Rocky (ADOPTED!) is a very loving, sweet natured, and generally happy dog. As a true blue cattle dog, he is devoted to his person. His favorite things are to stay close to his people, and having his belly scratched. At 6-7 years old, Rocky is very much in his prime, and still loves to run around the property. However, as cattle dogs go, he is a fairly calm, moderate energy guy. He weighs around 50 lbs.
With people he knows, Rocky is always loving and happy to see you. He will roll over immediately for belly scratches and wag his tail when you approach to greet him. When meeting new people, Rocky is generally friendly, but depending on how someone approaches, he can be cautious at first. He has been fine around children.
Rocky also gets along with most dogs. He would do best around females. With male dogs, he will guard resources (food, his territory, etc.), by barking and snapping at them. This is likely because until now, going to rescue to find a new home, he was not neutered. Otherwise, Rocky is polite and social when meeting and being around other dogs. He would do best having a female canine companion at his new home to help ease his adjustment into a new setting. It is not known how he is around cats. He is NOT good around chickens.
Rocky has all the traits of a classic cattle dog. He is a velcro dog who stays close to his person. In the past, he has herded cattle on the ranch, but outside of work, does not show any herding or nipping behavior. He is incredibly smart and observant. As a thinking dog, he can also have a mind of his own, and be a bit stubborn.
Rocky needs to find a new home, because his Dad has a terminal illness. His Dad’s daughter cannot keep Rocky because of her own situation, and she is desperately trying to find the right place for him.
He has been a ranch dog and an outdoor dog all of his life, freely roaming the property, and usually sleeping in the barn or on the front porch. As such, he does not know toys, and has never been crated. He has rarely been on leash, but recently when traveling to meet people, he has been fine on the leash, pulling only slightly. Rocky has only been in a vehicle a few times under stressful conditions for him. His new people should take him on short fun trips to help him associate car or truck rides with something good.
When on his home territory, with his people, and his dog companions, Rocky is a calm happy boy. When comfortable at home, he has no separation anxiety, does not a dig, and he is fairly quiet. He will bark when strangers come onto the property, or when other dogs are barking.
However, Rocky’s people tried to place him at one new home, where the new people tethered him alone, outside, overnight. In his distress, he dug up the yard, and barked/howled most of the night.
Rocky is a great all round dog who needs the right owner to give him love attention and exercise he needs. He will need people who are experienced with this breed, who can also be patient and understanding about his sadness, confusion and panic in losing his person, and work to extinguish his desire to go back home to his former life. He loves human attention and companionship, which would go a long way to help him become comfortable in a new home.
If you If you are interested in meeting Rocky, please begin by completing our adoption form, by clicking on the "Adopt" option, above, near the top of our home page, or use this link http://hittgv.org/index.php/adopt. Please download and print the form to be completed. If you have questions, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave a message at (707) 583-9583.
