Bringing Winston Home....

JJ and I met in the same parking garage at 11:00 AM on Sunday morning.  Winston was excited to have all of the attention.  JJ brought some of the food he had been eating, a gallon of the water he had been drinking, a towel that had been park of his home and a couple of toys he had been playing with.  I had brought a new halter and leash, so we removed the collar and leash that JJ had and replaced them with mine.  We chatted a bit with me on the leash so Winston could get used to my being in control and we finally said our goodbyes and JJ headed home and I headed out of the Kentucky mountains for the two day drive back to Parkesburg.

Winston was the perfect traveler.  He just curled up on the front seat.  I had a doggie seatbelt that attached to the human one, but Winston is the kind of dog that likes to make a couple of circles before laying down, so he was constantly getting tangled up in the belts and I was constantly untangling him, so I finally just unhooked him.

We over-nighted at the same Red Roof Inn in West Virginia that I had stayed in on the way down.  He seemed happy to be with me and yet spent a great deal of time curled up by the door like he wanted to go home... and I am sure that is probably what he wanted.  He ate well and we only had a couple of minor accidents.  I am sure he was very nervous and felt the need to mark territory to feel more comfortable.  We walked all around the motel grounds so he could get some exercise and pee outside and not in the room.  The place was full, there were lots of dogs, including one that the couple just let wander unleashed while they sat outside their room, drinking beer.  So every time we went out was an adventure in what we might encounter.  It was particularly hard since I had no idea how Winston was going to react to anything.  But we survived nicely and hit the road the next morning for the trip home.

Winston spending time at the door in the motel.

One we arrived at home, Winston walked all over the house, sniffing and ... yes... trying to mark his new home.  He had already been outside, so there was never more than a drop or two.  Then I started getting the air conditioner back to it's normal setting when I heard thump, thump, thump down the basement steps.  I thought I had blocked off the stairs with 'stuff' as I had not had time to set up the baby gate I had purchased just before I left but I was wrong.  Curious Winston had managed to get in the middle of the stuff and then must have taken a wrong turn and did a fast trip to the basement.  As quickly as my old and replaced legs would carry me I headed to the basement,  He never once yelped or cried out.  And as I got to the steps, I could see him walking away from the bottom of the steps to investigate that area of his new home.  So he must have been a good bouncer.  I picked him up, brushed off the cobwebs and brought him back upstairs.  I blocked the opening better and eventually got the gate installed so that has not been repeated.

It took some time, just letting him wander around, before he would come to me to try to communicate his needs.  But he did and we are still trying to figure out what he is trying to tell me.  He does the cutest thing... he sits on his haunches and moves his front legs up and down.  He is begging, but he seems to do it  for wanting up in my lap, eating, empty water bowl or going out.  So I have to figure out exactly what he is asking for.  Sometimes I get it.  Sometimes I do not.  Here is a video from the first day at home that sorta shows what he does.  It is adorable.

I arranged to have him groomed a couple of days after we got home.  He had been so matted when he was surrendered to the shelter that they had just shaved him down to his skin, but his lovely black fur had grown out nicely and he needed to be groomed.  He looked very nice when I got him back and he seemed happier to not have all of that shaggy fur all over.

The harness on him in this picture is one I had found in Alaska.  It was nice, but I could never get it adjusted to fit him well, so he now has a basic black one that fits better.  He has had his first vet visit, too and pronounced healthy though he needs some dental work, so that will happen on the 6th of August.

I have brought the crate that Molly used from time to time in the house.  I kennel him when I have to leave the house.  I am not sure what he might do in the house on his own.  He is a digger.  Any bare ground in my back yard is now riddled with holes that Winston has dug when he has been outside.  He also does a digging-type thing on the couch when he gets his tiny treats.  I have covered the couch with a rubber sheet and then a regular sheet, so he is not doing any damage to the furniture.  It has been a good thing as he did have a little trouble adjusting to new food and water, so it was easy to clean up the messes from the couch with protective coverings.

Some nights he sleeps with me in my bed, but most nights he is happy to sleep in the living room on 'his' couch.  I do not think he likes my amusement park bed that has movable parts and vibrates.  I think he actually sleeps better alone.  I do, too, so it works.  But I also enjoy having him curl up next to me.

He is not as needy about laps as Molly was.  Good for my knees.  Usually a couple of times a day he does his begging thing and then jumps up in my recliner for about 15 to 30 minutes of petting and snuggling.  Then he moves back to the couch or his kennel and he is fine.  He greets all guests with wild tail wagging and excitement.  He shows off and wins their hearts very quickly... just like he did with me.  We still have a long way to go, but it has been close to a month and we are binding nicely.  I will share pictures and stories as we go along.