Bush was previously lost and living on the side of Rifle Range Road, before being rescued and adopted by Ms Parr, with the aid of some snacks. He moved out to her property, but still took a while to warm up to people after his weeks fending for himself.

A few months on though, and Bush is living his best life. He's now the proud owner of his own facebook page, and is enjoying regular trips on the ute and visits from friends.

Ms Parr explained, "He's still a bit wary around strangers and men, but he's getting better. He lets new people pet him... the more people he interacts with, the better."

She added that he'd proven to be good around kids as well, but she was still wary as they haven't known each other for long enough.

"He's really good around kids, but because he's so big, I don't leave him alone with them. He's a dog, you never know what's going to happen ... Even when strangers come here, I stay with them or if I can't, I lock him up for a bit," she said.

"He hasn't shown any aggression though, he'd rather walk away and have nothing to do with you."

That gentle spirit extends to his interactions with other animals, preferring to briefly investigate and leave them alone. Ms Parr said that he had no livestock instinct whatsoever, showing little interest in the horses, livestock and kangaroos he's met.

His owner has benefited from his presence as well, particularly while recovering from some difficult cancer treatments in Wagga. She explained that he was good at picking up when she was struggling and would come over to keep her company.

"He helped me get through my treatment. I'd come home and feel horrible, but I'd sit outside with him and he'd cheer me up. He must have known I was sick, and he's just so gentle ... I'll sit out in the sun for half an hour with a coffee, he'll just lay down on top of my feet and have a snooze."

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It might be this innate empathy and intelligence that has led to Ms Parr looking into possibilities of Bush working as a therapy dog at local retirement villages, in an effort to give him some purpose and give back to the community. That's a long way off though, as she explained that despite their good friendship, the two are still in very early stages.

"He's a very smart dog ... We're both still learning though. We might be in primary school, we're not quite at high school yet," she joked.

Updates on Bush the dog are available on his facebook page.

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