Meet Rocket

December 1st, 2008

by Cindy Vinores

When I saw Rocket at the Humane Society of Santa Clara Valley, he was playing with a squeaky toy and having fun, even by himself. He was very friendly and anxious to play. I really took to his personality, and told him that he may be the guy for me. When I told the Humane Society person I was interested in him, she chuckled a bit. When I asked why, she said “You’ll see”. It was because he was wildly energetic and unfocused. I’ve trained dogs before, and he seemed smart and trainable, just untrained to me. I thought that if I could teach him to behave without breaking his spirit, that he’d be a great companion

Rocket, Jack Russell-Chihuahua plays…

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He is a lot of fun, very happy go lucky, affectionate, and brings lots of joy into our house. He is filled with curiosity and a zest for life. Despite his wild energy, he is a nice guy. He isn’t aggressive with other dogs or with people, but can be trying with his boundless energy. He likes children, and is gentle around them. He gets into “little boy” type mischief regularly, getting into things out of curiosity or swiping things that look fun to play with. He loves to hunt. He chases squirrels, birds, and bugs. Sometimes he watches airplanes in the sky as if they were big birds. He chases laser lights as if it was an insect. He has even dug up earth worms in the garden.

Breed: Jack Russell Terrier — Chihuahua mix; his personality is mostly like a Jack Russell
Place of Birth: Unknown, but probably in the Bay area
DOB: August 13, 2007; adopted April 29, 2008 at 8 ½ months of age.
Nickname: Not really a nickname, but we tell him he’s a “such a Noodle”.
Likes: He is extremely social. When we take him to the dog park, he greets every dog and every person, and many of the people comment on his friendly disposition. He loves to play with other dogs at the dog park, especially running — nothing is more fun than a good game of chase — either as the leader or a follower. For a small dog, he likes to play hard. He loves playing ball, tug of war, chasing a laser light, chasing bubbles, and squeaking and ultimately de-stuffing stuffed dog toys. At the end of the day he likes to burrow under the covers and snuggle. I love to snuggle with him in the late evening or morning, as most other times he won’t sit still long enough.
Pet-Peeves: Rocket does not like to be locked into or out of a room. If he hears anyone go into a room and close the door, he’ll immediately run down the hall, to the door and start scratching on it.
Quirky Tid-bit: Most of the time, his ears stand straight up, but when he’s tired, his ears droop forward. He likes to steal socks. He is not very food motivated and won’t eat most dog treats. He likes to shower people’s faces with kisses if they’ll let him. When I’m on the computer, he’ll sometimes stare at the screen to see what I find so interesting. Then he’ll lunge toward the cursor and bite at it, as if it was an insect.
Our Similarities: We’re both blondes and we both like exploring new places and trying new things.
Trivia: Jack Russell Terriers were originally bred in England for fox hunting alongside hunters riding horses. They are hunters, fast and courageous enough to run and keep up with horses, but compact enough to follow a fox into a fox hole. JRTs are intelligent, playful, and intensely curious. They thrive on action and adventure, and may get into trouble as a result.
Chihuahua are very individualistic so personalities can vary widely. They are intelligent, lively, affectionate, deeply devoted and loyal. They can become strongly attached to one or two people. They like to be the center of attention. Many are wary of strangers, but not Rocket. Rocket wants to meet and play with everyone!

Rocket

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Entry Filed under: K9TL Members,Rocket