Rusty’s family sent us an update on how he’s doing. He’s been great and they tell us he’s just wonderful. They are still learning things about him as they introduce him to new situations. This past winter when it was snowing quite a bit, Rusty showed them his skillz as he jumped into the snow and played like a puppy.

Rusty was chasing leaves in the fall and now is bounding through snow in the winter. He’s come a long way since he first came to us last year and we’re happy to hear he’s doing great!

His family thought he might want a raincoat for when they go out on rainy days but Rusty didn’t seem to enjoy wearing it. His family sent us a pic of him in his raincoat. He reminds us of Paddington Bear.

Here he is in his raincoat that he may never wear again, just look at that SAD face!

Rusty has become more and more affectionate with his foster family. He is much more playful all around and will come up onto the bed when invited to cuddle. He’s also not barking as much as he did before. He wears a citronella collar when no one is home. Rusty has figured out that when he is wearing the collar he is still allowed to bark at a soft level, just not at the full level that was disturbing to our neighbors.

His foster mom discovered that Rusty seems to love the fall season. He likes to chase the leaves as they blow around and tries to catch them. He also will try to play in the piles of leaves he passes on walks. Christine told us Rusty will check out all the leaves he walks by and when he finds one he deems to be “perfect” he picks it up and carries it. That is, until he finds the next “perfect” leaf.

Rusty spent some time with a few other dogs one weekend and got along well but was definitely tense. He also showed some aggression and possession over his food bowl to the other dogs. He liked playing with them but was somewhat reserved. He may need a few meetings with some dogs to really relax and play without any nervousness.

Christine has told us that Rusty is really a beautifully trained dog with great manners. Never snapping food from your hand he will always wait patiently for treats. He is very good with dogs at the dog run.

He has not had any more seizures of any size since the first few they observed.

Rusty’s foster family has told us that he has opened up to them more since they first had him and loves to meet their friends. He greets other dogs very well too and has fun at the dog run and going for walks. He’s learned how to play with other dogs appropriately and read their body language and his foster family has told us it’s great to watch him learn and interact with other dogs. He’s got such a great personality that strangers they run into fall in love with Rusty.

Rusty can get barky when there is nobody home. They are trying to find the root of this behavior–it may be separation anxiety or just boredom. Rusty just got a new toys to help keep him occupied when they are out, a Kibble Nibbler and a Tug-a-Jug. He plays with them when he is a little bored. He does prefer people to be home and has stopped pacing, which was a sign of stress. He’s relaxed quite a bit and is adjusting nicely to his foster home.

There have not been any training problems with Rusty. He previously had a few accidents in the home but has not had any in a long time. The adjustment to the home and his walking schedule has helped this issue. Rusty knows several commands such as sit, down, and walks well on a loose leash. He also comes when called except at the dog park where there are just too many friends and things to explore!

Rusty has had a two smaller and one larger seizure. Prior to his larger seizure Rusty was pacing frantically, drooling, and not walking straight. He walked over to his foster mom and she stayed with him until the seizure passed.

Christine, his foster mom, took Rusty up to a country house in the Poconos, twice. He does very well in car rides–he lies down and falls asleep for most of the drive. Once they slowed down closer to the destination he peeked his head out the window to check out the surrounding area. He was very calm and playful in the country house. He loved to check out each room and the quiet of the country kept him from barking much.

Rusty sounds like he is having a great time with his foster family. We hope to find him his forever home soon!

Please welcome to NYCSR, Rusty, a beautiful sesame colored male shiba who is about 9 years old. He’s come to us because his former owner changed jobs and was unable to dedicate the time needed to care for a dog. Rusty is about 28lbs and has a little chubbiness to him that his current foster family is watching to make sure he doesn’t gain more weight. They are exercising him and watching the amount of food and treats he gets each day.

Rusty is in good health and may have had seizures in the past, but so far, there have been none reported since he’s been with us but he does have a vet exam coming up soon and we will let you know if we find any concerns.

He’s friendly with adults, affectionate, and curious. He’s also true to his shiba nature and can be aloof at times as well. When Rusty passes dogs on the street he shows curiosity or ignores them most times but a few dogs he has shown some aggression towards and we’re trying to figure out what may trigger that reaction.

Rusty’s foster family told us that he is friendly to people he knows and curious but wary towards strangers. It takes him a little time to warm up to people to visit the apartment or those who want to greet him on the street. Rusty is neither toy nor food aggressive. He had very good manners when it comes to treats–never snapping them out of your hand or stealing them. He was very quiet and mild when he first came into our home but he has become more playful.

Rusty knows some of the basic commands such as sit, down, and stay but also knows high five and speak! Rusty has a weird snapping behavior where he snaps at the air in front of him. It can seem aggressive because he is baring his teeth but if you put your hand in front of him he will avoid it. Rusty snaps when he is excited, bored, or wants your attention. He has bursts of energy when he paces up and down the apartment and snaps at the air. During these times he gladly welcomes somebody to play with or will quiet down once he gets it out of his system.
Whoever is lucky enough to take Rusty into their home will have to learn his language a little bit to understand what he’s trying to convey.

When on walks Rusty is generally good. Though sometimes he wants to cross the street without being given any direction and will walk in circles around you at other times. He quickly comes back when corrected but tugging on the leash. Rusty’s goal in life is to kill all bugs, flying or otherwise. He does chase birds sometimes but other times is completely aloof towards them.