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But Rusty won't bite. He won't bark, either, although he'll make a dull, hollow noise if you tap on his side.
And he's never hungry because he always has a bone.
Rusty is Dale Rogers' "American Dog," a 5-foot-tall, 7-foot-long COR-TEN steel sculpture that will be the centerpiece this weekend at Susquehanna Style Bistro, the food court at the 30th annual Long's Park Art & Craft Festival.
Rogers, of Haverhill, Mass., is back for his second year as an exhibitor at the annual festival.
He approached Amy L. Marberger, festival director, with the offer of a permanent donation to the park.
"Isn't it awesome?" Marberger said Thursday, as a landscaper from Your Estate Service put final touches to the mound of mulch, flowers and greenery surrounding Rusty.
"Rusty," by the way, was the name given by Deb Martin. the city's superintendent of the park.
It's appropriate because of the dog's rusty color, which Rogers said is a natural product of weathering steel."It's what the government started making bridges and guardrails out of," he said. "It oxidizes for a year, then seals itself. So it has a long lifespan outdoors."
The "American Dog" — it could be a golden retriever or black lab, Rogers said, but he doesn't want to say which — is about 200 pounds of hollow steel. There's no interior assembly, he said; the piece was constructed using exterior welds.
The silhouette piece stands with its head raised proudly, its tail erect and neatly curled. A bone cutout adds an artsy touch to the dog's midsection.
Marberger said Rusty was one of Rogers' smaller pieces on display in 2007.
"It was pretty much the talk of the show, so we were definitely familiar with it when he called and offered to donate it to the park." she said.
The bistro location is temporary, Marberger said. Once the festival is over, she said, city and park officials will determine a permanent site, and Rusty will be set in a concrete foundation.
Rogers said Thursday he wanted to donate a sculpture because "it's a great, gorgeous park" and because the festival staff "really takes care of the artists."
"Plus, the community shows up to support the artists, and it's the right type of crowd — an educated crowd. They know art," he said. "If a community is supporting me and my lifestyle, I want to give something back."
Rogers said he has about 10 pieces on display at the show this year, including a 15-foot-tall guitar.
Little of his work is suitable for the living room or den, he said with a grin. Many of his buyers are serious art collectors who have filled their homes with art and are looking for something to put outside in the garden.
Much of Rogers' work involves geometric shapes that are less recognizable than his popular canine.
"This is one of my most iconic pieces, and I wanted a piece that would really connect with the crowd," he said. "It's good for a kid-friendly and family-friendly park.
"Because dog-lovin' is big."
E-mail: tknapp@lnpnews.com
