My name is Rock!

Rock
Rock has medium energy and enjoys playing and romping. He gets along well with large dogs and cats. I have not had him with small dogs. Rock does well with children about 9 and older. I have not had him around smaller children but he is gentle. He would be best in a home with older children and other companion dogs as he does bond to the dogs in the pack and follows their lead. He bonds quickly to women but is not as trusting with men; it can take several weeks of patient reassurance to build a long term bond with a man. He responds to alpha pack leadership and has come to understand his place in the pack; he is middle of the pack with a passive alpha tendency. He will react to high energy dogs and has a tendency to “correct” their behavior. He currently leans more towards flight vs. fight due to habits created from long term abuse. He will look for reassurance when he is uncertain but if guided and encouraged he will easily follow direction. He respects authority and correction that is kind but firm. Yelling or sudden arm movement or grabbing his collar without warning etc. will put him in flight mode, he will protect himself if he feels threatened or cornered without an escape route. He needs consistency and structure in a routine that stays the same. The more stable the environment the easier it is to introduce him to something new. If there is a change he looks for reassurance, example: Rock typically sleeps on the larger orthopedic dog bed in the bedroom. There are nights when Dozer gets on this bed first and Rock will pace until he figures out what to do or where to lie down. Eventually he will figure it out and it is important to allow this to happen quietly then praise him when he finally settles.
Rock will stay near his pack leader at all times and will follow him/her anywhere they go if allowed., he responds to quiet conversation and enjoys being petted. Rock is comfortable in a crate and will go in when asked to “kennel”. Structure and routine are keys to maintaining stable healthy relationship with Rock.
I initially walked him on leash in the yard to train him to boundaries. He doesn't pull and even when he sees dogs in other yards he doesn't get aggressive or run out of yard. He was good with my neighbor’s golden retrievers and the whole family, husband, wife and 2 young girls, 9 & 12 yrs old. We pack walk together on our 5 acres without a leash. Our yard is not currently fenced and Rock understands the boundaries without issue.
Daily routine:
Rock eats 5 cups of Annamaet grain free dog food a day split between breakfast and dinner. Regular feeding times as a part of a daily routine are important. Currently Rock is walked first thing in the morning followed by breakfast. Rock has a specific place he sits and waits for his food. Once he eats he is not allowed to eat out of any other dog bowls. He follows this rule well. After all our dogs have finished eating they are given a treat. Treats are usually charcoal/peppermint bones, milk bones or small chew treats. Rock also eats his treat in his designated spot. Rock can resource guard, He will growl or show his teeth when eating if he feels threatened. Once Rock understands the routine and feels safe and trusts his pack leader he eats calmly and follows the routine. The routine is what establishes trust and safety and it is important to maintain. Rock walks with his pack about an hour after breakfast and then spends the morning with my Husband after I leave for work. My Husband leaves for work about 2 pm. Rock is let out for a pack walk before being crated for a few hours. Once I am home in the early evening I take the dogs out for a pack walk before feeding them dinner. We follow the exact same routine at dinner. After dinner the pack will go outside for a while to play or sit on the patio. We also hang in the family room together at night and each dog has his/her spot to lie down and relax and again routine is key to relaxation. We all go out for a walk once more before we go to bed and all dogs have established areas of sleeping and they will all wait for me to get in bed before they find their designated spot for the evening. My Husband gets in about 2am. The dogs will go down to greet him and they will go outside and then they come back upstairs, back to their sleeping spots and that’s that for the night. Rock knows the following commands:
Come
Sit
Down
Give me your paw
Kennel
Rock is responsive to hand gestures and firm but gentle pack leadership. Rock talks a lot (growls) through most of his activities.
Rock does not seem to mind the rain however loud thunder will at times cause him to look for reassurance. I do not pet him while he is unsure. I allow him to lie next to me and relax. Once he relaxes everything continues as normal.
Notes: Rock is best if his food is placed gently down in front of him and he is left to eat without issue. It is not a good idea to take his food away from him or tease him in any way. This will frighten him and cause him to guard his food. He may also guard the water bowl but will back away if asked. He tolerates a dog or human standing near the water bowl and will wait for other animals to finish drinking before he drinks although he doesn’t like to share the water bowl. The rest of the pack may drink two or three at a time.
Rock will sit for a treat and take a treat “easy” if asked. Rock likes carrots as well as regular dog treats.
Rock has a gentle spirit and is a calm affectionate dog. He responds to the overall mood of the pack leader. He is a good boy and once he respects the pack leader he easily accepts correction if needed without any issue what so ever. The key is stability in an environment that is calm and structured. APPLICATIONS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM kaya1227@comcast.net