Winnie

August 2007:

My name is Winnie. I have recently lived in three different foster homes. Not because I am a problem Westie, but because everyone wants me to stay with them for a while. I’m a hit. There just isn’t enough Winnie to go around! 

I was a professional Mommy dog. I am so glad to be retired now. I got to retire at the age of three years young. The day I retired, some nice people took me to a doggie doctor’s office. She wondered if I might be expecting puppies again. She told my rescue angel that she sure hoped not, because I had three different kinds of worms. She wrote hook, whip, and threadworms in my special folder. She also found that I had dental tarter build up. Sorry, they didn’t provide toothbrushes where I came from. I also had sores on my upper lip. I weighed in at 18 pounds. I am not overweight, just big-boned. I heard the word “chunky” at the doctor’s office, but I know they weren’t talking about me. I got several shots that day. That rabies thing really stung! What’s that all about?

I got a little bag with several kinds of medicine just for me. The bag had my name written on it. It made me feel special for people to be fussing over me like that.

I wasn’t able to have much fun at the first foster home. I had to be isolated due to a specific type of worm I had. Ten days of that. Whew! I started to miss the four-legged friends, even though I thought I would never miss them when I left the breeding kennel where I used to live. There were so many of them. Too many for me to get the attention I needed and deserved. The second foster home was nice. Foster Mom Teresa gave me lots of love and attention. When she went on vacation, I went back to my first foster home. It was much better than the first time. I could go upstairs and play with the Westie that lives there all the time. She was a young little toot and worked my nerves from time to time. Where does she get all that energy? I got to stay in the sunroom, watch Animal Planet and sleep on the sofas. Foster Mom gave me good treats and chewies every day to try and help my teeth. I went to a place called groomers. I came out of there looking like a million bucks! Just look at my photo taken on the way home. Foster Mom said that I was so white she had to put on her sunglasses!

I loved lying on the deck in the sun. Foster Mom would put a bottle of frozen water in my water bowl outside. It made the water soooo cool. It was like a giant ice cube! She said I deserved some special attention since I always had to drink water that sat in the sun at the kennel where I worked. Yuck! When I came in, I would lay with my tummy on the cool tile. I loved getting up on my foster Dad’s chest and making him keenly aware that I intended to be petted and praised even if his favorite show was on. He would pretend to ignore me just to see how far I would go. A few times I crawled on up to his face. He would laugh and act like he was spitting my hair out of his mouth! He would say what a sweet and funny girl I was. Then I went to my third foster home. Foster Mom Lynne says that I am eager to please and love being with the older Westies in my foster home. At first, I growled at all of them, but with guidance from my foster alpha, I know I’m safe. What a relief! I don’t feel like such a wallflower now. I’m even inviting the other Westies to play with me. Foster Mom hasn’t allowed me full run of the house yet, but I just got here and we are working on potty training. I really enjoy the crate–a great place to nap. I like walking on the leash and am doing very well at sitting as well as gathering my composure before diving into the delectable kibble at each meal. I think I will be happy in any home, just as long as everyone continues to guide me and I am one eager learner. 

I am very thankful for WestieMed. My foster Moms told me how WestieMed paid for my special trip to see the doggie doctor. I had never been to a doctor before retirement day. It was nice to know that people cared so much about me. The doctor and WestieMed wanted me to feel good and be well. I have lots of guardian angels and the special people at WestieMed are definitely wearing wings in my book!

Love and good health to all my Westie friends, Winnie 

Update January 2008:  The Poobies

What did I ever do before Winnie and Elvis came to live here? I have no clue, but it must have been boring. Life certainly isn’t boring now! Elvis and Winnie are known as The Poobies. An old friend of mine called her little dog a “pooby” for some reason, and the name just stuck with me.  We have really had a very easy transition, and there have been only a few bumps in the road. It took us all awhile to get used to little things, like climbing stairs. Winnie was always more adventurous, hopping up on the furniture and racing up steps. Elvis was much more cautious, and it took a few weeks and much encouragement for him to handle the steps. We were all learning so much that it took me a while to really grasp that he had no sight at all in his left eye.  It was obvious that he had lived in an enclosed area – he truly had no skills at navigating around furniture, and it was frustrating for all of us.  He would bump into things (he still HATES my glass sofa table) and then growl at them.

I live near a huge park in Cincinnati, Eden Park. We started walking three to four times a day, and they wore harnesses because I thought it would be easier for them to learn to walk on a leash.  They still wear them today!  They immediately fell into step together, with Winnie always on Elvis’ left side, kind of steering him around. Elvis would bump up against Winnie constantly at first, but they developed their own system and now we patrol the park constantly! I lost thirty pounds walking around the park, and they each gained two. Turns out, they’re eating a little better here than they were previously. We’re now on weight control food, even though Winnie insists she is just big-boned. Their little tails are just so cute walking side by side, one lady in the park told me, “they’re as cute coming as going!”

Elvis definitely has short dog syndrome – the bigger the other dog is, the more he barks at it. Winnie chimes right in, and we don’t socialize too much with other dogs at the park.  Elvis told a police dog and a cop on horseback exactly what he thought of them, and they both totally terrorized a pair of Scottie dogs at a park festival.  These two do just fine on their own and keep each other company. We have met a couple of other sets of Westies, but none of them are as cute as these two.

Our first trip to the vet was uneventful.  Our vet, Dr. Bob Biederman, who took care of a past pet of mine, is a neat guy. He can’t walk and uses a wheelchair, and puts the animals up on the examining table so they look down a little at him. He’s great and was very patient, allowing the poobies to check everything out, especially since their only other trip to the vet was after their rescue. Winnie was an angel; Elvis was not as agreeable, but he did ok. The vet confirmed that Elvis was blind in his left eye.  After MUCH encouragement from Bette, I took Elvis to an eye specialist, who said there was nothing that could be done.

Elvis puts his “good eye” to good use by patrolling and monitoring Eden Park from his perch. He has a big comfy chair that overlooks the park, and he monitors the activity of his arch-enemies – SQUIRRELS.  They’re everywhere and the world is a safer place due to his constant vigilance.

These poobies have been to the groomers, and look just adorable, at least for a little while. They’ve even stayed at the kennel twice, and all reports are good! They’ve not scared to go in, but always happy to come home. Elvis is extremely grumpy when it comes to his rest – he growls and grumbles when he is sleeping. He needs a DO NOT DISTURB sign hung on him!  Once he wakes up, he’s fine, but do not interrupt his beauty rest.

We try to visit the Harrys on Hairys every week or so. The Poobies took a little while to warm up to them, but now they play like old friends.  They run around and share toys, they visit with Rosie, the doggie next door, and they have contests to see who can pee on the most things. Thanks so their Ant BB (Bette Heidorn) for all her patience and her carpet steamer! Ant BB also gives the best toys.  Both like to play, but Elvis really likes his toys. He destroys tennis balls at a high rate of speed and is very protective of his toys.  He has a habit of just picking it up and leaving the room as if to say, I am OUTTA HERE!

The funniest thing that I’ve discovered is that these two are the dance patrol.  Anytime someone starts to dance or even moves their arms around, these two go wild. They bark and run to you, ready for play! My sister visited a lot over the holidays, and never realized how much she danced around during the day, but these two reminded her constantly!!

So, all in all, we are doing great!  These two are so sweet and I just can’t imagine what I did before they were here.  We travel well together in the car, with little white heads popping up in the rearview mirror.  They always bark at the cashier at a fast-food drive-through, but never at the person who hands us the food.  Funny how that works!

Thanks to WestieMed and all the wonderful people who helped Winnie and Elvis make it to their new home. We’re all just wonderful, and they’ve surely rescued me too.

Love,

Jen, Winnie, and Elvis