Winston 18

Original: When a stray arrives at a foster home from a shelter, it’s not unusual for the dog to not notice its humans for the first few days. Often the dog is fatigued, scared, hungry, and not feeling well. Giving the dog space and time to settle a bit, but observing all the time, is normal. What Winston’s foster mom noticed most about him was how soundly he slept. It seemed the earth could move, and he wouldn’t notice. Then she figured it out, he was not hearing anything. Upon exam the vet found no infection or waxy buildup in his ears. Nerve damage was diagnosed, and his foster mom set about building trust and communication with much bigger facial expressions and hand signals. Winston is responding well and, as his foster mom gets better at teaching, he will continue to learn. She’s probably his only limit!!

The list of treatable problems to help Winston with include 2 kinds of intestinal worms, being underweight by 10 pounds, inflamed skin likely from flea infestation, and a positive heartworm test. He was very good for the vet and is started toward better health. Since he will be in foster care for some time, he and his foster family should have the opportunity both need to learn from each other.

This West Virginia boy is living with 3 other Springers and gets along well. He isn’t playful or interacting with them much, but he is learning to follow their lead. When they sit for treats, so does Winston. When they go to their crates for mealtime, so does Winston. When they go out for pitstops, so does Winston. His foster mom is already thinking that Winston would benefit from a steady canine leader in his adopting home.

Winston is working on housetraining and leash manners. He checks out counters but ignores the trash can. On short trips he has traveled well. More on this sweetie coming.

Update 06/27/08: Winston is often called Winnie these days. Winston just seems a bit formal for this country boy.

Winnie’s overall health is improving. He must have been hungry for a very long time and has been eating 3 meals a day for a month to catch up. His weight gain is not huge, but his skin condition is much better, he doesn’t sleep 24/7 and he loves to trot around the yard for short times now. At his last vet check, blood work showed he is not at all anemic. His heart and lungs sounded good, and the vet was able to clear him to begin heartworm treatment.

His hearing loss is less of a hurdle daily. Winnie has picked up on the household routine by watching the resident dogs and by staying very close to his foster mom. He is still working on his housetraining, so he is under close supervision. His leash manners are coming along, and he will sit and down with the normal hand signals for either command. Spread hands mean come and a scratch under the chin means good boy!

With growing attachment to his foster mom, Winnie is less content with time spent in his crate. When the last bite of a meal is gone, he will let her know with vigorous barking that it’s time to be out. He likes being outdoors in the yard with her but if she sits down, he is likely to sit down right beside her. His loyalty is flattering and should transfer to anyone who is kind to him in an adopting home.

Keep fingers crossed that Winnie’s heartworm treatment will go without a hitch for him.

Update 07/28/08:

A sigh of relief. Winston spent a day with his vet so he could be observed when starting his monthly heartworm preventative and he did great! He can be retested in three months to be sure every single worm was removed and will remain on regular monthly tablets until then. Yeah, for Winston!

When he first arrived, Winston was itching intensely. Eliminating fleas brought relief. In recent weeks he started itching again and this time it was due largely to a bacterial infection. He is almost done with a round of antibiotics to treat that and, again, relief has come. His vet recommended a change of diet and an over-the-counter medication, lest seasonal allergies be at work too. Both have been rolled into his daily routine. Winston’s weight gain has been a bit slow, considering how much kibble he can chow down, so he was retested for intestinal worms and showed up positive a second time. With another worming, he should be on his way to easier gains and will look quite handsome when he hits 50 pounds.

Hand signals and big smiles continue to be at the heart of communication between Winston and his family. While a bit intimidating at first, his foster family has found that a deaf dog is easy to live with. Winston will sit and down and take treats politely alongside the resident dogs. He will sit in his crate while his bowl is being put down at mealtime and he is learning to wait at doors, rather than charging through. He will walk on the ramp to the grooming table and sticks his nose through the noose for a reward. His leash walking is improving with daily practice. Winston has learned all of these life skills in the same way as dogs with normal hearing.

One thing that is different about Winston is that he sleeps very, very soundly. Even on wood floors, he usually does not wake when his foster mom and the two resident dogs begin to move about. To wake Winston without a start, his foster mom will either blow softly into his face or tap a foot on the floor near him. If that doesn’t wake this Rip Van Winkle, she will gently touch him on the rump. He wakes slowly and, like many people, does best when given a minute or two to get the sleep out.

Much progress has been made on housetraining but there is still an occasional accident. Winston is also learning that nothing indoors needs be marked as his territory and still needs a watchful eye on this issue. He is sleeping bedside with his family and blesses them with a peaceful eight-hour night. Overall, he is doing quite well in a steady routine and is very comfortable being close to wherever his people are hanging out.

Like so many springers in MAESSR’s care, Winston is a work in progress. It will be six weeks before he can be neutered so he will continue learning how to put his best paw forward. More on this one to come.

Update 08/28/08: Living with Winston is a continuing learning experience. With improved health, the vet agreed to test his thyroid function, even though he is not the classic watermelon-shape that goes with hypothyroidism. A bit of a surprise for all he tested positive and is beginning an inexpensive medication to correct this problem. Already it seems to be stimulating his appetite and may help him add 3-5 pounds.

After much work on housetraining with limited success, Winnie convinced his foster mom that he needed more privacy and more space. A side yard seemed just the place, away from the resident dogs and full of nice grass and trees. It seems to be working and has led to almost a full week without accidents an important mini milestone for all!

When Winston first arrived, he was weak, mentally numb and crated very easily. As he tuned into his new surroundings, he became less satisfied there. He still eats meals in a crate and remains willing to go in on his own. However, he doesn’t like having the door closed. Except when traveling, the door is not closed on his crate now. A safe space, which is a small kitchen, is where Winnie spends time when his family is away. They wave goodbye at the back door, and he is literally sleeping against that door when they return. This has led to a much more relaxed dog and a lot less barking. Yeah!!

One more thing that Winnie has taught his foster family is that he is capable of trusting and flawless devotion to humans. He has come out of his shell as a one or two person dog and is reluctant to share his people with another dog. He lives with 2 mellow ESSs and has had spats with both when guarding his foster mom. In public he is not protective in this way. He will greet new dogs in normal doggie fashion but does not guard, so being out with him in public is pleasant. In a forever home, though, Winnie will find peace if he is an only dog.

In just the last week or two, Winston has started to look happy. His deafness is not a difficult aspect of living with him. But, possibly because of deafness, he has missed out on years of meaningful time with humans. He’s come to trust his foster mom and accepted a dog-friendly house guest for almost a week. What Winston needs now are one or two humans to bond with and call his own. That will keep a happy, secure look on his face. He is not a wiggle butt who loves everyone instantly. He learns less quickly than many ESSs. He is not an accomplished cuddler yet. He is just now comfortable with lying on the floor beside his foster mom and being nudged off his elbows for belly rubs.

To thrive, Winston will need patience, time and space with his adopting family as he builds a trusting relationship with them. An eye-locking look of adoration from Winston is how you know he is yours. It’s also how you know that learning together has really only just begun. He’ll be ready soon. Consider letting Winston take you to a very rewarding level of rescue!

Update 09/26/08: Winston’s trust in people continues to grow. With this, his cuddling skills are improving too. He will lay down on the floor now beside his foster mom for tummy rubs. When she quits, often times he will nose her for more petting. If she moves away from him, he will follow her across the floor. He eagerly noses for his share of early morning hellos and surprises her with little nudges through the day, just to let her know he is happy to be close.

When visitors arrive, Winnie is slower to ask them for attention. He has a gravelly voice and strangers are often unsure if he is talking or grumbling at them. If they give him a few minutes and the opportunity to approach them, instead of the other way around, they find he is friendly when he walks over to nose them too. Even the vet remarked on his last visit that Winnie is softening. He allowed her to draw blood without so much as a word very good boy!!!

Winnie’s health is continuing to improve too. He no longer itches and is growing a coat that will take him through winter well. He visited the vet to have his teeth cleaned and, though they are worn, he has no trouble eating and no further work is necessary. Several lumps were removed at the same time. None were viewed as suspicious, but each was either in a bad location for grooming or bothered him. Lastly Winnie’s thyroid level was retested to see that he is on the correct dose. Results will be coming, and a minor adjustment will be easy to make if needed.

When Winnie arrived in his foster home, it seemed as if his deafness might be the biggest hurdle to overcome. It certainly hasn’t been. He has adapted so well that his family thinks he may actually hear at times…though probably not. Aside from health issues, what Winnie has had to work on are basic doggie skills that he may have missed because he is deaf. Life is just now coming together for him. Winston is ready now for a big step, the move to his adopting home. He may be the most devoted dog his foster mom has had the pleasure of meeting. If you are looking for a companion to dote on and are a human who would love to be doted on by your dog, please ask about Winston.

Update 11/16/08: The change in Winston since his arrival 5 months ago can bring tears of joy, even to seasoned foster volunteers. His health has turned around 180 degrees, and, despite deafness, he no longer lives alone in a silent world.

With good basic vetting and a steady home life, Winston has transformed from an ugly duckling to a handsome prince. He is at perfect weight and shows tone in previously hollow hips. His coat is soft and lush and, oh, those spots! Even his vet beamed recently at how improved he is. Winston sits eagerly for his inexpensive daily med with pumpkin or right from his foster mom’s hand. He chows down a limited ingredients kibble that was recommended when his skin was so inflamed. Shortly, he will be transitioned to a more readily available brand and likely will do just as well. He is a healthy boy!

Socially Winston has come out of his shell and continues to progress. When out in public now, he notices other people and will reach with his nose or step forward to meet a stranger. At home he protests if not in the same room as his people but snoozes peacefully when they are out of the house for work or errands.

Along with coming to see people as a good part of life, Winston is more willing to share his humans with the resident ESSs. His life could be complete as an only dog, but he could probably also live well with a mellow resident dog that was willing to share his people.

Hand signals for sit, down, this way, and OK work for Winston. He walks nicely with a Gentle Leader. He is housetrained but occasionally has an accident when excited before mealtime. It is expected this will disappear over time.

Winston is a great boy! The progress he has made is a tribute to the resilience of ESS temperament. He will do best in a home with a steady routine. He will do best with moderate exercise and people who love having their dog always at hand. Winston can be an adoring companion and only needs the chance to prove himself. If willing to share yourself with Winston, please ask about meeting him.

Update 01/15/09: Winston has made huge gains since becoming a MAESSR boy and was close to being available. However, a few problems popped up that will keep him in foster care a bit longer. In December during a vet check, infections were found in both ears and treatment began. He’s done 3 courses of differing meds to combat this and so far, none have done the trick. Fortunately, he shows no outward signs of discomfort and ironically, he seems to be actually hearing loud voices, now that such intense treatment has been underway. Fingers crossed that those ears clear soon.

In mid-December Winston visited between 2 other foster homes. He became very excited with the cats in one home and wore out his welcome quickly. In the other home, he was amidst many dogs and became quite overwhelmed. Back in his original foster home, he settled once more but continued to have the kind of accidents that an older puppy might experience. Further testing revealed no physical reason for this, so his vet suggested he might respond to a daily medication that can help with a range of behavioral issues in dogs. He has started this and will need several weeks before the potential benefit is known. Fingers crossed on this too.

Another small change for Winston his vet feels he is more likely a young senior than a middle-aged adult, so Winnie has graciously accepted being listed as an 8-year-old. What a gem!!

Update 02/19/09: Health-wise Winston has made good gains this month. The stubborn infection in his ears turned out to be allergy-based and when his medications were adjusted, those ears cleared up very quickly.

He has also improved his housetraining. The times he is at most risk for having an accident center around mealtime. He simply gets excited about food, both his own and that of his people. Several measures have been taken to help him with this. Mealtimes are done without fanfare, no matter what’s on the menu. Having the dogs’ meals readied while he is outside helps, so he can go right to chowing down when he comes in. If Winston gets excited, he is either let out again or asked to sit politely in his crate. Giving him something to do seems to help. At times he is also wearing a belly band so he can have more freedom in the house with less risk of an accident. He continues to keep a dry crate while his family works and a dry bed through the night.

Winston loves to be outside. He has an active Springer nose to match a good heart. He will take a bit extra patience from an adopting family, but it is hoped that with time to settle and a continuation of what has been started, he will outgrow his puppyhood and shine as the senior he is.