Australian Cattle Dog

Pepper (Portland, OR)

Adult·Female·Medium

Community & partner vetted

So you can sleep tight

About Pepper (Portland, OR)

Pepper is a 2-year-old female cattle dog with a loving heart and a delightfully quirky personality. She was rescued from the streets of Texas while pregnant and brought to Oregon, where she safely raised her puppies, who have all since been adopted. After finally having a moment to breathe, it became clear that Pepper needed some extra time to decompress and learn that not every sound or sudden movement is something to fear… though the jury is still out on garbage trucks and strangers.

Ideal Home

Pepper has been slowly building confidence in her foster home, and to keep that progress going, we believe she will do best in a quiet household without children or other dogs. She’s looking for a cattle-dog-savvy human who understands canine body language and is committed to positive reinforcement training. Pepper would love to be the only dog in the home where she can soak up all the attention. With slow, thoughtful introductions, she could be a good companion for a calm, laid-back cat, though she may want to chase more active felines.

Ongoing Health

While Pepper was decompressing, her foster noticed that she wasn’t as active as you might expect from a young cattle dog. After X-rays and CT scans, Pepper was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in both of her ankle (tarsus) joints. The exact cause is unknown but is believed to be genetic or related to early nutrition. As a result, Pepper will require ongoing physical therapy and medical management to help reduce pain and inflammation.

Training & Support

Living with chronic pain likely kept Pepper in fight-or-flight mode for much of her life, so it’s no surprise the world sometimes felt overwhelming. But once she feels safe and learns to trust, Pepper blossoms into a sweet little nugget who lives for belly rubs and affection. She’s perfectly content being a couch buddy or a “passenger princess”—Pepper absolutely loves car rides.

Application Details:

Applications start by contacting us through Wags.
Adoption Application
Phone Convo
Meet & Greet
Home Visit
Application Approval
Adoption Fee & Contract ($390)

Transporation

Pepper is currently being fostered in Portland, OR.

Pepper is a 2-year-old female cattle dog with a loving heart and a delightfully quirky personality. She was rescued from the streets of Texas while pregnant and brought to Oregon, where she safely raised her puppies, who have all since been adopted. After finally having a moment to breathe, it became clear that Pepper needed some extra time to decompress and learn that not every sound or sudden movement is something to fear… though the jury is still out on garbage trucks and strangers.

Ideal Home

Pepper has been slowly building confidence in her foster home, and to keep that progress going, we believe she will do best in a quiet household without children or other dogs. She’s looking for a cattle-dog-savvy human who understands canine body language and is committed to positive reinforcement training. Pepper would love to be the only dog in the home where she can soak up all the attention. With slow, thoughtful introductions, she could be a good companion for a calm, laid-back cat, though she may want to chase more active felines.

Ongoing Health

While Pepper was decompressing, her foster noticed that she wasn’t as active as you might expect from a young cattle dog. After X-rays and CT scans, Pepper was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in both of her ankle (tarsus) joints. The exact cause is unknown but is believed to be genetic or related to early nutrition. As a result, Pepper will require ongoing physical therapy and medical management to help reduce pain and inflammation.

Training & Support

Living with chronic pain likely kept Pepper in fight-or-flight mode for much of her life, so it’s no surprise the world sometimes felt overwhelming. But once she feels safe and learns to trust, Pepper blossoms into a sweet little nugget who lives for belly rubs and affection. She’s perfectly content being a couch buddy or a “passenger princess”—Pepper absolutely loves car rides.