Rocco Rocks

It's official! Rocco is officially part of our family now. We know we have a lot of work ahead of us but we are thrilled-our new little furbaby.
I'm getting up at 6 am to walk him for an hour before work- I hope I can keep it up. It's still dark when we start out (first picture). He needs all the exercise he can get so he's calmer during the day. Hopefully I'll at least lose some weight- maybe we both will :) 
He is getting so much better with his training. Whenever we come to a street crossing he sits for me. It's almost so automatic that he doesn't even look at me when he sits (second picture). Progress!
He went for his first grooming with our regular groomer on Saturday. I was so worried that he would think we abandoned him. I warned them that he might be"grouchy".  I had visions of him biting a groomer or becoming Cujo. They said they would muzzle him if needed. I gave him a 1/2 chill pill to calm him down before he went- just in case.
When we picked him up he had a cute little green St. Patty's bandana on. He trotted over to us and wagged his little tail/ butt like crazy. They said he was a perfect gentleman-no problems at all! If anything, they said he was a little too sleepy. Imagine that...little bugger.
We got him a new toy today- a large flea. Apparently, it is the best, most magically special flea that ever existed. Rocco has carried him around all day and at the moment he is resting his head on him.  I got snarled at when I tried to move it. So for  now we are letting him have his "Supa Flea". Picking our battles...
It was really cold and it rained most of the weekend so we had to skip our beach walks but next weekend for sure. He is getting so good- he walks well on the leash, socializes with other dogs and doesn't get distracted too often. He is also getting better with the kitties. We've figured out that he just wants them to play with him. He keeps bringing them Mr. Baseball and expecting them to play. Poor guy. We'll just have to socialize him so he can go to doggie day care at some point. He was out of kennel most of the day today and he did well. We still have to watch him closely when he's out but so far he hasn't done anything bad except chase kitties and put his feet on the kitchen counters. We can't wait until he can be out longer. Baby steps-  we keep reminding ourselves it's only been 2 weeks. But he is stuck with us now and we couldn't be happier about it. 

Rocco's Contemplations...

I didn't post yesterday but we were so busy enjoying our wonderful day! Rocco and I went for our long walk at the beach in the morning, he rested all day and last night he spent hanging out with Dino and I watching a movie. We still kept him off the couch (rule- we have to "invite him up" to sit on OUR couch) and he still has to be on the leash. He's also still obsessed with the kitties. He doesn't jump at them anymore- he just likes to stare at them. But we had a nice night- no growl or bossy issues. He seemed really happy. 
Today we went for a long beach walk and our training went well. He took a break to sit on the bench and people watch (see picture). The other one is where he posed for me- isn't he handsome? He is really getting good at walking on the leash.And his sit/stay is improving.  All is not perfect though- on the way home today he did his little trick-he tried to hump me when we were in the car today. I pushed him off and told him NO. That was the first time-hopefully the last. I guess we have more work to do until he thinks I'm more of an alpha. But two steps forward, one step back. And it's only been a week.  
Dino's rehearsing this afternoon but hopefully Rocco can come out tonight and spend some time with us. He is still on his chill pill but I only gave him 1/2 dose this weekend since we were home most of the time. It seems like it just calms him but he's still alert and active. But he doesn't get into that panic mode when we leave. Hopefully we can ween him off it in a few weeks.
This weekend showed us that Rocco is going to be a great dog for us. He is not perfect and may need a little help but we will get him there.  Dino says he is like us- a work in progress. How could we resist that cute face?

Playing nicely with others-day 6

Today was our best day yet!  I took Rocco for an extra long walk this morning and he took his "relax" pill before I left. He was quiet when I left for work and also when Dino came home so we can only hope he was mellow all day. When we got back from dinner at Hoffs (I know- it's a shock!) we took Rocco out and let him play in the living room. We put out one of the dog beds and he jumped right in! He played with Mr. Baseball and seemed to really to enjoy himself. He kept pushing the toys at me to play. He is getting really attached to Dino. When he left the room Rocco stopped everything and waited for him to come back. I kept hold of  the leash but he never wandered around- just stayed n the basket. No corrections needed, no growling and no anger! 
The vet called and said his blood work came back great.  He is in really good health.  Hooray :)
Tomorrow will be a week together. I think we need to celebrate with a trip to the beach and maybe swing by Chuck and Toby's for a special treat!  Things are looking up- I think we're going to be one big happy family very soon. I think we should call ourselves "Team Rocco"! Go Team Rocco...

Mr. Baseball makes a home run

Meet Rocco's new obsession- Mr. Baseball.  He loves him so much that he wants to take him on his walk. He grabs him and heads for the door. We have to practice the leave it command so we don't end up carrying Mr. Baseball on our way home. And the first thing he does when we come back in is grab him. (Dino picked him out so he is soooo proud- his fur son loves baseball)!
So today was the first day of Rocco's medications and may I just say I LOVE MEDS!! I gave him a quarter pill this morning- it was a pretty fast reaction. He just seemed less stressed. When I left this morning he was still whining a little bit but as opposed to yesterday when he was throwing himself against the door. Dino said he heard him bark when he opened the door but we don't know if that was just because he heard Dino come in. But when I came home we let Rocco out and he was really sweet. We made him sit and stay and he followed all the rules. I even got to rub the belly. After a while I went to take the leash and he got a little growly. So back in the kennel he went. He came out again a few hours later and behaved very well. He stared intently at Clara but didn't jump at her so he is improving. On our night walk he was extremely well behaved. He sat at the door and let me go first and didn't pull at the leash at all.
So our little Rocco is slowly progressing and more than anything Dino and I are learning each day. We are still going to find a trainer but all the info we read says to keep up his basic commands. We're not giving up on him. Ever.

Prince Charming aka Rocco

Did I mention that Rocco is eating the paint off part of his kennel? And that he bent the door? Poor guy. And this morning he started throwing himself into the kennel and crying before I even left the house.
When I got to work I called around and found  a new vet (our old one is in Hermosa Beach and it's just too far away). I scheduled an appt. to talk to them about getting him an RX for puppy Prozac. So after work Rocco and I went and met the vet.  Little man was oh so charming and everyone in the waiting room was oohing and aawing at how cute he was.  The vet tech gave him tons of treats that he loved and a chew treat that he really loved. They even sent a free bag home with us. They weighed him (36 lbs), took his temperature, looked in his ears and listened to his heartbeat- he didn't even flinch. They even took his blood and said he didn't make a noise. The vet was really nice and we discussed the options. I told her my main concern was for the next week or so until he gets used to us.  I just am concerned for his safety and health. She said Prozac takes up to 30 days to take effect so it won't work for us. She suggested a mild tranquilizer to try for a week. I  really hope it will work- at least until he settles down a little. I'll try a low dose tomorrow and see if it works. And I'll take him for an extra long walk tomorrow morning. We're up to 40 minutes now. The vet suggested we get a trainer to work with us. So I think it's pretty much unanimous... we need a trainer.
Then the funniest thing happened- I put him in the car on the passenger side and went to get in the drivers side. He stepped in my seat and when I went to sit down he didn't budge. I told him to scoot over and he just stood there and growled a little. Like he was just being a stubborn little brat. So I waited until he stopped and then he scooted over.  What a weirdo!
Did I mention that I looked online and I think I did the wrong thing last night? THAT is why we need a trainer. It says when they are aggressive you should redirect their attention and put them in the kennel. I think that's what his foster mom did. It also said it was too soon to let him on the couch and way too soon to let him on the bed. What is it Ceasar Milan says-“rehabilitate dogs; train people. We need to be trained Ceasar- come and get us! 

Houdini lives in the LBC

Dino: Do you want the good news or bad news?
Me: Good news
Dino: When I got home  Rocco wasn't crying or barking
Me: And the bad news?
Dino: He met me at the door. 

Apparently our little Houdini escaped from the kennel today. The kennel with the padlock on it. The kennel that was made for a 60 lb dog.  He "popped" the top latch off and crawled out. Pheromone spray, collar and plug in were pretty much useless at calming him down. We have no idea how long he had been out but luckily he didn't do too much damage. He did mark in the kitty bathroom floor and he drug out EVERY toy in the house- cat or dog toy. So Dino let him spend a little time out on the couch and Rocco took advantage of every moment! Then we even let him on the bed for a few minutes.  He even  rolled over and let me rub his belly. But we got him all wound up  and that was our first mistake. He got a little too over stimulated and ended up getting grouchy. I started wrestling with him and got a little "tooth bruise" (translation: bite).  But we pinned him down by his neck until he stopped growling (that's what they say to do and we didn't hurt him -except for his pride).  They say it shows our "alpha status" and we need to do it in the beginning to prevent future aggression. So lesson learned- too much, too soon. We need to take baby steps.
So Rocco may have to the doctor tomorrow for the puppy prozac to relax him a little until he gets used to us. We are not going  to give up on him- we just have to adjust our own actions. We rescued a dog with issues and we have to learn how to deal with his issues.
He's still the cutest.  The cutest boy with the biggest teeth! Ouch!

Day 3 - BarkBark

So despite yesterday's purchase of pheromone spray, pheromone collar and pheromone plug in diffuser Rocco still has separation anxiety. Even though I took him for a nice long walk this morning he must have barked and cried all day. Poor guy. I'm really hoping he is smart enough to realize it doesn't help- and it gets better tomorrow. I ordered a herbal solution online today called Pet Calm. You sprinkle granules on their food. Hoping it gets here soon.  I have to say the pheromone stuff isn't impressing me. We might need to see the vet tomorrow for some puppy Prozac. We're debating...
We took a little pity on Rocco tonight and invited him onto the couch. He really enjoyed jumping around and tossing the kitty toys up in the air.  We were all having fun but after a few minutes he decided he wanted to jump down and  chase the kitties. He is just like Dino- too much of a good thing leads to trouble.  When we told him no there was a little growl. D and I took a united front and held him tight, told him no and showed NO FEAR. He looked kind of puzzled, then a little sad- I think he got the hint. I put him back in his kennel and made him sit down. He growled at me but I looked him in the eye and told him to SIT. He looked away and sat down- bwwahhahaha (that was my evil laugh), victory is mine!  Small steps...
He is resting now- he's got to be exhausted from all the stress.  Hoping he'll get some rest tonight.  We'll start again tomorrow. On the good side- none of our neighbors complained yet! And he still is the cutest little guy in the world. Oh, and D got his first Rocco kiss tonight!

Day 2

Day 2- Today Rocco and I got up early and went to the beach for a training walk. It was a beautiful So Cal day- it was in the 90's today.  We worked on the heel command.  I worked with him to reinforce his sit and stay- he knows them but he is one stubborn little boy. So we did them over and over until it was reflex with him. The hard part was not getting distracted by dogs and the people walking by. But he did great. We came back home and I think he was almost glad to go back into the kennel!  He took a long nap- did  I mention that he sleeps on his back and snores a sweet little snore? Later Dino and I went grocery shopping and when we came home we heard him barking. I am really hoping he didn't bark the entire time we were gone. It's a good thing I know the president of the HOA! We knew this might happen so we were mentally prepared. Our first step is the pheromone plug in, spray and collar.  We will see how it goes tomorrow. I have the citronella spray collar but that will be step two if it continues. I've also heard about a something called Stay Calm you get at the health food store.  Then there is always the puppy Prozac but since we don't have a new vet yet that would be last resort. And besides, I don't really want to drug him unless I have to.  We are looking into getting a trainer.  We have so many questions- here are just a few-
When we walk him how much do we let him sniff/mark and how much do we make him heel?
How long until we can let him out of the kennel to "hang out"? I know it's too early now but I'm just wondering.  We are so ready to have him lounging on the couch with us!
Should we correct him when he whines when he's in the kennel? He does it occasionally when we  leave the room for too long.  So are we rewarding him by coming back in the room and comforting him? I'm assuming the answer is yes to that one. No bad dogs, just bad parents! GUILTY :)
I think that's what we need a trainer for- to correct our behavior, not his!
So I will end the blog with some good news- he slept all night last night- not a peep out of him. And the other good news it that he wasn't grouchy once today. No growling at all.  Maybe we are moving up the alpha chain! One step at a time.
Wish us luck with the separation anxiety. More news later... hey, maybe the calm spray will mellow ME out at little. Dino can always wish!

Rocco is in the house!

We picked Rocco up today! He is the sweetest boy in the world- sort  of.  We picked him up from his foster mom, Sochi at dog beach. She was nice enough to bring his blanket, toys, food and snacks. Rocco came right over to me and sat down  next to me on the grass. Dino took a few pictures. We put him in the kennel and he was so good on the way home- no crying or whining. We took him for a long walk and wore him out- all the while he was peeing on every tree, post and bush on the way. He rested in the kennel this afternoon with a little growling/tooting going on! We fed him and took him for his afternoon walk and he was great. We thought we would let him sit on the couch with us after his walk- HUGE mistake! He wanted to get down to smell around and Dino blocked him and suddenly CUJO came out and growled at him. Dino was really firm and made him sit until he calmed down. He sat down and all was well- he even put his head down on Dino's leg. So he is back in his kennel resting now. I expect he'll be a little upset when  he realizes that Sochi isn't coming back. We are braced for the worst but hoping for the best. Wish us luck (and sleep)! At least we know he can't eat us if he is in the kennel! But isn't he cute?

Home Check Done

So the young man came last night to do the home check for Rocco. We don't have a yard so he basically walked in the condo, looked around, asked a few questions and gave us the OK. Wonder if the 3 dog beds, 2 scratching posts, the kitty condo, the blanket on the couch or the water fountain on the bathroom counter gave us away?- I guess we are "pet friendly". We are all set to meet at Huntington Beach Dog Beach tomorrow and pick up Mr. Rocco. We still have to go get some peanut butter (to put inside his new Kong) for the ride home and I want to get him a new tennis ball. Hoping it will distract him from having to leave his foster mom.
The plan is to take him to dog beach and wear him out so he is tired when he comes to our house for the first time. Hoping the kitties won't be a problem. They've had the run of the place since Brittany's been gone. Clara woke me up this morning with the "stab your feet" game that she and Dino used to play. Yeah, fun game... : )
Wish us luck...

Introducing Rocco

Ok, here he is- the newest potential member of our family. His name is Rocco and he is 4 years old.
His sad story starts when he was dumped at the shelter after 4 years because his parents couldn't afford him (don't get me started) and Barks of Love rescue group found him about 6 months ago. He has been with a foster mom since. Apparently behind that cute little face lies a bossy, stubborn little brat. He has scared off 2 adopters already- one called the foster mom at 3 am to come get him. How could this sweet boy be so evil?
I guess we will find out soon! Did you ever see the movie Cujo?
I drove to Lake Forest last Sat to meet him for the first time. He was very shy. I did manage to get a few kisses but he was reserved and stuck close to his foster mom. I listened as she listed off a long list of his issues-he likes to hump because he wants to be dominant,  he likes to mark his territory (fun!), he likes to bark when he is left in a new place and he doesn't like to be touched on his belly or feet and has to be muzzled to be groomed. He is really attached to his foster mom and may sit by the door waiting for her to come pick him up for a few days (go ahead- break my heart little man). And he can be grouchy (growling) if he doesn't get his way.  Lovely....what are we getting ourselves into????
After I met him I called Dino and told him all the flaws and told him he was not going to be an easy dog. The first words out of his mouth were "it sounds like he needs us- let's adopt him".  Is it a wonder why I married that man? He has the biggest heart.  The problem is that he is the softie when it comes to the dogs so he will have to work on that. He is usually the good guy but he will have to just be the good guy alpha now.

We bought the kennel, the dog bed and some toys for him and now we are just waiting. They are doing a home check on Thurs. and we are meeting with his foster mom on Saturday morning. Wish us luck and I will try to update you on his progress.