Raisin Border Collie & Labrador Retriever Mix Victoria, BC

Raisin is 3 year old, Female, Labrador/Heeler (?) mix, 38 lbs
She is being fostered in Chilliwack

Behavior: Raisin is so good!!! She was in the shelter for 3 months when her foster picked her up and brought her home to determine if she would do well in a home environment. They didn’t know what to expect and are delighted and what a good dog she is. “She welcomes visitors and does not seem afraid of them. She has not been destructive towards furniture or shoes/clothes. Her favorite toy is a rope she brings to you for a game of tug of war or throwing the rope. She is learning about fetch though we are working on giving it back (this will be done with treats as a reward). She will place herself in a crate when scared but once things settle, she is right there enjoying the party. She is not an in your lap dog but content to lay close to your feet or on her bed. She does request pets on the head, will allow her tummy to be rubbed and my husband put her in his lap and loved on her. When she had enough just wiggled out and laid on the floor. Walking is done with a prong collar and that’s just for awhile, she was never really walked so tends to get excited and pull. The trainer said this is a better way to teach her that she needs to listen to humans. She prefers that you let her know if you are going to pet her from behind, not sure what happened to her, but she is fine with us. Never have an issue. “

Energy Level: Medium/Med-high, likes to play with the other dogs but when everyone is napping so is Raisin. She is not anxious, not moving around a lot. She loves being outside in the yard playing with her toys, going for a quick game of chase in the yard. She does not need the other dogs but it’s always nice to have a buddy.

Good with other dogs: We have 3 dogs ranging from 19 years to 8 months. She plays great with both the 3 year old male and our 8 month old female. She is not aggressive and understands her place in the pecking order. She has come a long way in her play. At first, she did not understand what dog play was. The puppy would bounce around and she was so confused! Then she got the hang of it and enjoyed the running and tug of war. Since she was raised in the shelter, she is unsure of new dogs and needs slow introductions. Once introduced she is fine. She can be possessive of toys and food around other dogs. She understands the pecking order. She is always crated when fed. This is for her safety; life has not been the easiest for her. She does not get aggressive, she gets scared. All my dogs are crated for meals.

Good with cat’s: Yes, my cat just stays out of her way but no fights or bad behavior.

Good with kids: Yes, but they need to be older due to her fear of being jumped from behind.

Housetrained: Yes!!! It’s been so nice! Nothing chewed, no accidents, she sleeps on a blanket in my rocking chair. She is a rock star in this area!

Training: She loves Bacon Strips! She will sit on command, crate up with just the words, working on stay at the fence (she has not dashed out the gate), She loves to go on car rides and will beat the group down to the car in the morning. She jumps occasionally on visitors, we are working on “off”, I like my space, so this is a biggie for me. We do walk her with a prong collar but will not need but a short period. It will be part of her transport package. Because of her mix she will make an outstanding off leash dog, will take time and training. She will bark at the fence but it’s because Jeffrey barks. She comes when called and receives a treat. Did I say she loves Bacon Strips (the dog treat, not the people food) haha

Crate trained: Yes, no barking or tearing things up in the crate.

Good in the car: Yes, she loves to ride!

Behaviors that need work: Raisin loves attention but isn't fond of being pinned down or confined. She likes to be petted and cuddled but she prefers to come to you first. Once she has, she is perfectly happy to receive cuddles and kisses. She is most nervous about her hind end being touched, so we are working on touching her hindquarters all the time, so she understands there is nothing to fear from us. We work on petting her tummy and hovering over her. It allows her to understand that confinement is not bad. It’s a trust process. If you tell her you are there before you touch her, she is fine. Other than this fear of being touched without knowing you are there, she is a perfect dog.

Ideal home: Would do best in an adult only or older children family. We have 3 dogs in our home and she gets along great with them once the pecking order was established. We brought her into the house, introduced all of them and they are best friends. She does not need a lot of mental simulation if her people just give her some attention. If left in the crate while working she will need to release some energy, ball throwing, walking, she will make an awesome dog to run with. Did I say she loves and is awesome on walks! She is chill much of the time, just happy to be content and loved.

Rescue story: Raisin was picked up stray in November 2021. She had been microchipped, spayed, and taken care of, an older puppy, but her owners did not want her back. So she remained in the pound for 16 months and was on the euthanize list when Kathy, who fosters often for the pound, was contacted and quickly picked her up. Kathy did not know what to expect. In the shelter, life is noisy, confused, with very little social interaction. It is a safety net but not a place to grow confidence and see the real dog. She was evaluated by a trainer and given a gold star for being a good dog. She gave Kathy’s puppy a warning snap (Maggie tried to jump on her back) and that was it. Now Maggie and her are all over each other!
“We have not seen any aggression, no fear fighting, nothing but a dog that just wants a home. Please help make this a possibility for Raisin. You will be so happy with this funny girl. Oh, and she has some way cool styling going on with her coat!“

More photos and videos are in the comments on her facebook profile https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=690928032836302&set=a.147052423353104

All our dogs are vaccinated, spayed/neutered, heartworm tested, microchipped, and dewormed. Raisin is heartworm negative.

To apply: 1) complete the Adoption Application and
2) email photos of your yard showing entire fence line, where the dog would sleep, and where it would spend most of its time to helpingpaws.okanagan@gmail.com
https://forms.gle/aWvNnqJH2T4a4ECq7
** Applications without photos emailed will not be processed. If the name in your email differs from on the application, tell us