“Pivot. Piv-ot. Piv. Ot. PIVOT!!” Drop that couch and tell all your friends FBRN’s Ross has made it to the available page! Now 11 years old, this sweet fawn boy was tearfully surrendered by his owners after Ross’s best Frenchie friend passed away causing him to become quite anxious. With two small children and Ross’ canine friend gone, it was hard for his former family to devote the extra attention Ross needed at the time.

The great news is that Ross gets along with cats, dogs, kids (young and older) and adults. We call that a quadruple threat! And as long as one or more of those is around, his separation anxiety has greatly improved. Ross’ favorite thing is being with people. He can get quite excited when meeting new friends for the first time so if the person is particularly young and small, it’s best if he meets them while under careful control of a leash. He has been known to nibble/grab at hands out of excitement, not malice, and that can scare younger children. Ross can also be a little protective of his favorite people if meeting new doggies at a friend’s house; his foster family has found it is most successful when his people aren’t initially present for those types of meetings. Ross lives with a cat and two other dogs and tends to be quite submissive. He doesn’t necessarily want to share his food with other canines so everyone is fed separately.

Ross is quite a healthy senior, taking only a joint supplement twice a day and doing very well on a diet of Nutro Ultra Senior which he should continue. His surrendering family reported two fully recovered back injuries in the past while Ross was playing rugby. Okay, it wasn’t rugby, he was jumping up for a Frisbee! But to prevent further back injury, care must be taken to ensure Ross doesn’t do any jumping. He is quite athletic for being an 11 year old Frenchie! He’s got a lot of pep in his step and loves going on adventures. If people are his favorite thing, car rides come in a close second. Ross also loves to chew Nylabones, go for walks, play Frisbee, swim, and hang out with anyone who will pet him.

Like many in their golden years, Ross’ ability to hold his bladder isn’t what it used to be. He needs frequent potty breaks, every 2-3 hours, in order to prevent accidents. He is crate trained, but if left in his crate for longer than 2-3 hours, he will pee; however, at night, if taken out right before bedtime, he seems to be able to stay dry all night. He does well wearing belly bands if he has to be home longer without a break. One thing to note from his time is foster care is that he prefers to poop on grass. So make sure you get him out to a grassy area or you might find a present hidden somewhere in the house. Hopefully his forever family will have a yard with grass, a nearby park or a Pinterest board with ideas on creating a grassy potty place for persnickety poopers!

Ross would thrive with either a first-time Frenchie owner or an expert. He could live in an apartment but if left alone in his crate, he will sing the song of his people. If you work from home or can bring him to work, then your neighbors may never get the pleasure of hearing said song. He needs another dog in the home (or cat) or a person who is home most of the day or a combination of all the above. If he is left entirely alone, his anxiety kicks in and we don’t want him to feel that! He really seems to bond to males so his ideal home includes at least one male human with additional humans and/or animals as an added bonus.

His foster family has so many good things to say about Ross, “This boy has stolen our hearts and those of everyone he meets. He has conquered every obstacle we have faced him with and never ceases to amaze us with his outgoing personality. He will do absolutely any activity that we do! He doesn’t mind storms or fireworks! He went camping and off-roading, hiking, swimming and anything else you can think of. He is just a really really good boy. He has the sweetest temperament and the cutest personality. One of the many adorable things he does is go back up to our bed after he eats his breakfast and get under the covers to nap until I call him so I can put him in his crate and go to work. He lets my two-year-old nephew walk him and he is always ready for a car ride. He also really enjoys wearing clothes! This wonderful boy deserves to continue to live his best life every day and share his cuteness with the world.”

If you feel you could be Ross’ “Rachel” – without all the breaks – then apply now and plan your drive to Michigan. Ross is too big to fly in-cabin on a plane and FBRN does not ship dogs as cargo, so adopters are expected to pick up their dogs from their foster family.

FBRN dogs are in foster care in people’s private homes. For the foster families’ safety, we do not disclose specific locations, and we don’t set up meet and greets prior to applications. For detailed information about the dogs in our care, please read the extensive bios on each dog.