Cleveland, OHADOPTED! May 12, 2015
Rocco is an 8 month old Doberman Pinscher. He is black and rust in color with natural ears and a docked tail. Rocco’s owners contacted a breed specific rescue that we work closely with about surrendering him. They were full and unable to take him in so they referred his owner to our rescue. Knowing the breed well and having pre-approved adopters looking for Dobermans made it an easy decision for us to commit to Rocco. Volunteers helped transport Rocco from Kentucky to meet our volunteer driver in Columbus and he headed home in the car with one of our other adopted Secondhand Mutts, King (pictured above). Rocco was an great rider and made himself comfortable for the ride back to Cleveland. After he arrived he went to a short-term overnight foster with our Director and met her personal rescue Dobes, a pitbull named Moon, her deaf cat and some pigs. Rocco had little or no interest in the critters and loved playing with King once they had the yard to run around in.
Rocco moved to a committed foster home that has years of experience with the breed and he is getting crate trained and basic obedience. He has learned to wait for food in a sit and stay. He is currently the only dog in the home and lives with children. Rocco is a typical puppy and will require lots of exercise. If you are not familiar with the breed please read up before applying. Dobermans have tons of energy for about 4 years and they love and crave working. Doberman owners and adopters must understand their needs and qualities to give them the best life possible.
FOSTER HOME REPORT
When I first met Rocco he was very timid and unsure of himself. After 30 minutes in my home, he started to come out of his shell. Although he may not look it, Rocco is a puppy. He exhibits typical puppy behavior (especially when he is excited.). This behavior includes: mouthing and being attracted to fast movement. When my 9 yr old daughter runs through the room, Rocco will run after her and puppy nip. Because of this, I would not recommend him for a home with small children (8+ is fine). Rocco was very under weight. He still is not at a normal weight but he is getting there. Because he was obviously under fed, he was very excited about food. He would eat his entire bowl of food in 15 seconds. He would also sniff out food wherever he could find it (counter tops, table, floor). After one week I am happy to report that Rocco has learned to sit and wait politely for food. He waits until given the “ok” command. He has also learned how to stay out of the kitchen when the humans are eating. Rocco has never shown any food or toy aggression. He gets along and plays well with other dogs.
Rocco sleeps in his crate at night and he is crated when we are not at home. He requires DAILY exercise and mental stimulation. If his exercise needs are not met, he will become destructive (ie chewing household items). Rocco has been receiving daily walks and play sessions that total approx. 90 minutes per day. He is very well behaved when riding in a car. Rocco knows basic commands: Sit, Stay, Come, Off, Down. He walks nice on leash. Rocco also knows how to sit and wait at a door and be invited to walk through. Rocco starts his day between 6:30 and 7am. If he receives the proper amount of exercise during the day, he will settle down around 8pm. Rocco is crated during the day but never for more than 4-6hrs. You may come home to an accident if you crate him longer than 6 hrs. Rocco is housebroken. He will signal by walking to the door. He has only had one accident in my home and that was my fault for missing the signal. Being a Doberman, he has a very high sense of alertness. He will bark to alert you of noise or strange person. This is what they were bred to do. Because Rocco is still a puppy and he needs to be supervised at all times. Rocco prefers to be near people (right up against them to be exact). If you sit on the floor, be prepared to have a dog in your lap. He is very loving and affectionate and willing to please. He is still mouthing and nipping when excited. A firm “no” and re-directing with a toy is effective at curbing this behavior. The ideal family for Rocco will be one that has the time to provide him with the attention he needs. He has a great deal of love and loyalty to give to his forever home.
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We are not a traditional shelter, we are a cage-free facility. All dogs are temperament tested and must get along with other dogs to stay here. Appointments must be made in advance to meet our Secondhand Mutts. Please call 216-664-9660 or email rescue@secondhandmutts.org to set up a time. We prefer to adopt to local families but will consider long distance adoptions.
Doberman Puppy Adoption Fee $300
