The Gentleman Pug has been adopted

"It seems that Rocky knew he was at home long before we figured it out. Canines sometimes see things more clearly than their humans. It took him many months to become comfortable enough to seek out affection. At his age, it would be tough for him to adjust to another home. We're honoured to make Rocky an official member of our "pack"."

Kelly and Rick

Foster Update - Jan 5

He continues to enjoy his trips to Dr Ely, the chiropractor. His energy level is quite good and he's happily barking to let me know what he'd like. Rocky has some homework from Dr Ely to further strengthen his muscles particularly in his hind legs. Rocky is eager to greet every dog in her office and is happy to present his tail end for an adjustment. In fact, he comes back for more. However he does give the receptionist the cold shoulder. He scoots all around her work area but won't come close enough for her to say hello. There's too much to see and do I suppose.

Rocky has had a couple of mild seizures. His blood work has been redone to confirm that his organs are functioning properly. There have been no significant changes in his blood work results when compared to the results from June. The good news is the seizures have been a few months apart and they are not increasing in severity or frequency. He fully recovers within a few minutes or after a nap. The seizures are not frequent enough to warrant medication.

For now, Rocky will continue on his road to recovery with lots of TLC along the way.
Foster Mom Kelly

Foster Update - Dec 3

Rocky was taking prednisone to resolve the lingering cough but it may have left him susceptible to secondary infections. The coughing worsened, he was very lethargic and he was having trouble using his limbs. Rocky was placed on a new antibiotic and he’s visited the chiropractor for a couple of adjustments. Within days, he was back on his feet. Rocky’s going to be weaned off the prednisone early and he’ll continue with the antibiotics for another few weeks.

It’s great to have the Rocky we know and love back in the game. It’s said that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but I’m not so certain. Rocky’s slowly but surely learning to play. If he continues to do well, he’ll check out the Christmas pugalugs.

Foster Mom Kelly

Foster Update - Nov 2

At this point, it’s no longer considered kennel cough. The vet suggested he could have some scaring remaining from the kennel cough that resulted in this outcome. It’s not recommended that I book his surgery at this time. We’ll wait and see how he does over the next few weeks.

Rocky took in a nice fall walk since the quarantine of kennel cough was lifted. Rocky’s foster siblings were just as excited over the prospect of a walk. For now we’ll work on getting Rocky some more exercise and hopefully the cough will improve over time. Another option would be to send the x-rays out for an expert opinion.

Foster Update - Oct 24

He no longer has any trouble managing the two steps to go in and out of the house. He’ll surprise you with his abilities when properly motivated. I had a friend visit with her pugs back in August. Rocky was getting on and off the deck like there was no tomorrow. Without visitors however, he’ll wait for a lift. He can’t see well enough to attempt a large flight of stairs.

Rocky can’t distinguish between play & aggression. He barks at the dogs when they play. Other than this, he doesn’t bark much at all. Rocky took Loulou’s arrival in stride and had no trouble accepting a new pecking order.”

Foster Update - Oct 10

Foster Update - Sept 24

Foster Update - Sept 4

So, I’ve had to postpone his Sept 8 appointment to have him fixed and micro-chipped.

Frankly, Rocky is a good house guest so he’s more than welcome to extend his stay. Hilary discovered via Rocky’s past vet records that he’s 2 years older than previously thought. So our boy is 9 years old.

I’m finding that Rocky is getting more affectionate as time goes on. He’s also taking quite the shining to my daughter since she returned from camp. The kennel cough has prevented us from talking walks or hitting the off leash park but they’ve still been able to get some exercise up at the cottage.

Foster Update - August 8

Surgery is not warranted. Rocky’s vision will need to be monitored going forward. It’s likely his limited vision that prevents him from climbing flights of stairs. His limbs and range of motion all checked out. My vet believes his odd gate can be attributed to his lack of muscle tone. He recommended increasing his exercise but on a gradual basis. Even Rocky’s teeth are in relatively good shape for a dog of his age.

Next steps: Rocky’s booked to be fixed and micro chipped on Sept 8. The vet may scale his teeth while he’s under anaesthetic. He’ll have some blood work done to ensure his organs are in good shape before the surgery. One more fecal sample will be done just to ensure a clean bill of health.

On the home front, Rocky continues to be a sweet natured, gentle boy. His aversion to children is consistent. When he’s around adults, it’s hard to believe he could be anything but good spirited. He takes his treats so very gently. He also managed the vet visit without complaint. He even allowed me to clean his wrinkle and ears without any resistance at all! I may have to polish his halo.

Like most pugs Rocky likes to be near his human companions. He won’t attempt to jump on most furniture (unless it’s fairly low to the ground) so most of the time he’s content to curl up in a dog bed or cushion near by. We’ll continue to work with Rocky on his marking. This is mainly a problem when he’s home alone and the buddy belt has been helping in this regard. Rocky’s learned to manage the two steps to allow him to go outdoors independently. It helps to call his name to give him that little bit of encouragement he needs to brave the stairs.

Rocky has the endearing temperament of a senior pug. He’s going to make a great companion for the right home. He’d likely do well in a home without children under 14 and ideally one with few stairs (or someone who can give him a lift now and then).

Foster Update - July21

He will growl at the other dogs during mealtime if they approach his bowl but frankly, my pugs would not be amused either. I’ve seen no food aggression towards the humans. I can handle his kibble, take his bowl or touch him during mealtime without incident. He’s a much slower eater than my two. Initially I fed the dogs in separate rooms but lately I’ve been feeding them together and all is well.

Rocky does have some challenges to overcome. I suspect he has some fear aggression. He may have been roughly handled in the past. For example when a large young dog came barrelling toward him, he did not hold back. Rocky growled, lunged, snapped and showed his teeth but within five minutes they were socializing just fine. He really does put on a convincing front. Rocky has bitten twice and snapped once while in foster care. These occasions are rare and I’m still trying to piece together what triggers this response. I believe this issue will improve with more socialization. He would however be better suited to a home without children under 14. He’s been fine with my two teenagers. So far it looks like Rocky snaps or bites when he’s overwhelmed. He may not be at ease with children. Overall his house training is quite good. He requires a little work regarding marking but it’s limited to when he’s alone in the house. He’s been doing quite well on this front and he’s made good progress.

Rocky has been exposed to lots of people and dogs during my vacation. 99.9% of the time, he takes it all is stride. He even took in a Birthday Party. He likes to be near his humans and is content sleeping in the ‘big bed’ or on a dog bed on the floor. He likes to be invited up on the couch. When he’s had a little attention, he’ll go about his business. He’s particularly fond of the males in the house and the one who feeds him. A few kind words from the males or a scratch behind the ears and his face lights up! He’s quite content at the cottage and after a couple of weeks was becoming more comfortable cruising the beach and hanging out on the dock.

Next steps are to make arrangements to have him neutered and chipped. He may also require eye surgery for Entropia. He’ll have some x-rays done as well to determine why he has trouble with stairs. It could be related to vision problems but it would be good to rule out other issues such as joints etc.

Foster Mom Kelly

Foster Update - June 24

Rocky is a 7 yr old fawn male. He has not been neutered. He seems like a very peaceful dog with a nice disposition. The owner advised Rocky hasn't seen a vet for at least 2 yrs, so today he had a visit to Mt. Pleasant-Davisville Vet Hosp for a general checkup, vaccinations, blood test, nail trimming and ear cleaning. We will get blood test and heartworm test results tomorrow. The vet said he appears to be in good health, however, did mention that he may require eye surgery. I will be speaking with the vet on Thursday to see if its possible to do the eye surgery at the same time as the neutering to eliminate Rocky being under anesthesia twice.

Introduction - June 23