Rusty 12-302

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Sponsored by:

In memory of our goldens - Luke, Chance and Rusty
"You're in our hearts forever!"

 

September 28, 2012

Rusty is a cute 10 month old PB Golden Retriever that was surrendered by his loving family after he started showing some signs of aggression. He had been showing his teeth and growling at family members whenever they tried to take something that Rusty was not supposed to have, such as a shoe, sock, or towel. They had become fearful of Rusty, and surrendered him in hopes that RAGOM could work with Rusty and find him the perfect forever home. Rusty has been with us for almost a week, and we have not seen any instances of this, but I think it may be because he isn’t 100% settled in here yet. He has grabbed a shoe, but quickly dropped it when I told him sternly “Rusty, no, drop it.” It is definitely something we will monitor very closely. Rusty and I have been working on basic obedience training, give and take exercises, and leash walking.

Rusty is 100% puppy in a full grown dog’s body. He does know sit, and usually comes when I call him, but not always. Sometimes he’s like a bull in a china shop, but he is learning not to plow through the house and run into our legs when we are walking. Rusty had a few accidents in the house in his first few days here, but I think it was just because he was nervous about being in a new home. Rusty has free roam of the house when we are home, but is crated while we are gone. He loves his kennel, and will often nap in it with the door open. Rusty really enjoys playing in the backyard with our dog, Finn, who is 14 months old. They wrestle, play tug with toys, and chase each other until they are both exhausted. Here is a youtube video of Rusty and Finn playing. (Rusty has the red collar.)

 

Rusty had his initial vet visit, and was given a clean bill of health other than an ear infection. He is utd on vaccines, his fecal and heartworm test were both negative, and he has been microchipped. Rusty weighs 74 pounds, which surprised me, as I thought he would be closer to 80 or 85 pounds.

Here are some things we have learned about Rusty:

  • He is very sweet, loving, and is definitely a Velcro dog!
  • Rusty does fine with kids, dogs, and cats. Due to his size, I would recommend that kids be over 5 years old in his forever home. He is currently living with an 8 year old girl, a 14 month old male Golden Retriever, and 2 cats.
  • He is crate trained and does fine being crated while I am at work.
  • He does not respect baby gates!
  • Rusty is very strong. Even with a gentle leader, he still tries to pull me down the street.
  • He loves to destroy toys and chew on nylabones. He also loves Kongs filled with peanut butter.
  • He does not get on furniture, but loves to curl up by my feet.
  • Rusty did try to jump up on us the first few days, but has not tried since. He has learned very quickly that jumping is not allowed.
  • Rusty likes to bark and whine, and this is something we are really working on. I think part of it might have been because of the stress of being in a new home, as he doesn’t seem to do it as much now. He does bark a few times when he is let outside in the backyard by himself. I try to let him out sometimes by himself so he’ll do his business out there right away. If I let both dogs out, they think they need to play before they go potty.
  • He does not have any anxieties that we’ve noticed. The surrendering owner reported that storms and loud noises don’t bother him.
  • Rusty loves everyone he meets, including everyone at the vet’s office!
  • At first he was hesitant to get in the car, but now he jumps right in. He is sometimes excited and tries to climb around the car (we use a safety harness so he is anchored to the backseat), but he usually settles down after a few minutes.

Here are some things that Rusty will require in his forever home:

  • Fenced yard
  • A family with dog experience who is dedicated to doing obedience training with Rusty. He is not for the first time dog owner. He needs guidance and a family that won’t let him get away with bad behaviors.
  • Another young and active dog would be great, though it’s not absolutely necessary.

If you think you may be a good match for Rusty, please contact your placement advisor. We will update more on Rusty as we learn more about him!

I want to send a thank you out to Rusty’s surrendering family for sponsoring him. I know it was very hard for them to give Rusty up. I know that Rusty will get the training and exercise that he needs and that RAGOM will find the perfect family for him.

At a Glance #12-302

Golden Retriever Born: November 2011
Male Weight not specified

Status: Deceased

Profile

Sponsored by:

In memory of our goldens - Luke, Chance and Rusty
"You're in our hearts forever!"

 

September 28, 2012

Rusty is a cute 10 month old PB Golden Retriever that was surrendered by his loving family after he started showing some signs of aggression. He had been showing his teeth and growling at family members whenever they tried to take something that Rusty was not supposed to have, such as a shoe, sock, or towel. They had become fearful of Rusty, and surrendered him in hopes that RAGOM could work with Rusty and find him the perfect forever home. Rusty has been with us for almost a week, and we have not seen any instances of this, but I think it may be because he isn’t 100% settled in here yet. He has grabbed a shoe, but quickly dropped it when I told him sternly “Rusty, no, drop it.” It is definitely something we will monitor very closely. Rusty and I have been working on basic obedience training, give and take exercises, and leash walking.

Rusty is 100% puppy in a full grown dog’s body. He does know sit, and usually comes when I call him, but not always. Sometimes he’s like a bull in a china shop, but he is learning not to plow through the house and run into our legs when we are walking. Rusty had a few accidents in the house in his first few days here, but I think it was just because he was nervous about being in a new home. Rusty has free roam of the house when we are home, but is crated while we are gone. He loves his kennel, and will often nap in it with the door open. Rusty really enjoys playing in the backyard with our dog, Finn, who is 14 months old. They wrestle, play tug with toys, and chase each other until they are both exhausted. Here is a youtube video of Rusty and Finn playing. (Rusty has the red collar.)

 

Rusty had his initial vet visit, and was given a clean bill of health other than an ear infection. He is utd on vaccines, his fecal and heartworm test were both negative, and he has been microchipped. Rusty weighs 74 pounds, which surprised me, as I thought he would be closer to 80 or 85 pounds.

Here are some things we have learned about Rusty:

  • He is very sweet, loving, and is definitely a Velcro dog!
  • Rusty does fine with kids, dogs, and cats. Due to his size, I would recommend that kids be over 5 years old in his forever home. He is currently living with an 8 year old girl, a 14 month old male Golden Retriever, and 2 cats.
  • He is crate trained and does fine being crated while I am at work.
  • He does not respect baby gates!
  • Rusty is very strong. Even with a gentle leader, he still tries to pull me down the street.
  • He loves to destroy toys and chew on nylabones. He also loves Kongs filled with peanut butter.
  • He does not get on furniture, but loves to curl up by my feet.
  • Rusty did try to jump up on us the first few days, but has not tried since. He has learned very quickly that jumping is not allowed.
  • Rusty likes to bark and whine, and this is something we are really working on. I think part of it might have been because of the stress of being in a new home, as he doesn’t seem to do it as much now. He does bark a few times when he is let outside in the backyard by himself. I try to let him out sometimes by himself so he’ll do his business out there right away. If I let both dogs out, they think they need to play before they go potty.
  • He does not have any anxieties that we’ve noticed. The surrendering owner reported that storms and loud noises don’t bother him.
  • Rusty loves everyone he meets, including everyone at the vet’s office!
  • At first he was hesitant to get in the car, but now he jumps right in. He is sometimes excited and tries to climb around the car (we use a safety harness so he is anchored to the backseat), but he usually settles down after a few minutes.

Here are some things that Rusty will require in his forever home:

  • Fenced yard
  • A family with dog experience who is dedicated to doing obedience training with Rusty. He is not for the first time dog owner. He needs guidance and a family that won’t let him get away with bad behaviors.
  • Another young and active dog would be great, though it’s not absolutely necessary.

If you think you may be a good match for Rusty, please contact your placement advisor. We will update more on Rusty as we learn more about him!

I want to send a thank you out to Rusty’s surrendering family for sponsoring him. I know it was very hard for them to give Rusty up. I know that Rusty will get the training and exercise that he needs and that RAGOM will find the perfect family for him.

Updates

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Hi Friends at RAGOM,

We put our beautiful and beloved boy down on Friday, December 7th. He had osteosarcoma,  discovered in July, and despite a front leg amputation and 6 chemo treatments, last week's check yielded tumors in his lungs taking away 35% of his lung capacity. The vet said that prednisone would have bought him a few weeks, but at what quality of life.  We were not at that moment in time ready to put Rusty down, but we did it because we didn't want to see him incur the inevitable pain and suffering.

That being said, we are now in a lot of pain and suffering.  Everything we did in our lives had something to do with Russ, or he was included in on. We are heartbroken. It was especially tough because we were one week away from celebrating our 6th anniversary of his adoption from RAGOM. 

He was beautiful and a trooper through it all, his spirits and personality unaltered. Everyone who knows us is very sad.

I am sending a few pics of him as a "tricycle " (my son bought me "Tricycle and Friends" about a three legged golden retriever,  shortly after Russ' amputation procedure).

Rusty always loved the snow!
Loved sitting by the fire.
Loved Ranger rides with Dad.
Popcorn? Of course!
Beautiful, beautiful boy.

Thank you for giving us one of the major joys in our lives.  We have put in a new application to RAGOM because we won't be able to continue very well with this hole in our lives.  Hope to send a happier update to you all soon!

Kevin and Martha

Friday, August 18, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Rusty update time!  We actually made it before a year went by!

Our handsome boy is continuing to give us so much happiness.   He loves being with us at all times (I am refraining from sharing bathroom pictures.  He always knows when I am in there, and takes advantage of that fact).  

We have made several trips to Wisconsin this year, and he travels well.  He sleeps during much of the trip, except when we stop (see pic below).

In June Rusty had 5 teeth removed in the side/back of his mouth.  It seems his love for rocks wasn't reciprocated.   We will continue to nag, but not overly hopeful with that.  Sigh.

He is still buds with our very old cat (18 years), and adores hanging with grandkids when they are here.  He continues to try and catch an annoying chipmunk who hangs out by the house, but so far no luck.  Squirrels are equally elusive.

We are hoping to see you all at Goldzilla!

Hope you enjoy this round of pictures of our Russ!

Rusty, Martha and Kevin


So handsome!


Favorite sleeping place on basement landing.


At a Kwik Trip


With Sylvia, our old kitty


In the middle of playing!


Outside with dad.

Monday, January 9, 2017

Hi Everyone!

We were going to update more frequently about Rusty, and here it has been a year!  Will try to do better!

We celebrated our "Rusty anniversary" of 4 years on December 15th.  We love him more and more each day.  He is a major part of our family and extended family, as grandkids fawn all over him, too.

He loves our life in the country, and "helps" when we are gardening, mowing, burning in the firepit, and he adores walking down our long dead-end road with us.  He continues to try to catch the ever-elusive chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits.  We think he has given up on birds though; he merely perks his ears up and looks at them!  Common sense, or laziness?!?!?

Russ travels well, as we camped this summer and had visits to Wisconsin  (including hanging with granddog boxers).

Here are pics for you to enjoy of our boy.  We PROMISE to update soon!

Kevin, Martha, and Rusty


Hanging with grandkids.


Camping.


At the Dexter playground with grandkids


He loves Dad.


Mom's selfies always end up this way, although she keeps trying!


Loves his bones and dollies

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Hi Friends at RAGOM!

We are updating on Rusty!  We are going to attempt to update more this year (New Year's Resolution???) because of the huge happiness Russ brings to our lives.  We cannot gush enough! !!!   :)

Rusty has been through a lot with us since our move.  Moving itself is difficult for humans and animals alike, but you forget the work, work, work afterward too.  Rusty was a trooper!  Kev's mom passed away in October,  and Rusty was there to kiss away tears.  Christmas was CRAZY busy....his main job was delivering drive-by kisses to any unsuspecting grandchild.  :)

So ....here are pics!  It is winter, so all but one are winter shots (the exception took place in the fall, and it will be obvious why it's included!!!)

Stay warm! !

Rusty, Kevin and Martha


Happy rolling


With dad wearing his Vikings jersey.....
mom is a Packer Backer but Rusty stays diplomatic


Kitchen begging (comes naturally)


Winter scene


Winter


Christmas time

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Hi all!

We had a good time connecting with RAGOM folks again at Goldzilla! !

We HAD to share this picture,  because Rusty posed so nicely for it!  It started with a complete photo bomb, when he flew through when I was taking a picture of the wheelbarrow.   Kev and I decided he was meant to be in the picture,  so STAY was heard a couple times (haha)!

Happy Autumn!

Rusty, Martha and Kevin

Friday, August 28, 2015

Hi All !

April of last year is too long of a time period to not update about Rusty!  So sorry!  Rusty is wonderful,  loving,  marvelous,  sweet, dear.....

Shortly after last year's Goldzilla,  we decided to move.  It was a crazy, complicated ordeal,  but Russ went through it, with us,  like a champ.   He adored the truck rides when we had a showing. ....not so much us!

We now live just northeast of Dexter (still working in Rochester) and Rusty can romp on a little over four acres.  He constantly finds critters to watch and bark at (especially the cows across the road).

He is the love of our lives, and we hope to reconnect at Goldzilla! !

Rusty, Martha and Kevin

Friday, April 18, 2014

Hello from Rusty,  Kevin, and Martha!

We are now from our last update in pre-winter, to what we intensely hope is post-winter!  Everyone survived the nasty uber-winter;  Rusty loved it!  He loved laying right in the snow (see picture...in fact, in that picture he CHOSE where Kev hadn't pushed snow off the deck!)

Rusty continues to be handsome,  loving and sweet.  He has to be in the midst of everything (see laying linoleum picture), and gives constant kisses.   We are not repulsed by doggie licks.....what better way to get your face washed?  He loves the grandkids, and is gentle and sweet when with them (the licking thing applies...)

One of his favorite things to do, other than hogging attention or his "dollies", is to lay on the deck purveying the backyard.  (See picture).  We refer to that as "Pride Rock" position (aka he is pride rocking out).

He is very healthy (although the vet isn't fond of 93 pounds) with the exception of persistent ear issues.   He is very good about getting his ears cleaned out/medicated, and has no problem when we groom him.

He is our baby and we love him so!  We couldn't have asked for a better dog!!!!

We will check in soon!!!  :)

Rusty, Kevin,  and Martha

   

   

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Finally an update on good ol' Rusty!! (AKA "Russ", "Russa-bussa", "Rustermeister" "Goosha".....).

We continue to marvel at this wonderful dog.  Russ is the joy of our lives.  He just had birthday #2 a week ago!!  :)  Naturally he received treats and bonies, and being Friday pizza night...several crusts.  We bad.  At now 90 lbs,  he's a big boy!

He loves the grandkids; the lips/face of Abe (9 mo) being a prime kissing target!  A couple "kids" (if 21 and 29 are kids) take him with them on runs now and then...he loves it, and then blobs on the floor for hours.

Our kitchen table, chairs wherever, coffee table, etc, are frequent recipients of tennis balls or other "dollies".  As soon as Mom (Martha) collects and puts them in his basket, they are redistributed SOON.  Dad (Kev) has been working on the endless leaves in the backyard...as soon as a pile is made, Rusty is on it!  Not to mention the sticks that get taken from his mouth or thwarted from getting brought into the house!

We enjoyed Goldzilla in September,  and praise RAGOM to whomever is in the dog market.  Rusty is the best.

We promise not to let so much time pass before the next update!!!!!

Rusty, Martha and Kev

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Here is a Rusty update for all of you and some pictures!  He's doing really well and charms everyone who comes in the door.  We love him! He has become very acclimated to the house -- the cat, whom he adores, is not as enchanted by the new member of the family but tolerates his licking on her head, etc.  As you can see by the pictures, he loves to see what we're doing in the kitchen.  He is very affectionate and lets US know when we're allowed to be done petting him!  He is a "leaner".

More Rusty updates later!  Thanks again RAGOM!

Martha and Kev

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Hi all! Rusty here, I am being loved all the time and my new forever owners adore me! They have discovered that I love pickled herring, cheese, and of course Christmas cookies due to the season! I realize this diet won't go on forever.

Thank you to RAGOM, Barry K, and Janet F for all my owners' help and encouragement.

Merry Christmas to all!

- Rusty 12-302

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Rusty here,

I met my furever family and they came back and adopted me. I was so happy to see them I almost wagged my butt right off. I knew they had to be the ones for me. FD called and checked up on me and my new family said I was the best Christmas present ever! Maybe that means I'll get lots of presents and treats.

Foster Dad here,

Thank you to Kevin and Martha for adopting Rusty. The joy you have given me by loving Rusty makes this my best Christmas ever.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Hi folks,

Rusty here. FD [foster dad] thought I should do my own update this time.

Since last update, FD has been making me sit at the weirdest times. I usually do it if he asks me twice. I'm kind of catching on that I must sit before I can go outside. FD says I need a bit of work on this yet before we move on to bigger better things.

FD says my recall when I'm on a leash is great. When not on a leash, not so great. When I'm out in the fenced area all I want to do is play, chase, wrestle and chew on sticks. What else am I supposed to do? Well I do, do the potty business eventually.

Some things I thought I should make clear is that I am a large tall dog. I am over 75 lbs now and still growing. I play pretty rough with other dogs if they want to play. I play some with the other dogs when in the house but FD stops me if I start to get too crazy. I have tons of energy and need long walks at least once a day if not more. I also play with the cats and baby kittens here. FD is impressed that I know to be gentle with them and don't ever hurt them.

I've gotten to where I eat all my food at once. I always eat in the crate and lay in there very nice while waiting for my food. I don't mind if the cats and kittens are in the crate while I eat.

I like meeting other dogs but FD says I need to not be in their face so much. FD does say I'm getting a little better at this and thinks I should sit when I meet other dogs. I'm way too excited to do that most times. They might want to play with me.

Here's a summary of what I need in my furever home:

  • No small kids. I'm a big tall dog that will push and shove and I get excited.
  • Another energetic dog near my size [60 plus lbs] would be great to help me burn some of my energy.
  • A family committed to training me with consistency. Classes would be great!
  • A large fenced in yard for me to play and run in or easy access to a dog park or similar, several times a day, every day.

In return for these things I will be:

  • Your best friend and companion.
  • Always happy to see you.
  • I won't counter surf or get in the garbage or chew things I shouldn't.
  • I'll try to learn all the things you teach me.

Does this sound like a deal you would like to make? If so, contact your placement adviser

Thanks for checking in on me,
Rusty 12-302

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Rusty has moved to Annandale MN! [60 miles west of Minneapolis] He rode very well on the long trip here from his first foster. Thank You Michelle for all the work you did with this sweet young boy.

When Rusty arrived here he did very good meeting my pack of dogs ,cats and kittens. Rusty instantly became best buddies with FB [foster brother ] Duke 12-315. Duke also has lots of energy and loves to run and play chase outside in the fence. Unfortunately for Rusty, Duke was adopted 3 days later. Rusty then had to settle for wrestling with FB Rocket12-091. 10 year old Rocket would play for a while but just doesn't have near the energy that Rusty has. Rusty also became friends with House kitten Tiger. Tiger is 6 months old and loves to play hide and seek with Rusty.

Rusty was very happy yesterday when I brought another young foster dog home. His name is Jake and is about the same age and size. A new chase partner for Rusty! They played for almost a hour non-stop.

Rusty slept in the crate and would go in there when I am outside or leave. He loves the crate.I eventually started letting him have free roam of the house when I would only be gone for a short time. There was never a problem with Rusty getting into anything or any trouble while I was away so he earned free roam. He still goes and lays in his crate quite a bit.

I have been working with Rusty on walking on a leash . He is getting better. He pulls some at the beginning of the walk but does very well after a ways. So, Rusty is improving but still needs more work on that. I'm also working on "Sit" Rusty is doing ok but needs more work on that. While on walks I have been working with Rusty on recall. He is getting much better at that. I can safely say Rusty is 100% housebroke. He has had no accidents since he came here. Rusty does need more lessons on intros to other dogs and manors around other dogs. This will be much easier once Rusty has Sit and other commands down so that he can be re-directed. It all needs time and consistent repetition. Rusty is eager to learn and loves praise.

Since Rusty has settled in he has become more affectionate. He doesn't jump up for attention but becomes a snugglebug if you sit on the floor with him. Rusty doesn't ever jump up on furniture or beds.

Here's a few things that I think, at this time, that Rusty should have in his furever home

  • Consistent and frequent work on training. Obedience class would be great for him and his new family.
  • Another dog near his age or size and energy level to play with or play dates with other dogs.
  • daily walks of 2 or more miles[Rusty has lots of energy to burn]
  • No kids under 5 years old because of Rusty's size and energy level [at this point]

Here's some of Rusty's highlights:

  • Rusty is very eager to learn
  • Rusty is good around other dogs, cats and kittens
  • Rusty doesn't counter surf or get in wastebaskets
  • Rusty is very people oriented
  • Rusty is a very handsome boy with no known health issuies

Does Rusty sound like the dog for you? To find out and meet Rusty 12-302 contact your placement adviser

A very special thank you to Rusty's sponsors, the family that sponsored him in memory of their goldens Luke, Chance and Rusty.

Thank you to all that donate, support, sponsor and volunteer for RAGOM. Without you none of this would be possible.


Sunday, October 7, 2012

Rusty did very well at his first meet and greet at Petco! He was hyper at first, but settled down nicely and after the first few hours he was happy to sit next to me on the floor. He met lots of people, kids, and dogs, and did well with everyone. He slept the whole way home and most of the evening. Here are a few more things about Rusty:

  • He is a slow, sometimes picky, eater. He was previously free-fed, but we have him on scheduled meal times in the morning and evening. I feed him in his crate, since our resident dog, Finn, eats his food very quickly and would try to eat Rusty’s food too. Sometimes he eats all of his food, sometimes he doesn’t.
  • Rusty doesn’t like to go down stairs inside. His surrendering owner reported that he has no problem going down deck stairs, but for some reason he refuses to use inside stairs. We don’t have any stairs in our house, so it isn’t something that we are able to work on with him. I’m sure he could be trained to use stairs in his forever home.
  • We are working on teaching Rusty “out.” We use this mainly for when he’s in the kitchen when we are cooking or eating. He is very quick to learn new things, and listens to our commands most of the time.
  • Rusty can be a vocal dog at times. Sometimes he’ll cry and whine when we put him in the kennel, or when he goes outside without another dog. He usually stops when we tell him to be quiet. He barks when people come to the house, but quickly stops and wiggles his way in for attention. He also grunts, whimpers, and moans in his sleep sometimes.
  • He certainly has the potential to be a “door dasher.” He thinks he needs to run through doors, and he tries to get out whenever we open the door. Luckily, our door leads to the fenced in yard, so we don’t have the danger of him escaping. I am working with him, having him go to his “place” when we open the door, but it’s a work in progress.

I want to elaborate on the conditions of Rusty going to a home with kids. He has always lived with kids, and I have an 8 year old daughter. He is great with my daughter; however, she is very dog savvy and knows that there are rules with him. She knows that she cannot take a toy from him or play with him when he has a toy. This means no fetch, no tug of war, or any interactions when he has a toy or item that he’s not supposed to have. I also do not leave them unattended in the same room. When Rusty does not have a toy, my daughter will sit with him on the floor and pet/brush him and he loves the attention from her. These conditions would probably be changed once Rusty gets more training and learns some more manners. Our own resident dog, Finn, had some of these same issues when we started fostering him, and with training, time, and exercise, I trust him 100% with my daughter.

Rusty does a great job of entertaining himself with toys. He likes to toss a de-stuffed toy around and try to get one of our cats to play with him! Rusty knows how to empty the toy basket. Our living room frequently looks like a toy bomb went off! He shares his toys with Finn and there haven’t been any incidents of growling or fights over toys. However, Finn usually is pretty quick to give up toys when they are playing inside.

We are having a great time fostering Rusty, but he’s ready to find his forever family!

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Rusty has been doing great! He was a little out of sorts for the first few days here, but he has quickly settled in and made himself at home. He hasn’t had any accidents since the first few days, so I would say he is housebroken. It is not uncommon that dogs have accidents in a new home during the settling in period. Rusty has gotten a bath and nail trim, and did well for both. He wasn’t crazy about me doing his nails, but I was able to trim them all without much complaint. I continue to clean/medicate Rusty’s ears, and as the infection clears he is much more tolerant of me messing with his ears.

We have not seen any aggression in Rusty. I am able to take toys, food, high value bones, etc. from him without any issue. He is doing very well with the give and take exercises. I have noticed that when he has something that he knows he shouldn’t have, he runs to his kennel. I am able to take the item from him while he’s in his kennel, but he also knows that I am not afraid of him and that I won’t let him get away with bad behavior. We have been keeping his kennel door closed when he’s not in it so we don’t have to worry about him grabbing something and running to his kennel.

Rusty got to go to his first soccer game this week! Finn does great at the games, so I thought he would be a good role model for Rusty. Rusty was pretty excited, but I don’t think he’s gone to a lot of things like that. There were several games going on at once, and lots of little kids running around. One of my daughter’s friends sat near the dogs and Rusty did really well with her. He is very good with kids, but he sometimes gets rambunctious and can knock them down. He doesn’t mean to and is not trying to hurt them.

Training is going well with Rusty. He knows that he has to sit before he gets his food, before he goes outside, to get a treat, etc. I’ve put a gate up in the hallway to stop him from running full speed through the house, and so far he hasn’t jumped it. We go on daily walks and he plays with Finn in the backyard for a few hours each day. He still hates the Gentle Leader. He fights it the entire walk, so we are going to try an Easy Walk harness to see if that will work better.

Rusty loves to play, loves toys, and loves to destroy them! He tries to destroy every single toy he has, so we are limiting his access to less durable ones. Stuffed toys only last a short time, and he also chews the top layer off of tennis balls before chewing the core up into tiny pieces. On the plus side, he leaves everything else in the house alone. I would much rather have him destroy his toys than my house! Rusty and Finn love to play in the backyard; wrestling, chasing each other, and playing tug with whatever they happen to find! They play until they are exhausted, and then they sprawl out on the floor next to each other for a nap!

If you are interested in meeting Rusty, he will be at the Cedar Rapids, IA Petco on Saturday, 10/6 from 12-3!