Rusty

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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.