Rusty's 5th adopt-versary

 Five years ago, on 24 March 2017, my life changed when Rusty came home with me. 

I still cannot get enough of just hanging out with my dog. 

Rusty was about 5 to 6 years old at the time (so 10 to 11 years now). She has been with me through four house moves and one provincial move. I had the pleasure of being with her all day, every day until July last year when I began working from the factory office. She spends most days with granny Liz and dogs Rosy and Bella. Sometimes I take her in to work because I just really miss being with her.

She started going to dog school just over a year ago. This amazing girl got 98% in her first 'exam' and is the oldest dog in the advanced class. She is super smart. She loves doing go-around the cones and is really good at going through hoops. She gets excited like a puppy when we do these. She is progressing with nosework. Rusty has amazing focus on me and she is excellent at down stays where she grins at me across the distance.

Almost every evening we hit the trails. She has spondylosis in her lower vertebra so we keep distance and difficulty within reason these days. She is incredible at recognising and leading on routes traversed only once even if from the other direction and weeks later. She loves being out. She also loves swimming and is a doggy paddle champ - she prefers to be in the water with me. She also loves being on my kayak.

Rusty is the July pin-up girl in the 2022 Border Collie Rescue calendar. I'll probably go April, May, June, July and then stay on July for the rest of the year.

Rusty is funny, sweet and smart. She loves hanging out with me as much as I love being with her. Rusty is my first dog ever - and did I get lucky with this one! 

I didn't rescue her; she rescued me and continues to be the light in my life.