Honey
Honey is estimated to be about 2.5 years old. If you would like to sponsor her age test, she'd love your support. Please contact us for more information!
Honey is expected to be an Australian Cattle Dog (Red Heeler) and her DNA results are pending.
Meet Honey — Honey’s journey to becoming a Misfit was anything but conventional.
She originally entered the rescue system as a young puppy and was placed into a foster home that was not experienced or equipped to meet her needs. For more than a year, Honey lived almost entirely outdoors on a half-acre property, where she was provided food and water but received very little human interaction. She endured the extreme Las Vegas summer heat and winter cold while missing one of the most important things a young dog needs—the opportunity to safely experience people, new environments, and life beyond her yard.
Eventually, the rescue responsible for Honey closed, leaving her foster family without support and Honey without a rescue to oversee her care. After attempts were made to find somewhere for her to go, another local rescue agreed to take responsibility for her. The problem was that by this point, Honey wasn’t a dog who could simply be placed into an average foster home.
More than a year of isolation had taken its toll.
Honey was incredibly withdrawn and terrified of people. She wouldn’t allow anyone near her, and even relocating her for veterinary care required a team effort. Through a wonderful volunteer who recognized that Honey needed experienced help, All Out K9 was contacted to assist with her rehabilitation.
We knew from the beginning that this wouldn’t be a typical training case. There was no timeline for Honey. Our job wasn’t to teach her obedience—it was to help her learn that people could be safe.
So we started small.
Taking a treat from a hand was a milestone. Choosing to climb onto the couch was a milestone. Allowing a leash to be attached was a milestone. Eventually, Honey began going for walks, seeking affection, cuddling beside us on the couch, and showing us the incredibly sweet little dog who had been hiding underneath all that fear.
A rescue’s commitment doesn’t stop at spay and vaccinations but apparently, everyone didn’t get the memo. In the 10 months this little lady was with us, her rescue never supplied us with food, checked on her well-being, responded about her progress or made a payment towards her training.
So when we requested to transfer her care to Misfit Ranch because of their lack of involvement, the request went unanswered. So… we did what we knew was right. We completed the process ourselves and officially welcomed her into the Misfit Ranch family.
Ten months after Honey first came through our doors as an All Out K9 training client, she officially became a Misfit.
We’ve always believed that somehow, the dogs who are meant to find us do. Honey just took a slightly different road to get here.
She had already been left behind more than once. We were determined to make sure it never happened again.
Honey is up to date on vaccinations, chipped and spayed. She is in great health with her only intake issue being some food allergies. We completed a full nutritional panel and have her on a wonderful food that can be purchased at many local stores and on Chewy or Amazon. Misfit Ranch provides support for the life of all of our Misfits and so continued nutritional support will be provided, if needed.
Honey is house trained and crate trained.
Honey has come an incredible distance from the frightened, withdrawn little dog who first came into our care.
She is still naturally independent and observant, and we don’t expect those qualities to disappear—they’re part of who Honey is. While you might expect a cattle dog to be constantly looking for something to do, Honey is perfectly content finding a comfortable spot and quietly watching the world around her. She likes to take everything in before deciding whether she wants to participate.
New people and unfamiliar environments are still difficult for her. Honey’s first instinct is often to keep her distance and observe, and she needs time to decide that a person or situation is safe. We never force those interactions. Instead, we give her the space to make those decisions for herself, and that patience has allowed her confidence to grow tremendously.
Once Honey trusts you, you get to meet an entirely different little dog.
She is incredibly sweet and affectionate with the people she knows. She seeks out attention, enjoys cuddling on the couch, happily joins us for walks and adventures, and loves simply being near her people. The dog who once wouldn’t allow anyone close enough to touch her now chooses connection on her own.
Despite spending so much of her early life outdoors, Honey has adapted beautifully to life inside and would be comfortable in either a house or an apartment. She doesn’t need a huge yard or a constantly active lifestyle to be happy—what matters most is having a predictable environment, her needs met, and people she feels safe with. Honey should, however, be the only dog in her home, where she can enjoy her space and build a relationship with her family without the added pressure of sharing her environment with another dog.
Honey will always need people who understand that her trust is something you earn rather than something you’re automatically given. But getting to know the sweet, quirky girl on the other side of that initial hesitation is absolutely worth the wait.
And if you happen to have a tortilla? You may be able to speed up the friendship process just a little. 🌮❤️
Thank you for taking the time to visit Misfit Ranch online and for reading about our girl Honey.