Rusty is a total sweetheart!! He loves to get pets, and snuggle. He came all the way from Waterloo, IA. He's been with us about a week and this is what we definitely know about him: He loves all people, including kids. He likes the company of other dogs...we have three Goldens and he loves to be around them and play and wrestle with them. Even though he's about 30 lbs lighter than they are, he holds his own and has developed his sneak attack moves to take them down. He has been "clotheslined" a couple times when he's charged them and they don't move. It doesn't seem to bother him too much. He gets right up and starts all over again. Rusty doesn't seem to know what balls or toys are all about. We've tried various toys and balls and he doesn't seem interested. He would probably be okay as an only dog, but will need a lot of interaction to be happy. He loves walks. I've never seen a dog so proud to be on a walk than him. He prances and looks around like he is on top of the world.

Rusty's true love is bones. The rawhide chips work the best, but smaller rolls seem to be okay too. He is a bit protective of them. He lets us take them away fine...he puts his head over the bone if you try and take it, but he does let you take it with no fuss. He does, however, growl quietly at the other dogs if they come too close when he's chewing. I haven't witnessed any teeth, or more aggressive growling, but he definitely lets them know he doesn't intend to give up the bone. We've been using praise when he doesn't growl, and a simple "no growling" when he does. He seems to be getting better. Since I don't have a ton of history on him, I'd guess he maybe didn't get a lot of treats in the past, so he's making sure he gets to keep the ones he does get.

Rrrrrrusty (if you roll your tongue when you say his name, he really gets excited) is happy and bouncy. He has a little spring to his step. He's pretty fast, and can keep up well with my speedy females. He doesn't dig, but isn't opposed to finding the one hole that doesn't ever seem to go away, and rolling in the black dirt mud. He likes to roll in the wet morning grass. He's very good about getting wiped off when he comes in--just needs a little work remembering to stop on the tile.

Rusty had a GReat Fourth of July weekend!! We had a lot of activity at our house all weekend, and he handled it like a trooper. He's so friendly with everybody he meets--he goes right up to them to get some attention. And, everybody who meets him loves him! They always comment how cute he is and how much they want to take him home with them. I took him to PetSmart last week, and he was perfect. He was very interested in the caged birds, but minded very well when I told him no. He walked right beside the cart while I made our selections--no pulling or messing around. And he was friendly with the other dogs and people there. He's just a superstar!

Rusty doesn't mind fireworks. Our neighbors were shooting off a lot of big, colorful, noisy fireworks on Friday night. He watched out the sliding door, and barked once in awhile, but only at the ones that really boomed. Otherwise he could have cared less.

He does like to chase birds in the yard, and perks up when he sees them on walks, but does not take off after them. The Gentle Leader has worked wonders with him. He still fights it a bit, but really walks nice. He prances when he's walking...his tail is up and wagging, he's looking around, sniffing a little, and springs along. He LOVES walks!!

So far, he's shown no interest in the doggy pool, or any water really. He likes to roll in the wet grass, but that's about all. He's not showing any interest in toys, either. We've tried tennis balls, kongs, soft frisbees, and dumbbells. We haven't tried stuffed toys since two of my dogs love to shred them. He still loves bones, and chewing.

We have been leaving Rusty out of the kennel for a few hours at a time. He's done very well...no damage to anything. I suspect he sleeps, or watches out the window for interesting stuff going by. I think he will eventually be fine with free run of the house. He's been loose with our other dogs for about 4 hours while we are gone and we haven't had any damage. He's starting to not like the kennel, but will go in willingly with a couple treats and some coaxing. Rusty is the happiest dog I've met. He's so happy to see us when we get home. He's really excited when we get up in the morning. It's like he just can't wait to be with people. He loves to snuggle and get attention.

Rusty is set to meet a potential forever home this week, so we'll keep you posted.

Hooray!! Rusty has found his forever home! He'll be spending the rest of his fun-filled days with Chuck going for walks, rides in the truck, and hanging out. Hopefully Rusty will continue to learn about toys, and it sounds like they'll be taking an obedience class in the near future. Rusty's a superstar, so he'll excel at whatever they do. Good luck to Chuck and Rusty!!!

Thanks to all the families that expressed interest in Rusty. We sincerely appreciate your support.