[Jenn218]

Our neighbor (Eddie) came to get Rusty later yesterday afternoon. Eddie wasn't going to stop to talk to us, but my husband stopped him. My DH told him that Rusty was no bother to us at all and that he is welcome to be over here anytime.

Eddie said that he was just worried that he is bothering us and that he gets worried when he does not come home - I guess one night, he didn't come home at all. We told him that our dogs sleep inside at night and that we didn't think Rusty stayed here, so we don't know where he went. Eddie was worried because the bears (we live in the woods) have been seen and doesn't want Rusty to get killed or chase them and get lost.......seems weird coming from a guy who threatened to shoot him and/or dump him just the day before.

We told him that if he didn't want Rusty, that we would care for him and that we also knew of several families that would give him a good him. He said that he wanted Rusty, he was just getting aggravated by his actions these last few weeks.

Well, he hauled Rusty home and in about an hour, Rusty was back over here. Apparently, they didn't keep him in the garage or the house and his pen has two sides that need to be fixed, so that does no good.

Rusty stayed here until dark. He was barking at something in the woods and Amber (Eddies girlfriend) called to say that she could hear him barking and wanted to make sure he wasn't bothering us and that the bear was not over there. We talked for awhile, she seemed really nice. I could tell she seemed pretty concerned with Rusty, so he jumped in my Yukon and off we went to his house. The poor thing wouldn't get out of my truck when we got there. He just looked at me with those sad eyes and I just about died! I told her that he could just stay at our house, but she got him out of and put him in the garage.

We talked for awhile. She said that the babies were six months old, so that couldn't be it. She said that they even got Rusty use to the baby smell and things before they were even brought home and then whenever the babies got a toy or played with, Rusty got the same. She did mention that about two weeks ago is when the bears had been seen in their yard. She said that Rusty barked and growled and she praised him for that and gave him a treat. She said that ever since then, he has been really protective. That might explain why he started coming to our land...maybe trailed the bears over here and why he would bark and growl at us (the first few times he seen us).

So, to me, it almost sounds like he is now getting in trouble for what he was once praised to do. (Barking and such)....now, he doesn't do that to us, he is really friendly and such....he is just over here all day and I think they are just worried about him getting into trouble or bothering us. I don't know. There is just something wrong if he doesn't want to go home.

I had told Eddie and Amber that we do not feed him here and he does not come in our house when the other dogs do, so I do not know why he wouldn't go home at night....you would think he would want to get back inside and have food?!

Well, Rusty came over this morning.....later than usual, but he has been here from about 8:30........I am not taking him over there if he stays here tonight. I guess if he continues to stay here and if they don't fix his pen or whatever, I will offer to pay for him to be our dog. I hate to keep him and hide him because I would hate for that to be done if it were one of my dogs, so we have been open and upfront with our neighbors from the get go....just wish us luck with this and keep Rusty in your thoughts and prayers. He is really such a good boy!