Quick Facts:
- Breed: Border Collie/ Hound mix
- Gender: Male, neutered
- Age: 5 years old
- Size: 70 pounds
- Good with…
- Dogs? If they are calm and have manners!
- Cats? Unfortunately, no (cats and squirrels seem the same to me)
- Kids? 12+ if they are gentle and not too rambunctious or loud
Hello! My name is Winston (aka Winnie-the-Pooch!) and I am a happy-go-lucky, smart dog who loves walkies and naps!
History
I spent the first ~5 years of my life in an extremely abusive home. My male owner was often very violent to his girlfriends, and this was terrifying and horrible to witness. Sometimes I would try to protect the women and then he would beat me terribly. One of my eyes is a bit messed up from being punched in the eye so many times. After he would beat me, he would drag me out to the barn and leave me there for weeks on end without food or water. All of it was terrifying. I was so hungry and thirsty and lonely and confused. Luckily, I could always chew through the rope eventually, and then would run through the woods and all over town scavenging and hunting for food to stay alive. Lots of people in town were worried about me, and called the authorities regularly, but with no animal shelter in my town, they said they couldn’t do anything except return me to my owner.
Four months ago, my owner moved away and left me behind, tied in the barn, without food or water. I was so malnourished and traumatized, and I thought this was the end for me. But instead, it was the beginning of a life I could never have imagined, and every day since then has been better than the one before!
With the approval of local authorities, a neighbor took me into her home and nursed me back to health for 3 months. She took me to the vet a bunch of times, worked hard to get my stomach working right again, but best of all—she was SO NICE TO ME!!! She was gentle, kind, loving, patient, and understanding. And when she couldn’t take care of me any longer, she contacted CDR and they took me into their foster program. Everyone who has met me says I am the BESTEST BOY and that they almost cry with joy all the time to be able to help me. How nice is that?
Personality
I am goofy! And silly! And loving! Despite my past, I bond deeply and quickly with men or women as long as they are kind, gentle, and sweet! I love getting attention, I love learning new things, and I love feeling safe and cared about!
I am very trustworthy in the house! I am totally house trained, crate trained (but need a cookie or two thrown inside if I know you’re leaving), and I do not bother shoes, clothes, or other items that aren’t mine!
I am very food motivated and am interested in recycling, trash, and other good smelling items on counters!! Since being with my foster mom, I have only sniffed these items and have not acted on any rascally thoughts that entered my mind because she keeps me gated out of the kitchen when she can’t watch me (boundaries are important!). When I am investigating something I shouldn’t be, I respond very well to a “no thank you, Winston” and come running over for a cookie or a pet. I do want to push through barriers and doors (not to get away from you, just to check things out!), so I will need some management to keep me safe and continued training to help me understand “wait,” and boundaries. When I feel happy and safe, I will give my “Winnie-the-Pooch” howl to express my joy and love!
I am great on leash! I walk nicely, rarely pull, and really enjoy going for walks. My “sniffy time” is important to me when we are outside, and I love to roll around in the grass! I am good at calmly passing people and other dogs (unless they bark at me first!). I love when you come outside with me, but get anxious and upset if you leave me outside alone, either tied out or in a fenced yard. Given my history of being left outside, you can understand why that would be upsetting and anxiety-producing.
I like car rides! I get adorably excited to go for car rides. This is all new to me, but I think I will gain confidence as I visit more places and understand I am always coming back home with my favorite human. I prefer going for walks or visiting calm places, I do not think I would enjoy going to hang out at a crowded restaurant or a bustling downtown. While I like my exercise and learning things, I am a low to moderate energy dog and need lots of chill time at home time to decompress and relax. My favorite place to nap is next to my human and I am adorable when I rest my chin on your lap or your arm to get your attention.
I had to fend for myself early in life, so I am still learning how to behave and how to learn things humans find important. I am learning very quickly, because I like to please my humans and I LOVE food! I already know sit, down, wait at the door to go outside, and am learning tricks like putting my paws on things, sitting in a box (haha, so funny!), and going over an agility jump! I need a human who is going to continue to use positive reinforcement training to help me keep learning and to help me build my confidence. It is so helpful if you can be kind, consistent, and know how to speak to me in my language!
There are a handful of things that still scare me like: shouting/loud voices (even if it’s happy shouting), being pulled by my collar or pushed from behind, if I feel trapped or confined or held, when I see people wrestling around or even hugging (I think someone is hurting the other) or if I see dogs jumping on people (I think the dog might be hurting the person). In these situations, when i get scared/upset, I might growl or bark or act out, and I really need someone who understands how to read my body language and vocalizations, and can then deescalate things, help me with my big feelings, and restore a feeling of safety. I move on, back to my happy self, very quickly once I am helped through a triggering situation!
Cohabitation
I would prefer a quiet home, without a lot of strangers coming and going. I can be wary of men when I first meet them, but all of the kind, gentle men that I have met, have won me over pretty quickly! I think I could be ok with older children who are very respectful of my space and needs and act predictably. Kids or teens who are loud or love to roughhouse are definitely not a fit for me! My dream home would be with a single person or couple who has dog experience, and who are kind, gentle, sweet, joyful, and appreciate my silly, goofy side!
Unfortunately, I can’t live with cats or bunnies.
I would be happy to live with another dog, but it really needs to be a sweet, lower energy, polite and kind dog please, who doesn’t want to jump on me or you!
Favorite Activities
- Going for walkies!
- Food!
- Pouncing on my stuffed duck, haha!!
- Relaxing with my favorite humans. Yum.
- Learning new things (for food)!
- Coming when called! And then getting a treat!!
Why I am looking for a new home
I have never had a loving home of my own, but I have had some amazing rescue and foster homes on my journey! These wonderful people are helping me to become the best Winnie-the Pooch I can be, and they promise that they will find me the bestest cat-free, calm, loving, joyful, wonderful home of my own!
Medical
I am in great health, which is a miracle given what I have been through, and how malnourished I was! I’m now even a little plump (yay!) and was just at the vet again for a check-up and she says, “looks great!” I am up to date on vaccines, and am on flea/tick/heartworm prevention.
Summary
Winston is such a forgiving and smart dog who just wants to feel safe and please his people. He expresses himself with happy howls and the best facial expressions, loves rolling around in the grass or pouncing on his stuffed duck, and brings joy to every single day. He needs an experienced adopter who will help him gain confidence, feel safe, and understand his body language and feelings.
If you are interested in adopting me, please fill out an online adoption application and live close to Ithaca, Syracuse, Binghamton, Rochester, or Elmira. We do home visits on every applicant, and can’t do home visits where we don’t have local volunteers.
