Before he turned a year old, Austin had been in a series of homes where he had been mistreated. When Pam rescued him, he had many fears about life in general and men in particular. With patience and confidence-building with his tug, Austin started to shine! He loves flyball and has been known to accidentally injure his handler due to his overwhelming enthusiasm for his tug.

Austin was a competitor in the Hot Zone frisbee competition at the 2005 Great Outdoor Games.