Rocky
This amazingly attractive hound is Rocky. According to vet he’s a Bulgarian Scenthound. Rocky is currently in kennels in Wales & is ready for a new home.
Rocky dob 01/05/2016, 35kg, 65cm tall x 78cm long.
Rocky needs an experienced home with people who are willing to give him the time and patience to settle without overcrowding him. He likes females but is fearful of men although he is improving with men he knows. No other dogs please as he is reactive.
Our qualified behaviourist has been working with him & will continue to work with his new owner. These are Rachel’s thoughts on Rocky:
I’m the behaviourist who has been working with Rocky over the last couple of months and this breaks my heart because I adore him, but he’s ready for a home and I definitely wouldn’t stand in his way for the sake of my own heart!
The most important thing to say about Rocky is that he has an extremely loving and affectionate nature. He’s a calm and placid boy and he absolutely loves company. This can sometimes get him into trouble because he hasn’t been treated well in the past and as much as he wants to be close and enjoy a fuss (bum scratches are his fave!!) he can sometimes find it worrying. This means that he needs someone who is willing to really listen to his signals (and we’ll do a video chat and go through video footage of him so you’re really confident about what these signals look like) and give him space when he needs it, and to let him interact on his terms, to build his confidence.
Rocky has bitten somebody twice and caused minor injury, so you would need to be committed to ongoing work with the behaviourist to make sure the risk of this happening again is minimised. He is progressing very well with muzzle training and will need to wear a muzzle in public. This is just so that people are aware that building his confidence in contexts he finds scary is very important, but they pay off you get in return will be unlike any other. Rocky is a very loyal and intelligent boy and he absolutely thrives (after a bit of confidence building) in any kind of scent based partnership work. He has so many qualities and his aggression has not been his fault at all, he’s been frightened and felt the need to defend himself. He’s grown hugely in confidence just in the last two months and the change in him has been so wonderful to watch, so I know he’s going to make someone an amazing companion. Neither me, nor kennel staff, have seen any aggression at all and he’s coped very well with some things he’s found tough (like vet visits) without any problems. He’s more scared of men than women so an ideal home would be female only. He could live with men, but they would need to be very understanding and totally committed to going at Rocky’s pace so as not to set him up to fail.
Rocky sometimes struggles with other dogs so needs a dog free home (and that’s why he needs a muzzle out on walks). He seems to be very friendly towards girls but can react to boys if they are very close.
Rocky forms very deep attachments to people he trusts, and will be such an incredible partner for anyone interested in dog activities of any kind (except maybe agility, he’s not very graceful). He may need a bit of work to get him used to being left alone in a new home. He has settled really well in kennels but barked the first few times when he was left by someone he is attached to. He soon got used to it and I’m absolutely sure he will settle quickly, but it’ll just need to be planned.
If you’re interested in training or behaviour and want a very deep bond with a dog who has had a tough start in life then Rocky is definitely the dog for you. He needs patience and understanding, but he so deserves a second chance.
Rocky dob 01/05/2016, 35kg, 65cm tall x 78cm long.
Rocky needs an experienced home with people who are willing to give him the time and patience to settle without overcrowding him. He likes females but is fearful of men although he is improving with men he knows. No other dogs please as he is reactive.
Our qualified behaviourist has been working with him & will continue to work with his new owner. These are Rachel’s thoughts on Rocky:
I’m the behaviourist who has been working with Rocky over the last couple of months and this breaks my heart because I adore him, but he’s ready for a home and I definitely wouldn’t stand in his way for the sake of my own heart!
The most important thing to say about Rocky is that he has an extremely loving and affectionate nature. He’s a calm and placid boy and he absolutely loves company. This can sometimes get him into trouble because he hasn’t been treated well in the past and as much as he wants to be close and enjoy a fuss (bum scratches are his fave!!) he can sometimes find it worrying. This means that he needs someone who is willing to really listen to his signals (and we’ll do a video chat and go through video footage of him so you’re really confident about what these signals look like) and give him space when he needs it, and to let him interact on his terms, to build his confidence.
Rocky has bitten somebody twice and caused minor injury, so you would need to be committed to ongoing work with the behaviourist to make sure the risk of this happening again is minimised. He is progressing very well with muzzle training and will need to wear a muzzle in public. This is just so that people are aware that building his confidence in contexts he finds scary is very important, but they pay off you get in return will be unlike any other. Rocky is a very loyal and intelligent boy and he absolutely thrives (after a bit of confidence building) in any kind of scent based partnership work. He has so many qualities and his aggression has not been his fault at all, he’s been frightened and felt the need to defend himself. He’s grown hugely in confidence just in the last two months and the change in him has been so wonderful to watch, so I know he’s going to make someone an amazing companion. Neither me, nor kennel staff, have seen any aggression at all and he’s coped very well with some things he’s found tough (like vet visits) without any problems. He’s more scared of men than women so an ideal home would be female only. He could live with men, but they would need to be very understanding and totally committed to going at Rocky’s pace so as not to set him up to fail.
Rocky sometimes struggles with other dogs so needs a dog free home (and that’s why he needs a muzzle out on walks). He seems to be very friendly towards girls but can react to boys if they are very close.
Rocky forms very deep attachments to people he trusts, and will be such an incredible partner for anyone interested in dog activities of any kind (except maybe agility, he’s not very graceful). He may need a bit of work to get him used to being left alone in a new home. He has settled really well in kennels but barked the first few times when he was left by someone he is attached to. He soon got used to it and I’m absolutely sure he will settle quickly, but it’ll just need to be planned.
If you’re interested in training or behaviour and want a very deep bond with a dog who has had a tough start in life then Rocky is definitely the dog for you. He needs patience and understanding, but he so deserves a second chance.
