ADOPTED

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.

[frame_center src="http://www.aussierescueil.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Mia-large-300x400.jpg" href="http://www.aussierescueil.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Mia-large.jpeg"]Protege 0196 Mia[/frame_center]

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:

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 Mia, 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.

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.

[frame_center src="http://www.aussierescueil.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Holly-Large-400x300.jpg" href="http://www.aussierescueil.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Holly-Large.jpeg"]Protege #0193 Holly[/frame_center]

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. Despite 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.