairly quiet. He will bark when strangers come onto the property, or when other dogs are barking.

However, Rocky’s people tried to place him at one new home, where the new people tethered him alone, outside, overnight. In his distress, he dug up the yard, and barked/howled most of the night.

Rocky is a great all round dog who needs the right owner to give him love attention and exercise he needs. He will need people who are experienced with this breed, who can also be patient and understanding about his sadness, confusion and panic in losing his person, and work to extinguish his desire to go back home to his former life. He loves human attention and companionship, which would go a long way to help him become comfortable in a new home.

If you If you are interested in meeting Rocky, please begin by completing our adoption form, by clicking on the "Adopt" option, above, near the top of our home page, or use this link http://hittgv.org/index.php/adopt.  Please download and print the form to be completed. If you have questions, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave a message at (707) 583-9583.

Bucky (ADOPTED!) is 2.5 years old, and weighs 50 lbs. He is a happy, playful, even tempered, calm, super affectionate guy. He has been great with all dogs and people he has met. Bucky is happy to meet new people and be petted by strangers. He greets men and women with equal enthusiasm.

Having the cattle dog velcro nature, he loves being near his person/people, and he can always be found him hanging out within 5 to 10 feet of one of someone. He loves cuddling with his people, getting belly rubs and being petted. When his fosters are watching TV, he will often crawl between them for petting and stay there for hours. He likes to lick your hand or arm as you pet him to return the favor.

When you walk in the door, he comes running over to greet you, tail wagging, but does NOT jump up on you. Also, he has NOT shown any tendency to nip at heels or feet. We have not yet seen him around any children or cats.

When meeting other dogs, Bucky has always been well mannered and appropriate. He does the normal circling and sniffing meet and greet, in a relaxed and polite way. After a minute, he may invite the other dog to play by wagging his tail, and taking a playful stance. He and his cattle dog foster sister play quite a bit everyday. Also, while visiting two dog neighbors, they all played well and even took naps together. Bucky loves to play tug with rope or stuffed toys with another dog or a human.

Our happy boy likes chew toys, bully sticks. He only chews his toys/treats, and does not touch household items. Bucky likes to carry a chew toy around the house, and will frequently drop it in front of you, to invite you to play with him. He also enjoys fetching, both, stuffed squeaky toys and balls. He will retrieve and drop them at your feet.

Bucky is a moderate energy guy, who is fine self entertaining with toys, or relaxing on the couch, the floor, or in a dog bed when inside. However, he does not like being in a crate and tries to avoid it completely, especially if people, who could shut the door on him, are nearby.

Bucky is completely housebroken. He does know several commands (sit, down, come, stay, stay back), is very smart, attentive and learns quickly. Bucky is also very eager to please, and is quick to respond when you ask him to do something. He will heed you if told to “Stay back,” accompanied by a hand signal. He has not tried to bolt through the door or gate.

Bucky generally has very good manners in the house. The only time he ever leaps up in the house is when he is panicked about being leashed. Once, he did take a hunk of freshly grilled steak off the counter after humans placed it there and left the room. Clearly they didn’t want it, right?! When at a park, if you stop and sit on a bench or picnic table, Bucky will hop up and sit next to you. If there is a bench seat situation in the house, he will do the same. Very sweet, actually.

He adores treats, and can get a bit too exuberant and mouthy with delicious high value treats. Bucky needs to learn to be gentle with his teeth when being given very tasty food. He does NOT resource guard or have any issues with food while near other dogs or people.

We were told that Bucky’s original person worked with him using punishment based correction measures, and that our boy may not have received the TLC that he craved. This has helped us to understand the root of some anxieties he has in various situations.

From his past life he developed anxieties about leash walks and busy streets. He is very nervous and overly stimulated in anticipation of a walk, and getting out the door can be a challenge. When his fosters begin leashing him, he will bark, spin in circles, and lunge at the door. Once out of the house, he will bark during the first 30-40 feet, and then settle down and be fine. We were told that his original owner used a prong collar on him. We believe that he is associating the act of being leashed, with pain and negative treatment he experienced on walks when he was a pup.

Once his initial anxiety about getting out the door has passed, Bucky is calm and happy walking in quiet, calm areas or at the beach. He will walk easily at your side, about a step or two behind you. Once he bonds with his new people he will likely be fine off-leash, as long as he is in a calm environment. He has done very well hiking on trails in the woods, and at a beach. However, he is a nervous wreck in busy/high traffic, urban areas. When crossing busy intersections or anyplace with a lot of moving cars, he becomes highly stressed, and will wildly leap straight up, trying to grab and bite through the leash. Once he is out of the busy traffic scene, Bucky quickly settles again.

Currently, his fosters are avoiding any such situations that overstimulate him or cause him to become anxious. In just a few weeks, without the daily dread of being taken into a situation that triggers his panic, he has mellowed quite a bit more.

As with many rescue dogs during the first several weeks, Bucky was upset for the first few minutes, when people left the house for work. Very recently he seemed to figure out the family routines, and his separation anxiety has subsided quite a bit. Now, he doesn’t react at all when people leave for work.

Bucky will need experienced cattle dog adopters who can understand and eventually help him work through his anxieties about leash walks, and being in high traffic areas. We believe that he needs a home situation where he can avoid these stressful situations, at least for awhile, to help extinguish his panic in these situations. We would urge his new people to consult with a professional (positive only) trainer to get started in the right direction. Since being leashed is a challenge for him, Bucky will need a home with a yard to allow him to go out to do his dog business without being on leash. He would love a home with access to a large yard or property, where he can run, play, and enjoy the outdoors. He has potential to be a great frisbee and ball fetcher.

If you If you are interested in meeting Bucky, please begin by completing our adoption form, by clicking on the "Adopt" option, above, near the top of our home page, or use this link http://hittgv.org/index.php/adopt.  Please download and print the form to be completed. If you have questions, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave a message at (707) 583-9583.

Gisele (ADOPTED!) is a 45 lb., happy, bundle of love, with a fun personality, who adores being with people. She is around 3-4 years old, LOVES life, exploring new places, and making new dog acquaintances. We can truly call her a vivacious young lady, and everyone who meets her falls in love with her.

Gisele has been friendly with everyone she’s met, including children, and she is NOT a protective watch dog. Our girl loves human attention and being petted (not too rough though!), and will roll over on her back for belly rubs. She seems to think she is a little dog, and goes right up to peoples’ laps to nuzzle them.

Gisele is curious about other dogs as well as people. She will wag her tail and vocalize when she sees other dogs on walks or at the beach. When you let her go up to them, she meets politely, and is satisfied to just sniff and say hi. She is not one to run off wildly to romp and play with another dog. Her focus is people and her person.

Gisele exhibits a few classic cattle dog characteristics, including being a velcro dog. She follows her foster mom around everywhere, and if they have been apart even for a short time, when Gisele sees her, she will wiggle her butt, have a big smile and put her ears back in glee.  She also has that quality that we admire in the breed, of embracing life and having almost no fear of the unknown.  

This girl came straight from the streets of Oakland, then was cooped up in a shelter for 3 months. On her second day out of the shelter, Gisele had a day at the beach at Fort Funston. She followed her canine foster sister right into the water with waves coming at her, with no hesitation or fear.  Besides being perfectly happy and comfortable in an overwhelming environment full of people and dogs, she also showed off her swimming skills. She has an amazing spirit, and seems to be a natural born water dog!

She is super smart and will need various activities to keep her brain engaged each day. She is very attentive to her person, even when on outings in different situations. When having fun at a beach or park, if you call her name to get her attention focused back on you, she will happily heed you and come running back. Although it has only been a few days, since Gisele has been out of the shelter, and she has been great in several semi-urban, busy situations. She didn’t react at all when a young person rode past, right in front of her, on a scooter, and more impressively, she also didn’t respond AT ALL when a skateboarder went right by!!

When inside, Gisele likes to chill and lay down, but is always looking forward to her next walk and park visit. She does not chew or have destructive behavior even when left alone. She is also crate trained, and will happily sleep all night in her crate. Gisele has good manners when she greets people, and does NOT jump up all over you. She shows her excitement by coming to you with her happy smile, her ears back, and a vigorously wagging tail.

She has the potential to become a ball dog. She does love chasing around soccer balls. She was trying to play with a soccer ball that some children were kicking around, and she let them take it the ball from her without any objection.

Gisele is just learning the everyday things that her foster siblings take for granted - such as riding in the car. She’s not sure how to jump in, she will get her front paws in but then will whine as her foster mom tries to encourage her to jump into the car. As a solution, she has been riding in a crate in the back of the car. She will enter the crate easily with just a gentle tug on the leash. She is comfortable hanging out in there during the ride and doesn’t get car sick.

The other everyday item that worried Gisele are stairs that have no risers, and you can see through the gap between each step. Gisele would go up a few stairs, then hurry back down, and then whine and bark a little in distress. After almost an hour of trying to coax her up the flight of stairs, her foster mom draped beach towels along the stairs - think Hollywood red carpet style - so they were no longer see through. Gisele then she ran all the way up the stairs, no problem! After doing the towel thing two more times, they didn’t need them anymore and Gisele began scrambling up the stairs on her own, knowing she wasn’t going to fall down.

Gisele is a wonderful dog, with an unflagging, happy, indomitable spirit.  She would be a super companion for anyone who is fairly active. She just wants to be with her people. She is also just as happy hanging with you at home (if she has had her daily exercise). As a very outgoing girl, who is excited to be out and about, and looks forward to exploring what’s around the corner, Gisele would make a great hiking and camping buddy.  

If you If you are interested in meeting Gisele, please begin by completing our adoption form, by clicking on the "Adopt" option, above, near the top of our home page, or use this link http://hittgv.org/index.php/adopt.  Please download and print the form to be completed. If you have questions, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave a message at (707) 583-9583.