Stitch Rottweiler Mix Lincoln, NE

We cover Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wisconsin and transportation is available for adoptions within those states. Stitch is currently being fostered in IA.

This guy is Stitch. Stitch has been in foster with MARR for..too long. He is a good boy who has worked SO HARD to be an even BETTER boy!! Let me tell you about him.

Stitch (ever see the movie Lilo and Stitch?? Hes named after the little alien dude, but we think hes actually cuter!) is a 3-ish year old, fully vetted male rott/doberman mix (along with a small percentage of herding breeds... he got himself a DNA test!).

Anyway, Stitch is about 80lbs. Hes an athletic, strong guy and he will do just about anything for a squeaky ball. I mean anything. He also really enjoys tug. He gets VERY excited for the flirt pole. His favorite activities include exploring open fields and grassy areas on the long line, trotting along side the bicycle to stretch his long dobe legs, and playing in the creek. He loves to use his nose, so going anywhere that has new and interesting smells to offer is really fun for him, too.

Stitch KNOWS sit. He knows it well. If he wants something, he sits. He also knows down very well, and will offer a down when waiting for his ball to be thrown. His recall is above average if hes motivated, average if hes not. He has learned to drop the ball in exchange for another ball, or a treat. We are working on leave it. He knows what off means. He knows kennel well, he goes right in and is VERY good in his crate/kennel. No bed shredding, no barking, no whining. He will sometimes show some barrier reactivity to unknown persons if they approach and linger, or dogs if they are overly excited nearby, but that has vastly improved since coming to me as well.

Like your typical high-drive dog, he is still learning how to relax in the house, but he does better and better every day. Encouraging calmness with a stuffed kong, lick mat or a bully stick to chew on helps him relax and associate the house with relaxing. As long as he is getting enough exercise outside, he will do just fine in the house. He lovessssss to be with his people and he just wants to see what youre doing all the time, and maybe do it with you.

He also LOVES kids. Like bull in a china shop loves them. My kids are teenagers, so they know to ask for a sit and calmness before they give attention. Im sure he would love small children, too. But the small children may not appreciate being bulldozed with affection constantly. He does need a proper introduction to strangers before petting time to sniff, observe, and then interact at his pace. He will seek attention right away, and simple petting is fine, but he needs some time to get to know people before they handle him much more than that. Treats go a long way with him and new people. His adopter will need to advocate for him with visitors, and also take a slow and gradual approach to physical handling with him.

Stitch is muzzle trained, for situations such as vet visits. He may not need it, but if he does, he can comfortably wear it. He really likes people, but he sometimes gets nervous with intense handling by strangers (like a vet exam). He really struggles with nail trimming/feet handling, and so extra exercise on paved or rough surfaces really help keep his nails at a good length (see bicycle note above).

Stitch does like some other dogs, but he PREFERS medium or small sized dogs, who are relatively calm. He does okay with calm large dogs too. Another crazy dog just causes Stitch to become overstimulated, and then hes not on his best behavior. He needs a slow and gradual intro to other dogs, and we can guide you through that. He can see dogs on walks or even parallel walk with other dogs and ignore then successfully. He does have some prey/herding drive with smaller animals, but generally can be redirected. He also LOVES to go in the car, but he gets pretty excited and so he does need to be either tethered or crated so that he does not end up accidentally helping you drive.

So overall, Stitch is a happy, active guy who is all about having fun with his person. He would be a great hiking, exploring or jogging partner, or a fetch buddy, and will need plenty of physical exercise and mental stimulation. He LOVESSSS baby pools and water! He does need someone who will continue with his Good Boy training, and someone who has some patience to work with him on fine tuning what he has already learned. But he will pay you back with love, appreciation, and the goofiest faces that any human could ever want in a dog. Now, our Stitch just needs his Ohana.

Stitch's FB album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10225210194432683&type=3