Aussie Rescue of Minnesota

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Elk River, MN
Aussie Rescue of Minnesota

Aussie Rescue of Minnesota, Inc. All members of ARM are volunteers and receive no monetary compensation for their efforts.

(ARM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit adoption and referral organization dedicated to placing homeless Australian Shepherds in loving, permanent homes. (ARM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit adoption and referral organization dedicated to placing homeless Australian Shepherds in loving, permanent homes where they will be indoor dogs and be incorporated into their family's life. All of our dogs live in foster homes until a suitable "forever home" can be found.

06/18/2025

This sweet 9 year old needs a ride from Sioux Falls, SD to near Red Wing, MN on Sat or Sun. Owner can meet part of the way.
Does anyone have part of a day to help her?

06/17/2025

Featuring new items to help support our rescue! 📣📣

We have a selection of t-shirts to help show off your support for rescues, your love for Aussies, and your love for all pups - when you purchase a shirt from us, 100% of the proceeds go towards helping us continue to meet the needs of our dogs in rescue, whether it'd be covering their vet & grooming costs, paying for food, or purchasing supplies for our wonderful foster homes.

Sizes mostly range from L to 4X, with a very limited number of small & medium - and all shirts are the same price, regardless of size!

Shipping is included in the listed price!

Check out each shirt description and let us know in the comments or send us a private message which one you'd like to get - we will send you a PayPal invoice, in which you will provide your shipping address and we'll get your shirt mailed off to you!

Thank you for supporting our rescue! 🐾❤️

06/14/2025

“I shouldn’t have to give my dog a treat when he comes. He should do it because he loves me.”

Oh, how these words make us trainers cringe! This common and persistent myth that dogs should always be perfectly obedient just because their owners told them to is ridiculous and is harmful to the human-canine bond.

This myth seems to have originated from compulsive training techniques. With traditional techniques, a dog was praised when he made the correct choice and was corrected (punished) if he didn’t comply. Dogs trained using these methods do indeed work for praise alone without the need for a more substantial reward like food or a toy, but they do so because praise serves as a safety cue.

These dogs learn that when they’re being praised, they’re not in imminent danger of a correction. While praise in these situations certainly functions as a reinforcer, it is more importantly a conditioned marker signal that means “nothing bad is going to happen right now,” much the same way a clicker serves as a marker signal for “something good is about to happen.”

Make no mistake, dogs who work for praise alone are no more loyal or devoted to their handlers than dogs who work for treats or toys. Their motivation is just different. Food doesn’t cheapen your relationship with your dog in any way, and many would argue that using food treats actually increases your bond. Eating is a great bonding activity: couples go out to eat together when they’re dating, and children who regularly sit down and eat dinner with their parents are more likely to talk to them about serious issues.

Dogs are not robots, and expecting a robot-like response from them is unrealistic.

Consider your own relationships with loved ones. If your significant other asks you to get him or her a soda, will you always do it? If you tell them to get off the couch and get it themself, does that mean you don’t love them anymore? Love and obedience are not the same thing, and a healthy relationship acknowledges this.

If your dog doesn’t obey you, he has a good reason for it. Scientists sometimes say “the rat is always right,” since animals don’t lie. Your dog may be confused, tired, distracted, or sore. He may not be motivated to do as you ask because you haven’t built up a history of reinforcement and thus haven’t yet explained to him why he should comply with your requests. Regardless, his disobedience does not mean he loves you any less.

The bottom line is that it’s okay to “pay” your dog for listening to you by giving him a reward such as food or a toy. Would you keep going to work if your boss told you that he would no longer pay you, since you know what your job is now?

This isn’t to say that it’s not possible to fade food treats and teach your dog to work for you for the joy of the work itself! However, as with all relationships, the foundation must be laid first. If your dog doesn’t truly enjoy training with you in exchange for toys or treats, how can you expect him to enjoy working for nothing but your positive regard? Let’s give dogs a break, and not expect more from them than we’d expect from other loved ones in our lives. Everyone will be so much happier with this mindset… especially your dog.

06/13/2025

Woof!

They call me Bandit because I have a talent for stealing hearts… and anything else I can get my paws on! I've swiped a few things around the house, but I've slowed down a bit since I got here. I mean, who can resist a good counter surf now and then?

I’m a 1 year old neutered male with a docked tail – I am all black except for a white belly/chest and colorful paws. I am up to date on my shots and am ready to go to my new forever home.

I'm bursting with energy and will thrive in an active home. I’m not a “stay at home” dog, I’m a “go with” dog. I love to play, especially with the big dog in the house. We roughhouse like pros! I also adore the little dog, but my bouncy-pouncy nature scares him a bit. So, I think I'd do best in a home without small dogs. I'm super friendly with other dogs we meet on our walks, though. I just want to play with everyone!

Speaking of walks, I was quite the handful at first. I pulled hard and didn't listen to commands. But after many miles, I'm getting the hang of it. I often walk with a slack leash now and listen much better. Sometimes, I still get excited and launch myself into the air when I see another dog. I just want to say hi and play!

I love toys, but they need to be tough because I can shred a squeaky toy in no time. The park is my favorite place to chase a herding ball and play frisbee. My recall depends on my mood, so my human uses a 30-foot rope to keep me in check. I run and play hard!

I've settled in well and am learning my place in the house. I'm SUPER affectionate and love spending time with everyone. I know quite a few tricks like sit, down, stay, sit pretty, and even play dead dog. I'm not shy about asking for attention either!

One important thing to know about me is that I’m not a fan of crates, especially with the door closed. I prefer having the freedom to move around and find my own cozy cool spot on the floor. Despite my high energy, I do have an off switch, especially at night. I’m fully potty trained, I hear this is important to humans, and can go 8+ hours overnight without needing to go outside.

In summary, I'm a super sweet, super smart, high-energy boy who needs someone to give me lots of attention to help me be my best self.
Ready to have your heart stolen?
The details:

Needs Fence: Likely not - reliable recall needs be established first before being off lead.
Good With Dogs: Yes
Good with cats: No exposure
Good With kids: Yes

All of our dogs live in foster homes with volunteers. We need an approved application on file to set up a meeting with a dog you might be interested in. You can find our application at www.aussierescuemn.com. All dogs have an adoption fee of $400 plus MN sales tax. We pride ourselves on matches that are awesome for both the dog and your family. Aussie Rescue of MN is here for support, advice and as a safety net for our dogs for the rest of their lives.

06/12/2025

Secretariat, now known as Ember, has been adopted! He found his happily fur-ever after with a wonderful gentleman who had been looking for a new buddy to join him on his adventures. Congratulations! 🐾🐾

06/11/2025

Welcome to rescue Willow! Willow is a young 1.5 year old black tri spayed female, weighing around 30 lbs. Willow is the sister of Winnie, who was recently adopted from ARM. Willow is a bit underweight, as her previous home left it to the children to be responsible to feed the number of dogs that lived there and it is possible that sometimes she was not fed or lost out to some of the other dogs. As a result, Willow is a bit of a counter surfer when she thinks no one is looking! No one can say that an Aussie aren’t able to problem-solve!

Willow does get along well with other dogs, but she would do best with a well adjusted dog in the household to give her confidence. She does have a high prey drive, so a home with cats or other small animals or pets would not be a good idea.

Willow is curious, yet cautious with people; no signs of fear or aggression, but rather taking her time to see what people are all about as she was left to roam free outside at her previous home and did not spend a lot of time in the house. She is quickly showing that she is getting more comfortable with simply laying nearby her fosters while in the house, indicating that she will likely warm up to human affection and seek out interaction once she is more comfortable.

Willow is not yet reliably housebroken, so her fosters are working with her to help her learn basic house manners and expectations since living inside a house is still fairly new territory for her.

The details:
Needs Fence: Likely not - reliable recall needs be established first before being off lead.
Good With Dogs: Yes
Good with cats: No – no small animals
Good With People: Yes

All of our dogs live in foster homes with volunteers. We need an approved application on file to set up a meeting with a dog you might be interested in. You can find our application at www.aussierescuemn.com. All dogs have an adoption fee of $400 plus MN sales tax. We pride ourselves on matches that are awesome for both the dog and your family. Aussie Rescue of MN is here for support, advice and as a safety net for our dogs for the rest of their lives.

06/10/2025

Please read our updates!
ARM needs some help. Details under each photo on what we need. Updates added.

06/09/2025

Charlie was adopted this weekend to an amazing couple who have spent their lives rescuing and spoiling their pets. Their house felt too quiet without having the pitter patter of doggy paws and decided that opening their doors and hearts to Charlie was the right move. (We agree! 😉) Congratulations Charlie! 🐾

06/06/2025

Pharoah, affectionately known as Gouda, was adopted! He's off with a fabulous family who were so excited to welcome him into their home where he will be spoiled for the rest of his days. Congratulations Gouda-boy! ❤️

06/06/2025

Citation, now named Kiwi, has been adopted! She was adopted by a wonderful couple who has just gotten married and Kiwi is their mutual wedding gift to each other. 🥰 Congratulations Kiwi and family - wishing you a wonderful life together as a family of three!

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Elk River, MN

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http://www.aussierescuemn.com/

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