Rocky #18 Yellow Labrador Retriever Mix Male 8 Years Old ID #2684

Meet Rocky!  He is a handsome eight-year-old neutered male lab mix who loves being with his people.  Fun fact about Rocky, he started his life in South America and knows some commands in Spanish! Rocky came to Brookline after his owners made the difficult decision to surrender him so he could get the medical care and support he needed for seizures. Fortunately, Rocky has been seizure free since December 2020. He takes a medicine called Keppra three times a day to reduce the possibility of having a seizure. Rocky is up to date on all vaccines and preventatives.

Rocky is available; please read his Petfinder post https://www.petfinder.com/dog/rocky-51723810/pa/warrington/brookline-labrador-rescue-pa06/

July 22, 2021

Hi there!

The dog days of summer are definitely here. I’m not a fan of the heat and humidity but I still like taking walks even if I may be slower at the end of the walk than at the beginning.
Since my last update, I went to a doggie pool party and had a blast. Even though I didn’t go into the pool myself, I ran all around the edge and encouraged my newest doggie friends to get in. The shrubs and bushes in the backyard were probably not very happy that I was there since I’m pretty sure that I peed on most, if not all, of them. Walking under the deck and out the other side was lots of fun too. By the end of the afternoon, I knew that backyard just as well as anyone.

After lots of pool party fun, it was time for a nap.

July 8, 2021

Do you like handsome, mature, and loyal fellas?

Do you prefer walks instead of sprints?

Does spending peaceful nights with a gentle giant who has soulful eyes speak to you?

Then I might be the guy for you!

I’m Rocky, and although my name might remind you of a famous boxing movie, I’m a lover, not a fighter. Everyone I meet is greeted with a friendly smile and wagging tail. And since I’m a gentleman, I would never think of jumping up on someone. But if I like you, I probably will try to stand between your legs and ask for a back scratch. Jumping up is saved for when I see my FM get my leash because that means it’s time for a walk and for some reason, I get springs on my feet and I jump straight up because I’m so excited. FM and I are still working on that.

If I had to describe a perfect day, it would be waking up and taking a walk followed by a yummy breakfast which I gobble down. Then if I’m lucky, FM gives me a treat while she works from home and I take a nap on the floor wherever she’s working. FM says I’m a perfect angel when she’s on Zoom or Teams calls—except when I snore too loudly, but you would too if you had to listen to her boring meetings. After dinner, we usually go for another walk where I like to sniff everything and greet my neighbors (both 2 and 4-legged). Back home, I’ve trained FM to give me one last treat for the day; if she forgets, I gently remind her by standing in front of the refrigerator and not moving until she remembers. I sleep on my own bed in FM’s bedroom and sleep all night. FM likes that I let her sleep in on weekends—I don’t get up until she does. She says I’m a very good boy when I do that. The only way the day could get better is by taking a car ride—FM says I’m very good in the car.

You may have read that I had seizures in the past but I haven’t had any (not even close) since I came to live with FM in December 2020. FM gives me a Keppra pill 3 times a day and the last 30-day refill cost just under $15.

So, I’m close to being the perfect dog, aren’t I?  That’s what FM says!

Well, that’s it for now. I hope you consider me as your next fur-ever friend because I have lots of love to give you.

Your friend,
Rocky

May 25, 2021

Rocky had his neutering surgery yesterday. He did well and is taking it easy today. An X-ray confirmed that Rocky has an enlarged prostate. The vet expects his prostate to shrink with the reduction of testosterone due to the neutering. He slept all night and has not needed the e-collar since he shows no interest in his stitches. Hopefully that continues! The effects of anesthesia and pain meds are still wearing off and he’s sleeping on the floor in my home office. Rocky is on “light duty” for the next 10-14 days as he recovers so we’ll be taking quiet walks around the neighborhood. Rocky was also micro-chipped yesterday.

Last week, Rocky visited a local off-leash dog park. He had a great time and got along with all dogs, both big and small. He chased them, they chased him. They all sniffed each other, of course, and he even followed a few of them into the lake for a bit of swimming. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my phone so there are no pictures to share 🙁

Here’s a picture of Rocky asleep on the kitchen floor shortly after arriving home last night. He had a hard time keeping his eyes open.
After a successful recovery, Rocky will be listed as available for adoption.

May 12, 2021

Hello everyone, Rocky here!

Today I get some blood drawn to check my liver values since yesterday marked 2 weeks since I took my last Phenobarbital tablet. And if the results are good, I get neutered on May 24. Foster Mom says everything will be OK so I’m not going to worry.Last weekend, I helped FM dig some holes where she wanted to plant flowers. Once she gets the hole started, I help by digging it bigger for her! I love helping in the garden.

All that work made me tired. Here’s a picture of me sleeping and another just after I woke up. I like snuggling with my doggy blanket.Wish me luck on my bloodwork results and neutering!

Your pal,
Rocky

April 27, 2021

Hi everyone—Happy Tie Tuesday!

I don’t always join my Foster Mom (FM) on her Zoom calls, but when I do, I like to look my best. My red polka-dot power tie is one of my favorites. FM was holding one of my all-time favorite treats (marrow bone) that I was intensely staring at during this picture 🙂
Tonight I take my last Phenobarbital tablet!  And I’ve had no seizures since I arrived at my foster home here in  Delaware. Yay! In two weeks, I get my blood checked for liver values to make sure everything is A-OK.

Over the weekend, my FM had to leave the house for about four hours and I was such a good boy all by myself in the house. FM left me with a treat and I had full run of the house while she was gone but I just watched the squirrels in the backyard, took a nap and waited for her to return home. No crate needed for me! FM says I’m funny since I just watch the squirrels and birds who frequent our back yard and patio. I see no reason to bark and make a fuss over them when they are so interesting to watch. Barking is saved for doorbells, leaves blowing by the front door around 9PM, and the sound of the nearby mourning dove in the early morning. Otherwise, I’m not much of a barker like some of the other neighborhood doggos.

Did I tell you how much I love going for walks? Sometimes I get so excited that I sprint out of the garage (or what I call sprinting for an 8-year old) since I can’t wait to check out all the new smells.

That’s all for now—hope everyone has a great day and week!
Your friend,
Rocky

April 13, 2021

Guess what day it is?  It’s Tie Tuesday!  Foster Mom is almost (but not completely) through the package of ties she bought for me to wear. Getting pieces of chicken makes it worth posing.
The last two weeks have been as uneventful as the previous two weeks and the two weeks before that. Tomorrow, I start the last two weeks of Phenobarbital and then I’ll be completely finished with that medicine. And I’ve had no seizures at all! I’ve requested a celebratory dinner with all the good stuff. FM said she’s thinking about it.Spring rain makes all the smells even better on our walks. My neighbors take their new baby for lots of walks now that the weather is nicer; I like to watch them from my yard. I don’t bark, just watch with a smile. I like kids and like when I can say hi to them on walks. When we go for car rides, I jump in and out all by myself. And when FM goes into the store, I wait in the car (properly ventilated of course) like a very good boy.
All this tie wearing and blog writing has made me tired so I think I’ll take a nap under FM’s desk.

Hope you have a great day and week!

Rocky

March 28, 2021

Hi everyone—it’s Tuesday so you know what that means…it’s Tie Tuesday which means my FM makes me wear some ties before I get a treat. Do you think the orange tie makes me look fat? The black & white zebra print is more my style.

In the last two weeks, I’ve really enjoyed the nice weather and smelling all the great smells that come along with the spring season. It’s lots of fun when a group of neighbors stop to chat while out walking their dogs—I get to meet new friends! But after a few sniffs, I’m more interested in tracking down the scents on the ground and catching up with my pee mail.

FM says I continue to make great progress with tapering off my original medication for seizures and at the end of April, I will be completely off Phenobarbital and will only take the Keppra pills. And guess what?  I have been seizure free since I moved to my foster home in mid-December. Yay for me!

Could you be my new fur-ever home? I love all people and kids and I don’t jump up when I meet new people. Although I don’t live with another dog in my foster home, I get along with the dogs I meet on my walks and playtime in the park. No accidents in the house for me; I just nudge mom with big eyes when I need to go outside. So far in my foster home, I’m not interested in chasing squirrels or bunnies. At night, I like to chew on treats as FM works on her computer or watches TV. Not much of a barker, am I—I just alert bark sometimes during the day. And I sleep quietly through the night until FM wakes up…actually I like to sleep in and I’m not an early bird like FM says some of her previous dogs were. I like to ease into the day. If my day includes a car ride where I can feel the breeze in my hair, it’s a great day!

So that’s it for me for now. Hope you have a great day and week.
Rocky

March 16, 2021

Hi everyone—it’s Tie Tuesday.  Mom made me pose with two more ties. Which one do you like best?

Other than posing for ties, everything is routine around here and often boring if I say so myself. The recent warm weather resulted in me getting some extra walks since FM loved the higher temperatures and sunshine. I made some more doggie friends on our walks; I love to stop and say hello to 2 and 4-legged friends. Our neighbors across the street were walking their 6-month boy; he smelled good but slept the entire time—no fun with him that day but maybe next time.

The other day FM ran some errands and I was a good boy in the car for a few hours while she went from one store to another!  That good behavior got me a treat when we got home.

Tomorrow, my original seizure medicine is reduced even further since I continue to be seizure free. Pretty soon, I’ll be on only one medicine. OK, back to my nap since FM is working.

More tie pics coming soon!
Love, Rocky

February 28, 2021

Hi everyone, it’s Rocky. Today was picture day. Mom bought me some ties and I modeled them. What do you think? Which one is your favorite? My favorite is the sophisticated side view wearing the purple plaid tie—I think I look dapper 😊

Here’s some info about me: My favorite things are walks, car rides, and treats! I sleep on my dog bed next to mom’s bed and let her sleep in on the weekends. No accidents in the house for me and I never touch mom’s stuff on floor. I’ve made lots of friends during our walks in the neighborhood and even though some dogs bark at me, I never bark back. Foster Mom says I’m a lover, not a fighter. More tie pictures are coming so stay tuned!

February 12, 2021

Hi everyone, Rocky here.

All this snow in the last few weeks has been great, hasn’t it? For me, it’s been a blast! Yesterday, foster mom and I went to the park and woods in the neighborhood. When it snows, we hike in the woods next to the park. I love to sniff everything and anything even if it is buried in snow! And when kids are sledding down the hill, I like to go over and say hi. I love kids! Here’s a video of me.

Hard to believe that I’ve been with FM for two months now. And no seizures at all! I am still being weaned off the Phenobarbital medicine by gradually reducing the dosage every 2 weeks. The other night, I disrupted FM’s dinner plans and she called me a stinker. You see, it wasn’t my fault. Two yummy chicken breasts just came out of the oven when mom had to take a work phone call meeting. Since they were right there on the countertop calling my name, I helped myself to one of them. FM didn’t believe my story that I was taste testing for her. Now everything is off the counters and out of my reach.

Last week, FM got a hair cut and I was a good boy in the house all by myself. Mom left me with a treat and I waited for her in the kitchen until she returned home about 2 hours later—no accidents, nothing disturbed; I was really good—FM said so.

January 29, 2021

Hi Everyone—Rocky here. Hope everyone is having a good January. I’ve been at my foster home for almost 8 weeks and have had no seizures—how great is that?  I’ve been tapering off the phenobarbital for a week now and have been doing great. Instead I’m moving to a different medicine called Keppra which has less side effects. FM gives me pills tucked into a small piece of bread…yummy!Daily life is pretty boring here since mom works during the day in her upstairs office, but I keep her company by taking naps under her desk. We usually take a walk around lunch time, and I always enjoy catching up on my pee-mail. I’ve made lots of doggie friends in the neighborhood and my mom says I’m a sweet boy who gets along with everyone.

At night I stay close to mom because I just like being with my people—I’m not too keen on toys since I’m a big boy at 8 years old.  But I do love my treats and wish that mom wouldn’t keep count of how many I get each day. I don’t bark much…only when I hear something that FM should be aware of but she and I often disagree on what deserves barking.

When it’s time for bed, I have my own dog bed in the bedroom where I sleep until morning. And we start all over again. Tomorrow morning, FM says we’re going for a car ride. Sticking my head out of the window is almost as fun as going for a walk. I get so excited when I see my leash since it means either a walk or car ride.

That’s all for now.

January 5, 2021

Hi everyone—it’s been more than 3 weeks since I arrived at my Delaware foster home. It’s hard to believe Christmas and New Years are already in the past. For most of this time, Foster Mom (FM) was off from work so we took lots of walks and naps and I even helped her clean out closets and junk drawers. FM says I’m a good helper since I like to stay close and see if she needs anything.

No seizures for me so far. My visit to the vet went well and I’m heartworm negative. I’m on a new medication called Keppra and I haven’t had any problem with it. The vet said she wants to wean me off the phenobarbital and instead use Keppra which has less side effects. But I have about 2.5 more weeks on both medicines before the weaning can start. FM hopes my appetite will decrease as the phenobarbital is decreased; she says I’m always hungry and I say “I’m a lab.”

Now that FM is back to work, I keep her company in her home office upstairs and so far I think I’ve been very good during her computer meetings. My favorite parts of the day are breakfast, dinner, but most of all….walking time. When I see FM getting my leash, I get so excited that it’s hard for her to get my EZ-Walker harness on. Next to walkies, car rides are my favorite non-food activity. Sticking my head out the window and feeling the wind through my fur…there’s nothing like it.

The pictures are me patiently waiting for a treat, modeling my Christmas collar, and lounging on one of my beds.

December 17, 2020

Hi everyone, Rocky here. It’s about five days since I moved to Delaware with foster mom (FM). Since then, I’ve been getting into my daily routine, making new doggie friends, and meeting the neighbors. FM says since I’m about 95 pounds and that I have to lose some weight. She thinks I got lots of people food previously. Now my food bowl includes lots of steamed green beans and I’ve decided that they are yummy too. FM makes fun of me since I turn down all small dog biscuits and only want the jumbo/large size Milk Bones that I arrived with. I sure wish I could reach the cabinet where she hid the large Milk Bones.

I’m quite proud that I’ve had no accidents in the house even with all the new smells. During the day, I stick close to FM as she does stuff around the house and I’m loving my twice daily walks. Car rides are fun too and FM buckles me into the backseat since sometimes I like to get closer to her while she’s driving.

We visit the vet next Tuesday to determine why I sometimes have seizures. Thankfully I haven’t had any since I moved in with FM; she gives me my medicine every 12 hours.

My mom’s friend thinks I look like Dug from the movie, Up, so he created this side-by-side. What do you guys think?

—Rocky

December 13, 2020

Rocky moved to our home yesterday. His first night and full day have been pleasantly uneventful. Rocky is a real sweetheart who loves people, kids, and other dogs. In fact, during our walks yesterday and today, Rocky is a gentle boy with all the dogs we met along the way. Here’s a picture of Rocky asleep at my feet while watching Netflix last night.

Like his foster mom, Rocky needs more exercise and less food (said the pot to the kettle) 🙂  After ignoring dry kibble on his first day, we are making progress with the addition of canned pumpkin and steamed vegetables. Another Brookline volunteer is helping to expedite his visit to the vet so we can get to the bottom of this sweet boy’s seizures.