7 years old, 65 pounds, Oakland.

Rocket is a lovable, sweet dog who has come a long way since he first joined our family. He’s a bit of a work in progress, but with time, patience, and consistent training, he has made significant improvements. Though he’s reactive to fewer things these days, Rocket still has some triggers that can cause a strong reaction. He tends to react to small white fluffy dogs and skateboards, and he has a strong prey drive, so it’s important to keep an eye on those situations.

When meeting new dogs, Rocket can be a little apprehensive, but he currently lives peacefully with a small Schipperke mix. The two get along well, with the little dog often taking the lead. Rocket had a challenging start in life, including a broken pelvis as a puppy that was poorly healed. We’ve worked hard together on his rehab, especially with stairs, and while he still favors that leg occasionally, it doesn’t slow him down much.

Rocket has a few food allergies, particularly to chicken and beef, so his diet needs to be monitored closely. He’s also had some challenging moments early on. When he first arrived, there was an incident while navigating the stairs outside our house, where a reactive outburst led to redirecting a bite on my shin. There were other minor incidents during our learning curve, but they were never overly serious, and I’ve since learned how to manage his reactivity. A few months later, Rocket did redirect and bit my daughter during a reaction to a distant dog, but there have been no further incidents since then. Throughout this process, I worked closely with a professional trainer, which helped me understand Rocket’s cues and significantly improved our communication.

Despite his early challenges, Rocket is a loving and affectionate dog. He’s a bit of a lapdog at heart—although he’s a 70-pound dog, he’ll happily curl up beside you. Rocket has a big heart and a lot of love to give, and with the right family who understands his needs, he’ll be a wonderful companion.

For more information about Rocket, please contact their guardian at (510) 992-3731.