Realistic Expectations of a Retired Dog:
Roscoe’s story
By Melanie Coronado

            When I first learned that one of Sylvia’s favorite miniature studdogs, Roscoe, was available for adoption, I jumped at the chance to give this special guy a home of his own. I had been searching for nearly two months for a little friend for my lonely chow/husky mix named Sara. Sara did not like female dogs or big dogs. She had been raised with a miniature Dachshund so I knew she would like Roscoe and be kind to him.

            At the time of the adoption Roscoe was 9 years old and had never left the ranch or been sick a day in his life. All he knew was his schnauzer friends. He didn’t know me and he didn’t trust me. He refused to walk on a leash and would stand next to me shaking with fear and intimidation. His only friends had been the other schnauzers. Of course, he adored Sylvia’s kennel manager Laina who had known Roscoe since he was a puppy but because Roscoe had never been exposed to lots of people he was very untrusting of them in general. Still, I could see something special when I looked into Roscoe’s dark brown eyes.

            When I brought Roscoe home he did not act like any other dog I had ever owned or met. He was scared of everything and was even hesitant about walking on the carpet and hardwood floors. Everything was new to him. He was scared of my three cats, terrified of my dad (and all men in general) and was very vocal about disliking my three-year old niece. He refused to walk up or down stairs and so for months, I carried him up and down at bedtime. He was easily startled by the TV, sounds in the kitchen, doors, etc. After two months of this behavior, I contemplated giving Roscoe back to Sylvia as I was concerned that he was not happy. I was scared that he never would be happy. Then I remembered what she had written about the retired dogs in one of her articles “I would love to see you sent off to China- not having a clue why you were sent away by yourself. You wouldn’t understand a word spoken to you and would most likely be terrified- appearing scared, uncooperative and ignorant. Yet, you expect this adult schnauzer to come waltzing into your home, happily wagging her tail, responding to her name, sit, come, lie down on command, be housebroke, love your kids and other dogs, etc. The fact is that she will be terrified and if you cannot understand that basic premise you should not even think of adopting one of our schnauzers.” and decided to stick it out. I figured that Roscoe was just a little extra sensitive and needed additional time to come out of his shell.

Drastic lifestyle changes can send your retired dog back to his old ways…
            Bad luck struck and early one morning both Roscoe and Sara got into a neighbors yard who let them out. Roscoe was lucky and was picked up by a good Samaritan almost instantly. That is how I discovered the dogs were missing, I got a phone call from a man who had rescued Roscoe. Sara on the other hand, was not so lucky. She wandered around for five hours before I found her and when I did, I knew she was not the same. Sara has somehow managed to scrape a patch of fur off her left eyebrow, which was completely white. When I got Sara home she laid down next to Roscoe’s crate and refused to move. Twenty minutes after I rescued her, she started panting and I knew she was in pain. The little white patch above her eye had turned red which told me that it was very likely she had been hit by a car. I immediately took her to my vet and he prescribed some anti-inflammatory medicine to help with the pain. Since no one saw Sara get hit we could only make guesses as to how severe her injuries were. Roscoe and Sara’s bond to each other became increasingly stronger every day after the accident.

            Sadly, six weeks after the incident Sara laid down in her favorite spot and gave a few heavy breaths and then she was gone. Luckily, my mom was home and with Sara when she left this world. I was heartbroken that I hadn’t made it home in time to be with her but it was some comfort to know that she hadn’t died alone. Now that I look back at the last six weeks of Sara’s life it seemed like she taught Roscoe everything he needed to know as if she knew she was destined to leave us. Roscoe gained more confidence everyday. Approximately one week after Sara died Roscoe’s behavior reverted back to a ranch dog. He acted as though he had never walked on a leash or seen a car, even though he had been walking two miles a day with Sara and I previously. I even had to carry him home one morning after a dog had barked at him from behind a fence. He just laid down and refused to move. You see, a ranch dog will always be a ranch dog and no matter how much time Roscoe has spent with me he will never be a regular pet. Ranch dogs are special because they give you the kind of love that you just can’t get from a puppy you raise yourself. Roscoe knows how lucky he is and how good his life is now that he is able to have his own crate, food dish, etc. Even though all of the Skansen dogs are well cared for and loved by Sylvia and her dedicated employees it is not that same as having your own person.

            About four months after Sara crossed over that rainbow bridge, I found another chow mix who needed a new home. Bear, a chow /Australian shepherd mix weighing only about 35 lbs and a few inches taller than Roscoe seemed like the perfect match for my lonely little guy. They became fast friends and after only one week together. Bear has helped Roscoe to be more trusting of people and more outgoing in general. Roscoe even lets my dad pet him now something he has never done before without growling, etc. I have come to the conclusion that ranch dogs do need to have other dog companions. Roscoe was hesitant about sharing me and my affection with Bear at first but after only one week he adjusted and is happier than ever! Roscoe and the cats have found common ground and seem to be in agreement about leaving each other alone. However, Roscoe still does not like/trust children and probably never will. I am ok with this and never leave him unsupervised with any small children.

            At this point, I have had Roscoe for about a year but I feel like he has always been with me. He loves to sleep in his crate in my room and is enjoying walking with his new friend Bear. He is very sensitive and I freely admit to babying him a bit. He truly has become my best friend and companion. I couldn’t ask for a better friend. However, I never forget the time and patience it took for him to trust me completely, which I feel he now does. No matter how long I get to spend with Roscoe I will always be grateful to Sylvia for allowing me the opportunity to share my life with such a wonderful companion. I would do anything for Roscoe and his dedication to me now is overwhelming.

            To be the ideal home for a ranch dog you must posses a lot of patience. I think this really applies to the standards and minis who seem to take much longer to adjust to a home environment than the giants. The easiest way for a ranch dog to adjust to retired life is if you already have a schnauzer who can teach him/her the ropes. Sharing ones life with a retired dog is not always easy. But for me, the experience has been well worth the effort. No matter how much time I get to spend with Roscoe I will be grateful for every single moment because every moment I spend with him is truly a moment of joy.

Receiving an Adopted Schnauzer
Realistic Expectations of a Retired Dog: Roscoe’s story
A true story about spaying your retired female…
Skansen's Youthful "Sojie" A STANDARD SCHNAUZER’S STORY
Women over 30
Application to Adopt

  Sylvia Hammarstrom
  P.O. Box 400
  Sebastopol, CA 95473

  Phone: (707)795-7070
  Fax: (707) 795-4869

  Email: info@skansen.com

For More information on Skansen and our Schnauzers or Llamas please fax, email, or call. Give us your name, address, & what kind of animal your looking for. We will send you our free packet of information / audio tapes to better inform you about Skansen and the type of animal your looking for.