Our Available Dogs

Bluey (ADOPTED!) is a super sweet, even tempered, very loving, friendly Australian cattle dog, with possibly a bit of border collie. He weighs 45 lbs. and we estimate that he is 15-18 months old. Bluey is also essentially deaf. In new situations, or when first meeting people or other dogs, he is unsure of himself and tends to be shy. Once he feels comfortable and knows things are okay, he becomes very loving and playful. Since he cannot hear, Bluey is very observant, and big on checking in often and making eye contact with with people.  He also tries very hard to understand what you want, and to do it.

He is a great dog, who very attentive and responsive to people, and he very is eager to please. His only issues are easily addressed and are not his fault. People in his past never worked to teach him anything. Bluey is just beginning to learn basic manners, boundaries, and obedience commands with hand signals. These can easily be learned with consistent guidance and training practice. We asked a wonderful, very experienced dog trainer to evaluate Bluey, and he described Bluey as a “treasure,” which we had never heard him say about any dog before. He later told us that if he had the ability to add another dog to his household, he would take Bluey.

Our boy very social with people (including children) and other dogs. When petting him, he’ll roll over for you to pet his belly. Bluey is just a silly guy who has the best intentions. He exhibits excellent body language with other dogs. Bluey would do well with another dog to learn from. Because he lacks experience in many situations, he closely watches and copies what other dogs do. When having a play date, he saw a dog use a doggie door and was at first puzzled by it. A few minutes later he copied her and was suddenly inside the house. There is not a mean bone in his body. His fosters have cats, and Bluey is curious, but calm and respectful around the cats.

While Bluey is his full size, mentally he is just a big puppy. He loves dog toys, shaking and tossing the soft plush toys, and he is very keen on chew toys. He enjoys chew treats, such as bully sticks. He has not shown any guarding behavior at all

Bluey is very much like a human toddler. He treats everyone like a littermate. When the puppy in him wants attention, or to play with either a human or another dog, he can be pushy about it, often using his paws to get a response from humans or other dogs. Bluey doesn’t realize how big he is, or the using his paw to pat a small dog or a child could scratch or injure them. We are working on having him keep his paws to himself. When he is trying to get someone to play with him, he can become a little mouthy and nibbling. His instinct is to use his mouth to show you what he wants and to communicate. He will try to take your hand or pull at your pant leg to get your attention and tell you it’s time to play. Like a small child who wants to hog the attention, if you are petting another dog, he will run over and try to squeeze himself in and edge the other dog out. He takes corrections from other dogs very well. He remains good natured a will back off when other dogs growl or nip at him.

Bluey rarely ever truly barks. He is most vocal when actively playing with another dog, and he begins his ultra-high pitched, excited cattle dog bark. Still a baby, he will also cry if he’s afraid or worried.

Here are YouTube links to videos of Bluey playing with other dogs:  https://youtu.be/0a3ZyGeDGRk  

https://youtu.be/gSb0Q_TCKTI     https://youtube.com/shorts/15wb3Lg_dmw?feature=share

He has the velcro nature of a cattle dog, who wants to belong to a family/pack, and to have a human to bond and hang out with. Bluey’s fosters have an 8 year old daughter. When she had a sleep-over, Bluey and the girls played every waking minute. He has the energy to run and play in spurts during the day, but he is also often content to be inside, relaxing near his person.
 
Bluey seems to be a medium energy dog, which is unusual for a young herding dog. He seems to be content with a 10-15 minute session of highly active play, punctuated by a rest/nap time period. Having several blood pumping exercise each day, makes him much calmer and less fidgety inside the house. Sometimes after playing or running  around, he becomes energized and overly stimulated, and needs an adult to stop the action for a few minutes to settle him down.

With normal body language used to train any dog, we are working to teach him manners and appropriate vs inappropriate behaviors, and we have also begun teaching him hand signal commands.

Bluey is learning to sleep in a large crate at night, but he is afraid of being alone in the dark. He sometimes wakes up while it is still dark and if he believes that he is alone, he will begin to cry. If there is a night light on and he can see someone, he will be okay. Bluey also loves to be outside and play, but he is very afraid of being left outside alone, especially when it is dark outside. Bluey tends to be afraid of getting into a car and during the ride. He will climb in if another dog he knows is in the car, and if he is consistently taken to a fun place by the same person and car, he becomes happy to get in and ride to his play date.

Our boy walks fairly well on leash. He does not pull, but he does zig-zag. He seems to be housebroken. However, his movements must be watched and managed during the first day or two in a new home, in case he tries to mark, especially if he detects the smell of another male dog. He was neutered on Nov. 23, 2022, and it may take a few months for his marking behavior to diminish.

Bluey is an all around great dog, who possesses a wonderful nature and excellent personality traits that cannot be taught. However, he is not a turn-key dog. Mentally he is still a baby. He needs people who understand the work and time involved to manage his energy and excitement, and teach him manners, boundaries, and basic obedience commands. We are seeking adopters for Bluey who are willing to work with him, and enable him reach his full potential.

Potential adopters must be willing to have an adoption transition process to allow him to make the mental transition to new people and a new situation. We prefer that potential adopters live within a 1-2 hour drive of the Santa Rosa, CA, area.

If you have questions or are interested in meeting Bluey, please 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. Completing an adoption form, is the first step to meeting him.

Nemo (ADOPTED!), our honorary herder, is barely 1 year old. He is a playful, sweet, guy, full of joy. He has energy to run and play, yet knows to be calm when inside. He weighs 50 lbs. and seems to be a Siberian Husky and Shiba Inu mix. Nemo is a gentle soul who is very loving and cuddly with his people. He meets people easily, and is great with other dogs.

Our happy boy loves stuffed toys and squeaky tennis balls. The husky in him is very devoted and family oriented. He especially loves his foster Dad, He is very good at checking in to make sure he knows where his foster Dad is. Nemo is content if outside with his person/people, and he has a soft spot in the shade and a toy. For him to be calm and content like this, he will first need to work off some of his youthful energy.

He will need space to run and/or people who are active, and can give him the daily exercise he craves. Nemo spent 3-months of his very young life in a shelter kennel, and was scheduled to be euthanized at the shelter when we rescued him. He needs to catch up on learning about life and to learn some basic obedience training. He sleeps on his bed all night, and seems to be house trained.

Nemo is very even tempered when meeting new people, including children, and other dogs. He wants to sniff them and then moves on. He seems fine with calm children. He has only seen cats on walks and has wanted to chase. When greeting people he knows well, Nemo wants to joyfully jump up on them. When told no, he stays down, and is well mannered. His fosters are working on this. Nemo still needs to learn that he is no longer a small puppy, and that his loud excited barks and jumping up when playing may scare or knock down children.

Nemo still has a lot of puppy energy and tendencies. He will need active exercise at least twice a day. When he wakes up in the morning, before his walk, he is full of energy and excited for the new day. He does some puppy mouthiness, especially if he hasn’t had any exercise. If you tell him no or leave-it, he will stop. He doesn’t yet know that he is a medium-large dog, who could knock things over when doing zoomies.

After a long walk or active exercise, he will be calm for most of the day, with spikes of playful energy (zoomies, playing with toys) when going outside for potty breaks. He will become busy and energetic again by late afternoon/evening, and will need another long walk or play session.

He loves walks, and once on leash, the husky in him loves to pull, and is quite strong. However, if you stop walking, he will stop also. If Nemo sees squirrels or other small animals, he wants to chase. If another dog barks at him he will pull and bark back. Feeding him high value treats distracts and redirects his interest. His foster Dad says that Nemo is walking better on the leash and coping better with distractions. He just needs continued leash training.

Nemo has not shown any guarding behavior with his humans at all, with food or toys. He has also learned to sit before getting his food. On the first day at his foster home, one of the fosters’ dogs tried to go for a treat that was being handed to Nemo, he showed his teeth to tell her to back off.

He does have many breed traits of both Siberian Huskies and Shiba Inu’s. Nemo is very observant and extremely smart. While he is very child-like and willing to please, he has a stubborn, strong will from both breeds. He knows what he wants and will let you know what he needs.

Nemo is very curious, resourceful, and learns quickly. While he does want to please and is extremely teachable, like a 2-year old child, he will “argue” and test you during a teaching moment. He will bark and give you an angry look, over small things, such as being told he can't jump up to get his own treats. If you don’t react to him, and calmly ask him if he's done, he will eventually stop barking and come over and cuddle up to you, as if to apologize for his tantrum. Adorable. He's just a softy with a big bluff. For this reason, Nemo will need an experienced person, who has the patience, understanding and leadership to work with his strong will.

Other than barking in protest or when very excited, he is a very quiet boy. He is NOT reactive about noises and people outside.

Since both of his foster people work, Nemo spends a few hours each day alone. He will whine initially before settling down, but, if first exercised, he will be ok alone for a few hours. After a few hours, he will look for things to do, and may collect items - shoes, pieces of scrap wood, etc., bringing them back to his bed. He has not done anything destructive. However, if routinely left for too long, and he becomes frustrated, it’s possible that he could begin unwanted chewing. Still very much a puppy, if Nemo discovers a new item in his surroundings, he may mouth or teethe on it to ‘taste’ or play with it. If told no, he will stop.

Nemo is being fostered in Napa, CA. If you have questions or are interested in meeting Nemo and receiving an adoption form, please 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. Completing an adoption form, is the first step to meeting him.

Pepper (ADOPTED!) is an extremely sweet, happy, senior female cattle dog, who loves to cuddle with her humans, is big on treats, balls and tummy rubs. Currently she weighs 42 lbs. Our best estimate is that she is at least 13 years old. While Pepper may be a senior, she is still a very alert, smart, attentive, thinking dog, with a lot of personality.
 
She is a calm, low energy dog, who is happiest when in the company of her humans. At home, Pepper mostly hangs out in a comfy spot near her person/people. She will follow her humans or the other dog move, around the house. Pepper loves meeting new people and will walk right up to them, sniff their hands and/or legs and give them kisses. She doesn't like to be left at home, and will bark when she sees her humans leave through the front door. However, when left alone, she seems to pretty much sleep until people return. She is not destructive in any way. She is definitely housebroken and knows how to use a dog door.

Pepper likes a soft place to curl up for her arthritic joints, and uses multiple dog beds around the house. Pepper usually chooses the bed that her canine foster brother likes best, she sometimes tries to climb into an easy chair. If her legs cannot launch her into the chair, she will look to someone for help. At night, she likes to sleep in a dog bed that is near her people. While a crate is always available to her, it is not her preference.

Pepper is calm and gentle when meeting and being with other dogs, and gets along nicely with the other heeler (male) in her foster home. We have not yet seen her around cats or children.

While Pepper may have a lot of miles on her, she is still very much a cattle dog who will make you smile and laugh! Pepper has figured out how to sit when she wants a treat and has a way of letting her people know when she needs to go potty. She will approach you, attempting to make eye contact, and then walk to one of the doors. If her people are too slow, this herder will give out a bark to speed it up. When she wants a snack or a meal, Pepper will gently nudge the legs of her foster people towards the kitchen, to get them there sooner.

Pepper is also a ball dog! In the first hour at her foster home, she found the toy box and searched to the bottom to pull out the tennis balls. She loves tennis balls and wants to play fetch, the way she did when she was younger. Pepper will bring a ball to her human and expect them to throw it for her. However, she is not steady on her legs, which are weak and stiff, and she often falls when just stepping up or down from a curb. She also enjoys other toys and carries them around with her. Pepper has NOT shown any food or resource guarding.

Our old girl does well on shorter walks and on the leash. She would love to go on long walks, but tends to tire. While her legs and joints cannot endure long walks or on uneven terrain, Pepper has an excellent nose, and still very much enjoys short “enrichment” walks to sniff, explore and feel like a dog. She loves food, and can smell a treat or food while walking. When she does, she will stubbornly stop and give you the heeler side eye. When Pepper first arrived, her foster mom put some chicken in the oven to make chicken and rice for her. Almost immediately, Pepper raised her nose and began searching the air for the source of that baking chicken (YouTube video link: https://youtu.be/EUm3v3WYrDY).

Pepper is generally a very quiet dog, especially when she is content and with her people. She will only bark if upset, when she thinks she is being left alone, or occasionally in the car if she is worried. Most of the time in a car she is quiet and happy to just ride along.
 
Pepper was found in very poor condition as a stray wandering the streets. She came with a number of existing physical ailments associated with her age and untreated medical issues from her past life. We are trying to make up for lost time on her medical issues. Besides supplements, vitamins, and enhanced nutrition for her joints and to build her strength, we have begun weekly anti-fungal and anti-bacterial shampooing for her itchy skin (which she enjoys!), are consulting with our vet for her chronic ear infections, and have an appointment to check her eyes and cataracts. Potential adopters considering Pepper, must be willing to continue the work we have begun to improve these conditions.

While Pepper has obvious cataracts, she is still able to see well enough to move around and function normally. We believe that her hearing is greatly diminished, due to untreated ear infections. Her ear canals are very narrow due to scar tissue from past infections, and may need long term care. Her poor hearing may be the reason she makes such excellent eye contact and is very observant.
  
In summary, Pepper is the sweetest and most wonderful companion, with a lot of life left in her! She deserves - and we are seeking - a forever home that will pamper her and give her all the best treats for the rest of her days.

If you have questions or are interested in meeting Pepper, please leave a message at (707) 583-9583, or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to request our adoption questionnaire. Completing the adoption questionnaire is the first step to meeting her.