We pulled Rocky from MCACC back in August, and he really had a rough go of things his first month with us. He did not do well at all in his first foster home, in boarding following that or in a subsequent training evaluation, and we were pretty concerned about his future with us. After all that bouncing around, we finally found him a safe, calm foster home to spend the next few months decompressing and learning a thing or two about boundaries. He’s come really far in that time, but we think he still has a ways to go, which is why he is going to be attending a board and train program starting early 2025. Rocky has shown a lot of potential and we want to give him every chance we can to prove he can be a good boy in a home with the right owner.

Rocky is on the smaller side at around 45lbs and has a ton of energy still, despite the fact that we know he is at least 5yrs old from his shelter history. He does very well with other dogs, engaging in play and respecting their boundaries if he gets too close for comfort. He hasn’t shown any concerning behavior at all with other pups, thankfully!

Like a typical husky, he can be pretty vocal if he has something on his mind. He’ll get excited to see you when you come home and tell you all about it and also loves to bounce around the yard entertaining himself (or playing with others) when he has the chance. He loves to go for walks and hikes and getting his exercise in seems to be pretty key for him behaviorally.

Food seems to be the most consistent trigger we have seen with Rocky so far. In the last few months in foster, he has been pushed a little bit to work through this and we have seen some big improvements. He does great when you hold his bowl for him to feed him and also does well when it’s placed on the floor and you walk nearby. He definitely will guard certain spaces that he associates with food, for example a bench where the foster would consistently sit while feeding him had become a guarded space at one point.

He can be a very affectionate dog once he feels comfortable and will snuggle and solicit attention – he has not bit the foster he has been with the last 3 months, though there were prior bites reported. We are very hopeful our trainer will work her magic on him and get to the root of some of his insecurities. He truly wants to be a good boy and has been very responsive to correction over time, he just needs guidance, patience and consistency.

He’s perfectly potty-trained and is not destructive at all when left out of a crate. He cannot go to a home with children since he has shown some inconsistencies and has some issues we’re working through – his ideal person is going to be one with a good amount of experience with behavioral dogs who can read canine body language very well and understands when to give space and when to engage with him. He is definitely one of our more special needs behavioral cases, but we have seen so much potential the last few months that we are not going to give up on him!

We would love to get a foster home lined up for Rocky after his board and train as his prior foster will no longer be able to take him back (time and work constraints; nothing to do with Rocky’s behavior with the foster!). If you think you may be a good fit and want to help this boy, please fill out our foster application!