FOMA or Fear of Missing Out is a relatively new term associated more with social media than with our pets. Whatever the technical definition or meaning of FOMA, for us, it describes Rocket! This pup never misses a thing! After reviewing his updated DNA test results and studying a bit on his breed mix, and with a few years of experience behind us now, Rocket’s constant need to be near us and his attention to detail may stem from his breed mix which is primarily in the Guard Dog category. At this point in Rocket’s Story, he is still under one year of age. He is happy, gets along with other dogs, loves people, and rarely, if ever, shows signs of fear or uneasiness. He’s just a pup loving life and not wanting to miss out on a thing!
Rocket has a huge fear of missing out! No matter where we are or what we are doing, Rocket is always there to make sure he doesn’t miss a thing. His constant need for motion puts him right at the center of attention. While doing office work in my library, he wanted to help. His response to being told to go lie down, was to place both paws on the table and look me square in the eyes. One look at that face and I knew he wasn’t going anywhere soon, so I might as well satisfy his need for attention…break time; play time!
Work around the house can’t be completed without our trusted assistant. While replacing deck boards, Rocket struggled to be by our side. His solution was to tip toe onto the floor joists, reach the loosely laying boards on the deck and make his way over to where we were screwing down the boards. This dog has talent! He managed to tiptoe across 10 feet of loose lying deck boards using all four paws. Trust me, this was not an easy task; I wouldn’t even walk across the deck boards for fear of falling between them.
Afraid of heights? Not Rocket! While building a two story “She Shed”, Rocket found that the only way to reach us was up; The only way up was by ladder. No problem for this nimble, energetic pup. He’s not afraid of heights!!!
Can’t escape Rocket by boat either! One look at me paddling away in the kayak caused a great deal of stress and concern. Not to worry; Rocket to the rescue!!! Into the water he goes and to shore I must paddle to pick up this persistent canine passenger!
All naps are closely supervised! While the humans rest, Rocket finds the perfect vantage point to watch over his sleeping companions. As soon as their eyes flutter, he will be ready to jump into action once more.
With all this activity and fear of missing out, you might wonder how training is going at this point. It is actually going quite well. Rocket has learned to sit, stay, wait for his food, shake, and potty outside. He continues to try to please and is becoming a very good boy. He is still quite active, not so unusual for puppies, although he may be a little more so than the average dog. We have learned that keeping him focused, giving him plenty of exercise and finding constructive or appropriate ways for him to direct his activities through the day helps him to settle down and be more content in the evening. Considering our options for activity, we realized that hiking is something that this family loves to do! It’s time to introduce Rocket to the trails…
He sounds like a great Dog who’s highly intelligent and full of energy I think it’s great you are finding out who rocket really is most would not take time or energy
He really is a good dog. There have been a few challenges with Rocket, as is the case with many shelter dogs. I wanted to tell his story so that others might have insight with the kind of dog Rocket is. He is very social and friendly, but he has Guard dog breeding. As a pup, those personality traits did not show. Three years later, after he has won our hearts and is a solid family member, some of that Guard Dog mentality surfaced. Now, at the 5-year mark, we were faced with a very difficult decision. As Rocket’s Story progresses, you will see the good, the bad, and the ugly. We are committed to him, and he to us, so we are working through those ugly moments. His story is still unfolding, and we are determined to keep it a happy one. Thanks for reading his story!!!