Herd It Through The Grapevine

Sonoma County, CA - Herding Dog Rescue

FOSTER HOMES NEEDED!

Fostering a dog can be fun and rewarding!

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HITTGV posts all of its' adoptable dogs on the front page. Please take a look at our newest adoptable dogs and whether you are looking for the perfect face, the perfect demeanor, or it's love at first sight, hopefully you will find the perfect companion at HITTGV! But adoption is not the only way to help rescues. You can also foster a dog until the perfect forever home is found and we are in dire need of people who can support us as fosters.

You will find tabs for both Adoption and Foster at the top of the page. Kindly fill out the form of your choice and submit to us. You can also e-mail us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us at (707)583-9583 with your inquiries. Thank you for considering rescue and for helping us save more lives.

KING

The following description is based on information from King's original owner, who had to give him up:

King is a very friendly, affectionate, and playful, 3 year old Australian Cattle Dog mix. He weighs 35 lbs. and is friendly when meeting people, children, other dogs. He is a wonderful, happy soul, who needs people who will give him the attention, mental and physical exercise, and affection he needs. Although he is playful, King is a moderate energy dog. He will require some training and structure to transition into a new home and as an inside and outside dog, again. He is definitely a gem, who just needs a little dusting off and polishing.

He is fine with cats, but if they run, he will chase. King likes to rush up to them, stop, and then either just look at them or give them a "woof" before trotting away. King is extremely smart, a quick learner, and very eager to please. He loves human attention and having his ears scratched. As a typical young dog, he loves toys, running and playing - especially playing ball, and chew toys to keep him busy. He tends to pull on leash in his enthusiasm to get out and take his walk. He knows sit and a few commands, and is good at minding you when you want him to do something, but has not had formal obedience training.

Based on seeing King with his original owner, we thought he had an easy, go-with-the-flow personality and would transition easily into a new situation. Although he is still a great dog, who is very friendly with all people, he is now a bit insecure. Since losing all his canine siblings, the owner he was bonded to, and his home, he has now bonded very closely with the Mom where he is currently living, and tries not to let her out of his sight. He has gone through a great upheaval in his life and the family in his current situation are trying to help him work through his issues as best they can.

King needed a new home, because his original owner had to move and could not bring any of her four dogs. In his first year of life, King lived inside, and was crate trained. However, due to a change in his person's living situation, King became a mostly outside dog, coming inside a few times a day during his meal times. King did not leave his yard very often. It was his own world and safe place, where he had the companionship of the other dogs. For this reason, although he loves to go out on walks and see the world, he is a little nervous and unsure of himself when out in public. Since he was the 'beta' dog in his pack, he is a bit fearful of strange new dogs who approach him. King needs socialization and exposure to new places and experiences, and to become more confident in new situations.

Since his original situation was a multi-dog household and his bond was with one woman, and he has now bonded with the only woman in his current situation, we believe that he would do best in a multi-dog home, with only one or two human adults. King is fine at respecting children who are 9 years old and above, but he sees younger children as creatures who should be subject to his supervision. King is also completely housebroken.

BLUE

Blue is one of three pups we rescued together. At 30 lbs. he is the biggest.

Blue came to us as the shyest and most timid of the three pups. Once feeling secure and comfortable in his foster home, he has come out of his shell in a big way. After his first bath, he went from 0 to 100mph rippin' and tearin' around the backyard into the house, back out into the backyard, all legs in the air dust flyin' behind him, hitting the hardwood floor, sliding 5 feet then doing the 'scooby do' to get traction to run right back out into the yard again.

He's a super love bug, and met new visitors by smothering them with hugs and kisses. He loves redecorating the house by moving shoes around, but hasn't chewed them yet. This super smart, and now very happy boy quickly learned "sit" and is learning to "come." He sleeps through the night, and has had no accidents in the house.

His confidence and personality is really starting to emerge now. He's not too mouthy. If you play hard with him - really wrestle - he'll start to use his mouth but has not been doing any heeling, yet. Sometimes he'll see his reflection in the windowed doors we have, or the fireplace doors and he'll growl and woof a bit. There's no food aggression.

His potential is huge, as he's so smart and very moldable right now. His adopters will have to be very dedicated to continuously devoting time to working with him, so he has the structure to turn into a great dog. If left to raise himself he could turn into quite the handful, because he's almost too smart, as we see signs, even now, that he's testing his limits. He's all boy, and very puppy with a ton of energy. He loves to play and we have to remind him to be gentle as he can get mouthy and pinch a bit now if not gently corrected. He'll fetch, and retrieve a ball, and let go nicely, but he's not obsessed about it.....yet.

In short, his foster mom says that "Blue is a dream boat."

HAPPY TAILS: FRY Now Part of a Ranching and Winery Family!

Fry (ADOPTED!) is now a vineyard and winery dog in Napa Valley! Now known as "Koa." He will follow in the footsteps of his new big brother, Cairo, and now has a huge extended family at the Gamble Family Vineyards!

He is one of three pups we rescued together. At 23 lbs. he is the smallest and thinnest - the small "Fry" of the group, but he is also the most loving and cuddly. He is very gentle and extremely friendly with all people, and seems to attach and look up to men especially quickly. He loves to give kisses. The size and puppyish look of all three, originally caused us to guess that they were 5-6 months old. Our vet says, based on their teeth, Fry and the other pups are more like 7-8 months old, and will be sort of mini Australian Cattle Dogs. Fry should get to 35 lbs.

Fry and his siblings were rescued from a situation, where they were extremely sheltered. He is still a bit unsure of himself and of all the new things he is experiencing. He needs exposure to new people, experiences and the outside world, in general. His new people will also need to help him build his confidence. He will bond quickly to his people and be your little shadow. Our small Fry is also great with other dogs and good with children. The only time he saw a cat, he didn't pay much attention to it. Fry is extremely smart and a little sponge, who observes everything. He learns very quickly, wants to be liked, and is eager to please. In the short time that we have had him, he has learned to sit, shake, lay down, has learned to walk nicely on leash and is 95% housebroken. He also rides very quietly and calmly in a car.

At this point, Fry is of moderate energy. As he settles and feels comfortable in a home and puts on a little weight, he may become more energetic. As a young pup, Fry is a chewer. He will need different chew toys to keep him busy, when left alone especially. Fry has shown a bit of herding instinct, and when playful will sometimes try to nip or peck at the back of your legs. For these reasons, although he sounds easy for a cattle dog, he is still a cattle dog, who will require an experienced home, with the ability to give him physical and mental exercise, training and structure that he will need to blossom into the great dog we see in him. He is not for a home that will leave him alone for 8+ hours a day.

TIKI

Tiki is a highly energetic and active 4 month cattle dog mix. She is long legged and slight and will probably top off at 25-30 pounds and 15-16 inches high. Tiki is extremely friendly with people and dogs, and is very loving with both the human and dog members of her family. She currently lives with a cat and 3 dogs (2 pit bulls and a scotty).

Tiki is super smart, eager to please, and learns very quickly. She has basic obedience (down, sit and stay) and is crate trained. She sleeps in her crate at night and can make it through the night. Her foster family says she is nearly housebroken, but they are still working on 100%.

As with all young dogs, Tiki will need a family willing to commit to exercise and training. Tiki loves playing tug and has immense prey drive. As a mostly cattle dog pup, she is very active, and will require an active household, with experience and dedication to channeling her energy and drive. She needs an experienced home willing to work on training and providing her structure and routine as she grows into adulthood. Several people in the sport dog world have commented that, in the right hands, Tiki would be a top notch sport dog.

DUTCH

Dutch is an Aussie shepherd and Dutch shepherd mix, weighing 41 lbs. He is still just a pup, probably between 8 to 12 mos. old. He is very friendly and playful with all people and all dogs. Dutch is a very happy guy with a calm personality. His tail wags non-stop! Although he loves to play, Dutch has a moderate energy level. He will sleep through the night on his dog bed, but would prefer to cuddle and curl up by your side if you tell him it's OK.

Dutch is very good with all other dogs, and good with cats. He is housebroken and is a pro at using the dog door. He is good at respecting kiddie gates. Dutch now walks well on leash, but pulls a little at first in his excitement to get outside. Because he is a very smart, eager to please and very attentive to people, we believe he will learn routines and pick up on training very quickly. At his foster home, Dutch has learned "sit," "stay," "back," and will come when called. He also is learning "off," "leave it," and "wait." Dutch rides nicely and loves rides in a car, and will hop in when you say "In the car."

He does NOT have any food or resource guarding. As a young dog, Dutch loves toys and balls, but is not obsessive about them. He enjoys playing ball and is learning to fetch. His foster Dad takes him and his foster canine siblings to the park, and Dutch loves the water and swimming. Dutch does like to chew, and will need a variety of toys and treats to satisfy his desire to chew. He is great in the house, but still being a pup he initially complains when you leave the house, but will calm down and be quiet again after a few minutes. He is usually very quiet, and will otherwise only be vocal and bark if he is in very excited play outside with other dogs.

He would do well in a home with another dog, will bond quickly with someone, and make a great companion. He has met children in the park and is very good with them. However, he is probably best in a home with older children, 12 and older, as he may see younger children as his siblings and treat them as he would another pup.