Happy Tails

Cider (ADOPTED!) is as adorable, charming, and cute as they come. She is a very sweet natured, bright and happy girl. She weighs 36 lbs. and is approximately 2 years old. Cider is a moderate energy pup, who adores human attention and crawling into your lap or snuggling on the sofa with you. She is great with all people and very free with her kisses. Everyone who has met her has fallen in love with her.  However, as is often the case with cattle dogs, Cider has an angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other. Besides being devoted, curious, brave, and super smart, she also has a very busy, thinking brain, with a willful mind of her own, and an impish personality. Our girl is an extra challenge, because she is deaf. The vet who examined her believes she was born deaf in both ears. We sometimes suspect that she may hear certain loud and/or low rumbling sounds. As an eager to please, observant cattle dog, who figures things out, she will learn quickly.

More than anything Cider wants to belong and have her own people to bond and be with whenever she can. During the day, she likes to know where her people are, and will hang out somewhere in the same room or close by. If you move to another location, she will get up to see where you have gone. Cider has been trying to win over her foster dad, who doesn’t interact with her much. Whenever he enters the room, she goes to greet him with a big smile and wagging tail.

Cider likes her play time, but is also very content to curl up and relax with her people inside the house. She is still puppyish in some ways. Occasionally, she will get a spurt of glee, pick up a toy and race around the with it for a few minutes. Cider can be very mouthy when playfully interacting with people, and she becomes excited. She likes to play by taking your hands in her mouth and treat them like a chew toy. We are working to teach her that this is not an appropriate game to play. Cider loves children, but because she is mouthy, she may not be suitable for a home with young children, at least until she learns that puppy chews on hands is not appropriate behavior.

She has a very funny and endearing habit of taking shoes and slippers over to her bed or resting area(s) and sleeping with them. She seems comforted by having them with her when she is resting. She does not chew or destroy them. Her former fosters said she was fine left alone for several hours.  She seems to settle down nicely in a crate, especially if she has a few shoes with her for comfort. Cider is very quiet most of the time. If all is well, she rarely barks. She will bark in protest when she is upset, mostly if she is left out of something or being prevented from joining in an activity.

Cider is similar to a cat in some ways. She loves being on her bed or curled up in a small space. Her former foster once found her curled up in the baby’s car seat. We have not seen her with cats, but suspect that she would not do well with them, due to her desire to police and/or herd other animals. While playing with other dogs, she herds by giving a small nip to the feet or rear, and sometimes behind the ears. She is completely submissive with people, and does NOT herd or show any willfulness to humans.

She meets other dogs, large and small, calmly and politely, with a low wag, and is friendly and playful with other dogs. However, once she feels comfortable in a multi-dog home, Cider will attempt to hog her person and block other dogs from approaching. In a multi-dog household, it must be made clear to her that she is not the dog traffic cop, and she must share her person. If there are other dogs in the same home, Cider’s person needs to be a very clear leader, with training and breed experience. Otherwise, she will try to control the dog traffic in the household. We believe that she had just never been taught anything, including manners. Because she is so bright and wants to please people, we feel sure that she will comply, once she understands that you do not want this. Other than this desire to be possessive of her person/people, Cider does NOT show any other guarding behavior. She is easy around food and toys, and waits her turn politely for treats, with the other dogs.

Cider enjoys going out on walks to see and take in the scents of new places. We believe that before we rescued Cider, she was likely not taken out on walks or exposed to new experiences. She is extremely curious and eager to explore areas with her nose. She is very good at staying close to her person, walking right at your knee, half a step behind. In unfamiliar surroundings, Cider wants to make sure she doesn’t lose sight of her person. However, when in public, she needs to be on leash, since she cannot hear approaching cars or bicycles, and if she becomes distracted, she may not see you beckoning her. Cider is still learning how to walk on leash, and tends to follow her nose when out on walks.

Cider is completely housebroken. In a car, she rides quietly, both in the back seat or in a crate, and seems to enjoy watching the world go by, although she is nervous about where she is being taken. We believe Cider is afraid of the dark. At night, she is reluctant to walk in dark, unlit areas. At bedtime, when the lights are out, if she does not know where her people are, she will give out sharp, alarm barks. Cider seems especially fearful when in a car, on dark country roads at night. She will tremble and pant quickly during the entire ride on a dark road. The first time we drove in the dark, her heart raced so fast, that we feared she would have a heart attack. She is better in the car at night, if in a well lit town areas.

Cider needs moderate exercise and to learn through gradual exposure to new experiences and situations. She needs some work to catch up on training she should have received as a puppy. We are seeking adopter(s) who can see the incredible potential in Cider, and who will return all the love in her heart. Besides having a knowledge an appreciation for the busy, stubborn and silly cattle dog brain, her adopters will need to have the time and patience to teach her manners, boundaries and basic hand signal commands. Cider has learned a quick hand signal for Stop and finger wag for No, to stop her inappropriate action; although, it may take a repetition of a few times, because she may think (or hope) you didn’t mean it the first time.

We encourage any adopter to learn about the special challenges of and attention needed for a deaf, strong willed cattle dog.

If you are interested in meeting Cider, we ask that you first complete our adoption questionnaire (online form or download a hard copy). At our website (hittgv.org), click on the Adopt tab near the top of the page, and scroll down for the online Adoption Form. You can also email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have specific questions.

*COURTESY POSTING*
If you have questions or want more information about Duchess, please contact Wendy Cramer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call:  (415) 250-7209.

DUCHESS (ADOPTIED!) is a 55 pound, healthy, active, approximate 11 year old, female Australian Cattle dog, and possible Catahoula mix, who needs a new home. Her owner recently passed away and the family, located in the Sacramento area, cannot keep her. She was originally rescued by her owner about 9 or 10 years ago and until about 2 years ago, she lived as an indoor/outdoor farm dog. For the last 2 years, she has lived as an indoor dog and has enjoyed the change.

Since leaving the farm Duchess has only needed moderate activity. One good walk of up to an hour has been all she has needed. Duchess is a wonderful companion, and a velcro dog, who loves interacting and being with her people. She keeps busy throughout the day, following family members around the house, sleeping at their feet, and guarding the yard.  She enjoys ending the day cuddling with her family on the sofa and in bed.

She is curious about and friendly with people she meets, and is patient when petted and poked by small children and adults. Duchess meets most dogs well, and is well socialized as her owner regularly rescued dogs and cats. However, in recently time she has had a couple grumpy responses when meeting a new dog. But generally, she is very friendly and has always had a doggy playmates, so she should be fine in a home with another dog.

Duchess is very alert and likes routine. When her people are not home, she will sit or sleep at the window waiting for their return. Duchess will watch the street from the front window and will bark at the neighbors, passing cars, the mailman, delivery vans, and the landscaper.

Although Duchess is 11, she can learn new tricks and is very eager to please. She should not be taken outside off leash as she does not have good recall and if distracted by a squirrel or other small animal, she may not hear your calls for her to return. She was not crate trained and prefers to sleep in the same room as her family on her dog bed or in bed with her owner. Duchess is completely house broken. She knows how to use a dog door, or can get your attention when she needs to go outside.

Since she spent most of her life roaming a large piece of property, leash training was not needed. She would walk near her owner as they took their daily walk around the property. For these reasons, Duchess has only had sporadic on leash experience. When her person got sick, they moved to a subdivision and Duchess began learning about walking on a leash. With a bit more time and training, we believe that with time walking politely and comfortably on leash will become second nature to her.

Duchess has shown only minor herding instinct. Only on a few rare occasions has Duchess tried to herd visitors. She is more likely to approach visitors and ask to be pet. She will sit next to or on the feet of the visitor and paw at them asking to be pet.

She loves getting into the car, and will ride quietly. Her health is good, although she does get the occasional ear infection and has a grain allergy, so she is fed high quality grain free food.

If you have questions or want more information about Duchess, please contact Wendy Cramer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call:  (415) 250-7209.  If you are interested in meeting Duchess, please first complete our adoption questionnaire (online form or download a hard copy), which is the first step in the adoption process. At our website (hittgv.org), please click on the Adopt tab near the top of the page, and scroll down to find the online Adoption Form. The current guardians for Duchess are requesting an adoption fee of $75.00, in the form of a donation to HITTGV.

Cisco (ADOPTED!) is between 1 and 2 years old and weighs 48 lbs. He is a charming, incredibly loving, smart, silly, playful and sometimes pushy cattle dog, who adores human attention. Cisco’s natural core personality is a submissive, goofy, fun-loving guy. He often wakes up his foster mom in the morning with a sweet cuddle and kisses. He quickly bonds with his very own people and dogs, and wants to be right next to them all the time. Cisco is very responsive and eager to learn. He is easy when handled ― and allows his fosters to touch his ears, face, and paws easily. When petted, he relaxes and often lays down for belly rubs. 



Cisco has good house manners. He is very observant, and quickly learned several basic commands―sit, stay, off, leave it, etc. He now sits patiently before he gets his food and to have his leash put on. At mealtimes, once he’s done eating, he waits politely for his foster sisters to finish eating before he goes over to lick both their bowls. He willingly goes into his crate when told “in your bed.” He often takes naps in it on his own. 

He loves to play with his foster sisters. Cisco is mostly submissive with them, but will sometimes playfully take toys away from them. He would need to be paired with a happy, tolerant dog who wouldn’t mind this, as he learns more manners.

However, Cisco is also a work in progress. Before we rescued Cisco, he was obviously never exposed to or learned things that most household dogs know from an early age. We do not believe he had ever been walked on leash before, but is learning good leash manners now. Cisco also did not know how to play with toys when we rescued him, but now he has his favorites that he carries around throughout the day. Initially, he was nervous about getting in the car, but he has learned to enjoy car rides to fun destinations. He rides nicely in the backseat or in the front as your co-pilot. He does not like to be left alone, and gets a little anxious, but will eventually settle.

At his core, Cisco is a submissive dog, who doesn't want any trouble. However, due to his unknown traumatic past, he can be extremely reactive when first encountering some dogs and people. Once he realizes that another dog is friendly, he and figures out that he is safe, he gets over his initial reactiveness, and is good with people and other dogs. For this reason, he needs adopters who have experience working with reactive dogs.

Cisco has two HITTGV fosters working with him and with professional trainers to reduce his reactivity and get him on the right path in life. As he continues to be exposed to positive new experiences, his fosters are seeing his confidence grow and his behavior improve steadily. Because he sometimes panics when seeing strange dogs, and reacts by pulling and snapping indiscriminately, he may accidentally bite those standing nearest to him. At times, we still use a soft muzzle for him, when there may be a chance of meeting unknown dogs or people. He has grown into great relationships with both foster people and their dogs.

The ideal situation for Cisco is in a mature, calm household (no children), with people who are experienced dog handlers who can gently train him, while building his trust and confidence, and discouraging his reactive tendencies.

If you are interested in meeting Cisco, please complete our online adoption form, which is the first step of our pre-adoption process. At our website (hittgv.org), please click on the Adopt tab near the top of the page, and scroll down to find the online form. You can also email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have specific questions about Cisco or our process.

Augie (ADOPTED!) is a 15-18 months old, 41 pound boy, who is very friendly, full of life and kisses. He meets everyone with a tail wag, and has a very happy disposition. He is a moderate energy guy, but as a young dog, he needs daily exercise. Augie wants to play and walk first thing in the morning. Once he has had his morning exercise, he is mellow for the rest of the day and content to hang out with his people. He does, however, have youthful exuberance and if you are up for it, he is always up for playing or a hike or some exercise. Augie is a “Velcro," or maybe a super glue dog, who wants to be with his person or his pack more than anything. In the sweetest, most loving way, he wants to sit by your side every chance he gets. He also enjoys snuggling on the couch with his person.

Augie loves his walks! When the leashes come out, he runs to the door and sits calmly waiting to be leashed. He may tug a little a first because he's so excited to get out in the world, but he quickly settles into a nice pace by your side. Augie is very responsive to cues from both humans and other dogs. If told Leave It, he will do so immediately.
He knows Sit, frequently comes when called, and is learning to take treats gently. He sometimes jumps up on people and counters and is being taught "Off!" Augie is a quick and eager learner.

Augie is a quiet boy who rarely barks--even when the other dogs are barking. So far, his foster mom has only heard him bark a couple of times when someone has come to the door.  He is very well mannered in the house, and hangs out quietly.

He has met some dogs very nicely, both male and female, but may not like every dog he meets. Augie gets very excited about meeting other dogs he sees. He is very balanced, and not naturally a dominant dog. Will not challenge another more dominant dog. However, if an unknown dog is acting up, by barking or lunging behavior, Augie will respond the same way. If another is fine, he is fine. He seems to take his cues from the energy of the other dog. He liked his foster sister (an female ACD) at their very first meeting.

Augie loves playing tug-of-war and hanging out with his foster sister. We think he would do well with a mellow, easy going, or playful dog. He would also be fine as an only dog. He enjoys playing with toys. There may be a scuffle for a toy if playing fetch with one ball and two dogs.  We have not seen him interact with small children, but with older kids, he is friendly and polite. He has a high prey drive and would not do well in a household with cats. Augie enjoys car rides, and needs more rides to fun destinations.

Augie was rescued after a month in a shelter kennel. As a result, he does not like being kenneled or crated. His foster mom is working on crate training him with positive reinforcement. If another dog approaches his food or a toy he has, he does sometimes give a little warning growl, but his foster mom has been working with him and seen improvement. Augie has shown some herding tendencies. He sometimes nips at other dogs’ heels and is gently mouthy, sometimes taking his foster mom's foot or arm into his mouth to play,

Augie has the potential to be the perfect pet. We are seeking adopters who will continue teaching him boundaries, appropriate behavior, and giving him more exposure to new things in the world. If you are interested in meeting and possibly adopting Augie, we ask that you first complete our adoption questionnaire, which is the first step of our adoption process. At our website (hittgv.org), please click on the Adopt tab near the top of the page, and scroll down to find the online Adoption Form.