Meet our newest adoptable dog, Rosco. This guy is a true terrier who is looking for a dog savvy, adult-only home.  He is estimated at about 5 years old and we believe him to be a Jack Russell Terrier mix. He is a very smart and active boy with an adorable mohawk that stands up when he gets wet in the rain. 

Poor Rosco had a rough start to life. Rosco lived in Texas in 2018 and at the time there were some very serious storms that caused significant flooding and put all of Texas into a state of emergency. Animal rescues from around the continent went to assist in rescuing pets displaced after the storms. Rosco was found by one of those rescues standing alone in the middle of a flooded field. Sadly, he was never able to reunited with his family so Rosco was eventually adopted by a young couple who lived in Victoria.  He lived with that family for a few years but unfortunately Rosco started having some challenges in the home after the familys children were born. 

Rosco is a very friendly dog who is active and smart. He loves doing trick training and figuring out puzzles; anything that keeps his mind occupied. He would love it if his new family were interested in doing agility or other dog sports with him. Although Rosco is a busy guy, he is very cuddly at the end of the day. He would love to hang out with you on the couch while you watch a movie and to snuggle on the bed when its bedtime. He currently likes to sleep right next to his foster mom under the covers, but with his previous family he slept in his soft-sided crate (with the door open.) 

While Rosco is a great little companion, he clearly still carries some emotional scars from his previous life in Texas, which make him require an experienced owner. He has some challenges that he is currently working through and his new owners will need to continue his training journey. 

Rosco is very claustrophobic and panics if he is put into a crate with the door closed or a small room. He tries to scratch his way out and will hurt himself (even a bathroom is to small for him.)  Rosco usually has access to the whole house when his family is out of the home. He does have a little bit of separation anxiety but he currently lives with another dog in his foster home, which has really helped him stay calm when his humans are out of the house.  As long as he has free-roam and a friend, Rosco is a very good boy - no destruction or accidents at all. Due to his current fosters schedule, Rosco hasnt really been left home alone for more than 4 hours at a time. Ultimately, he may do best with someone who works from home a fair bit or who is retired. 

One of Roscos less-than-desirable habits is that he is a food stealer. We believe this stems from his time fending for himself in Texas, where he had to grab any food he could find to stay alive. He is a fairly short dog but if you leave food on the coffee table or kitchen table, Rosco will jump up and steal it.  He also inhales his food so its best if he eats out of a slow-bowl for meals. His foster mom also uses his food to play games (he likes to search for his dinner and likes puzzles toys.) 

Rosco is a very active dog and it seems he has springs in his feet! We can hardly believe how high he can jump! Rosco will do best in a house with a secure, fully-fenced yard.  He loves to hang out in the yard off-leash and chases lizards, so having a properly fenced yard will let him burn off some steam while supervised. He is an active, up-for-anything kind of dog, and loves to go for walks. He can easily walk 45 - 60 minutes each day and enjoys long hikes on the weekends. Rosco is an athletic dog and would also make a great jogging companion. He does pull on-leash but when his foster mom verbally asks for no pulling he slows down. When Rosco is walking on leash and he sees other dogs or people at a distance he is fine, but if hes face-to-face with them he will bark if not allowed to meet them.  We are currently working on this challenge. 

Rosco does have an issue with strangers that come to the house.  Once the person is in the home for several minutes he will settle down and there is no longer any issue, but at the beginning he gets very over-stimulated and barks excessively. 

Rosco was surrendered to us because Rosco is not comfortable with children. The couple who adopted Rosco from Texas did not have children at the time of adoption. However, they now have two young kids and as they have grown and become more mobile, Rosco has became fearful of the fast movements and loud noises they make.  Although Roscos family tried their best to keep him safe and teach the kids to give Rosco distance, they wanted to play with him and the older one would chase Rosco around if he was unsupervised for even a second. Unfortunately, this ultimately led to Rosco nipping the older child when he was being handled inappropriately and couldnt get away. Since being with us Rosco has been a great little dog but its clear that he really needs an adult-only home. 

Roscos perfect home will be with someone who understands the terrier breeds and has time to take him for long daily walks and weekend hikes (keeping in mind that he is a terrier with a strong prey-drive and should not be let off-leash during a walk because if he sees something he wants to chase he will be gone!)  Rosco also needs an adult-only home, and ideally someone who is around for a good portion of the day. He needs a securely fenced yard, and someone who is willing to work through some of his bad habits. Rosco would do best with another, calm, well-behaved dog to help show him the ropes and make him feel more comfortable. He should not go to a home with cats or where there are other small animals (like rabbits or reptiles) because he will chase them.  Since Rosco has some emotional scars and challenges related to his time in Texas, it will be a requirement of adoption that Roscos new family signs him up for one-on-one training with a dog trainer to ensure that he starts off on the right foot when moving to a new home.  

If youd like to learn more about Rosco, please go to https://victoriapets.ca/adoption-process/ for info about our adoption process and to submit an application. Please note that we will only consider applications for Rosco on southern Vancouver Island. Because he can be a bit funny with some strangers multiple visits will be required to make sure that Rosco is the right fit for you.