Rocky...A big ol' long-legged red-headed stranger moved into my house about the 22nd of July. He was pretty and full of energy, but a little nervous, having spent some time in doggie jail in Georgetown. I said "my house"... most everyone calls it "Sam's house". Sam is my 3-year-old Golden. Rocky "the Southpaw" and Sam were immediate best friends. In fact, I began to feel a little left out. They play until they can not stand up any longer—and then, lying down, continue to paw at each other. It doesn't matter if they are inside or out, they play.

After a few days, they both noticed that someone had been filling food and water bowls and decided that if I wanted to join in the fun, they would let me.
Rocky is very affectionate. He loves to give kisses (sometimes more than necessary). He would be totally happy in his owner's lap, but he doesn't jump up to prove it. He thinks kids and all people are objects of great interest, but he has really good manners about them. He has yet to jump up on anyone even though he obviously wants to be close to them. He does think that Sam chasing things that are thrown for him is hilarious! Why would anybody chase something that was already lying right at their feet to start out with? He does like to play with Sam's toys, but he’s not obsessive about it at all.

Rocky will, of course, need some training from his new family. He is just a puppy, after all -- not quite a year old. Puppies chew. Did I say he is a puppy? Although his hearing is doubtless perfectly normal, there are times when I am sure he is stone deaf! He is very loving, but he has a very strong personality and can be a little willful at times—he’ll test you just to make sure that you are in charge, and then he will happily follow the leader. He loves being outdoors. He loves being indoors. He loves being anywhere you are, as long as you or a dog-friend (or two, or three) are there as well. He is perfect when crated. He doesn't want to go in, but never complains (well, one big sigh) and settles down quickly and quietly. And other than a couple of accidents on the first day or two, Rocky has proven to be completely housebroken.

When Rocky he first came to us, he had trouble getting up if he had been lying down for a while. He didn’t like going upstairs or jumping into the car, either. So, it was off to the vet for X-rays. Good news -- no hip problems! What the X-rays DID show was a little bit of "looseness" between a few of the vertebrae in his lower back. We put him on anti-inflammatoy medication for a week or two, which really improved matters. And the constant play and continuous activity he experiences at our house have helped a lot, too. In fact, he now has learned how to jump on the bed (NOOOOO)!

Update 9/13/05:
Rocky continues to get stronger and more athletic—and he’s not taking any medication at all any more. He has no limitations on his activity, and he’s just one happy-go-lucky guy!

I have also learned that Rocky would do just fine in a home with cats. I took him to Castlerock Veterinary Clinic a week or so ago. One of the office managers is a cat. And not a real friendly cat, like most office managers. After the office manager hissed at Rocky, he decided being behind me was a very good place to observe the rules. Fortunately, the other office cats (three more) had a different reaction. One was asleep and no amount of gentle nose-nudging would awaken him/her. Another was not interested in a big red-haired dog bearing no gifts of playthings or food. Wonder of wonders, there was a friendly cat who decided to explore Rocky. Rocky was very cautious, but interested. He jumped back every time the cat moved too quickly, until he realized that he was not in mortal danger. Then he crawled over for a serious olfactory inspection. But, as always, he was a perfect gentleman. He passed the cat scan with flying colors!

 

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