My name is Winston!

 

Meet Winston! This boy was surrendered by his owner when they were moving and could not take him. He was born in April of 2022 and weighs about 160 lbs. He is current on his vet care and appears to be a healthy boy!

The stress of the rehoming from him owner to us was difficult for him. His previous owner did not socialize Winston at all, and so this change was hard on him. His foster Dad had to figure out his needs/wants and adjust. He growled a little the first couple of days. Now that he has become comfortable, there are no issues. Has become a very sweet boy. He needs to be given space and going slow with him will be extremely important. This decompression time is going to be crucial when he gets adopted. Given time he warms up to you very well. Slow proper introduction is needed as quick movements toward him are scary and he can be reactive when scared. He needs a quiet, adult only, rescue-Mastiff experienced home without a lot of visitors coming and going.

We haven’t fully evaluated him yet with other dogs and cats. He accidentally came nose to nose with a cat on a walk. There was no reaction, just curiosity. When seeing other dogs, he wants to meet them but doesn’t pull or bark. He has met a couple of dogs through a fence and just seems really curious. If he gets excited he can be diverted easily as he accepts corrections well. We will be working with a trainer on dog introductions soon.

Unfortunately, he had minimal training when he came to us. He is having to learn to walk on a leash and is doing well. He will not get far from you when off leash. He will keep coming back to you on his own to make sure you are ok. Every day he is improving. Inside he is a counter surfer and we are working on this. He is housebroken and has never had an accident and does very well with free roam. He is crate-trained and his foster Dad has taught him sit, down, recall, leave it and wait. He can be guardy of his food and will need a separate quiet space for him when eating.

He is a dog that needs a job. He loves playing puzzle games, tug with rope and picking a toy out of his toybox. He also loves to slobber over something that has my scent on it and keep it near such as an old shoe or shirt. He doesn’t chew it, just keeps it by hisside. When not napping he does need a purpose. He is curious, smart and silly. So keeping the brain busy is important to a successful adoption. At night he guards the house. He will alert to strangers outside the home and definitely has the guard dog mentality. He is protective of his human. He does not like the sound of lawn mowers and will bark. He doesn’t appear to have any other noise fears. During the fireworks on New Years Eve he had no reaction. We went outside briefly during the sounds and he didn’t appear to even be aware of the sounds.

Winston loves to lay beside the sofa or head in your lap and asks for belly rubs. He does love car rides and loves them even more if he gets a pup cup! He has become a wonderful silly dog who loves to play with you as much as possible. He really shines outdoors, loves walks, and loves to play with his favorite toy (which happens to be a food bowl that came with him!). We have not witnessed any stranger danger outside the home. He is possessive/protective inside his home, so he will need to meet people outside the home before coming in.

Winston’s adopter will need to agree to hire a trainer to help work him through his adjustment period.

Winston is being fostered in Abilene, TX.