10/12/06: Rusty arrived at our crazy home last night. He?s a previous RAGOM pup?we fostered him 6 months ago?so hopefully he remembered us. One picture is when he was 5 months old, the other at 12 months. He and Winston immediately began playing, while Bogie got reacquainted with him. Having a 12 month old pup and a 14 month old pup makes for a crazy atmosphere. Actually, this morning they played a lot, but presently are both taking a nap.

What do we know about Rusty? Well, he?s definitely your typical Golden Retriever puppy. He turns 12 months next week. When we had him 6 months ago, we predicted he?d be a large dog. And, we were right. By no means is he overweight, just big-boned. His face and eyes will knock you over. He likes to play, but I think with proper exercise he?ll settle down just fine. What do I mean by proper exercise? Well, I believe all dogs, especially young ones, need AT LEAST one walk a day. And, I don?t mean around the block. I would guess this guy would love 2 walks a day. I also think he?s got a great stature for becoming a great running partner. I always say a tired puppy makes a great puppy and the only way you?ll tire them out is to allow them to exercise everyday.

In the short time we?ve had him I?ve found out a few additional things: he?s completely housetrained (yeah!), he loves other dogs, he loves kids, he loves fetching a ball, he?s very smart and he?s crate trained. The crate training comes in very handy when you need to leave the house and you don?t want 2 young dogs getting into stuff. The previous owners took him through basic puppy obedience, so he actually knows some commands?more than my own dogs! I took him on a walk today and he walks perfectly with a Gentle Leader on. He even heels!! I was astonished! I?ve never had a dog (my own or foster) that actually heels! It was pretty cool! Rumor has it, he also counter-surfs and likes to dig. I?ve had plenty of dogs that counter-surf and you just need to put all food up high or in the refrigerator. As for the digging, I haven?t seen it yet, but as with most puppies, if you leave them outside for long periods of time, unsupervised, they will get bored and find something to do. I will keep a close eye on him and not allow him to dig. He doesn?t appear to be a barker. He barks when appropriate?for example, when someone rings the doorbell. He has a great low bark, so it will scare away any potential burglars! Haha.

As I said earlier, he is not a small Golden. He is dark red with a gorgeous face! I?d guess him to be around 70 lbs., give or take 5 lbs. He appears to be very healthy, is up to date on shots and microchipped. And, did I say how good-looking he is?? I believe he would really excel at further training. He is very food motivated, so training should be a snap. Down the road, (when he?s out of his puppy stage and further trained) he perhaps could even do agility or become a therapy dog.

This guy needs someone very special to adopt him. He?s been tossed around too many times in his short 12 months of life. He deserves stability in his life. Don?t we all? If you are an approved applicant and can offer this guy the stability, consistency and exercise he sooo deserves, please let your placement advisor know.

Rusty at 5 monthsRusty at 12 months