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Introducing Gambit (#0166)! Gambit is a 15 month old blue merle male mini Aussie. You may notice in his pictures that Gambit looks a little fuzzier around the head than on his body. At some point during the spring or early summer, someone decided that Gambit needed a summer haircut, so right now he is pretty smooth coated, but his regular coat should grow back in this winter thankfully!

We suspect that in his past, Gambit has been treated and trained roughly. As a result he submissively urinates when he feels scared or intimidated. At his foster home this was only occurring when we were leaning down to put his leash on him. To help Gambit become more comfortable, we allowed him to spend the first week in our home dragging his leash so that when he indicated at the door he needed to go out and potty, we could just scoop up his leash and go right out the door without having to reach for his collar. This worked well for Gambit, and we have taken the leash off this week. Now we are talking to Gambit in a high happy voice while we feed him a treat and leash him at the door to go out. He seldom dribbles now when I take him out, and only sometimes has a few dribbles when my fiance leashes him up.

Gambit is a bit fearful of men, and takes more time to get to trust a man than a woman. We believe this also to be a result of being treated roughly. Gambit is nervous meeting new people, especially one-on-one, and is wary, taking his time sniffing and checking the new person out before he is comfortable being handled by them. He is not aggressive, just suspicious, until he has fully checked you out. Treats usually shorten this process! It doesn't usually take long before he is happily laying with his head on your chest for some love.

Gambit has had quite a bit of obedience training in his past. He demonstrates sit, down, and stay without fail. I am re-working all these behaviors with a clicker in order to build the confidence that Gambit is lacking at this time. He knows the behaviors, but I believe he associates them with being treated harshly, and so I hope that by clicker training the behaviors over again he will learn to enjoy training and learning tricks. And let me tell, you this little guy is smart as a whip and learns new behaviors very quickly, and happily with a clicker!

Gambit seems to enjoy children, and though he has not been around them a lot in his foster home at this time, we will give him some opportunities to be around some children to see how he does with various age groups.

Gambit LOVES to go to doggie daycare with me. He plays and plays and plays with the other dogs. Everyone is a friend to Gambit in the play areas. He has very nice play manners with the other dogs and socializes well. We also noticed that Gambit did not hesitate to greet staff in the play areas even though he had not previously met them, he happily greets all of the camp counselors including the guys even though he usually is nervous around them. We think this is becuase Gambit is taking cues from the other dogs in the play area who are so happy to greet the staff, and also because he can approach the staff on his own in a way that feels less threatening to him than meeting a new person one-on-one while he is on a leash. I feel this also illustrates that he will overcome his fearfulness as he gains confidence!

Gambit is currently being fostered in Cedar Rapids in a home with 4 other dogs and two cats, and gets along well with everyone. He enjoys going on car rides.
Gambit is a handsome, housetrained, crate trained, well-mannered and well-trained dog who simply needs someone with the patience to understand that his life has been rough, that if he is given the time to build his confidence, his submissive urination will subside, and that he will blossom into a wonderful companion for the person who treats him right and gives him the love he seeks. He has a great balance of energy and cuddliness, as he can entertain himself and play with others, but knows how to settle in when play time is over...and his favorite place to settle is with his cute little face resting on your leg while you sit on the couch.

This dog is a little jewel; won't you please consider adopting him, because I am falling in love with him and there is no room at the inn...and if I kept him, I wouldn't be able to foster the next lost soul needing to be rescued!

Gambit is current on all shots and is neutered and one flea & tick and heartworm preventatives. If you might be interested in learning more about Gambit, 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. (listed 08/27/10)

Ruby (#0165) is a 7 lb 10 week old Blue Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) puppy who was found in a flooding barn. Lucky for her, one thing let to another and she found herself in the safe hands of Protege!

Ruby is a fun-loving puppy who is ready for play! She loves to tackle her foster brother who is literally 10 times her size! She is a quick learner and has already picked up the sit, down and touch commands! She is also working on "wait", and "fetch" at her foster home! Ruby loves to play tug and to chase balls around! She loves to chew on bones and chew toys and she gives her foster mom a big lick on the face whenever she gets home!

Ruby is a really sweet and active pup who will grow into a very active and energetic dog! Ruby spends her time in a crate with a chew toy when her foster mom is away at work and each day Ruby walks right into the crate for a treat! We are currently working on housebreaking, this young pup needs to go out often, but whenever her foster mom accompanies her into the yard she does her business and runs back for some lov'n! What a smart girl!

Cattle dogs are a very smart, devoted and heroic breed who require lots of attention and exercise. This pup would do best in an active home, either with no children, or with older children (12+). Ruby will make a GREAT companion and would likely be a shoe-in for many dog sports because she is so smart and active.

Ruby is up-to-date on vaccinations for her age and will be spayed before being adopted.

Update: Ruby has adjusted very well to her foster home. She is a spunky little gal who can't wait to find her forever home! She also has a few new commands under her belt, "watch me" (where she focuses her attention on her foster mom), "Wait" (she waits and does not move forward until released) "Over" (she jumps over a hurdle or a few!) and "Tunnel" (she runs through an agility tunnel). Ruby is such a quick learner she was running a mini agility course in minutes. She just loves to work! Ruby is also having fun learning and playing fetch. Ruby just loves people! Ruby comes to visit the farmers market on the weekends where she is the bell of the ball and loves to greet every person she meets!

Ruby is being fostered north of Cedar Rapids. If you might be interested in learning more about Ruby, 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. (listed 08/11/10; updated 08/27/10)

Adopted 08/04/10!

Ace (#0162) is a 5 month old red-tri Aussie puppy. He has a desire to please people and learns new things quickly. Ace has learned how to hit it (touching his nose to your hand) and how to spin left to right. Ace also knows how to sit, lie down, and fetch. He is still working on housebreaking. He is very good at going potty outside as long as you take him out often. Ace is kennel trained. If you get a treat out and ask him to go to his kennel he will go in right away.

Ace has been exposed to a lot of different dogs and has yet to meet a dog that he doesn't get a long with. He is very respectful towards the other dogs and will give them space if they need it.

Ace really seems to enjoy the water. In the last week or so Ace has learned to fetch a toy from the water and give it to his foster mom to be thrown in again. He is a very well-rounded puppy, ready to please and to learn from his new owners.

Ace is current on vaccinations and will be neutered before he is adopted. He is being fostered in Coralville.

If you think Ace might be a good match, please contact Jayne at mcjayne@mcquillen.org. 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. (listed 07/24/10)

Adopted 08/11/10!

Stitch (#0155) is a fun-loving 6 month old Rat Terrier. He is happy, entertaining and easy to train. Stitch is a smart dog who loves working with people and who learns quickly. He is mostly crate trained and jumps up to his crate, on top of his foster sister's crate with the command "go to your crate".

Stitch know "sit", "down" and is learning "shake" and "boing" now. He loves to play fetch, but has trouble doing so with other dogs around. If Stitch is alone he will fetch a ball, frisbee or stick all day long and bring it right back to his foster mom. If other dogs get involved in the fetch game Stitch often lets them take the ball and just runs with them. Stitch gets along well with all other dogs and has yet to meet a dog that didn't like him - though I'm sure with his bouncy pestering personality he'll find one someday!

He loves people and dogs and wants someone to play with him ALL the time. Stitch is great in his foster mom's fenced yard; so far he does not bark at people walking by or try to escape. Inside Stitch is also a little peach. Though he is a high energy dog, Stitch is able to settle down and take a nap or two throughout the day.

Stitch sleeps in his crate at night and always sleeps through the night without a problem. The one time Stitch woke his foster mom up barking it was because he had to pee and was letting her know. Stitch is not completely housebroken, but is getting there. He has pooped in the house twice and peed in the house on occasion. Though we don't know Stitch's past because he was a stray, his foster mom wonders if at one point he was trained on potty pads because every accident he's had inside has been on a dog bed.

Stitch needs to go to an active, dog-savvy home. He would absolutely love a home that could take him on bike rides and walks regularly. Stitch goes on bike rides often with his foster mom and is a wonderful bike riding partner. He would also be a great sports dogs for things like agility, frisbee or flyball. Stitch has already been working on flyball training and currently does runbacks and is training on the box. He is a quick little guy and would be a great height dog addition to any flyball team.

Stitch is not a dominant terrier. He is currently living with three other dogs; one female and two males, all of whom he gets along with perfectly. His foster sister is very dominant and Stitch understands this and is incredibly submissive to her. His big lab foster brother picks on him from time to time and Stitch always runs away with his tail between his legs. He is definitely a lover, not a fighter. Stitch loves to snuggle and is a great lap dog. He would be happy to sleep with his foster mom if she would let him.

Stitch is full of curiosity and can sometimes be a mischief maker. He'd do best in an alert home where his family is aware of Stitch's whereabouts and could work on training. Stitch likes to open drawers and dig through human things. He can also easily get on tables and counters, though he's easily kept out of
rooms by closing doors or using baby gates. Though Stitch loves to stir things up, he's never ruined anything he's taken out of a drawer. He will find food if it is not put away and can open most containers with ease. His foster mom likes Stitch's "go get 'em" attitude, because it means she has to keep her house clean! His foster mom would love to keep Stitch herself, but she can't at this time. If you're interested in Stitch please contact 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. (listed 06/26/10)

Meet Rugby (#0159), a whole lot of Aussie love in a tiny little package! Rugby is an adorable 8 pound red mini Aussie. He is a one and a half year old neutered male.

Beware...once you see him and cuddle with him (he will tuck his little nose right along side your neck if you let him)...he is irresistable! Rugby didn't have the best start to his life, so he has a few things he is working on (hey, nobody's perfect, right?). Rugby is not currently comfortable pottying on leash, but he is slowly making progress on this and has now gone a few times on leash. He much prefers to potty off leash in a secure area. He has not had any accidents in his crate since coming to our house, nor has he had any accidents on the floor. Rugby is fearful of small children to the point of hiding from them. We are currently still testing to see if this is an issue that can be lessened over a long period of time with careful exposure, but we can for certain say that we feel it would be best if he went to a home without young children.

Rugby currently is fostered in a home with four other dogs and two cats, and he goes daily with his foster mom to doggie daycare where he interacts with 14 other dogs at a time that are sized from 5 pounds up to 35 pounds. He will stand up for himself if another dog gets pushy, but he has been getting along well with all of the other dogs, and with the cats as well. He and his foster brother, a 12 pound sheltie, have begun to enjoy chasing each other around the house.

Rugby is up to date on all vaccinations, and is currently on heartworm and flea/tick preventatives.

He is being fostered in Cedar Rapids. Contact Jayne at mcjayne@yahoo.com with questions and for more information. 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. (listed 06/26/10; updated 08/08/10)

Jake is a 2-1/2 year old (date of birth 01/06/08) Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix who found himself with no owner. He is now with a private rescue and would love to find his permanent home. He is good with other dogs and seems to do well around cats. He is neutered, up to date on shots and may be a bit overweight due to lack of exercise.

Jake was born into a stable family near Ft. Dodge. His owners had to move, so they placed Jake and his sister with a relative. Then the relative had to move so they placed the dogs with a friend. The friend took Jake and his sister out to the country and dumped them. When the animal control officer found them running loose, all he had to do was whistle and the dogs came running and jumped right into the truck.

Long story short, the original owners saw both Jake and his sister listed on Petfinder and tracked them down, this is why we know so much about his history. Unfortunately the original owners are still not able to take the dogs back so Jake is up for adoption. His sister has already been adopted.

Jake is a larger male at around 65 lbs. He is located in Goldfield (north central Iowa, just north of Webster City).

To learn more about Jake please call Don Garrett at 515-293-2026. Don does not have email access so a phone call is the best way to reach him. (listed 07/20/10)

Adopted 07/20/10!

Laci is a beautiful purebreed Border Collie who we are estimating at 2 years of age. She's a beautiful dog and she has the personality to match! She is definitely a people dog and greets everybody like they are a long lost friend!

Laci is an extremely affectionate and loving dog and has a ton of charisma. She has great eye contact and will bond very strongly with her person or family. Laci also has excellent recall and comes running as hard as she can when she is called. Laci is doing very well with the other dogs here and has been doing just fine with the cats too. She doesn't seem to be overly high energy (for a BC anyway), and actually seems pretty mellow, but will probably do best with some room to run and at least a semi-active family.

It looks likes she been in the house before as she seems very comfortable in ours and hasn't had any accidents. Laci is with PAW rescue in Decorah. She really is a wonderful dog, so if you are interested in adopting this little charmer, please email Paula at bkeehner@neitel.net or call her at 563-539-4999. (listed 06/26/10)

Cheri is a 1-2 year old red-tri Aussie.  She is on the small side, standing about 17 inches tall, with a thick coat, docked tail.  She could use some grooming to remove mats.  She was found as a stray in rural Iowa and taken to the Safe Haven Shelter in Williamsburg. 

Protege evaluated her, and she is a very sweet girl, she loves, loves, loves human attention in any way possible.  Once you start petting her, she flops over on her back for belly rubs & she can't get enough belly rubs!  You can touch her anywhere, it's all good with her! 

We would have taken Cheri into our rescue program but she does have 1 flaw, she does NOT get along with other dogs.  She can coexist with a non-reactive dog peacefully in the kennel run next to her, but if she's in their presence outside of the kennel she'd really like to start a fight, even with a submissive dog. 

Cheri will need a home that can keep her from getting into trouble with other dogs, she will need to be managed on walks or in public places with other dogs.  If you are interested in additional information please contact the Safe Haven Shelter directly via their Web site (linked here) or by phone at (319) 325-0150, and they can tell you more about her. (listed 02/09/10)