Zivah.
Finding her the home that she deserves.
9-21-20 We have found a great home for Zivah. Thank you all for caring about her!
Age: 3 years. Female/spayed. Australian Cattle Dog….. plus a little something else which would explain her lovely, long legs?
One owner since she came home at 8 weeks old, J and MB Aldler. They live in Southern Vermont.
I have known the Aldlers since Zivah was nine weeks old when they called me for puppy training. This pairing was a bit of a mis-match from the beginning.
The Adlers met a Cattle dog that belonged to a friend and they liked the dog. They decided to get a puppy. They found a breeder. They purchased the puppy. They knew that Cattle Dogs were a challenge but really had no idea how much of a challenge. They worked with me almost continuously for a year and a half training Zivah and did an amazing job with her.
Zivah is hands down the most intelligent dog I have ever met…. and I have Border collies. She is extraordinary. Great minds need to be kept busy and challenged or…..stuff happens.
Here is a link to a video I made very recently. What I am training doesn’t matter. I want you to focus on her response to the game. She thrives on using her mind and figuring things out. You can see her joy!
Facts:
– Potential in almost any major dog sport (competitive obedience, agility, performance trick dog)
– High food drive, and loves toys and tugs.
– Prey drive is typical of stock herding breeds.
– Like many of the herding breeds, Zivah has a natural bond to her property and owners, due to the relationship her owners have fostered over her lifetime through enrichment and training. She stays on the property. Her home is very rural Vermont.
– Zivah has been trained with positive reinforcement using a marker since she was ten weeks old. She knows all the basic cues of sit, down, stay, recall etc..and has a few tricks and targets. She is very familiar with this system of training.
-Zivah has been in group classes with other teams working nearby and she ignores them and focuses on her handler.
– She is very sociable with people. She is protective of her property so may come out the door “hot” but warms up right away. This is typical of the breed.
– She is crate trained, rides in the car well. She can be reactive in the car if someone approaches inappropriately, suddenly, with the owner in the driver’s seat.
– Zivah was not raised with children and like my own dogs, would rather that they stay well away from her. This requires good management by an experienced trainer. This not unusual behavior from a herding dog.
– Her only aggressive event was a level one bite to the arm of a young girl. She was in a highly pressured situation, on a Flexi-lead that was not locked, darted out and nipped a young girl as they passed. The family was staring at her as she passed. While this is never a good thing, I feel it was mainly a failure of management by her owners and lack of precaution taken in a risky environment.
– Zivah has not exhibited any resource guarding behavior around food, toys or locations.
After the incident with the little girl, and reflection upon their own responsibility for Zivah, the Alders have decided that she should go to a home where someone can really harness this amazing intelligence and give her the life she deserves. I agree. They spoke to her breeder and he has given permission for me to find her a great home. It has to be the right person, the right environment.
Like many herding dogs who did not grow up with children, Zivah needs to go to a home without small children. She may do well with another male dog who communicates well. This is always a big question mark? Dogs are very particular about other dogs. I would prefer that she be the only dog so she gets the attention she deserves.
The new home must be rural. The owner must be a very experienced R+ trainer and must love to hike and walk x-country with dogs. Zivah needs this. The new owner needs to love training their dog, to be involved in some sort of dog sport training or service dog training. This dog has to be using her mind and exercising her body. References are mandatory.
I would take her in an instant if I could. The Adlers will keep her until we find the right home for her.
If you do contact me, be sure to tell me why you would make a great caregiver for Zivah and be able to back that up. She is a really, lovely dog. When Zivah looks at you, she sees right into your soul.
Noelh@noelhoffmann.com. Please put ZIVAH in the subject line.
ZIVAH – good job Noel – the only thing I would add to this is that she adjusts to new living environments easily. When she comes here she settles in quickly and is quiet – even when other dogs are moving in and out she lies quietly in her bed, she is quite loving and cuddly. So when she is inside for “quiet time” she is the perfect guest. She really likes to have hands-on, being petted and loved.
She most certainly has a good dash of Black and Tan Kelpie in her! They in turn have a small %age of Dingo. This likely explains her extraordinary problem solving skills and love to learn.
I had a special line of b/tan Kelpie, good at cattle work too. I’d hoped to cross her with a blue heeler to get a leggier, more athletic worker and companion. Sadly somebody stole her from behind locked fences and gates 6’ high. My ideal vision would have been copies of Zivah! Our blues are too short and heavy, as are most Reds. Pure Kelpies tend to be a bit hyper and fine boned. A mix like Zivah is idealfor work and sport!. If I didn’t live on a cattle farm two hours from Perth WA I would apply with determination. Her ability to settle in new environs and work is typical Kelpie. Mine loved to run, swim and herd all and sundry, then play, no fear ever. With Regards, lin
I was in a class at Noel’s with Zivah. What a gorgeous dog. I had my ACD/JRT mix in the class. I am a lover of Cattle Dogs but was not in a position to apply for her when she was available. I just became the owner of a Cattle Dog from a rescue group who I intend to aim toward the agility ring. I love the breed and have had several. Best dogs ever!