Hey, Roddy! Roddy is a three-year-old Goldenpoo X who came from a neglected home in Quebec (see his introductory post for the full story). Though he’s named after Rod Stewart, the shaggy mane is the only thing these two have in common! While Rod Stewart loves to entertain a crowd and trashed many a hotel room in his heyday, Roddy isn’t much for crowds and fully understands the importance of respecting his foster’s home! His time in foster care has been dedicated to providing structure and helping Roddy build his confidence. This big but gentle scruff is ready to find a patient home with lots of love to spare!

Though little of Roddy’s past is known to us, we’re able to pick up on some clues based on his behaviours. For starters, we initially assumed he was a shaggy muppet, but after a fabulous, much-needed groom, and giving space for his personality to bloom, we’re pretty confident he’s a Goldenpoo X (soft mouth like a Golden, body space like a Poodle, etc.). Now that he’s been in our care for a few months, we can tell you that Roddy has two very different sides: the indoor Roddy and the outdoor Roddy.

Indoor Roddy is goofy and playful! His signature move is the “grumble, stretch, army crawl” which he uses to get as near to his fosters as possible in hopes that the close proximity will lead to cuddles, head rubs, belly scratches, head scritches … you catch our drift! He has shared space with a two- and five-year-old and was a total superstar with them. He isn’t perturbed by the loud noises they make and is game to be included in whatever kiddo shenanigans are on the docket! He loves to give kisses and shove his nose in their space. If his forever home has kids, they should be comfortable around large, loving dogs.

Roddy now does wonderfully in his crate! He used to fight pretty hard against going into his crate, but after some patient coaxing (and treats, obvi), he’s a-okay being crated when his fosters are out. When they’re home, Roddy is often found sleeping in his crate; he also heads straight to his crate after returning from a walk because he knows that crate = snack. He doesn’t love when the door is closed, especially when he can see his fosters, but we are confident this is more so a case of FOMO than crate hate.

Outdoor Roddy (as in Roddy on a walk) is a little more distracted by the sights and sounds of the environment. Some distractions are happy distractions (think interesting smells, etc.), while others (cars, trucks) startle him and make him want to bolt. His foster has experimented with the prong collar and it has worked wonders in improving his self control. Roddy has even fallen into a comfortable heel while walking downtown Toronto! He will require continued desensitization and training so he can work on connecting with his handler instead of remaining distracted by his surroundings, but his improvements so far have convinced us that he is ready for the challenge!

Roddy has experimented with some solo hangs on a long leash while outside in the yard. He was not a fan of this at first – 25ft of distance from his fosters was just too much, and he chewed through a leash, even though his fosters were within eyesight! Now that he’s had a little more practice, Roddy realizes that it’s actually very enjoyable to lounge in the grass, under a summer sky!

Roddy is working on becoming a more confident guy every day, but he remains shy at heart. He doesn’t love meeting strangers: his instinct is to freeze, tuck his tail and remain alert. But with a few minutes, some gentle encouragement and a promise of pets, Roddy is keen on leaning in for some love. Even though he’s fearful, he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, and has never shown adverse behaviour toward any human or doggo! We know that he has lived with other dogs before, so he would do well in a home with or without a dog. And even though he favours quiet spaces where he’s less likely to bump into any strangers, he doesn’t want to count out any city-dwelling families: he’s very open to working on his confidence, as long as his family helps! Roddy is a very smart guy who learns best when he is pushed outside his comfort zone.

Roddy is potty trained, good in his crate, neutered, microchipped and up to date with his vaccines. His most recent trips to the vet have earned him a “perfectly healthy mutt” badge!

This once scared and shutdown guy has been quick to share his goofy side with his fosters. We know that there’s so much more under that sweet scruffy surface and we can’t wait to hear how Roddy continues to grow with his adoptive family!

SOCIABILITY: Humans (adults and kids), dogs and cats (intrigued but nervous)
ENERGY: Medium, but could definitely keep up with a higher-energy family!
QUIRKS: If you look at him for longer than five seconds, he flops right down to his side! He also grumbles when excited!
TRAINING NEEDS: Continued basic obedience, leash skills, continued socialization and confidence-building
MEDICAL NEEDS: None
WEIGHT: 77lbs
FOSTER LOCATION: Toronto