ADOPTED
Say hello to Rocco. This wonderful (not so little) 16-week-old Lab X boy came to us from a puppy mill and weighs in at about 19 kg (at time of writing). Given the size of his paws, he’ll be doing a lot more growing in the next year or so! He is a goofy, loving, curious pup who loves to explore. Rocco still has puppy energy, but will 
settle into a medium energy large breed adult that will be an amazing companion on any adventure.
Rocco has four white paws with golden blonde flecks on them, and some distinct light blonde areas around his shoulder blades and bum! With the sweetest brown eyes, and soft ears, his short hair makes for easy grooming. He’s already comfortable enough to allow us to play with his paws, trim his nails and brush him.
Coming from a puppy mill, Rocco was a little shy at first. But, after 3 or 4 days he really warmed up to us and started feeling safe and comfortable here. He still tends to be shy at first with new people, so it’s important to have new people greet Rocco properly assuming a non-threatening posture and greeting from the side. Be patient (and give him a treat) and he’ll be your new best friend before long! His confidence continues to grow day by day.
Once Rocco is comfortable with you, his true personality comes out. He loves to play with his toys, get the zoomies, and get into some mischief. He is an accomplished laundry thief, or maybe it’s just his “retriever” instincts kicking in? Of course, Rocco is still a puppy and requires a watchful eye when not in his crate. He responds well to AHHAHH when caught doing anything he is not supposed to be doing, and with a little more practice he will definitely “get it.” He is a quick learner.
Prior to foster care, Rocco had never been in a house, seen stairs, or walked on a leash, but he has already learned so much. It took him about 30 seconds to figure out the stairs, and he was immediately willing to explore the neighborhood on walks. He knows how to paw at the back door when he needs out. He will sit and wait with good eye contact, and let you go out the door first. He knows his basic commands “sit, down, speak and shake a paw” and his recall keeps getting better and better. We are working hard on making his “stays” longer. The old saying “follows you around like a puppy” certainly applies to Rocco. He loves being close to his human family. Rocco will benefit greatly from obedience training. It will help develop his confidence, and help him understand expectations and boundaries. With training, practice, and consistency, Rocco will grow into a well behaved and polite companion. Rocco is both food and praise motivated.
Rocco is not a fussy eater, and he is not a fast eater. In fact, he likes to eat a bit, go explore, come back, eat a bit more, go explore some more, and so on. He has no
food aggression. We can remove his food at any time without protest, and he would gladly share his food with anyone.
Rocco’s best toys include Nyla bones, Kongs (or anything you can hide treats in to keep him busy for a while), balls, rope toys, and of course all things that squeaks! He does enjoy plush toys too if you keep a watchful eye on him. One of his favorite things is a lick mat with peanut butter! Rocco has already amassed an impressive collection of sticks in the back yard. He has no problem sharing his toys with his foster dog brother and shows no signs of resource guarding. They change, trade and swap toys between each other constantly. He doesn’t mind when we take or gather up the toys to put back into the toy basket…He usually just grabs the one he wants back out!
Housetraining is going well. When given the opportunity at the proper times (after eating, drinking, napping) to go outside, he doesn’t have accidents. He has only had a couple of accidents just after he we got him. He still has not done his business while on walks, he has his preferred spots in the backyard. Rocco is also getting comfortable with car rides, although he did get motion sickness on one occasion, but is quite willing to jump in and go for a ride to a new adventure. As you can see in his pictures, like many Labs, Rocco has taken to water. He plays in his own kiddie pool in the backyard and should develop into an eager side kick on family beach days!
Rocco is crate trained and spends a couple hours a day in his crate while we are busy around the house and cannot monitor him or while we are out. Going into the crate during the day is sometimes accompanied by a little protest, but quickly settles within minutes most of the time with minimal fuss. At night he has started to go into his crate by himself when it’s bedtime. He is an excellent sleeper throughout the night for 8 hours waking up refreshed to start a new day of playing then napping, then playing, then napping!
Rocco enjoys his walks. He is very curious and likes to explore all the new smells and things along the way. Rocco sits at every intersect/crossing and waits for his “OK” to go. We use a martingale collar and gentle corrections to reinforce proper leash etiquette, but he is still a puppy and will pull on occasion. We always treat a new puppy as a flight risk until obedience training is complete and recall is perfect. After which, Rocco will be ready for any adventure. He loves being outside, however could still be startled by loud noises. This is becoming less frequent as confidence grows. So far, he has been fine with thunderstorms and fireworks, albeit 
from the comfort of his couch or crate. A fully fenced backyard would be Rocco’s ideal backyard.
Rocco enjoys being with his foster dog brother (8 yr old Golden Mountain dog). They share everything from toys to couch space. His brother has been teaching Rocco how to stretch out on the couch, how to push toys around with his nose in the toy bucket until he finds just the right one, and how to look super cute in order to maximize treats! Meeting other dogs on walks has gone well. Sometimes timid at first, but once the sniffing formalities are out of the way, it’s becomes play time quickly.
One of Rocco’s foster humans is a pre-teen, and he has also spent time with a younger children. We feel he would be suitable in a family children over the age of 6yrs! So far he has not been mouthing, and is very good at not jumping up on people. He is more likely to put his paws up on a table to reach a toy, or treat, or some laundry. Again, Rocco is still a puppy and constant supervision allows us to correct this behaviour when it occurs.
Rocco will thrive in any home situation as long as his family is aware of the commitment that a large breed puppy requires. Obedience training, consistency, socialization and of course tons of love and snuggles on the couch are all important ingredients for puppies to develop into well adjusted adult dogs. Rocco will do best in a home with a fully fenced back yard given his love for the outdoors. An active family who enjoys lots of walks/hikes and new adventures is a must for Rocco since he loves to explore all kinds of new things. A home with another dog companion will definitely work for Rocco, but we also think he will do fine as an “only child” and getting all the attention! However, he has not been cat tested yet.
We feel Rocco would be best suited in a home where he is not left alone all day in his crate at this stage of his life and because of where he has come from, we would
like to see his new forever family to have as much interaction with him as they can in the first couple months so he can earn their trust and know that this IS HIS FOREVER HOME & FAMILY! Rocco has brought us so much joy and many smiles in the short time he has been with us and we are sure he brightens the lives and home of his new forever family!