Rusty

by Ellen Miles

  For Nicole, Marc, and Natalie

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  DEDICATION

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  PUPPY TIPS

  TEASER

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  OTHER STORIES BY ELLEN MILES

  COPYRIGHT

  Lizzie Peterson woke up early on the first day of spring vacation. She stretched and yawned, then rolled over to give her puppy, Buddy, a hug. “You’re such a good sleeper,” she told him as they cuddled. Buddy never snored or stole the covers. He just slept quietly, curled up in a soft, warm ball. He stayed right beside her, ready to snuggle if she woke in the night or had a bad dream. She missed Buddy when he sometimes slept with Charles or the Bean, her younger brothers. Lizzie had dozens of stuffies to hug, but they just weren’t the same as a real, live puppy.

  Lizzie was crazy about animals, especially dogs of all ages. She loved playing with them, learning about them, and taking care of them. She even had a dog-walking business with three friends. Lizzie stretched and yawned again, thinking how glad she was that they had decided to take a break from the business during school vacation, since they all had big plans.

  Lizzie’s best friend, Maria, was going to her family’s cabin in the woods. Daphne was going to Arizona, and Brianna was going to Disney World. All three of them were super excited and had acted like Lizzie was losing out, since she wasn’t leaving town. Lizzie didn’t care. She was going to Animal Camp!

  “Why do you get to go to Animal Camp every day and I just have to stay home?” Charles asked when she went downstairs that morning. He was sitting at the kitchen table, nibbling a piece of toast.

  “I told you,” she said as she got herself a bowl of cereal. “Because Ms. Dobbins is just trying out the idea. She decided to start with one four-day session, just for fourth and fifth graders.” Lizzie was in fourth, but Charles was only in second grade. “If it works out, they’ll have day camp this summer for all ages.”

  Ms. Dobbins was the director of Caring Paws, the animal shelter where Lizzie regularly volunteered. Ms. Dobbins had been talking forever about hosting an animal day camp, and now she was finally doing it. She and the other staff members at Caring Paws had been planning the camp for weeks, but she hadn’t told Lizzie much about it. “I want you to be surprised,” Ms. Dobbins had said. “But trust me, there will be a ton of activities and games and plenty of time to be with the animals, too. Plus some special guests. I think you’re going to love it.”

  “Anyway, you get to stay home and play with Buddy,” Lizzie reminded Charles. He loved their puppy as much as she did. Sometimes they even argued about who loved Buddy more.

  “And with me and the Bean,” said Mom as she joined them at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. “We’re going to do some fun things this week, the three of us.” She raised an eyebrow at Lizzie. Mom had already told Lizzie that she planned to take Charles and the Bean to a professional hockey game — and she’d even arranged a meeting with the mascot, who was a giant purple tiger. Lizzie knew her brothers were going to love that.

  Later, when Mom dropped Lizzie off at Caring Paws, she gave Lizzie a kiss good-bye and said, “Just promise me you won’t come home with a puppy for us to foster. I’ve got enough on my hands already this week; I can’t be chasing after a puppy, too.”

  Lizzie smiled. “No worries,” she said. “I already know who I’m choosing for my Pet Pal.”

  The idea of Pet Pals was the only thing Ms. Dobbins had shared about camp. She’d told Lizzie that each camper was going to have a special friend among the shelter animals, someone they’d take care of, learn about, and maybe even help find a home for. From her volunteering, Lizzie already knew most of the shelter dogs. She had decided she’d choose Nora, an old black Lab who loved to nap in the sun out in the dog yard. Lizzie felt a little sorry for Nora; she had been at the shelter for over six months — very few people wanted to adopt older dogs. But plump old Nora was such a sweetheart, with her gray muzzle and slow, plodding walk. She’d be easy to deal with, too. That would leave Lizzie plenty of time to pay attention to all the other activities at Animal Camp.

  “Have fun,” Mom said as she gave Lizzie another kiss good-bye.

  Lizzie walked into Caring Paws, wondering if she would know any of the other campers. She wasn’t usually shy, but it would be nice to see a friendly face.

  “Yay! Lizzie’s here!” April, one of the shelter staff, gave her a big smile from behind the reception desk. “Camp’s starting soon. They’re all in the meeting room.”

  Lizzie smiled and headed to the back. “Wow,” she said when she walked in. The room had been transformed from a boring space with a big table and a bunch of chairs into a colorful, exciting place. The table had been pushed against the wall, and huge comfy-looking pillows in every color of the rainbow filled the floor. Posters of animals — from puppies to elephants to tortoises — decorated the walls. Lizzie spotted an array of tempting craft supplies on the table and a stack of T-shirts ready to be passed out to campers. “It looks fantastic in here,” she said to Ms. Dobbins, who stood near the door.

  Ms. Dobbins smiled happily. “Doesn’t it? We’re all so excited about camp. We had a lot of fun getting things ready yesterday.”

  Lizzie saw Nicole, a girl she knew from school, and went to talk to her. A moment later, Ms. Dobbins clapped her hands and asked everyone to grab a pillow and sit in a circle. “Welcome, everyone,” she said when they were settled. “We’re so happy to have you all here for our very first Camp Cares-a-Lot. For any of you I haven’t met yet, I’m Ms. Dobbins, the director of Caring Paws. And I want to introduce Rebecca and Linda, who will be helping with all our activities.” She gestured to two teenagers beside her.

  Lizzie knew Rebecca and Linda a bit from her volunteering. Linda gave her a little wave, and she waved back.

  “We have so many exciting things planned for this week,” said Ms. Dobbins, “but we wanted to start with a little icebreaker, just to get to know each other. Let’s go around the circle and introduce ourselves, but instead of telling where you live and what grade you are in, tell us which animal you’d be if you could be any animal in the world — and why!”

  It was a fun way to get to know people. Lizzie laughed along with everyone else when a girl named Natalie said she’d like to be a monkey so she could swing through the trees, and Lizzie nodded when a boy named Marc said he’d always wanted to be a hawk so he could fly high above the clouds. Lizzie was not the only one who said she’d like to be a dog, but she was the only one who picked a specific breed: she wanted to be a Newfoundland so she could swim even in the coldest water.

  “Wonderful,” said Ms. Dobbins when they had each had a turn. “I feel like I really know something about each of you. Now it’s time to meet our Pet Pals, the animals you’ll be caring for this week. People who are interested in kittens and cats can go with Rebecca. Linda will help you if you want a guinea pig, hamster, or rabbit. And if you’re all about dogs” — she gave Lizzie a special wink and a smile — “come with me.”

  Lizzie jumped right up to follow Ms. Dobbins back to the kennels. She couldn’t wait to give Nora a big hug and show the old Lab the special treat she’d brought her.

  But as they walked toward the kennels, Ms. Dobbins put her arm around Lizzie’s shoulders. “I have a favor to ask you,” she said. “We have a new guest here at Caring Paws. He needs some special attention, and I think you’re just the person to give it to him. All the other campers are going to be paired with our easiest, most wel
l-behaved dogs — but I’m hoping you’ll choose this new guest as your Pet Pal.” She stopped at the first kennel. A beautiful dog with a shiny, flowing red coat sprang off his bed and ran to the door of his cage. He put his paws up on the door and barked, wagging his feathered tail. He grinned at Lizzie, his long ears framing a face full of mischievous spirit.

  Hi, hi, hi! Let me out so we can play!

  “Lizzie, meet Rusty,” said Ms. Dobbins.

  “Wow,” said Lizzie. “An Irish setter, right? He’s beautiful.” She held her hand to the wire mesh door of Rusty’s kennel so he could sniff it. He snuffled happily and gave her knuckles a lick.

  Ms. Dobbins nodded. “Beautiful — and a bit of a handful. And you’re right about his breed. The people who relinquished him just couldn’t handle that setter energy.”

  Lizzie knew that “relinquished” meant “gave up.” She always hated to hear about people giving up a pet, even though she knew that making such a hard decision was sometimes the right thing to do. “But he’s such a happy guy,” she said. It was obvious right away that Rusty was a joyful pup who loved people.

  “He is,” said Ms. Dobbins. “He’s got a terrific spirit. I hear he’s also a bit of a mischief maker. He’s only a year old, but he’s had a few adventures already. You know, running off, eating strange things, that kind of stuff.” She touched Lizzie’s shoulder. “I need to introduce the other campers to their Pet Pals, and then we’re going to take the dogs out into the yard and practice leash manners. Why don’t you take Rusty out there first and let him run off some steam before the rest of us come out?”

  Lizzie nodded. “Sure,” she said. She was flattered to be one of the only kids under fourteen who were allowed to walk the dogs at Caring Paws. She had earned that privilege by showing Ms. Dobbins how responsible she could be, and by following all the rules of the shelter. She knew that dogs were only allowed to run free in the fenced dog yard one at a time unless there was a supervised playtime.

  Carefully, she opened the door to Rusty’s kennel and slipped inside. She put on his leash, talking to him gently and petting his silky copper-colored coat. “That’s a good boy,” she murmured as she got ready to walk him down the row of kennels to the outside door.

  Rusty pranced about eagerly as she reached for his kennel door. Then he bolted down the aisle, dragging her past Ms. Dobbins and the other campers, who stood in a small group near another dog’s kennel. “Whoa!” Lizzie cried. “Easy there, boy.” The other campers giggled.

  Embarrassed, Lizzie slipped out the door to the dog yard without looking back. She was starting to see what Ms. Dobbins had meant when she called Rusty a handful. “You need to learn some better manners,” she told him as she took off his leash.

  Rusty grinned up at her and gave a tremendous shake. The silky feathers of his red coat flew out and settled back down.

  Who needs manners when you’re as good-looking as I am?

  Then he took off in a mad dash around the yard, stopping only to sniff and pee now and then as he circled once, twice, three times.

  Lizzie watched, shaking her head. What a beautiful dog! His shiny coat rippled in the sunlight. He was thin but strong and athletic, and his long legs seemed to cover half the dog yard’s length with every stride. His head had a noble look, with a pointed nose and long, silky ears.

  “He’s something, isn’t he?” Ms. Dobbins had stepped outside to join Lizzie. “I’ll help you get him back on the leash. It’s not easy to grab him unless you have some treats to offer.” She dug into her pocket and pulled out a jerky treat. “Rusty!” she called. “Come, Rusty!”

  The red dog ran toward them, then veered off to sniff at a patch of ground.

  In a minute. First I have to check on a few things.

  Ms. Dobbins shook her head. “Typical teenager,” she said. “Always testing to see what they can get away with.”

  “Teenager?” Lizzie asked.

  Ms. Dobbins nodded. “He’s about one year old. Dogs are often in a teenager phase when they’re about six to eighteen months old.” Rusty was still sniffing. “Rusty!” Ms. Dobbins called again. She held out the treat. “Come see what I have.”

  Rusty looked up at her.

  Oh, right. You’re the one with the yummy treats. Okay, maybe I’ll join you.

  He trotted over, wagging his tail. Ms. Dobbins waited until he sat in front of her with an expectant look on his face. “Good boy,” she said, giving him the treat.

  Rusty gobbled it down and stood up as if he was about to take off again, but Lizzie stepped forward to put on his leash. When Rusty tried to duck away, she managed to grab his collar. “Got him,” she said.

  “Good work,” said Ms. Dobbins. “I’ll go get the other campers.”

  Lizzie had a few treats in her own pocket, including the big biscuit she had brought for Nora. “Sit, Rusty,” she said, holding a treat above his nose. He followed it with his eyes, which automatically made his butt drop so that he was sitting. “Good boy,” said Lizzie, giving him the treat.

  By the time Ms. Dobbins and the other campers came out into the dog yard, Lizzie had Rusty sitting nicely by her side. Of course, he jumped to his feet as soon as he saw the other dogs parading past.

  Hi, hi, hi! Is it playtime now?

  Lizzie sighed, but she had to smile. Rusty was so exuberant; who could resist such a joyful personality? Still, as the lesson went on, she couldn’t help being a little envious of Nicole, who had chosen Nora as her Pet Pal. The two of them walked easily around the dog yard, Nora plodding peacefully on a loose leash. She didn’t pull or veer off to sniff at a rock or try to wrestle with the dog ahead of her. Rusty did all those things and more. He even tried to steal treats out of Lizzie’s pocket while Ms. Dobbins showed the campers how to teach their dogs to heel — staying close to a person’s left side as they walk together.

  Rusty was definitely a handful. But there was something very special about the lanky red pup. With Rusty as her Pet Pal, Lizzie could already tell that Animal Camp was going to be more fun — and a lot more challenging — than she ever could have imagined.

  “Nice job, everyone,” said Ms. Dobbins. “I can see that you all really love dogs. Your Pet Pals are going to be so happy to see you every day.” She checked her watch. “Looks like it’s snack time. Let’s get our pals settled into their kennels.” Lizzie walked Rusty back to his kennel. She told him to sit, then gave him the big biscuit she had brought for Nora. “Good boy,” she said as he took it to his bed and began to gnaw it, holding one end down with a big paw while he chewed on the other end. He looked up at her with a goofy grin and thumped his tail happily.

  Yum. After this can we go out and play some more?

  Lizzie hated to leave Rusty alone in his kennel, even though she knew that the big biscuit would keep him busy for a while. She was already falling in love with the happy guy. “I’ll be back later,” she promised him as she slipped out the door. Maybe Ms. Dobbins would let her have some extra time with Rusty.

  She headed to the meeting room, where Rebecca and Linda were passing out juice boxes and animal crackers for snack. Lizzie found a cushion next to Nicole’s and plopped down, sighing.

  Nicole laughed. “Are you that tired already? We’re only a few hours into our first day of camp.”

  Lizzie laughed, too. “I know. But dealing with Rusty is kind of exhausting. He’s got a lot of energy.” She was embarrassed about not being able to control the excitable red dog.

  “I noticed,” said Nicole. “I know I sure wouldn’t be able to handle him. Nora is perfect for me.”

  That made Lizzie feel a little better. Still, as a dog-walking professional, she thought she should be able to handle any dog.

  Ms. Dobbins came over and smiled down at Lizzie. “You did a great job,” she said. “I knew you and Rusty would get along.”

  “But I couldn’t even get him to walk nicely on the leash,” said Lizzie.

  Ms. Dobbins waved a hand. “He won’t do it for me, either.
He needs a lot of attention and plenty of practice.” She smiled again. “Maybe the special guest who’s coming this afternoon will have some ideas.”

  “Who’s the special guest?” Lizzie asked.

  “A very experienced dog trainer,” said Ms. Dobbins. “She’s coming to talk to us about how to communicate with dogs.”

  “Cool,” said Nicole.

  Lizzie raised her eyebrows. “Does the experienced dog trainer’s name happen to be Amanda?” she asked.

  Ms. Dobbins laughed. “You guessed it,” she said.

  Lizzie’s aunt Amanda owned a doggy day-care center called Bowser’s Backyard. She knew everything there was to know about dogs and dog training. Lizzie was sure Ms. Dobbins was right: if anybody could help Rusty learn to mellow out, it would be Aunt Amanda.

  “Maybe she’ll have some ideas about how to train Rusty,” said Ms. Dobbins. “But right now we’ve got some other activities planned.”

  After they’d finished their snacks, Rebecca led the campers in a quick game of Obedience School, which was like a dog-themed Simon Says.

  “Trainer says, sit!” she said when everyone was lined up in front of her. They all sat. “Shake!” Rebecca said, then smiled, pointing at Marc and Natalie, who’d each held up one “paw.” “Uh-uh,” she said. “I didn’t say ‘trainer says’!”

  By the time the group had practiced all their “tricks” — rolling over, playing dead, sitting up pretty, and barking on command — Lizzie felt energized again and ready for anything.

  After the game, it was time for crafts. “Today we’re going to make name tags,” said Linda. “Or, as we call them here, dog tags.” She held up a piece of construction paper and showed them how she had traced a dog-bone shape onto it, then cut it out. “Or you could make a cat’s paw, if that’s what you’re more into. After you’ve cut out your shapes, you can decorate them however you like.” She gestured to the art supplies laid out on the table.

  Lizzie groaned. She was not the most crafty person in the world. She looked toward the door, wondering if she could sneak out and spend some time with Rusty instead. But Nicole pulled Lizzie to the craft table. “Come on,” she said. “This’ll be fun. What color are you going to choose?”