Ishta!
(Female,
2 yrs, medium)
Note:
Ishta is doing very well in a "foster to adopt" home. She's not really available
to be adopted !!!
Beautiful medium sized (50 pounds) Ishta came into care with Big Heart Rescue about 2 weeks ago and she is now ready to find her new family.
This girl is smart! She has already learned to sit for her dinner, to come when called (well, for the most part) and is walking gently on leash.
She appears to be a mix of Shepherd, with a beautiful coat and soft brown eyes that have melted hearts when she meets new people.
Her foster Mom notes that Ishta has some sensitivity around her rear end, so we are suggesting that she is not a good match for young children who may accidentally bump into her.
A family with someone home most of the day and who have a secure fenced yard is mandatory for this girl.
Currently Ishta is
living with other dogs and cats and while she has shown an interest in cats she
is learning that cats can be friends too!
This girl is spayed, approximately 2 years of age, up to date with shots, microchipped and will be working with a trainer soon to help her learn all the basics of a gal who now lives in the city.
A note from Ishta's foster Mom:
If the definition of Ishta was Princess it would be well suited. Her breed is anyone's guess, a true Heinz 57 with a Husky tail, colouring and coat texture of a Yellow Lab, and the long legs and enviously slim body of a greyhound.
This darling girl came into my life on May 11th when I collected her from the Victoria Airport on her arrival from Bella Bella. Naturally she was bewildered, looking about, and cautious about getting into the car with my three dogs. A bit of gentle coaxing and with a heave ho she was in and off we went to the vet. She allowed herself to be weighed, examined, shots given without incident, admired and touched but again not keen to get into the car. A nice long walk in the park, she was surprisingly good on leash in the park and then we headed home to another challenge. Six cats!
Ishta
is a gentle girl, a quick learner and is eager to please. She no longer need to
be coaxed into the car, doesn't bother the cats unless they decide to run across
the lawn, but will respond immediately when I tell her to "leave the cat", or
"no chase". She isn't a barker but will bark when the neighbours dog runs along
the fence. She stops on command. There are no more accidents in the house, she
is less sensitive about being led by the collar which was a no no in the early
days.
She learned in a couple of days that she has to sit before being fed and is usually the first to sit or lie down in the kitchen at mealtime. In addition has also responded to hand signal, and "the look" which my dogs also means no treats until you sit. She has learned to chase the ball in the garden, but a little possessive of it. She LOVES squeaky toys, and is like a puppy with her squeaky ball.
One thing she hasn't learned and still presents a challenge is that the cat's food is for cats ONLY. She is a kitchen counter surfer and she can jump up ON the counter and heaven forbid if even a crumb is available for the taking.
She isn't as sensitive as she was with dogs smelling her rear end but she does occasionally have some issues with other dogs especially if they come charging over and into her face whilst on leash. We have, however walked with groups of other dogs without incident. Ongoing training is essential and the end result will be worth it believe me.
After keeping her on leash for two weeks I have allowed her off in one of the safe parks I frequent and off she goes to chase the rabbits. Although her recall is excellent at home she doesn't come immediately when I call her in the park but once she has had a good run for ten or fifteen minutes she comes back with tongue hanging out ready for a nice big drink, and quite content to be on the leash.
All who meet her comment on her beauty and her friendliness, and I could ramble on about her attributes but one needs to realize she isn't perfect. Yet! She is very laid back at home lounging casually on the lawn or her bed or a nice comfy sofa but she also loves to run and can clear a four foot fence effortlessly. She shows an interest in chasing bikes and motorbikes, and any furry creature that moves. I live in a semi rural area and I believe she would be best suited to such an area, with at least another dog to keep her company.
Of the fifty dogs I have fostered over the years Ishta is one who has captured my heart and whoever is fortunate enough to be chosen as her new family will be blessed with a real treasure.
ISHTA: Assessment by Suzanne Webb CPDT of Canine Chaos.
If you’re looking for an all around fabulous
dog….Ishta is your girl!!! What a fabulous dog!
Ishta is a young mixed breed dog predominately husky/greyhound perhaps with a bit of lab & shepherd.
She is one of the nicest dogs I’ve had the pleasure to work with recently and will make a fabulous companion for some lucky person or family!!
I met Ishta on two occasions; once at her foster mom’s home and once for a walk in downtown Sidney.
At her foster mom’s house Istha interacted appropriately with the resident dogs and cats. She will chase cats if they run but is quickly learning a good ‘leave it’ command. Dog savy cats would have no problem sharing a home with Ishta. When we went for a walk around the neighbourhood Ishta walked very nicely on leash and was fine with passing cars and motorcycles. We met an off leash dog and Ishta greeted him appropriately.
On our second meeting we went for a walk in downtown Sidney. This was her first experience ever in an urban environment.
This is one rock solid dog. Nothing fazed her. Buses, skateboards, wheel chairs, strollers and all manners of people and dogs were taken in stride with no more that a passing interest. She politely laid down [with no prompting from me] for anyone who wanted to meet her and patiently accepted any attention she was granted. We passed by dogs, some straining on leash within less than three feet with no trouble and her greeting with a very large off leash dog was fine and her interactions with a rather rude little dog were appropriate [she gave him a little growl when he goosed her….this after she had already given him a warning glance]. A quiet ‘let’s go’ from me was the only prompting she needed to continue on our walk. She walks very nicely on a loose leash and simply needs a quiet ‘let’s go’ command if she gets busy sniffing. She is an absolute pleasure to walk; anytime we stopped to chat she patiently laid down and waited for us [again with no prompting from me].
All in all Ishta is a delightful, gentle,
sensitive girl with a very biddable nature which makes for an easy to train dog.
She handled all manner of body handling from me perfectly well, politely asking me not to touch a sore toe by gently licking my hand.
Ishta does enjoy the company of other dogs so her ideal home should include at least one canine companion.
Dog savy cats would be fine – she does like to chase things that run but is quickly learning a very good ‘leave it’ command.
No birds or small furry critters (i.e. bunnies, hamsters etc.) please.
She would like a family that would include her in much of their life – she is perfectly well adjusted to walks in busy urban areas as well as hiking in more rural settings.
Her new family should be prepared to put in the time and effort to train a reliable recall to Ishta so that she can enjoy the freedom of being off leash.
Ishta’s experience with children is unknown. Given her biddable and patient manner she likely could live quite happily with respectful children.
She would be suitable for agility, obedience, rally-o or tracking.
Canine Chaos is happy to donate a private training session to help with the transition to the lucky person or family who offer Ishta her forever home.
Cheers,
Suzanne Webb & Malene Abel
CANINE CHAOS
(250) 896-7297 or 419-1334
info@canine-chaos.com
Update: 6 Aug
Ishta is now in a foster-to-adopt home and is doing really well there !
If you would like an adoption application for Ishta please send Gail an e-mail at spiritsmission@shaw.ca
Please note:
Big Heart Rescue adopts within a two hour drive of the lower mainland and to
Vancouver/Gulf islands only
