Rico (short for Ricochet) is a 1-year-old terrier mix. Mixed with what is a mystery, we suspect Jack Russell and ???. He is neutered, up to date on all vet care, on Heartgard, Frontline, and is microchipped.

Rico came in as a stray to the Iowa City Animal Care Center. One of our flyball teammates works there and talked to our rescue in a last ditch effort to save this little guy. He's definitely not an Australian Shepherd, but we both saw lots of potential in this fun little dog!

Rico was going to be euthanized, he was going to be very tough for the shelter to place. He was all bounce, with no direction, he was a toy and tug fiend, with no idea that chomping your hand wasn't allowed. Without lots of training, he was just a high energy, bouncy, hand chomping, athletic, no-direction-in-life mess, definitely not for the average owner! We don't want to make him sound terrible, he really wasn't, he just didn't know what to do with himself.

Rico had some great qualities that were apparent from our first evaluation. His athleticism, friendliness with dogs and people, and his immense toy and food drive are all great things to work with. Rico spent roughly the first 3 weeks in foster care learning the basics of life at our house; luckily he was housebroken and got along great with our 4 dogs. He learned all about crates, and now jumps in one whenever we walk near it. He learned that bouncing off doors doesn't make them open, he now sits before he goes out a door.

Rico also learned some of the finer points of house life, like, don't sit on our heads while we watch T.V. and that the back of the couch is not a diving board. He also learned great bite inhibition with toys, how clickers work, and that letting go of the toy doesn't mean the fun ends! He spent that time getting in shape to start some real training for flyball and agility too. Rico took to flyball like a duck to water, he gets to use all his great skills, bouncing, running, tugging in one activity, yeehaw! He's now doing a box turn with the ball triggering and is overall just a delight to work with. You ask him to drop the toy he does, he has great stamina and usually wants to keep going longer than I do. He will even work with our other 4 dogs milling about the training building. He's got terrific focus and prefers to work for toys versus food. We have some video of him doing his box training at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z52LqR06N8o.

Rico absolutely loves playing with other dogs, he's even gotten our grumpy 12 year old dog to play with him. He is fantastic with cats, he likes kids but you still need to make sure he doesn't knock little ones over. Overall he is a delight to live and play with. In the house, he is always doing something silly with his toys, he tries hard to please, and gets along with everyone. Check out this video of Rico showing off his best trick! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WYmY9oT_Wg

He is still a young dog and does need a fair amount of exercise each day, but he can also entertain himself with toys if needed. He has no destructive habits, other than plucking off a few of my daffodils! He would be a great flyball height dog, he's a tad bit shorter than our rat terrier, who is just under 15" tall. He would also do well in agility, he's got such great focus and a huge desire to work with you.

For more information, contact Jayne at mcjayne@yahoo.com with Protege Rescue.

Jo
Iowa

This is Murphy. He was roaming the highway for over a week, elusive, with a chain - CHAIN tied in a knot around his neck & dangling a foot; obviously he'd broken away from his abuser.

Murphy is approximately 1 to 1 1/2 years old, very shy, very sweet natured, loves the pups in the pen next to him that were left unclaimed, and weighs 54 lbs. He is undergoing Heartworm treatment, will be neutered, micro-chipped, and up-to-date on his vaccinations. He needs someone to bond with & make him a family member, and, he needs a secure enviroment with high fencing. Know anyone, please contact me.

Serious inquiries only & adoption fee applies.

Jude
Texas

Cheesedog is an 8 year old spayed female German Wirehair Pointer. She loves to run, play, perform tricks, and be with family. She is a great hunter and enjoys being outdoors.

Cheesedog is smart and loving. She gets excited when strangers come to the door, but is learning how to stay calm when given direction. She enjoys children but can be nervous around toddlers who approach her head on and fall over her. She has had trouble off the leash with strange dogs. When she knows a dog, she is playful and friendly towards them. She is a great companion to anyone with a good heart.

Leah
952-472-0247
Mound, MN