Welcome Winston!

Winston is a two-three year old dark brindle male boxer.  He is cute, sweet, and about as friendly as they come.  He already went through heartworm treatment in the spring and is now physically healthy.  Sadly, we are Winston's fourth foster home since he was rescued from a shelter in Louisiana almost seven months ago.  He was also in boarding for several weeks in between foster homes when nobody would take him.  

The reason that Winston has had no success in his various homes is because people have had a hard time dealing with him, saying that he is out of control.  He has anxiety issues which unfortunately most people don't understand.  He isn't fearful at all and the anxiety doesn't seem to be related to separation.  It's unusual behavior and I haven't encountered a case quite like him.  I don't know where it stems from, but I'm sure being passed around from place to place to place has only made it worse. 

He has endless energy but you don't even notice the anxiety until it's time to settle down.  Even when he is exhausted, he doesn't know how to relax and you can see that he is stressed trying to figure out what to do.  He is completely restless.  He pants heavily, he licks constantly, and he paces around the house.  

This anxious behavior needs special attention.  In the past, he has been sentenced to a crate. He is very good in a crate, surely because he has spent so much time in one, and locking him up would certainly be easier for us, but he will never overcome the behavior unless we help him to by facing it head on.  Avoiding these types of issues for our convenience isn't being fair to our dogs.   Although this type of behavior is unwanted by us, it isn't an intentional behavior and therefore should not be punished.  It's misuse of the wonderful training tool that is the crate.  It's comparable to something I was just talking about with my neighbor the other day- a bark collar.  Not a fan!  Sure, it may stop a dog from barking but it certainly isn't addressing the issue. The barking itself isn't the problem, it's a symptom of a problem.  A dog that barks for no reason is usually a dog that is bored and/or frustrated.  Punishing a dog for releasing energy in the only way it knows is just not fair.  Continuing to keep Winston locked up so he is calm and doesn't bother us will only make him worse in the long run. 

We have started the rehabilitation by only crating when we leave and at bedtime.  No matter how frustrating, Winston stays out of the crate with the family.  I even put up with him during the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy!  And that was not easy.  I have also been using the Thundershirt when it's time to try to relax.  He is taking a supplement called Composure a few times a day.  I try to do relaxation exercises with him.  They must be working a little because the other morning after an hour and a half of play time, I put the shirt on him and laid on the couch with him and we both fell asleep and I was 40 minutes late to work!  Most of all, we try to practice our own calm behaviors.  We usually play pretty rowdy in this house and are trying to adjust our overall energy a little bit until he can handle more stimulation without instantly flipping out. 

Dixie and Jax have been great, as usual.  He was getting beaten up by the dogs in his most recent foster home, which is why he was removed. He has scars all over his face and legs. Our dogs are used to unstable behavior so they put up with him as best they can when he can't control himself.  For the most part, they love to play with him and he is keeping them very busy and getting them in shape for hiking season, which is just around the corner! 

He is a great dog, but he needs a lot of work.  He will probably be here for a while.