Entered: 02/18/2006
Status: Adopted
Age: 4
Color: Black/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Wilmington, DE
Health: UTD, HW-, doing well with medication for hypothyroidism
Temperament: Good with people down to 7 years, good with dogs, unknown with cats
Updated 3/1/06:
With a little more time to fully assess Rusty’s health, a significant finding has surfaced. Rusty has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism which will be a lifelong condition for him. Fortunately, this disease is easily controlled with a daily, inexpensive pill. His foster mother’s vet provided a one month supply for $12. Rusty will also need blood work two to three times a year to monitor his liver and kidney function and to tweak his medication if necessary. With medication, Rusty should live a normal, active life and can be expected to maintain good health well into his golden years.
Rusty continues to do great in his foster home. He plays with the other dogs and has mastered the doggy door. Although he doesn’t like to be crated, he does go in willingly once he is led to the crate door with gentle pressure on his collar. He has been crated for up to six hours without incident. Rusty would love to be left loose in the house and is growing into the opportunity. So far, he has been left loose while his family was out for 30 minutes during which he behaved like a gentleman!
Rusty would benefit from an obedience class to teach him basic doggie skills. He loves being with people but doesn’t yet understand basic commands. He is a super sweet boy who deserves some extra attention and loving to make up for his years spent in the relative isolation of outdoor living. What wonderful pleasure could come from sharing Rusty’s new life as an indoor companion! He’s almost ready for a forever family. If you’re ready to wrap your heart around this boy, he’d love to meet you.
Original: Rusty was purchased by an elderly gentleman to be his hunting dog. The gentleman passed on and Rusty continued living in his outside kennel with minimal interaction from his caretaker, the gentleman’s widow. When the widow sold the house, Rusty became part of the deal. His new owners had hopes of turning him into an inside family dog. Unfortunately, due to medical issues in their family and busy work schedules, they haven’t been able to spend the time Rusty needs to make his transition. They contacted MAESSR, feeling that with his “eager to please” attitude and some training, Rusty could do well in another home.
Rusty has been in foster care a few days and is already enjoying life inside. So far, he hasn’t had any accidents and has been crated for up to five hours. Rusty does not respond reliably to most commands but does seem truly eager to please. He shows a promising start on good house manners, leaving both the garbage can and counter tops alone.
When the shotgun case came out on Sunday morning, Rusty got very excited, but he doesn’t respond to the normal commands and signals that most hunters use. His foster family isn’t sure if he didn’t get far along in his hunt training, if he wasn’t trained to the normal commands, or, if he just is “rusty”.
With the people and dogs around him, Rusty is a friendly and laid back boy. He is getting along well with the resident dogs, all neutered males, ages 10 months to 13 1/2 years. He especially enjoys playing with the puppy. Rusty is also enjoying the attention of the resident 7 year old boy. Because of having lived outdoors this winter, Rusty has a very thick coat. He enjoyed being combed and brushed over the weekend and must have a nice tingly feeling with this new “pampering” in his life.