March 3, 2011

Hello Everyone- I have been so busy the last few months but I do have a small brag. In July, after many, many months of hard work, I earned my obedience Utility Dog title- my UD.

-Rusty Cinnamon King UD RE CGC

August 20, 2008

Hello Lab lovers. My name is Rusty Cinnamon King CDX, RE, CGC. My family sometimes calls me Rust for short or even Rusty Trusty.

Like many of my lab rescue buddies, I am in my new home and I am as happy as a clam. Today is my 5th Anniversary with my family (August 12, 2008) which also happens to be my 7th birthday. My mom and dad adopted me on my 2nd birthday. There are four of us LRR labbies here (Rudy, Fletchy, Polly and I).

Backing up a bit, I was turned into a shelter by a wonderful woman, the problem was she was 85 yrs old and I was a 2 yr old 85lb lab. We just weren’t compatible. The lady’s grandkids thought I would make a great present and be good company. The joke was on them, I was a lab puppy. By the time I was two, I had no training and was a bit, well… you could say “out of control”. The shelter put me in the back quarantine runs because I was so out of control, I was deemed unadoptable. LRR came to the shelter to look at some nice calm 3-4 year old labs. The friendly shelter staff mentioned my story and was laughing over the irony. The couple from LRR wanted to see me. They saw me from outside the kennel run and told the shelter to go ahead and draw up the paperwork, I was leaving. The volunteers from LRR knew my mommy was looking for me. She wanted to adopt a fun, happy, yellow puppy to train. My mom got exactly what she wanted! Now my dad was not as “sold” on me but I had my mom convinced in no time flat. I am a momma’s boy to this day.

I went home and just a few days later was neutered. My mom loves to hear the story about my neuter. This vet was doing quite a few surgeries that day and the dogs that were under anesthesia were laying on the floor. I started waking up after my surgery and went to all the dogs and gave them kisses.

My mom and dad were actually on a cruise in Alaska when all this was happening. They called to check in on my brother Rudy and learned that LRR “had the dog they were looking for.” So, right after they got home, I went to visit and try them out.

The first few weeks with mom and dad were a bit “trying”. If nothing else, I was 105% housebroken, but that’s about where it ended. Mom and Dad were just laughing the other night about memories of bedtime. I would stand on the bed with my head hanging low, look down at them, and lick their faces. They would put me in my crate and cover the crate like a bird to have me go to sleep. The stories and laughs are endless.

Mom decided it was time to start my career. I started out at Petsmart and we made a bit of progress. We went to another trainer, but Mom did not like their methods. So we ended up about 4 years ago with Mt. Vernon Dog Training Club and have been there since. Mondays are the BEST day ever. Mom and I head out for school with my school bag and it’s just us for 2 hours of work. I love to make my mom proud. We have come a long way, both of us. I am currently learning all of the exercises for Utility Dog obedience so I can get a few more initials after my name.

Just this year, my brother Rudy and I became Therapy Dogs with Pets on Wheels of Fairfax. About every other week we go to the nursing home to make people smile. Mom and I both feel good knowing we made people smile when we are leaving.

But my biggest job is probably being a foster brother for the new labbies to LRR. Whenever new labbies come to LRR they usually stop over at our house for me to test them out. Mom will tell me she is bringing me a new toy home before she leaves. Then when they get here, I sniff them out and see what they are all about. I bark a few time, paw at them, and RUN the other way hoping for a good chase. I can get even the shyest of them to run and chase me. It’s wonderful.

It’s been a great 5 years and mom keeps telling me I have at least 35 more. We have lots planned and lots of things to learn in that time. I have got to go since it is Monday- mom made cupcakes and brownies for school.

It’s great to be an LRR lab- Rusty