My Other Neighbor

When Rocko came to live next door he had been "rescued" and the interview process was almost like adopting a baby.  But he sure got a great family!  He's a great dog: playful (sometimes when He is in the mood for it), loyal (always barks at strangers), laid-back, loves to see Mimi & Papa almost as much as the kids, doesn't dig, and loves to be with his family.  He's good on a walk, too...

When he first joined his family, he wanted to come over when they came to swim, but he was terrified of the pool & would get as close to the house, away from the pool, as he could.  Yes, he is mostly retriever... but has no affinity for water.  Each year he would be a little more relaxed about the pool but still stayed away from it & got nervous when a lot of splashing was going on.  Finally this year he is so relaxed around the pool that he walks right along the edge and isn't bothered by the splashing.  I guess we've finally shown him that it is safe to be around.  At least I don't have to worry about him getting in...

(Our other "grand-dog" would LOVE to jump right in & we have to really watch him!

Gordy lives near the ocean and loves to jump the waves.  He nearly jumped in our pool on their last visit....)

One of the funny things about Rocko is that he knows his boundaries (they had an underground electric fence, but when it was struck by lightning a couple of years ago, that was the end of it... He had it long enough to learn what his boundaries were.)  But he likes to "sneak" off... If he comes over here, he comes around the front way and he's always surprised if I happen to be out when he comes around the corner.  All I have to say (with a "shame-on-you" voice) is, "Rocko... you'd better go home."  It's all in the voice inflection!  The reason I send him back is that we live on the corner & I'm always afraid a car will come around the corner as he crosses the street (which he will usually do after stopping at our house... You know, they have to sniff each mailbox...)

Rocko loves to come in and lay on our kitchen/sunroom floor because it is tile, so it's nice and cool.  On hot days, once he flops down on it he falls right asleep.
But he is a "home-boy"... He loves to come visit, but then he's ready to go home after awhile.  We have tried to get him to have a "sleep over" when his family is gone, but he'll have none of it.  He is scared to death of thunder, so if there's any chance of it, all the inside doors have to be closed: or he ends up under on top of beds and will NOT come out.  The last time he was here and he heard thunder, he ran upstairs and hid in a closet... and would not come out until he was sure it was gone.

And he loves to go to the mountain house!  And like most dogs, loves to lay in the sunshine.
Glad Rocko has been my neighbor.