Introducing Hatter (Protege #0226), a 1-1/2 year old male sable and white Sheltie. He is neutered, up to date on vaccinations, has been heartworm tested, and is currently on flea/heartworm preventatives. Hatter is big for a Sheltie, tall but not overweight. He currently weighs about 27 pounds. Until coming into rescue Hatter lived his entire life outdoors in a livestock pen provided only with basic care and socialization. He is a sweet and gentle soul who has had limited experiences in life till coming into rescue. He responds well to people who take things slowly and allow him to approach new experiences at his own pace.

Since coming into rescue our focus with Hatter has been helping him learn to live in a home environment and building trust. Prior to rescue he did not even have a name, had never been inside a house, and had never walked on a leash before. In his first few days in rescue he was terrified when a leash was put on him, and he needed to be carried up and down the stairs of his foster home, and out to the back yard to go potty. Now he is still nervous about walking on leash, but more often than not he follows along while on leash. He prefers to walk behind us, and gets a bit jumpy if we are walking behind him. He will require a martingale style collar when he goes out of a secure area as he tends to try to back out of his collar to flee when faced with something unfamiliar to him (stairs, doorways, etc). Hatter will now urinate when he is outside on leash, but still is not comfortable doing his other business on leash, so typically we take him out on leash to give him the opportunity to do so, and then take him out to the fenced area to potty. Hatter will require a home with a securely fenced area due to his flight risk, and because he has not yet adjusted to taking care of all of his business while out on leash. Hatter is still a bit suspicious of stairs and doorways, but will approach them on his own terms, or if encouraged quietly. We also will open the kennel door and let him out and then leave him and go upstairs without him, this often prompts him to negotiate the stairs in order to be with us and the other dogs. A swinging door in an entryway makes him nervous, but if you hold the door open wide he will go through. Hatter rides well in the car crated or loose, and seems to be starting to enjoy going on car rides. He does currently need to be lifted up into the car, does not yet jump in on his own, but he has come close several times!

Hatter is working on his housetraining. He is being crated at his foster home, and he does not make messes in the crate, waits to potty until he is outside. Once adopted, he will require constant supervision and should not be allowed free roam of his new home until he has adjusted to life in the house. We believe he will adjust to this quickly as long as his adopter is vigilant in making sure he does not have the opportunity to make mistakes in the house.

It us unknown at this time if Hatter is okay with children as his foster home does not have any children. He is a pretty active dog, but also enjoyes cuddle time on the couch with his foster mom and dad. Hatter loves to play, and is just too stinking cute when he is play bowing and bouncing around trying to get people or other dogs to play with him.

Hatter shows limited interest in the cats at his foster home. He gets along well with other dogs, and often looks to them for security. He would do well in a home with a confident canine companion to show him the ropes, or in a home with an understanding, gentle adopter with the patience to help him adjust to his new life and expose him to new experiences in a manner that is comfortable for him. He is suspicious if approached directly or quickly by a new person, but if you crouch or sit down he is very happy to come meet you! He is very affectionate and enjoys attention, but remains cautious. Once he learns how to trust he will be a very sweet, loving companion for a lucky someone.

While he remains in foster care Hatter will be splitting his time between his foster home where he will continue to learn house manners and become familiar with life in a home, and Camp Bow Wow where he will have lots of opportunities to socialize with people and other dogs.

Here are a few videos of Alice, Hatter and Bayard:

http://youtu.be/XMwbFDQ9v58
http://youtu.be/AeVi2eoXzs4
http://youtu.be/45bQ4Q9t-78

Hatter is being fostered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email info@protegerescue.org. While we welcome your questions, 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

Introducing Bayard (#0225), a 1-1/2 year old male sable and white Sheltie. He is neutered, up to date on vaccinations, has been heartworm tested, and is currently on flea/heartworm preventatives. Bayard is big for a Sheltie, tall but not overweight. He currently weighs about 26 pounds. Until coming into rescue Bayard lived his entire life outdoors in a livestock pen, provided only with basic care and socialization. He is a sweet and gentle soul who has had limited experiences in life till coming into foster care. He responds well to people who take things slowly and allow him to approach new experiences at his own pace.

Since coming into rescue our focus with Bayard has been helping him learn to live in a home environment and building trust. Prior to rescue he did not even have a name, and had never walked on a leash before. In his first few days in rescue he was terrified when a leash was put on him, and he needed to be carried up and down the stairs of his foster home, and out to the back yard to go potty. Now he is still nervous about walking on leash, but more often than not he follows along while on leash. He prefers to walk behind us, and gets a bit jumpy if we are walking behind him. He will require a martingale style collar when he goes out of a secure area as he tends to try to back out of his collar to flee when faced with something unfamiliar to him (stairs, doorways, vehicles, etc.). He has not yet learned how to potty while he is out on leash, so typically we take him out on leash to give him the opportunity to do so, and then take him out to the fenced area to potty. Bayard will require a home with a securely fenced area due to his flight risk, and because he has not yet adjusted to pottying while out on leash. Bayard rides quietly and calmly in the car crated or loose. He does currently need to be lifted up into the car, does not yet jump in on his own.

Bayard is working on his housetraining. He is being crated at his foster home, and he does not make messes in the crate, waits to potty until he is outside. Once adopted, he will require constant supervision and should not be allowed free roam of his new home until he has adjusted to life in the house. We believe he will adjust to this quickly as long as his adopter is vigilant in making sure he does not have the opportunity to make mistakes in the house.

It is unknown at this time if Bayard is okay with children, as his foster home does not have any children. He is pretty low key on activity level in the house, though this could change as he becomes more comfortable in a home setting. Outside in the yard with Alice and Hatter, he is very playful and enjoys prancing around and romping. He is pretty quiet for a Sheltie; this is also something that could change in time as he becomes more comfortable.

Bayard shows limited interest in the cats at his foster home. He gets along well with other dogs, and often looks to them for security. He would do well in a home with a confident canine companion to show him the ropes, or in a home with an understanding, gentle adopter with the patience to allow him to come out of his shell on his own. Bayard will shy away from a new person initially, but if that person crouches or sits down, Bayard quietly approaches to investigate. Once he approaches he is very affectionate and enjoys attention, but remains cautious. Once he learns how to trust he will be a very sweet, loving companion for a lucky someone.

While he remains in foster care Bayard will be splitting his time between his foster home where he will continue to learn house manners and become familiar with life in a home, and Camp Bow Wow where he will have lots of opportunities to socialize with people and other dogs.

Here are a few videos of Alice, Hatter and Bayard:

http://youtu.be/XMwbFDQ9v58
http://youtu.be/AeVi2eoXzs4
http://youtu.be/45bQ4Q9t-78

Bayard is being fostered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email info@protegerescue.org. While we welcome your questions, 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

Introducing Alice (Protege #0224), she is a 1 year old male sable and white Sheltie. She is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, has been heartworm tested, and is currently on flea/heartworm preventatives. Alice is big for a Sheltie, tall but not overweight. She currently weighs about 27 pounds. Until coming into rescue Alice lived her entire life outdoors in a livestock pen provided only with basic care and socialization. She is a sweet and gentle soul who has had limited experiences in life till coming into rescue. She responds well to people who take things slowly and allow her to approach new experiences at her own pace.

Since coming into rescue our focus with Alice has been helping her learn to live in a home environment and building trust. Prior to rescue she did not even have a name, had never been inside a house, and had never walked on a leash before. In her first few days in rescue she was terrified when a leash was put on her, and she needed to be carried up and down the stairs of her foster home, and out to the back yard to go potty. Now she is still nervous about walking on leash, but more often than not she follows along while on leash. She prefers to walk behind us, and gets a bit jumpy if we are walking behind her. She will require a martingale style collar when she goes out of a secure area as she tends to try to back out of her collar to flee when faced with something unfamiliar to her (stairs, doorways, vehicles etc). Alice will now urinate when she is outside on leash, but still is not comfortable doing her other business on leash, so typically we take her out on leash to give her she opportunity to do so, and then take her out to the fenced area to potty. Alice will require a home with a securely fenced area due to her flight risk, and because she has not yet adjusted to taking care of all of her business while out on leash. Alice is still a bit suspicious of stairs and doorways, but will approach them on her own terms, or if encouraged quietly. We also will open the kennel door and let her out and then leave her to go downstairs without her, this often prompts her to negotiate the stairs after a little dance on the landing to work up her courage in order to be with us and the other dogs. A swinging door in an doorway makes her nervous, but if you hold the door open wide she will go through. Alice rides calmly and quietly in the car crated or loose, and seems to be starting to enjoy going on car rides. She does currently need to be lifted up into the car, does not yet jump in on her own.

Alice is working on her housetraining, and has not had any accidents in the house. She is being crated at her foster home, and she does not make messes in the crate, she waits to potty until she is outside. Once adopted, she will require constant supervision initially and should not be allowed free roam of her new home until she has adjusted. She has adjusted very quickly, and will continue to do so as long as her new home remains vigilant in making sure she is not able to make mistakes while she becomes familiar with her new surroundings.

It us unknown at this time if Alice is okay with children as her foster home does not have any children. She is an active dog, but she knows how to entertain herself, and she also enjoys cuddle time on the couch with her foster mom and dad. Alice is very playful, she often initiates play and looks for attention from her foster mom and dad while hanging out at home. One of the things she loves best about her new life is playing with toys! She loves to chew on bones, bully sticks, and picks up and carries toys around in her foster home. She is still learning what is a toy and what isn’t a toy, and will randomly pick up things like envelopes, she has taken bubble wrap off a shelf, etc. She is great about handing over her findings and trading them for an appropriate toy.

Alice shows some interest in the cats at her foster home, but does not chase or pester them. She gets along well with other dogs. She would do well in a home with a confident canine companion to show her the ropes, or in a home with an understanding, gentle adopter with the patience to help her adjust to her new life. Alice is the most outgoing and confident of the three shelties (Hatter and Bayard, listed below) that came in together, but is still at times cautious with new people. Once she learns how to trust she will be a very sweet, loving companion for a lucky someone.

While she remains in foster care Alice will be splitting her time between her foster home where she will continue to learn house manners and become familiar with life in a home, and Camp Bow Wow where she will have lots of opportunities to socialize with people and other dogs.

Here are a few videos of Alice with Hatter and Bayard:

http://youtu.be/XMwbFDQ9v58
http://youtu.be/AeVi2eoXzs4
http://youtu.be/45bQ4Q9t-78

Alice is being fostered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email info@protegerescue.org. While we welcome your questions, 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

Introducing Elvis (Protege #0203)! He is a 4 year old, neutered black-tri Australian Shepherd who is looking for his forever home. He has an adorable underbite that makes it look like he's pouting or giving you puppy eyes all the time. He is a very sweet and affectionate dog who loves to greet you at the door when you come home. Elvis gets along with other dogs well and ignores cats for the most part (if confronted by one he tries to get away from it). He is very good at matching your energy level; he likes to cuddle on the couch and in bed but is more than willing to get up and run around if you are active. Sometimes he gets a little too excited and doesn't realize his size (he is about 55 lbs. and we're working on helping him lose a few of those), so we recommend a house either with no children, or with older ones who have previous dog owning experience. (His most recent family had dog-savvy kids and he really enjoyed them.)

Elvis has been returned to our program because he and his adopter's husband did not get along very well; however, Elvis doesn't have any problem with men! He ADORES his current foster dad, follows him everywhere, and even allows himself to be picked up for weighing without squirming.

When his foster parents are away from the home Elvis is left uncrated and there have not been any problems. When he first came to Protege, he would sniff at counters and jump on his hind legs to try to snag food, but has not done this in quite a while now (this is also not a problem if you just keep you counters/tabletops free of food, since he doesn't try it in front of you). He was also shaved by his original owners, so his fur is a little "fuzzy" compared to most Aussies.

At one point his foster parents had to stay in a hotel and took Elvis with them; he did not have any accidents in the room, nor did he bark or cause any problems. Elvis does exhibit alert barking if someone knocks on the door or rings a doorbell (including if it happens on the T.V.!), but seems to understand that not all noise he hears outside means someone is here. He never barked while staying at the hotel until someone actually knocked on our door.

Elvis knows how to come, sit, lay down, stay, kennel, go potty, go inside, and knows both how to catch a ball in the air and how to fetching it. He is currently working on learning how to shake. At night he usually sleeps at the bottom of the bed or on the couch in the living room.

Here are a couple of short videos of Elvis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blN5UnoJxF4&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAQKczU6C4k&feature=youtu.be

Elvis is up-to-date on all vaccinations and on appropriate preventatives. He is being fostered in Iowa City,Iowa.

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email info@protegerescue.org. While we welcome your questions about Elvis, 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

Meet Gracie (Protege #0223), an adorable 8-year-old mini Australian Shepherd with the energy of a two-year-old. Gracie's owners were forced to move a couple of months ago and had to give Gracie up when they moved into an apartment that, sadly, does not allow pets. She is up-to-date on all vaccinations and had a Christmas Eve grooming to look pretty and smell sweet for the holidays.

Gracie is a real sweetheart. She does NOT beg at the table, is perfectly housebroken (she goes first thing whenever she's let outside) and loves to chase a stick and bring it back to you to throw again. She craves nice walks and doesn't pull on the leash. She enjoys sitting quietly in the back seat on car rides. She's been on a diet since coming into foster care and has lost 3 pounds; down to 31 pounds now. Just a few more pounds and she could be a supermodel for mini Aussies.

Since Gracie grew up around a child daycare setting, she is fantastic around children (and adults) of all ages. She loves to play tug-of-war with a chew toy one minute, then will curl up on your lap for a cuddle and nap the next. In fact, Gracie is so mild-mannered she doesn't need to be kenneled at all. If you leave her home alone for a few hours she'll curl up in a dark corner of the bedroom or on the living room sofa for a nap. She'll sleep quietly all night on the sofa or easy chair.

When someone comes to the front door, Gracie will announce their presence with a bark or two, but warms up to strangers in a matter of seconds when she realizes they are welcome by her owners. She is also great around other dogs, pretty much ignoring them unless they want to play. She will bark while playing, but quiets on command. She will wait at a doorway until you invite her inside.

Gracie is an ideal indoor pet who also loves playing outdoors. She hopes to start the new year with a kind, gentle and fun-loving family that will play, cuddle and give her all the loving she deserves.

Gracie is currently being fostered in Cedar Rapids,Iowa.

If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email info@protegerescue.org. While we welcome your questions about Gracie, 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

This stunning looking boy is Zephyr (Protege #0220)! He was listed as an Aussie at a local shelter, but in our opinion he's a purebred red merle Border Collie, with one blue eye and one brown eye, and a beautiful full fluffy tail. He was so friendly and happy, and his time was up, so we just couldn't leave him behind! He is about 1 year old, neutered, up to date on shots, heartworm negative, on monthly heartworm and flea/tick preventives. He weighs in the mid 30's and is around 18.5" tall.

Zephyr was a stray, so we don't know any history for him, but he's such a good boy we just kinda scratch our heads and think someone obviously didn't know what a great dog they had! Zephyr is housetrained, crate trained, rides well in the car, and is excellent with other dogs and with cats too! He hasn't met a stranger and has a great recall. He obviously was someone's house pet and seems very well-socialized. His coat is in fantastic shape, he tolerates all sorts of handling nicely, though is a bit wiggly for grooming.

Zephyr loves to run and play with other dogs. He is also excellent with cats, totally ignores them! He loves to meet new people and adjusts to new places very quickly, just show him what to do and where to go and he'll do it. Zephyr is just getting into playing with toys and seemed surprised that when he brought us a toy, we threw it for him, what fun! He is a medium energy dog, while still quite a bit of a puppy, and regular daily exercise makes him very happy. He really loves running, and when he gets excited he sometimes forgets to close his mouth so it smacks into you but he's not biting, just exhuberant.

He occasionally chews on inappropriate things (um, throw rugs!), but he's just discovering toys and obviously like any youngster needs to know what is appropriate. Once you give him something appropriate to play with or chew on, he leaves the other things alone. As you can see in the short video of him and playing with Nikki http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-wbV6JOxjY), she's working hard on teaching him about appropriate toys. Zephyr would be a great dog for someone who wants a Border Collie for obedience or agility, an active walking/jogging partner or a fun play partner for their other dogs. Here is another video when Zephyr first arrived: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDLvRW-HtDA

Zephyr is located near Iowa City.

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

Marlowe (Protege #0222) is a very handsome 10 month old neutered blue merle Australian Shepherd. He is up to date on vaccinations, is heartworm negative, and is on flea/heartworm prevention. Marlowe is currently being fostered at Camp Bow Wow Dog Boarding and Daycare, where he interacts with up to 14 other dogs and several staff members on a daily basis. Marlowe loves to play, and enjoys spending time with the staff. He is a typical puppy, with lots of energy, and lots of love to give. Marlowe goes on frequent overnights with the Camp Bow Wow staff, and they have reported that he is an excellent house guest.

Marlowe is a pretty easy-going kind of dog. He keeps his cabin clean at camp and always goes outside to do his business. He enjoys going on car rides and tossing around his toys. He has been getting along well with all dogs and people he has met since being at camp. Marlowe is a very intelligent dog, he learns quickly, and already knows sit and down, and he is currently working on leash manners. Marlowe is still a puppy, and will need to continue working on his manners in his new home.

Marlowe would love to find a family with a social, active lifestyle with time to devote to training him to have good manners and seeing that he is properly exercised (mind and body). For a family willing to provide those things, we think Marlowe is going to make a very fun and loving member of his new family!

Here is a short video of Marlowe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN2p4oPs2I4&feature=youtu.be

Marlowe is currently being fostered near 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

Please meet Colby (#219). Colby was turned in by his owners, who no longer had enough time for him once a baby arrived. He came to us with a bad staph infection which covered his skin all over with an itchy red rash, gave him a very poor quality thin and coarse coat, and a bad smell. Thank goodness we got him into the vet to deal with THAT! Colby is much happier now that he is not scratching all the time. He has been on meds for the infection, no longer smells bad, and is getting salmon oil supplements for his coat (which will be really beautiful once it grows out -- as you can see from the photos, he has awesome colors!). Colby has one blue eye and one brown eye -- very striking. He weighs 40 lbs and is approximately 1-1/2 years old.

He is a super sweet boy, very handsome and extremely loving. He would be content if you could just agree to sit with him and rub his belly all day. The term "velcro Aussie" was coined with Colby in mind. If you want a dog to be your most devoted companion, to stick with you no matter what, Colby is the boy for you. He wants nothing more than to be by your side. Colby enjoys going for walks on-leash, is good walking with and meeting other dogs, and loves to meet new people. He rides great in a car, jumps right in and is ready to go. Colby has been to a large dog park and is an awesome dog park dog. He was a wonderful recall, so, while he will run off to meet people and dogs in the park, he's happy to return to you and mostly sticks around nearby.

Colby does have some separation anxiety, which we're working on. He is very anxious when left alone. His foster brother and sister help him to have a bit more confidence, so we'd really prefer that Colby go to a home with another dog who can show him it's okay for the humans to leave. Colby is not good crated and is much more anxious and stressed when confined that way. Though he is also anxious when left uncrated, he does not bark and is not destructive at all. He prefers to have access to windows so he can watch for his humans. We are monitoring this closely, and after some time in foster care, he does seem to be settling in and relaxing a bit more when left. His new family will need to be patient and give him time to adjust to a different situation. If you can do this for Colby, though, you will be rewarded with such a nice boy. He is well-behaved and well-mannered in the house (except for his overly enthusiastic greetings when you first get home -- you can just about hear him saying "oh FINALLY FINALLY you are back! I was sure you'd NEVER NEVER come back!").

Here is a short video of Colby playing with a friend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFHPvxOUBWs

He is completely housebroken, neutered, and current on all vaccinations. If you would like a handsome, quiet, loving companion who will be devoted, who will love to meet your friends and family, and who will be happy to learn whatever you'd like to teach him, please consider contacting us about Colby. We will like to tell you more about him.

Colby is currently being fostered near 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