Meet Rocky! Rocky is a happy, healthy, classic velcro GSD and is 18 months old. He is silly, playful and affectionate, and his favorite things are cuddling on the couch and chasing his ball (he LOVES his ball). Sometimes he thinks he’s a lap dog, but he just loves being close to his owner. Oh, and he is VERY handsome.
 
Rocky is a fantastic companion dog - he wants to be with you all. the. time. Taking a nap? He’d love to join. Going for a jog? He’s game. Working from home? He’ll nap next to you. Tackling projects around the house? He’ll be right by your side. 
 
Rocky is extremely tolerant and will let you touch and handle him all over. He sits nicely for nail trimming, brushing, and ear cleaning, and only protests when he stops getting attention!
 
Rocky is great at fetch and loves to retrieve his ball, which is an easy way to tire him out. He is an active dog and loves to play games and run around with his toys. He walks nicely on the leash and only pulls strongly when he sees a bunny or squirrel that he wants to chase. 
 
Rocky is super friendly with all people – he views everyone as a potential source of pets and ear rubs. He is an excitable boy, so his future owner will need to work on training him to contain his excitement when he meets new people. He navigated a trip through Home Depot without any issue, showing minimal interest in people, loud noises, or distractions. He has walked by playgrounds with kids without showing much interest / concern – since Rocky is so friendly, we think he can excel in any household, but we’d monitor his excitement closely when introducing him to toddlers, since he doesn’t always realize his size.

He is also friendly with other dogs, although he might come on too strong for some, so proper introductions will be necessary. It’s rare, but sometimes he will let out a bark at a passerby dog, but we think that’s his way of asking to play because he’s never shown any aggression. He previously lived in a home with cats. 
 
Rocky sleeps in the crate at night and goes into the crate freely, sometimes whining for a few minutes before settling down. This has continued to improve as he falls into a routine. He still cries for a few minutes when he is left alone in the crate during the day, but that is also improving. He will whine to be let out of his crate in the morning when he hears people awake. Rocky is not very vocal but will bark loudly a few times to alert when someone enters the home unexpectedly. He follows it with a nice tail wag and greets the person in hope of receiving some pets. 
 
Rocky is house-trained and will paw the door if he needs to go potty. He needs continued obedience training and his forever home will need to be diligent in setting boundaries – something that Rocky may not have had in his prior home. His foster parents have been working with him on controlling his jumping and teaching him not to be mouthy when he gets too excited during playtime. These are typical traits of a young, energetic dog, and he is learning how to settle down when appropriate. Rocky is eager to please and treat/ball/pets motivated, so he has been picking up on routines and commands quickly.
 
Rocky would be a fantastic pet for someone that is committed to his training and looking for an everyday partner that sticks by their side. He has never shown any form of aggression and is a total love bug. He would do well in a relatively active household – he has a lot of energy and physical activity can help him wind down easier.
 
Reach out to foster Sophia Lee at 703-402-3838 or sophial1@vt.edu (mailto:sophial1@vt.edu)
 for more info on Rocky!