Rusty Finds His Pack.

Rusty actually smiling for the camera!

If you've ever watched an episode of "The Dog Whisperer" you will learn that dogs are pack animals. So, it is healthy for dogs to have a circle of dog friends so they can just be themselves.

Rusty has made a few neighborhood connections with some dogs on our walking route. However, his main squeeze is his girl, Daisy who are the pride and joy of my friends Jim and April. When I first brought Rusty to meet them, I worried if I had enough money in my bank account just in case Rusty thought Daisy was a tiny snack. When we first arrived Rusty was overexcited and barking like a mad dog. He took a nip at Daisy. My heart dropped to my throat. The tiny Daisy was having none of it. She barked back at Rusty and in whatever dog language they possess, she quickly put him in his place. They have been fast friends ever since.

On this Labor day weekend, while I had fun with the humans, Rusty not only had Daisy to play with but three new buddies to chill with who tagged along with Henry and Dawn.

Missy

 

Daisy

Mugsy

Maggie

The first few minutes of my arrival was filled with a chorus of barking as they all introduced themselves. After that, Rusty had the time of his life. As you could see from the photo above, Rusty was so happy to have his own set of friends, he seemed to be beaming when I took his picture.

He is now a part of pack that not only includes his girl Daisy but also Mugsy, Missy, and Maggie. It was especially cool to see him horsing around with another male dog - Mugsy who became his new best friend! Rusty clearly has an eye for talent as Mugsy has hidden skills. When an ambulance went by Mugsy stopped, listened and howled a perfect copy of the sound of the siren. I was definitely impressed. Missy who is a sweety was a little afraid of Rusty's exuberant personality but by the end of the night they were running around having fun as well. Maggie preferred to jump from one lap to another. I think Henry and Dawn trained her to be a "plant" to distract us while we played cards to give them an edge. It worked until we caught on to the plot. Maggie and her crooked teeth was so adorable it was hard to say "no" to her.

 I couldn't be happier seeing my guy interacting with other dogs in such a healthy way.