Health Condition:

Roscoe completed heartworm treatment when he first arrived at MPR. He is now healthy and ready for adoption. 

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Roscoe has some occasional anxiety as evidenced by pacing/restlessness when there is a change in routine. However, once he's settled into his routine, he's as normal as can be! 

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Physical Description:  

A little larger than average. He's tall, big boned and muscular – larger than a lap dog but doesn’t know it!  He might have a bit of American Bulldog in him. Roscoe is gorgeous in person. Pictures don't do him justice. He has the epitome of "puppy dog eyes." His eyes are the most inquisitive you’ll ever see. Roscoe has one ear that flops over "normally" and one "wonky ear," that moves around as he listens and learns. When you call his name, both ears perk up. Roscoe has adorable freckles around his nose and down his back. He does an adorable hop-run when he's excited, but his most precious trait is the little tippy taps that his feet do when he's happy to see you or ready to play. 😊

 

Current Living Situation:  

Roscoe, like many homeless dogs that get shuffled around, took a few weeks to settle into his living situation when he first arrived at MPR shelter. He was unsure whether he was allowed on the furniture, if he could eat slowly or if he'd run out of food, and whether he was allowed to run freely in the big yard, etc. Since he was never a welcomed indoor pet before, he was confused by the smallest things. He has since learned that all ground surfaces are safe and appliance noises don't phase him anymore. It's been such a treat watching him learn the luxuries of indoor life!

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Roscoe scored himself a foster home at the beginning of the year. Now this handsome boy lives in home with two adults and a 6-year-old doggy sister. He is crate trained, where he stays when home alone. At night, Roscoe sleeps either in the living room on the couch, or will sometimes venture to the bedroom and sleep on the dog bed. He also doesn't mind being kenneled, especially if it is during a period of routine disruption. 

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Roscoe enjoys the quiet of his rural foster home, and foster mom thinks a busy city life may be stressful for him! He gets plenty of exercise at his foster home. Roscoe enjoys walks and car rides! He does well on the leash and in the yard, but does require supervision due to his high interest in other animals.

 

Personality:   

Roscoe is a silly, happy boy who has THE best bounce throughout the backyard. Since we know he grew up stuck to a chain outside, its easy to understand why he now loves being free to run and romp until his heart's content. He likes being inside for cuddles too, but truly enjoys the fresh air. He is curious and alert, but also a little clumsy at times.

 

Roscoe is a fun combination that never ceases to crack us up. He is like a little kid that doesn't want to stop playing when it's dinner time. Once he's with his people though, he is all love. He fancies snuggling on the couch and chewing on his bones near his humans. Butt scratches are a must! He is a perfect balance of cuddly and independent!  

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Regarding his anxiety, foster mom said Roscoe was pretty anxious/restless for his first 7-10 days, as expected after being used to his shelter routine for so long. But each day he showed tremendous progress and has almost no anxiety at this point with an established routine - but a new change of environment could exacerbate that slightly again. As long as he feels safe and loved, he adapts easily! 

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Behavior with people: 

Roscoe has such an awesome disposition with people. He's outgoing but not pushy, friendly, and loving, but not overbearing. Roscoe will take any and all attention that you want to give him, but he is respectful if you have guests over that aren't 'dog people.'  Roscoe is confident and well-behaved when greeting new people - he doesn't bark, jump, or get overly excited. He doesn't seem to have a preference toward men or women and does well with direction from everyone.

 

Behavior with children:  

Roscoe has been exposed to kids of various ages - as young as 5 years old, up through 12 years old. He has done GREAT with kids!! He doesn't jump or get overly excited. 

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Behavior with other dogs:  

Roscoe was rejected by another rescue for "flunking" his dog test. We were told that he lived with a large female German Shepherd before landing at the pound, but the dogs were kept on chains and might not have had much interaction, if any. 

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At the MPR shelter, Roscoe was introduced to a large, tolerant, yet dominant female and did very well with her. Due to this successful greeting, Roscoe was transferred to a foster home with a built-in playmate. 

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After slow, intentional, and structured intros, Roscoe is fully integrated with his foster sister. They are kenneled separately when left alone, but they hang out together when their humans are home. He does not know what personal space is, so he and his foster sister are kept separated for meals and any time toys are out. He does not show any signs of resource guarding, but he is definitely interested in what his sister is up to at all times. His foster sister is very tolerant, but to keep them both safe, they're separated when any triggers are present. Roscoe would need a tolerant female and a family who is willing to separate them with food/toys and provide good supervision. Roscoe responds extremely well to human corrections and commands.

 

Roscoe’s owner(s) will need to be very bully-breed savvy and know how to properly introduce dogs and supervise. On walks Roscoe has shown a positive demeanor toward the neighborhood dogs and redirects easily. But note that he has engaged in fence-to-fence conflicts with other dogs before, when they were willing participants. The right home for him should have a tall privacy fence and/or no adjacent neighbor dogs.

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Behavior with other animals:  

Roscoe has exhibited prey drive toward small animals (squirrels, bunnies, cats etc.) and even the cows next door. The cows especially pique his interest. He is very strong on a leash when he sees an animal, so he needs strong leadership. He would do best in a home without cats or other small animals.

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Training: 

Roscoe is house trained, kennel trained, and can be left out in the house at night during bedtime.

He is eager to please, though not super food-motivated. He knows "sit", "down", "wait", "come this way", and "kennel" commands. He doesn't seem interested in learning other new commands.

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Best Attribute:

Roscoe is expressive and animated.  He wears his heart on his sleeve - you can always tell how curious he is, or excited, or sleepy, or worried... He's emotional and sensitive. Foster mom says her favorite thing about Roscoe is his quirky demeanor. He's so silly, goofy, and fun. You can tell this dog is absolutely high on life and just so grateful to be loved and safe. It is so fun to see him run and play and learn to be a dog with his foster sister.

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Even if you can’t adopt this sweetheart, you can still help by donating for their care.