Rocco is a 5 year old, 35 lb. neutered male in Thompson Station, KY.
Rocco is an incredibly loving and loyal dog and has been a beloved part of our family for 4 years now. He loves head and belly rubs and giving kisses. He has a near perfect recall when playing fetch and will play forever and ever if you give him a tennis ball. He absolutely loves fetching with the Chuck It stick. He is fairly reliable off leash, although he does have a high prey drive so we walk him on a leash if there are dangerous roads or off limit areas nearby.
He's never shown much herding or working behavior typical of cattle dogs. He doesn't nip at ankles but will "nose" dogs trying to initiate play. He is very bright and a quick learner, highly food motivated, and knows basic commands like sit, down and shake. He is also housebroken. He's never been crate trained and typically sleeps on a dog bed with our other dog. He very much prefers the comfort of being an inside dog - we took him camping a few times and he was absolutely miserable and refused to leave the tent haha. For his breed he seems to have just a moderate energy level.
Rocco's personality can be a little timid at first in new situations, but he's very playful and happy once he's settled in. He gets a little nervous during thunderstorms but does just fine with some comforting pets and a blanket to hide under. He gets very anxious at the vet office after some bad experiences with curbside vet visits during COVID when we couldn't go in with him, but he does okay with sedation. He's always gotten a clean bill of health and has no health issues.
He doesn't *love* baths, but he will tolerate them without any issues. He is very attached to our older 60 lb male hound mix and usually does just fine with other dogs. He can show some resource aggression so we avoid tug of war toys and keep their food bowls separated at mealtimes and that works out great. He has never been around cats up close. He seems interested in our chickens but doesn't harass them as long as they're in the run. He cannot be around small children, but would probably be okay with older children that can be trusted to practice safe and calm behaviors around dogs.
We are devastated to find ourselves in the situation where Rocco is showing fearful aggression towards our 2 year old toddler, which is why we are making the incredibly difficult decision to rehome him. As much as we have tried to keep them separated and supervised and teach our son to be gentle, inevitably it is not safe for either of them to stay in our home together. We are hoping to find a home for him that can love him just as much as we have these last few years. He would be great for someone with a few acres for him to run around in, or someone with a small yard that enjoys trips to the dog park a couple times a week.