Hi all,

I wanted to give you an update on our boy Rusty. We have 2 more classes before he gets his "Good Citizen" award on the 29th. We've been going to American K9 Country in Milford. We will take July off because we are going to Pennsylvania to spend a week with Greg's family. We will then start again in August. He is officially registered with the AKC (if you want a copy let me know). He is 52.2 lbs as of yesterday and stands around 21 1/2" but I think his rear legs did settle down.

On the down side, he has been favoring his left front leg for the last week so we took him to the vets Monday night. They checked him out and only found some pine pitch between his paws. They then did a blood test for Lyme Disease and he tested positive. He is now taking anitbiotics for the next 4 weeks and had a quantitative blood test sent out. He became an extremely "picky" eater a few months ago. It's really hard to get him to eat anything (especially breakfast) but treats. We've tried all kinds of different foods,adding soft food. They work for a couple times then he doesn't eat them again. What's best is adding an egg to the dry food but don't do that every day. There's a brand that's called "Whole Foods" that is shaped as a bone but contains all the nutrients and serving size of regular food. He eats that for dinner, so far. We're hoping this a side effect of the Lyme's and after a few doses will start eating like a regular dog.

On the up side, he is happy and active as always. We walk around 2 miles a day, every day. Tueday we did around 4 miles at Tower Hill Pond. He plays with my sisters dog almost every week and he has his girlfriends next door and across the street that come over and play in our yard (its fenced in). This helps cut down on his humping behavior, miss too long and he'll go for 6 hours!!

When I drive around town with the windows down for him to stick his head out to smell, I wonder when he'll get his first taste of a female in heat and how he'll react. Do I need to keep the windows up high so he can't? There are definitely different reactions when around other males. Some are okay some aren't. People keep telling us "good luck" when we say we're not planning on neutering him so he can breed. We keep talking about it and hoping it will work out. But he is the sweetest, good, handsome boy and we LOVE him sooooo much!!! Family says we're nuts :)

Love Mimi, Greg & Rusty