I can not believe the difference in Rocky since taking his foster mom's advice. He is such a smart dog and has quickly caught on to the resetting of the pack order! There have been no other incidences of growling and he has learned very easily to sit when he wants something instead of demanding it. Funny how that got out of control so quickly to begin with - we just didn't know what we were doing and as I said he is a smart guy! He and I are running together almost every day - he is now up to about 35 minutes and seems to really enjoy it. He heels nicely and responds so well to verbal encouragement along the way, You can almost see him pick up his pace and puff out his chest when he gets a "good boy." When we are at home he really just wants to be where we are or laying in the sun. He is not too thrilled with going out to use the bathroom when it is cold so he holds it until the last possible minute! So far only one accident in the house and that was the second day he was here, but other than that he has done beautifully. He is silly when it snows - he will literally stick his nose out and check the conditions and then turn around and come back in if it is not to his liking. He does not seem to mind the noise level and occasionally will chime in with a loud bay when Jerry is wrestling with the boys. It is funny because Jerry thought Rocky would be "his" dog but Rocky definitely has a favorite and it is not Jerry - it is ME! He wants to be by my side all the time but is learning to share me with the children! He has started coming upstairs and laying in the hallway outside of the bathroom while I do my hair and makeup. He does not like to play much but occasionally will shake his stuffed animals and toss them around but his favorite activity other than eating is to be rubbed. Honestly I think he would stand with us for hours as long as we were rubbing his ears and back. He has brought a tremendous amount of joy to our home and we are all learning a lot from him. We are being very vigilant with our 2 year old and right now the biggest thing is that he wants to hug Rocky around the neck really hard and he gets frustrated when Rocky won't kiss his owies. He will learn to be gentle at some point in his life so until then we will just keep watching and teaching. It is so sweet though because Corban thanks God every night in his prayers for Rocky coming home to our house. The whole family shares these sentiments! Thanks so much for your help. You have been amazing! I will keep in touch!

Aime Nance

28 January 2011

---

I thought you might want to see some pics of George Patton (now Rocky) in his new home. He is doing so great! He seems to have settled in very nicely and it is hard to remember our home without him in it! Yesterday we made a poster with all of the things we are thankful for written on it. Not only was Rocky one of the things listed that we were all thankful for but my oldest son, Cole, also included his name on the list of family members that were present for Thanksgiving lunch! He did manage to sneak the tiniest bit of Turkey off of the tray of leftovers last night- he sure was happy about that! This morning we woke up to a blanket of snow on the ground so Rocky and the boys went outside for some playtime before it all melted. Rocky is proving to be quite the soccer player. He and Cole went back and forth with the soccer ball for the longest time! They both were overjoyed with that situation! Thanks again for all that you did to help us bring Rocky into our home. He will be a blessing to us for years to come as I hope we are to him! God bless you all! Aime Nance Page last updated on 30 November 2010