Tiki is currently fostered in Bradenton and is available for adoption.     

Tiki has all the intelligence and drive of a cattle dog and the sweetness and looks of a coonhound packed into a petite 32 lb frame. As those who have seen her at lure coursing have remarked, she's one fast heeler hound! Her barn hunt instructor said if she were looking to adopt a performance dog, she would look no further than Tiki. Tiki's foster parents DNA tested her; she is 50% Australian cattle dog, 25% Treeing Walker coonhound, and 25% other unresolved hound.

Tiki is about 1.5-2 years old and is a Sebring Animal Control survivor. She is a sweet, friendly and curious girl. Tiki cannot go to an ordinary home - she needs someone dog-savvy who understands high-energy and high-drive dogs with busy minds. Tiki is fearless and wants to work. She is also a sweetheart who loves to give kisses, cuddle and take naps by her person's side. She is not a hyper dog and is fairly quiet when working, but she is extremely focused and has great endurance. This needs to be harnessed in performance training and/or plenty of physical activity and mental stimulation, otherwise she will be unhappy.

Tiki is currently in an introductory flyball class. She just tried barn hunt this past weekend and was the star of the class. We are likely entering her in a barn hunt trial for early June, but we are so hoping she has found her forever home by then! So far barn hunt, lure coursing and dock diving have come most naturally to her, but we truly think Tiki would pick up just about any dog sport she is trained for - she has great toy and prey drive, is food-motivated and loves the water. She will catch a frisbee in midair, play ball nonstop and went off the dock her first try at dock diving! She has a good grasp of basic obedience and is a fast learner. She listens well and has great focus on her handler. Outside of sports classes, Tiki enjoys going on walks, runs and hikes, and would make a good biking buddy as well. She does well out on the town and enjoys meeting new people at restaurants, on the Riverwalk and at the park.

Tiki gets along great with the other dogs in her foster home and loves to play with them. She makes friends with every dog that comes through her foster home, playing with the energetic ones, respecting the older or grumpy ones, and is a patient teacher with puppies.

We ask that Tiki's home not have any permanent human residents under the age of around 8-10 years. She LOVES everyone and is very friendly to young kids, but we fear that at home when she can let loose, her energy and activity level would be too overwhelming for little ones. This stipulation is not in any way rooted in aggression (she has shown absolutely none toward humans or dogs). There is not a mean bone in her body and supervised visits from kids would be fine.

Tiki absolutely needs a home with a secure fenced yard, ideally with a privacy fence as she has no problem scaling a 4' fence if she sees a critter she wants to get. We do not recommend she be homed with free-range chickens or other small animals.

Tiki is fully housebroken and crate trained, heartworm negative, spayed, up-to-date on vaccines and prevention, and microchipped. She does well in the car. She has been in a foster home for 7 months and has adjusted wonderfully to her new and improved life. She is ready to join her forever home!