This page is about the Shelties that are available for adoption.
Updated 3/24/24
Updated 3/24/24
Before you get too excited about one of our Shelties, please read ALL the information on our page "How to Adopt." It will answer your questions about our process and expectations. Our adoption application is at the bottom of that page.
E-mail additional questions.
E-mail additional questions.
Tango- Adoption Pending
Looking for a well-adjusted young Sheltie? You’re not likely to find one much better than Tango. This girl has it all. A very well-trained little dog, Tango is smart, beautiful, has an affectionate temperament, and loves to play.
Although not yet two years old, Tango earned her Canine Good Citizen, AKC Star Puppy, Trick Dog, and Rally certificates before she came to NVSR. This handsome bi-black is a very fast learner and will work hard for praise. Treats are welcome, but Tango is happy to respond to an array of cues with nothing but praise as encouragement. During her early days in her foster home, Tango easily won her way into her foster mom’s resident pack of two collies and a Sheltie. She loves playing chase, wrestling, and then falling exhausted into the lap of foster mom for some cuddling. Though smaller than the other three dogs, Tango holds her own and often leads the chase around the yard. Tango’s foster mom notes, “Tango has soulful eyes and is very alert and attuned to me, able to be a quiet companion and also a bundle of joy and energy. Like most Shelties, she is cautiously friendly with new humans and listens to human conversation with great interest.” Tango is impeccably housetrained and has not had any accidents in the house. While she loves to drag every toy out of the toybox for inspection, she has never destroyed anything in her foster home. She walks calmly on leash and will heel when asked. But she also enjoys all the smells of an adventure walk when allowed to proceed at her own pace. This little dog has a bright future in front of her with humans who can keep her busy and challenged with dog sports like agility and rally, pet therapy, and lots of adventures. She tends to have a dominant streak, and we will look for adopters with training experience to shape her cooperation and not let her become a sassy girl. The right forever home for Tango must have a large fenced yard and active humans. She is a social dog and would not do well in a home where the humans are away for long hours daily. A young, playful canine companion who enjoys playing chase and fetch would be highly desirable. Tango is up to date on all tests and vaccinations and will be ready to find her forever home as soon as she recovers from her spay surgery. Tango is . . . 23 months old, weighs 17 pounds, and is 14 inches tall. Tango’s adoption fee is $450. |
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Grady
Handsome little Grady was a victim of abuse and neglect during his early puppy-hood. He was picked up when 18 months old by Animal Control from a bad breeder who was later convicted of animal cruelty. She gave her young pups no socialization or even positive human contact. As a result, Grady came to NVSR as a very fearful youngster with no trust in humans.
Grady will do best in a forever home with a calm older dog who can model confident behavior and demonstrate to Grady that his new humans are the source of all good things and need not be feared. Grady is a follower who is attracted to older dogs who want to nurture and mother him. He will trust and bond with a well-socialized older dog long before he becomes comfortable with any humans in the home. Other dogs were his only source of comfort during his early life with the cruel breeder. Grady is a very cute little dog who makes you want to pick him up and hug him. But hugging is not on the agenda until he first learns to trust. He does not even want to be touched or petted by humans he doesn’t know well. Patience and slow baby steps are needed to reassure him that his humans mean him no harm. Grady’s foster parents faced a real challenge when Grady first came to them. He wanted only to be in his crate, scurrying outside to eliminate and then back to his crate. They worked for months to housetrain and leash train him and persuade him to allow some handling. They found him to be a very smart dog but one that was suspicious of any new things or new places. Fortunately, the foster family included an older female Sheltie and a middle-aged male dog who helped Grady learn to become more comfortable in his foster home. He now enjoys sitting on the sofa next to his humans and going for leash walks in the neighborhood at quieter times of the day. He still feels safer inside, but he has learned to enjoy exploring the fenced yard and even chasing squirrels with the other dogs. Grady has been neutered and brought up to date on all vaccinations and tests. He has been on both heartworm preventative and flea/tick prophylaxis for the last six months. We feel that he is ready to find his forever home with the right adopters. |
The right home for Grady must have a securely fenced yard. Patient, gentle humans who will work to gain his trust are essential. A quiet neighborhood and not a busy city environment will suit him best. He is likely to progress much faster if his forever home includes a calm, older dog who can show him the house rules and help him learn to trust the humans.
Grady is . . .Two years old, weighs 18 pounds, and is 14 inches tall. His adoption fee is $450. |
Keegan- ADOPTED!
Keegan is a handsome little Sheltie-Papillon mix who had a very sad start in life. He was picked up in a raid on a breeder in eastern Virginia who was eventually convicted of neglecting her dogs. When Keegan was transferred to NVSR, he was an extremely fearful, unsocialized pup who had experienced no human contact. He had never been in a house or worn collar and leash. He had never known kindness and love from humans.
We placed Keegan with experienced foster parents who have spent six months gaining Keegan’s trust and exposing him very gradually to life as a house pet. During his early months with NVSR, Keegan wanted only the safety of his crate, avoided all human handling, and resisted attempts to leash train him. Using only positive training methods and exhibiting endless patience, his foster parents slowly introduced a collar and later a leash, eventually teaching him to enjoy brief leash walks inside their large, securely fenced yard. Meanwhile, the foster parents worked to housetrain Keegan, a dog who lived only outdoors until he came to NVSR. They also taught him to climb stairs, to respond to a recall, and to obey a “Wait” command when heading out. Each small success required a two-steps-forward-and-one-step-backward approach to overcome Keegan’s fear and lack of trust. Their own Sheltie, Sammy, was helpful as a role model. After six months in foster care, Keegan has overcome some of his initial fear of humans, but he is still a work in progress. He now loves to race around the large, securely fenced yard in his foster home, can walk calmly on leash if there are no distractions, takes pride in his ability to scamper up and down stairs and leap up on the bed, and is learning to play “like a real dog” with his friend Sammy. He is very inquisitive about everything and is clearly very intelligent. But he is also a serious flight risk and is still not comfortable with petting or cuddling. Keegan has been neutered and brought up to date on all tests and vaccinations. He is now ready to look for his forever home. He must have a securely fenced yard with no gaps that a small dog could squeeze through. And the fence must be at least four feet high because Keegan’s Papillon heritage has given him even more impressive athleticism than most Shelties. A well-socialized canine companion would be a big plus in helping him adjust and in providing a playmate for this youngster. Children would not be an asset since their quick movements and high voices would terrify him, and their urge to pick him up would not be welcome. Most important is a human with infinite patience who is willing to take the baby steps needed to gain this fearful dog’s trust. His human(s) must be prepared for a lengthy adjustment period with some possible regression. Keegan is an extremely smart dog who can, and will, learn typical cues like: look at me, sit, wait, halt, etc. Given his love for running and jumping, he could someday become a great agility enthusiast. But he first needs to feel safe. Keegan is …. 2 years old, weighs 22 pounds, and is 15 inches tall. Adoption fee is $450 |
I just learned how to jump up on the bed! What fun!
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Lexi- ADOPTED!
Beautiful Lexi with the soulful eyes (one blue and one brown) really wants a human of her very own. Before coming to NVSR, Lexi spent her life with a very assertive Sheltie half sister who usually managed to claim the biggest share of any human attention on offer. Lexi is a very affectionate dog who craves attention and petting, but she doesn’t like to share her food, her toys, or her humans with other dogs.
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Lexi is a very easy keeper who will fit easily into the right home. She is reliably housetrained and walks calmly on a leash. She comes when called, waits patiently for her meals, and does not destroy anything when given free roam in the house. She will do best with humans who walk her several times a day, gradually increasing distance as her stamina improves and her weight decreases. She does not need a fenced yard if she is walked regularly. This handsome sable merle only asks for lots of love and petting from her humans. Lexi ….is 16 inches tall, weighs 37 pounds (ideal weight about 28 pounds), and just turned 8 years old on Jan. 28, 2024. |