This page is about the Shelties that are available for adoption.
Updated 2/11/25
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.

Russ

​Handsome Russ is a happy, affectionate youngster who loves humans of all sizes and ages and assumes anyone he meets probably wants to play fetch.  He also loves other dogs and assumes they, too, are eager to play with him.  His high energy and eagerness to play was somewhat of a problem in his first foster home where the two resident Shelties were very elderly (15 and 17) and really not up to Russ’s energy level.  When we moved him to a new foster home with bigger fenced areas in which to run and two younger dogs more interested in chase games, he was in paradise.
Russ is very smart and loves to learn, quickly responding to new ques like sit, wait, down, shake, kennel, leave it (see video).  He is reliably housetrained and crate trained.  He sleeps quietly through the night in his crate in his humans’ bedroom or—if invited—on their bed.  When he’s up, however, Russ wants activity.  He is able to focus much better on training if he’s had a good romp off leash in a fenced area first.  Long leash walks are good but just don’t absorb enough of his puppy energy.
Russ came to NVSR with a couple bad habits that should have been corrected earlier in his puppyhood. He likes to jump up on people to greet them and get attention.  He plays gently but will mouth his humans’ hands as younger puppies often do.  He does not bite down but needs to learn that mouthing is unacceptable.  He loves to steal shoes and will sometimes chew on objects that belong to his humans.  All of these behaviors can be corrected with proper training and humans who set clear and consistent house rules.  His foster dad is already making progress on these problems after only a week and hopes to have them mostly expunged or at least reduced by the time Russ is adopted.  Russ will, however, likely need reminders throughout his puppyhood.  Meanwhile, at the moment, Russ is not given free roam in the house without supervision. 
Russ will bark when he hears the ice dispenser (because his previous owners gave ice as a treat) or when planes fly overhead, and sometimes at other sounds that are foreign to him).  Leash training is still a work in progress; he will sometimes pull when cars drive by.  His foster parents have made progress by putting him in a sit and diverting him with a treat before continuing on the walk.
Russ has been neutered and brought up to date on all tests and vaccinations.  He has been kept up to date on heartworm preventatives and flea/tick prophylaxis.  He has attended puppy classes and knows how to interact with other young dogs.  Russ would benefit greatly from continuing obedience classes and has the strength and agility to be a star in a range of dog sports when he matures.
The ideal home for Russ would have a large fenced yard and another active young dog to play with.  He is probably not a good match for families with cats or small children simply because he would try to play too exuberantly with them.  He needs dog-savvy humans who set firm rules for him and are willing to play with him and challenge him with new activities.  He is a very social dog and would not thrive in a home where everyone goes off to work or school and leaves Russ home alone.  For the right adopter who is willing to spend time with Russ and give him lots of love and gentle direction, Russ will become an outstanding companion.  He is a very special dog.
Russ is   …………  10 months old, 16 inches tall, and weighs about 26 pounds. ​His adoption fee is $450.