Little Rocky Labrador Retriever & Terrier Mix Waunakee, WI

Little Rocky is the definition of resilient. He had a really rough start to life with a neglectful environment, little socialization, and parvo/skin issues. His body and heart on the mend and he is thriving in his foster home.

Rocky is an 11 month old, heeler mix. He is roughly 30 lbs and is likely close to full grown. He often prefers to sit back and take things in but is very sweet and affectionate with his foster family. He loves to curl up next to his foster momma for some snuggles. He absolutely loves other dogs and they help him feel more confident so Rocky MUST go to a home with another doggo friend. Hasn't had exposure to kids yet. I expect with the appropriate time and space to adjust to them, he would do ok but that transition would likely be easiest with older kids that are more aware of their movements.

Rocky is crate trained. Sleeps through the night without breaks or accidents in the crate. He occasionally will have an accident in the crate if crated during the day if he is crated for longer periods of time. As he has become more comfortable, he is showing his sweet nature. We have made AMAZING progress with potty training. He still needs frequent potty breaks if not crated but he does have pretty obvious potty signals which helps. He will not go potty on a leash, so he would need a fenced in yard (no invisible fence) in his forever home.

He is very settled in his foster home so we have started working on some leash walking with him to help him continue to gain confidence. The outside world is very stimulating and overwhelming so we have taken it slow but we do a short walk everyday at lunch to help him get used to things. He does really well until he sees a human. Then he needs to stop and watch on high alert. He doesn't bark but is very concerned/frozen until the human has passed. He does a bit better with traffic passing but will stop and watch it sometimes. It has been helpful to work on the leash walking during lunch when the neighborhood is quiet so we can ease him in a bit. As he gets more comfortable, we will walk during busier hours and with other people.

Rocky is very settled in his foster home and does great with his foster family but people make him nervous. He has never been aggressive or tried to bite to create space for himself but he will disassociate completely and disengage with his surroundings. He just sits, very still, ignoring everything. He would do best in a more predictable home with not too much in and out activity with new people.

Sweet Rocky deserves the very best home. He will need a patient family that will give him the time to settle and adjust to his new environment and family. Foster to adopt is an option for Rocky as it will take some time for him to feel comfortable and start to open up and show his silly side which we have absolutely fallen in love with.

**Dog breeds listed are best guesses from veterinary professionals, they are never a guarantee.