RUSTY

• Gender: Male
• Age: 1 yr
• Size: 42 lbs
• Color: Orange
• Cats: Unknown
• Dogs: No
• Kids: Yes
• Traits: Rusty loves getting affection and promises to give a lifetime of love back.

Hello!  I’m Rusty and I'm one year old.  For my first year, I lived outside in a kennel with my doggie siblings.  When my brother Amos and I arrived at our ACES foster home, we got lots of TLC, including a trip to the vet, a good diet and an overdue bath.  We were so afraid of everything: the humans, the other dogs, noises, the car, even the TV.  We were also quite skinny, but we gained weight rapidly.  I now weigh 42 pounds.  I like my food, but I really like the treats I get for being a good boy! 

With lots of love and patience from my foster family, I have learned a lot about living inside of a house.  I am housetrained.  I love living inside the warmth of a home and sleeping on a fluffy doggie bed. I like the security of my crate at night.  Sometimes when I smell food, I get the urge to counter surf for leftovers.  Once I dragged a loaf of bread around the kitchen floor before my foster Mom took it away.  But I was very good the night of the “cookie exchange.”  I left the cookies alone and only ate a piece of cheese that a lady dropped on the floor.  She said that I was a good vacuum cleaner. 

I used to growl at my brother and the other dogs.  I'm learning to live with my dog siblings and my behavior is improving.  I would be happiest as the only dog in my adoptive home where I can have all the attention for myself.  I really like this thing called “affection.”  I used to back away when anyone tried to pet me, but all that has changed.  I like to have my head petted, my tummy rubbed and my chin scratched.  And “cuddles” are so nice!  I really like when the grandchildren (age 9 and older) come to visit.  They’re so much fun!   I am curious about Boots, the cat who lives here, but she doesn’t get too close to me or my brother.

I do very well outside where I can run around on an acre of land enclosed by a 6 foot wall.  There is a four foot wall in the front yard, and I'm very curious about what is on the other side.  I will need at least a five foot fence in my adoptive home.  I love to chase birds and one day I even caught a quail!  I am also learning to play with the toys and with the other dogs.  I never had any toys before; balls and squeaky things frightened me at first,  but I watched Annie and Sundance, my foster siblings, play.  It looked like fun and finally one day I picked up a big ball and ran with it.  Annie chased me, but she couldn’t catch me.  I’m very fast!  I had the best time and now I just love toys.  I sometimes get confused and one day I pulled a sweatshirt off the clothesline and was running with it in the yard.  My foster Dad told me that just because it had a UConn basketball on it, it was NOT a toy!

I am just learning to walk on a leash.  I pull a lot when I go for a walk because there is so much to see out in the world and I am very curious.  I must say that I am a smart boy.  I want to learn about everything.  I certainly would like to attend a “doggie school.”  I’m sure I would get excellent grades.  I think we would have fun going together.

I would love to have a forever home with a family who would love me.  I promise to give you a lifetime of love back. 

RUSTY'S FRIENDS

Pam Miller hopes that Rusty will find his forever family soon!