Journey (#0202) came to us as a wandering stray, and through the help of a good samaritan she found her way to Protege Rescue. Journey is a blue merle Sheltie, estimated to be about two years old. She is a dainty little thing at just 18 pounds....perfectly sized for snuggles! She is up to date on all vaccinations, spayed and has had a negative heartworm test. Journey is recovering well from Lyme Disease, and is not showing any signs that it will continue to affect her in the future. Journey has had blood work to make sure that other organs were not affected by it as well. All signs point to a full recovery!

Journey is adjusting well to being in foster care. We have no idea of what her previous history may have been, or what she possibly went through while she was wandering as a stray. Journey is shy and reserved when meeting new people, but bonded well with the good samaritan who rescued her, and has bonded well with her foster mom and dad too in the few short weeks that she has been in foster care. She loves to sit close and lean on us to cuddle on the couch while we work on the laptop or watch T.V. Journey has been pretty quiet since coming into rescue, but a few days ago when my own shelties were barking as we got ready to go on a car ride to work, she was joining in with them too! Journey has been through a lot, so she has been fairly reserved since coming into foster care, but every day we see a little more and more of her personality shine through; as you can see in her video she is bouncing around on the couch and "talking" to me and to my dogs, and that's after just two weeks in our home. Since Journey has been through a lot of changes in a short time and shows a tendency to be reserved in new settings and meeting new people, potential adopters will need to understand that it could take several weeks, possibly even several months for her to adjust to a new home/new people/new routine and for her sweet and playful personality to start to shine through. She is such a little gem, that a little bit of patience to let her adjust will pay off and I believe she will just blossom with love, attention, and a steady family of her own to love.

Journey loves other dogs, and her confidence with other dogs is better than her confidence around people at this point. Journey would love to find a home with other dogs who would like to play with her. We also have two cats in our home, and Journey really doesn't give them a second thought, so she would do fine in a home that has cats. Journey has met my young nieces and nephews, and while she accepts petting from them, they make her a little nervous, so we think Journey would do best in a home without young children. Older children would probably be fine. Journey seems to be housetrained, had two accidents her first week in foster care, but has done just fine going outside with our dogs since then. She has tolerated baths and grooming without any issues at all. Journey walks pretty well on a leash, but if nervous or startled she will stop walking and back up, so she wears a martingale style collar to prevent her from slipping away. Though she walks well on leash she seeems to be unfamiliar with the leash itself, but is getting more and more familiar with leash walking every day. Journey is quiet in her crate, but does now bark when she hears us come home and start letting everyone out of their kennels, she wants to make sure we know not to forget that she is waiting too! She does not yet go to her crate on command, but does not mind being in there, and does not make messes in her crate.

While in foster care we will be working hard to boost Journey's confidence through socialization. She will be attending doggie daycare where I work, and she will be going on many outings in the community and visiting many people in our quest to help her build her socialization skills. Journey is ready to start a new life with a family of her own to love. Here are a couple of videos of Journey: we're sorry they are so dark, but hope they will show you a little of her personality! We're trying to get better ones.

http://youtu.be/_MiFFBwLp7s
http://youtu.be/4YG7UgoSZV8

Journey is currently being fostered in Cedar Rapids. If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email Jayne at mcjayne@yahoo.com. While we welcome your questions about this dog, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200.

Jo
Protege Rescue
Iowa

Tebow (Protege #0200) is a 2 year old black-tri Australian Shepherd. He is a large boy at about 60 lbs, but he doesn't let that stop him from snuggling when invited! Tebow was reliquished to Protege Canine Rescue by his owners, who were moving and could not take a dog with them. Tebow's owners were very loving and gave Tebow a good life - which is what he is looking for in a new owner. Tebow is neutered and up to date on all shots.

Tebow is great both inside and outside the house as well as on car rides. He loves every dog he meets and is good with new people. Tebow is still learning not to jump up, but seems to learn fast and is only jumping now when he's VERY excited after his foster mom comes home from a long day at work. Tebow would prefer to go to a home where there is another dog for him to play with, or a large area for him to run. He is a big dog with a lot of energy to burn, but he does know how to calm down and relax inside the house.

At first Tebow would jump on his foster mom's furniture, but after only two reminders he has stayed off the couches and beds completely. He likes to sleep in the bedroom, on the floor beside the bed at night. Tebow sleeps through the night and doesn't ever fuss. He is completely housebroken and paces at the door when he needs to go out.

Tebow loves to play with toys, other dogs and people. He is great at fetch and sometimes likes to tug. His previous owners generally left him outside in a fenced area during the day when they were at work - but as his foster mom quickly discovered, Tebow can jump a 4 ft chain link fence with no problem. Tebow however does not attempt to jump fences when his foster mom is outside with him taking care of the yard, picking up poop, reading or playing with him. His foster mom has also purchased a 50' tie-out to put Tebow on for 20-30 minutes at a time so he can go outside without her and still play with his foster brothers and sisters in the yard without his foster mom worrying about him jumping ship! (A tie-out is NOT a long-term solution for Tebow.) Once he gets to know his foster mom better, she believes he probably wouldn't stray far if he did jump. She saw him with his previous owners and they didn't even keep him on a leash. Tebow stayed right with them and hung on their every word! He's clearly a dog who likes to please his owner and is very trainable.

Tebow has not been in a crate/kennel often, but has done well transitioning to staying in one for short periods of time (2-5 hours) with his foster mom. The first morning Tebow was alone in his crate he barked quite a bit - but his foster mom has worked with him and the next two mornings Tebow did a great job and was very quiet. Tebow would be a GREAT dog for almost any owner, but he would prefer to go to a home with an active family that would take him to the park, dog park, on bike rides or walks. Tebow knows "sit", "down" and "come". Tebow is currently being fostered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email Jayne at mcjayne@yahoo.com. While we welcome your questions about this dog, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200.

Jo
Iowa

Mia (#0196) is a 6-8 month old red-tri female Australian Shepherd. Her vaccinations are up to date, she has been spayed and is on heartworm & flea/tick preventative. She currently weighs in at 28 pounds and could possibly get up to 35 pounds when she is fully grown. She is completely housebroken and will pace back and forth from where you are to the door to let you know she needs to go outside. She kennels very well and is able to go without accidents for 8+ hours if necessary.

Mia has lots of energy and feeds off of good praise (and treats!). However, she is definitely a puppy still. If you are untidy, she is very “helpful” at picking things up. She has lots of toys to chew on and play with, but she will occasionally find your shoe or sock more interesting. For this reason, she is not yet reliable at being unattended for long periods of time.

She is very smart and picks things up pretty easily. She knows “sit”, “stay”, “lay down” and "hand". She would much rather be on the couch or bed next to you and will jump on you when greeting, but is learning that “off” is not a bad thing. She will occasionally do some alarm barking so we are working on “no bark”. We had a hard time taking walks at first because she liked to pull but has responded very well to the Halti.

We have yet to meet a dog or person that she hasn’t liked, but she can be shy at first when around multiple dogs. She does okay off-leash and with recalls, but she becomes easily distracted when her nose hits the ground. She is also very fast when it comes to play time and would probably do best with a fenced in yard. She currently lives with two cats and shows no interest in them unless they are playing and she wants in on the action.

Here is a video of Mia playing with her foster sister:

http://youtu.be/fA-aoijRvHc

Mia had distichia, or eyelashes that were in an abnormal location along the eyelids. She has had surgery to remove many of the eyelashes that were rubbing on her eyes and causing irritation. She has responded very well and has not let it slow her down; this should not be a problem long-term. Mia is currently being fostered in Cedar Rapids.

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email Jayne at mcjayne@yahoo.com. While we welcome your questions about this dog, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200.

Jo
Iowa

Sheila (#0195) is a 9 month old Aussie mix (we suspect Aussie x Sheltie). She currently weighs around 30 pounds. She is tan, white and has a little bit of black peppered in. Sheila is spayed, heartworm tested negative, up to date on vaccinations, and on flea/tick and heartworm preventatives. Her coat has a little bit of a wave to it, and is super soft to the touch!

Sheila is friendly and curious when she feels secure. She is more comfortable with women initially, but warms up to men as well. She likes to stay close to her people, and she follows us around the house as we go about our daily activites. While Sheila loves children, we feel Sheila would do best in a home without children under the age of 10.

Upon arrival into rescue, Sheila was very reactive to unfamiliar people. She was not aggressive in any way, but would alarm bark and try to bolt. Sheila has made huge strides in socialization since coming into rescue. Sheila has recently begun going on outings to Petco and Petsmart to give her an opportunity to show us how much progress she has made. During her outings, Sheila passed by others shopping without reacting, but was still nervous about other people approaching her directly. We are able to redirect her attention back to us at these times. She did not alarm bark as she did when she first came into rescue. We think this is great progress for Sheila, and we will continue to work on helping her progress even further. We are proud of her progress, and we know she is quite ready to find her own family to love, who will continue her training so that she progresses into a well-socialized dog!

Sheila gets along well with other dogs. When she first came into rescue, Sheila very much wanted to play with other dogs, but was uncertain of how to go about it. Sheila has been going with her foster mom several days a week to the doggy daycare facility where she works, where Sheila is able to interact with up to 14 other dogs of similar size in her play area. Sheila has become much more savvy about how to play with other dogs, and really enjoys having other dogs around to play with. She would love to be adopted by a family who has another dog for her to play with. There are two cats in Sheila's foster home; Sheila likes playing with them, and they often initiate play with her, but for some cats she will be too much, so we recommend that she go to a home without cats, or a home with a dog savvy cat who enjoys being around dogs.

Sheila is crate trained, and goes right into the crate when she is asked to kennel up. When she first arrived in our home, Sheila was quiet overnight in her crate, but fussed if she was in there while we were getting ready to go out, or if we put her in there while we were still in the house (for example, while we were eating dinner). Now Sheila knows the routine of our house, and feels secure there, so this behavior has stopped, and she is now quiet when crated.

Sheila came to us with her lovey, which is a pink puppy named Pink Floyd. She LOVES Pink Floyd. She sleeps in her crate with her head on him at night. If he gets left in the crate, she will sometimes scratch at the bedroom door, and when you open the door, she will run in to get him and bring him out into the living room. She never chews him up, but frequently carries him around with her. It's absolutely adorable! She also enjoys chewing on Nylabones and Natural bones. She does not guard her toys from other dogs. Sheila also enjoys splashing around in the kiddie pool and going on car rides. She rides well loose or crated in the car.

Sheila completed a 7-week beginning obedience class prior to coming into rescue. She knows basic commands, is eager to please, and VERY intelligent.She learns new behaviors quickly with positive training methods.

Overall Sheila is a sweet and easy dog to live with in a home setting. She has been a great house guest, doesn't have accidents, gets along well with our dogs and cats, shares her toys well, is very loving, and has a great balance of knowing when it's play time and when it's quiet time. Sheila will do best with a patient adopter who can provide reassurance, consistency, positive guidance, and a firm, structured routine, along with lots of love. These things lead her to a feeling of trust with you, and we have noted that Sheila's reactiveness/fearfulness is significantly decreased as she builds trust with the person she is with, and (in her mind) trusts them to keep her "safe." When she feels like you have a handle on things, she doesn't find it necessary to react to the things around her. Her adoptive home needs to be prepared to continue working on desensitization and counter-conditioning for her fears so that she can continue the progress she is making. She is a charming, delightful and affectionate companion who will bond closely with her special people. She has wonderful potential and will thrive in the right setting.

Here is a cute video of Sheila showing how smart she is: http://youtu.be/a_TbZQgbS1U.

Sheila is being fostered in Cedar Rapids. If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email Jayne at mcjayne@yahoo.com. While we welcome your questions about this dog, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200.

Jo
Iowa

Missy is a three year old smooth coated Border Collie mix who stands around 20" tall and weighs ~50 lbs. Her traits and drive are those of a Border Collie. She is toy and food motivated, responds well to training and has a desire to work. If you are looking for a sports dog she would be a perfect partner. She is dominant with other females and would fit best in a home that has a submissive male. A home without cats is recommended. Missy is spayed and up to date on shots.

For additional photos and some videos of Missy in action, please visit http://www.bethann.us/missy.

Missy is at risk; she has been granted a few more weeks to see if some private listings at various sites might help to find her a home, but this is not a no-kill shelter and Missy will be a candidate for euthanizing. She is a good dog who deserves a chance. For more information on Missy please contact the Vinton/Benton Animal Shelter at dfriendsoftheshelter@yahoo.com or 319-472-4623.

Jo
Iowa

Introducing Rome (Protege #0194). The shelter named him Rome, but we think Romeo may be more appropriate, because he is such an affectionate, loving dog! Rome was a stray taken in by a local shelter, who contacted us about getting Rome into Aussie rescue. Because Rome was a stray, we have no information on his past life, only our observations since he's come into rescue. Rome is a handsome red merle male Aussie, approximately 4 years old. He is neutered, up to date on vaccinations, heartworm and lyme tested negative, and on heartworm/flea preventatives.

Rome is currently being fostered at Camp Bow Wow in Hiawatha, Iowa, where he interacts with the staff and up to 14 other dogs on a daily basis. Rome likes to play with the other dogs in his play area a little bit, but he would much prefer to spend his time getting hugs and being petted by anyone he meets. Rome is very outgoing, and thrives on attention. Wherever you go, Rome would like to go too...except for maybe in the car. Rome does not seem to have had many reasons to ride in a car before coming into rescue, and is very nervous about it. After several outings, he now jumps up into the van on his own, but once in motion he is very anxious and drools heavily. He would much prefer to go on walks than on car rides at this point! He does seem to be improving, and could potentially learn to tolerate car rides with positive reinforcement and desensitization. Rome keeps his cabin at camp clean, and has had no potty accidents indoors.

Rome is an easy going, loving dog who is ready for a family of his own.

Here is a video of Rome:

http://youtu.be/aoIFPImcx6g

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email Jayne at mcjayne@yahoo.com. While we welcome your questions about this dog, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200.

Jo
Iowa

Holly (#0193) is an adorable red-tri puppy with beautiful hazel eyes. She weighs all of 13 pounds, is about 4 months old, and is doing so well after a sad start in life. Little Holly was saved by a rescue group after they saw her exhibited at an exotic animal show in Iowa. This group then turned Holly over to Protege and we are very glad to have her in our care. Her skin was dry and flaky and her fur was course. She was full of worms and dehydrated. After being examined by our vet, it was determined that the condition of Holly's coat was from lack of nutrition and her poor paws were splayed from spending too much time in a wire cage. Despite her rough start, Holly is a sweet, mild-mannered, funny girl who wants nothing more than to romp with her doggie companions and snuggle up next to humans for some quiet attention.

Holly's feet are coming along nicely; in fact, they are very endearing....a little big for her petite body but maybe she'll grow into them - and she is gaining muscle mass and much needed weight. She loves running around the yard, chases balls and toys, gets along great with dogs of all sizes and genders and LOVES kids. While she remains a bit cautious about new people, she warms up very quickly and prefers being touched on the bottom of her chin instead of being patted on top of her head. She is submissive and shares food, toys and love in a very busy household. She eats like a champ and has not had any accidents in our home. Depite her time in a wire cage, she welcomes a comfy crate and is not uncomfortable being in one for bedtime and while the humans are away. Holly can maintain a clean crate for up to 6 hours during the day and all night long. She doesn't whimper unless she needs out to go potty.

Holly is one of the nicest, easiest fosters I've ever had in my home. She curls up in a little ball on the couch at night to get her loving from our 10 year old son and she gives kisses willingly. Holly's sweet personality will win you over. Her forever home would likely include another canine companion to continue to improve her confidence and show her the ropes at her new home. She is gentle and kind to kids. She would do best with older kids who will respect her sweet demeanor and small size. She is ready to be spayed in a few weeks and will receive her rabies shot then as well. Holly is fostered in Marion, Iowa.

There are additional photos, including several "before" and "after" shots, and three cute videos of Holly at the Protege website for your viewing pleasure: http://protegerescue.org.

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email Jayne at mcjayne@yahoo.com. While we welcome your questions about this dog, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200.

Jo
Iowa

Rally (#0191) is a beautiful blue merle Mini-Aussie, with one blue and one brown eye. He is about 7 months old, is neutered, and is up to date on all shots. He is a bit chubby at 16 pounds and needs to lose a few pounds to get to his ideal weight.

Rally is a little shy when meeting someone new, but give him a treat and you've got a friend for life. He gets along great with other dogs and is fine with cats. He is a little timid around children.

Rally is housebroken and we are working on basic training. He knows how to sit, lie down, spin and shake! He does wonderfully on car rides, mostly just lays down in the seat next to you. He is just a very easy-going dog. He loves to go on walks and will follow you anywhere. Well, except to the bathroom: since he got a bath, he is a little timid of it. But is starting to venture in.

Rally is a very sweet and loving dog. He loves attention and cuddling. Here is a little video of Rally showing off his sociable cuteness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuctH1NbBeo.

His favorite toys are balls and nylon bones. Rally would be a great addition to your home. He is being fostered in Coralville.

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email Jayne at mcjayne@yahoo.com. While we welcome your questions about this dog, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200.

Jo
Iowa

Roscoe (#0189) is a red tri Australian Shepherd who is almost a year old. He is up to date on all of his shots and is neutered. Roscoe was surrendered to a Shelter by his family because he was too active. He is a very lovable dog with a bright and funny personality. Roscoe loves playing with toys, people and other dogs. He is great at fetching balls or toys and loves playing tug. His foster mom is working on a release word for Roscoe so he knows when to let go of the tug. He is also learning to watch out for hands while he is tugging, because sometimes in his excited state Roscoe forgets where the tug ends and the hands start! Roscoe knows sit, down and come. He is also crate trained and housebroken. When Roscoe needs to go outside he will go to the door and whine.

Roscoe is an energetic dog, but not overly active for his age or breed. He would do best in a home where he could go on daily walks, visit the dog park, play with other dogs or fetch balls in a backyard. Roscoe would be an excellent flyball, agility or frisbee dog. He has a high endurance level, learns very quickly, is toy and food motivated, and wants to please the humans in his life. After a walk or a run outside, Roscoe is perfectly content to come inside and nap on a dog bed while his foster mom works around the house. Roscoe is such a likable dog he's even convinced his foster sister, who is stubborn about who she plays with or even associates with, to be his good friend. He is smart with other dogs and knows when to be submissive.

Roscoe LOVES all people, attention and snuggling. He would be in seventh heaven if he could be someone's lap dog; however, at Roscoe's foster home he is not allowed on the furniture and he usually respects this rule. When Roscoe first came to his foster home he jumped on all the furniture, but learned via a squirt bottle (which is VERY affective with him for training some things) that getting on couches and beds was naughty. Sometimes when Roscoe is really excited playing with his fosters siblings he jumps on the couch, but he always listens right away when he's told "get down." When Roscoe meets new people he often jumps or puts his front paws on them because he is so happy to see them. His foster mom is working on teaching him to sit to be petted.

Roscoe has not chewed on anything inappropriate in his foster home because there are plenty of toys available for him to choose from. Because he loves training time, attention and pleasing people, it is clear that Roscoe can become the perfect dog for an active family.

Here are a couple of short videos of Roscoe in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-vY9BhDbTY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHjUxTWrWDM

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email Jayne at mcjayne@yahoo.com. While we welcome your questions about this dog, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200.

Jo
Iowa

Hello! My name is Stanley. I am an Aussie mix and I will be 3 years old on May 4th. My human parents adopted me when I was just a puppy, but now I have a human brother too and it has been hard for them to give everyone the attention they need.

Let me tell you about myself. I am about 50 pounds, my coat is red merle, and one of my eyes is blue. I am a medium energy dog, and I am starting to calm down a little bit as my puppy years are ending. I get along great with my human brother who is 18 months. I also have a dog brother that I get along with really well (a boxer). My favorite game is Frisbee, but any kind of fetch will do. I also love walks and runs, there is even a park here that I sometimes get to go hiking through off-leash. I never want to get too far away from my parents and I always come back whenever they call. I can get a little bit of cabin fever if I go too long without playing, so it is important that we have time to do that. When it is time to relax, I am always happy lying close by my parents.

I would love to come be a part of your family and I think I would make quite a nice addition as long as we have time to play together. I am living in Cedar Falls.

Contact Brian at 319-239-5534 or by email at brianbottke@gmail.com if you might like to know more about Stanley.

Jo
Iowa