Winston AKA Marty is a senior dachshund mix, though he acts much younger than
13. He was surrendered through no fault of his own and is a sweet, little guy who loves food,
blankets, and cuddles. He’s incredibly curious, he spent many hours in his first few days with us
exploring every nook and cranny he could get his long body into. He’s not a very good listener,
he doesn’t respond to his name and only knows “sit.” His ears still work though; he’ll come
running if he hears anything resembling a treat or food bag.

Winston may appreciate being an only dog. In our home, we have a 10-year-old husky/shepherd
mix who is incredibly calm, patient, and tolerant. They’re getting along ok, with some occasional
barking and lunging, mostly by Winston. He’s very territorial around toys and food. Our dog
isn’t very interested in toys in her senior years, but Winnie will growl and snap even when a
human tries to touch or take away his toy. Much of this may be the stress of a new environment
and we’re working on desensitizing him with toys. He’s had one interaction with a young kid
since he’s been with us where he growled and barked. He has “small dog attitude.” He acts very
tough and fierce when visitors come to the door. We don’t know if he’s ever been exposed to
cats. He is crate trained, which is a safe spot for him.

If you want to win this man’s heart, the answer is food. Treats, dog food, or human food,
anything he thinks he can eat, he wants. He also occasionally eats poop, so you’ll need to keep a
close eye on him while on walks or potty breaks. He uses a slow feeder for his meals, though his
food is still scarfed down in about a minute.

Winston is very agile. He has no problems jumping up and down to furniture, and even
“parkours” from the ottoman to the chair to the couch. He bravely leaps off tall human beds but
uses a set of doggie stairs to get back up. He enjoys sitting on laps and cuddling under blankets.
If you want him to settle down and take a nap, he needs to have a blanket, or he’ll get cold
quickly. He’s had a few accidents in our home on the first two days, one we think was him
marking his territory. Winston has shown no interest in chewing or damaging furniture, shoes,
etc. When he’s let outside, he doesn’t wander far. Winston would probably make a good
apartment dog.

He loves walks but gets cold even with a coat during our Minnesota winter. He may prefer to be
the only pet in a house where his humans are home often. When you do leave him, he whimpers
in his crate for just a few minutes. He’s content to nap all tucked in while someone works from
home or make an appearance from your lap during zoom meetings. He would thrive with a
consistent routine. His surrendering family got him up at 6am every morning for potty and
breakfast, we’re trying to encourage him to wake up a bit later for us.

It will ll take some patience and boundary setting, but this little guy is quite the lover and you’ll be
rewarded with lots of little dog snuggles. This dog is so “food motivated” that training should go
quickly. He needs a warm, loving home for his final years, maybe that’s with you.