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Introducing Alice (#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.

Alice is being fostered in Cedar Rapids. If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email info@protegerescue.org. While we welcome your questions about Alice, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200. (listed 01/30/12)

Introducing Hatter (#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. 

Hatter is being fostered in Cedar Rapids. If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email info@protegerescue.org. While we welcome your questions about Hatter, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200. (listed 01/30/12)

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. 

Bayard is being fostered in Cedar Rapids. If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email info@protegerescue.org. While we welcome your questions about Bayard, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200. (listed 01/30/12)

Introducing Elvis (#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.

Elvis is up-to-date on all vaccinations and on appropriate preventatives. He is being fostered in Iowa City. 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. (listed 01/23/12)

Adopted 01/22/12!

Meet Tommy (#0214), a five year old black-tri miniature Australian Shepherd; he's a larger mini at about 30 lbs. Tommy was found as a stray, and when he first came to Protege he was underweight and in some serious need of grooming. When Tommy lived in his first foster home he would frequent the dog park and got along great with the dogs there. He also gets along fine with kids. His first foster parents had a cat and because he would chase the cat we prefer that Tommy go to a home without cats. Tommy was moved to a new foster home just for this reason.

Tommy gets along well with his foster brother. He enjoys getting chased around the back yard. Sometimes he will initiate the chase by teasing his foster brother a little bit. He likes to run up and down the fence line with the neighbor dogs, and enjoys wrestling with his foster brother. Tommy can entertaining himself, too: he will grab a stuffed dog toy and prance around the house squeaking it for a while. He does not chew on anything inappropriate. Tommy enjoys going for rides in the car and often curls up in a little ball on the front passenger seat.

Tommy loves learning new tricks and picks them up very quickly. He knows sit, down, come, shake and is currently making progress on “turn around.” Tommy is housebroken and crate trained even though he would prefer not to go into the crate. He does go in nicely for a treat. Tommy is very affectionate. He LOVES to give hugs. He will come up and put his head in your lap then roll into you or nuzzle your neck if it is within reach. He does think he is a lap dog sometimes, thank goodness he doesn't weight too much! He really loves it when his foster mom does yoga: Tommy likes to roll around on the yoga mat and then will roll around and nuzzle with his humans as they work.

Tommy can be leary about some men occasionally, but if you reassure him that it is ok he is fine. He is a velcro dog and prefers to be within eyesight of his humans. He is a great snuggler and likes to snuggle up with his humans on the sofa in the evening. At night Tommy sleeps in his foster parents’ bedroom. Most of the time he sleeps curled up on the dog bed, but sometimes he will jump up and sleep at the foot of the bed. During the day when his parents are away he stays in a crate; however, he is currently being eased into roaming privileges.

Tommy has gotten an ear infection while is foster care; we only mention it to tell you that he was actually a pretty good sport, and even pretty comical, about getting the meds. He would sneer and try to avoid getting the meds at first, but then he would walk over to get his meds -- still sneering. As his ear drops were applied, he would lay his head down on the floor and put his paw over his eyes and snout. After one ear was done he would shake and then come back and put his head down on the floor again so that the meds could be applied to the other ear. So he was not a bit difficult to handle, unlike many dogs in this situation.

Tommy would love to find his forever home. He is neutered, up to date on vaccines, heartworm tested negative, and is on monthly heartworm/flea preventatives. Tommy is currently being fostered near Iowa City. If you might be interested in learning more about this dog, please email info@protegerescue.org. While we welcome your questions about Tommy, all adopters are required to complete a Protege Adoption Application before being considered to adopt a Protege dog; our adoption fee is $200. (listed 10/20/11; updated 11/01/11; updated 01/04/12)