Entered: 04/12/2012
Status: Adopted
Age: 1
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Kannapolis, NC
Health: UTD, HW-, treatment for a mild ear infection and an eye infection complete
Temperament: Good with people of all ages although might knock down young children due to excitement, good with other dogs, good with cats but will chase a running cat
Original:
Sweet Winston came to MAESSR’s care when his owner in Pennsylvania had some health issues. That, together with a work schedule, resulted in Winston having to spend too much time alone. She entrusted MAESSR to help find Winston a new home where he could receive the time and attention that he deserved.
The best three words that describe Winston would be sweet, determined, and enthusiastic. Of course, these are the same three words that could be used to describe most 18 month old Springers! With a temperament that is just as sweet and loving as they come, Winston loves to cuddle in a tight ball right on top of his humans, choosing to be as close as he possibly can be at all times…all 47 pounds of him! His foster mom insists that a dictionary description of the word “Velcro” would include a picture of Winston, as well. Along with adult humans, Winston loves children, too. He was very good with a six year old grandchild in his previous home. At his foster home, he has met and spent time with neighbor children ages one year and three years old.
Winston is housetrained and had spent a lot of time in a crate in his previous home. While staying in temporary foster care prior to arriving at his current foster home, Winston showed signs of stress from being crated, so his foster mom has not attempted to crate him. When his foster parents are out, he has full run of the house with his two canine housemates. He has not had any accidents or gotten into anything inappropriate. Good boy, Winston! Some of the bedrooms are gated off; if they were left open, he would probably catch a nap on the most comfy spot. Winston has shown some signs of being stressed when left alone, but after just a short time in his new environment he is becoming more confident that his foster mom will be home very soon.
Without distance or distractions, Winston knows the commands “sit,” “down,” and “stay.” He is very treat motivated, so his training should be easy. One of his favorite games is to play keep away, and because this can be a safety issue when he needs to respond to “come,” his foster mom is beginning to work on a reliable come command with him. While Winston loves to fetch objects, he needs a little more work on giving them back. He will give back an item in exchange for a treat, so this will improve in time. His foster mom also is helping him to learn not to jump on people as they come through the door. When this occurs, Winston is being ignored completely. Being the smart boy that he is, he’ll quickly learn that lots of good attention is given to dogs who keep four paws on the floor!
Some other great traits about this sweet boy include: no resource guarding, such as toys or food; he doesn’t try to jump the fence; and he loves to go on walks with the other dogs. Although he pulls pretty hard with a collar and leash, he is doing great with an Easy Walk Harness while walking with a lead splitter alongside the resident large hound. They both love to walk and could go on and on forever. His activity level could be described as normal for a dog of his age. Plenty of moderate exercise keeps him happy and calm when inside. He can be found taking several naps during the day; upon waking, he’s ready for the next adventure. Winston loves to entice the hound with a game of chase, and since he has a little more stamina for running, his housemate gives up the game before he does. He’s also good with cats, although if the kitty runs, Winston loves to give chase! But if the kitty stops and hisses, he retreats and looks away. Smart boy! Aside from playing with his canine and feline pals, Winston loves toys and always needs to have at least one with him in every room. This keeps his foster family busy picking up after him. Hmmm, since he is so smart, maybe he can be taught to pick up his toys…..
Winston was great for his health assessment and his vet commented on his nice temperament. Before a trip to one of the Springerfest picnics Winston will visit the groomer, so be on the lookout for a particularly handsome Springer youngster.
Winston would love an active family to call his own. Love, guidance, playtime: three words that would make this sweet boy’s life complete!