Bindi 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 instincts for herding run deep. 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. She also needs to build confidence with strangers, and ongoing socialization would be very beneficial for this girl.

However, Bindi is not a dog for everyone. She has all the traits of an excellent working/herding dog. She 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, 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. She had previously lived with a 1-year old male hound/saint bernard mix. She is quite playful and would benefit living with a dog with equal energy and desire to play.

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.

Kodiak (ADOPTED!) (in front in photo) is a 38 lb., Australian cattle dog pup. At 10 months old, he is still a puppy in almost an adult body. He is a very sweet, affectionate and playful guy, who adores human attention and petting. While Kodiak loves playing with other dogs, both male and female, he is primarily a dog who wants to be with his people/person, and is up for whatever you want to do.

He is a happy, medium-high energy boy, who also loves playing ball, frisbee. When at home, besides keeping tabs on his people, he will run and play “like a maniac” with his cattle dog foster sister, play with his toys, and after bursts of being busy, he will nap for one or two hours.  Link to a video of Kodiak playing:  https://youtu.be/RIPiL1uUoI8

He has many of the most desirable traits of a classic cattle dog. Kodiak is extremely bright, very much wants to please, and is a velcro dog. He does show some herding instinct, and will sometimes will gather and place his toys in a big pile. He also uses herding moves when playing with other dogs, frequently going for their feet. If in a multi-dog home, he should be with another very playful dog who understands this herding play style. We do not recommend him in a home with a tired senior dog who may not like a young dog nipping at his/her rear legs in an attempt to interact.

Kodiak is good on leash and will pretty much walk at your side. He is incredibly intelligent and learned the routines and rules of his foster home very quickly. As a cattle dog, he also wants to please his people and should be easy to train. His fosters have already taught him Sit, Down, Come, and they are working on Stay. He will also pee on command, and is completely housebroken. Kodiak still has a lot of puppy traits, and needs to learn manners. Sometimes he will playfully grab a shoe or piece of clothing and run away with it. He will not chew or destroy them, but just wants to play. Also, when excitedly greeting his people, he will jump up on them. When playing with people, Kodiak can get a little bit mouthy with hands, and is learning not to do that. He has never tried to mouth or nip at a persons heels, legs, or arms.

We learned that as a small puppy he was left alone for 8-12 hours a day. He was not socialized or exposed to very much. As a result, when out on walks, Kodiak is uneasy with all the input, and not sure what to do when first encountering new dogs or people. When he sees anyone at a distance, he becomes worried and barks at them. He is mostly a quiet dog, and this is pretty much the only time that he barks. If allowed to meet and sniff a friendly dog, Kodiak is immediately fine. When at the beach, friendly dogs have run up to him, and Kodiak comfortably greeted them with normal tail wagging and sniffing. He would do well in play groups with other dogs. We have not seen Kodiak around children, and he seems to not pay attention to cats that have passed during walks.

With people, once he has met someone, especially in a quiet setting, he is comfortable and will welcome you as an old friend. He is attentive, listens well, and wants to to please. Kodiak rides very nicely and quietly in the back seat of a car. Video of Kodiak meeting a new person at the shelter office:  https://youtu.be/TxCEazaR9p8

Kodiak does not like and avoids going into a crate. We believe that as a puppy in his original home, he was kept in a crate for most of the day. His fosters are showing him that it is a good place and he will not be locked in all day. Kodiak is beginning to feel comfortable enough to occasionally nap in it with the door left open.

Kodiak was surrendered to a government Animal Control shelter by a young man who works 60 hours per week, and wasn’t prepared for a cattle dog puppy. As a result, Kodiak did not receive the exercise, socialization, training, or personal attention that a young pup needs. With his growing size at 8 months old, coupled with his exuberant playfulness and cattle dog desire to be active and busy, his person surrendered this him to a kill shelter. Kodiak was so terrified at the shelter that he failed his behavioral evaluation miserably. He was deemed for “Rescue Only” and given a time limit to find rescue.

This pup has incredible potential. He should be introduced to new things at his pace, and not pushed into new situations. We are seeking experienced adopters who understand this breed, and are committed to meeting his needs for mental and physical exercise, working with him to teach him manners/appropriate behaviors, and provide the life experiences he needs to become the most amazing dog that we already see in him. Our boy would do well in a home with another friendly, playful dog to show him the ropes, or as an only dog, if he can be with his person/people most of the day, and has opportunity to socialize with other playful dogs.

If you are interested in meeting Kodiak, 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 about this dog, 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.

Keller (ADOPTED!) is the sweetest, calmest, best natured, middle aged gentleman, who melts the heart of everyone who meets him. He weighs 45 lbs. and we estimate that he is around 8 years old. Although Keller is blind, we have no hesitation in saying that he would make someone a perfect companion. He is great with everyone he meets and loves to be petted, and touched. Keller is a very quiet, happy, easy going dog. He enjoys hanging with people and will come when you call him. As a cattle dog, he is incredibly smart and adapts to new situations and routines quickly. Keller also likes to keep himself busy, and is a very curious, thinking guy. On nice days he loves being out in the yard exploring and sniffing, or contentedly enjoying a chew toy, or just napping. At night, he sleeps quietly in his crate.

Keller has good hearing. He knows his name and the sound of his foster mom's voice, and he will come right to her when she calls him. He is good with and enjoys the company of other friendly, polite dogs. If a dog rudely gets into his face or is too physically pushy or playful with him, he will try to turn away and growl his protest. Keller is fine with cats and children who are calm and respectful him.

As we watch Keller each day, we realize how extremely well he has learned to cope with and work around his blindness. Using his hearing, senses of smell and feel, he is an expert explorer, and enjoys the same activities as sighted dogs. We have much to admire and learn from his steady and determined 'can do' attitude. It only took Keller a few days to learn the flat portion of the yard at his foster home, and feel comfortable. Soon after conquering it, he managed to work his way through a barricade of chairs meant to discourage him from using the steps up the steep hill. His foster mom began finding him near the top of the hill sniffing and wandering through the flowers and shrubs.

As a cattle dog, Keller loves to have a ball to play with! If he drops or misplaces it, he will find it by smell and using his nose to feel for it. We placed a broken tennis ball on a metal peg of the door of his outdoor 'cabana' to prevent him from walking into it and possibly poking his eye, when the door was open. The tennis ball went missing from the peg several times, and we realized that when he discovered the ball at nose height, he was removing it from the peg to play with it. His other pleasures are chew toys, such as bully sticks, Kongs filled with peanut butter or other tasty treats; and just relaxing with and getting attention from his people.

Keller enjoys walks and the smells of new areas. He also rides nicely in a car. A calm, loving home with a yard would be ideal for him. He would benefit from having another friendly easy going dog in his household, to be a buddy, who might help guide him on walks and in new situations.

If you If you are interested in meeting Keller, 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.

Buttercup is the mother of these puppies.

Shorty (ADOPTED!) is the quietest and gentlest of the litter. He is a personal favorite of his fosters, who nicknamed him Shorty, as he is the only puppy that inherited his Mom’s short legs. We suspect that he also inherited his mother’s sweet, calm personality. He enjoys a good cuddle and seems to be able to sleep through almost anything – including loud noises and ear chewing by his brothers and sisters. He has white gloves on all four paws and waddling walk that can melt your heart.

Grandpa (ADOPTED!) This pup was lovingly nicknamed Grandpa, for his loose skin and long limbs. He is very playful and knows that hopping and rolling around will get him picked up and a well-deserved face full of kisses. Grandpa was the first pup to run and wag his tail. While the other puppies are all still in the puppy pen, his fosters frequently find him laying at their feet, leaving them bewildered as to how he got out of the puppy pen. We aren’t sure if he just wants to be with people, or if he has an adventurous soul.  With his long legs, he is the tallest of the bunch.

Cinnamon (ADOPTED!) at nearly 6-weeks old is showing what a big heart she has!  She is a very happy and loving pup, who is the first to greet you in the morning, with lots of kisses and wiggling her whole butt and tail. She is so excited and happy to welcome each new day and to love her people and siblings.  She has a comical, silly nature and is very expressive. If anyone is still in bed when she is in the house, she will wake you up by licking your face or nibbling on your toes. She likes to play with the other pups, and she can hold her own! She is a curious and sometimes independent girl, who may break off from the puppy pack to investigate interesting things around the house.

Champ (ADOPTED!) is built like a tank and is the leader of the pack. Champ was nicknamed for his stout build and in-charge nature. He wants to be the lead puppy and has mind of his own, but he is still a softie inside who loves a tummy scratch and falling asleep in your arms.

Scarlet (ADOPTED!) is our only patchwork pup, and our pretty princess. She is curious and smart – watching what the other puppies do, before joining in herself. She is handsy like her mother and uses her paws to reach for your face to bring you in for face licking.