My name is Willy (Aka: Willy Nilly) DEAF!

Hi! This is Willy's foster Mom. He's had a busy week and asked me to give you an update on how things have been going. There have been some ups and downs this week and, frankly, he's exhausted as you can see from his picture!

It all started last Saturday with a road trip to VT to drop off "grandma" after her visit and a meeting with THE CAT!! Willy did great during the long trip and loves to have his head out the window with ears and jowls flapping in the wind. He also learned that AC vents can be even better than an open window on a really hot day!!


Willy had a brief intro to Max, the cat, during our stop at my folks house. He clearly has never met a cat before! There were a few tentative sniffs at first and Max, though dog savvy, had never met THIS dog before so made it clear who the boss was with a swipe and hiss. After a few minutes of this, Willy, respecting the armaments of Max, invited him to play with a play bow and loud woof! Needless to say Max wasn't impressed!! I decided to leave more introductions to a longer visit before it turned into an all out war that left the house in tatters.

Willy found out he's lost about 7 lbs. since the beginning of May and the vet is very happy with his weight! He had a slight limp that turned out to be a simple sprain but it was the day for the vet to look him over in prep for the dreaded neuter and give him a general going over since coming into The Boxer Rescue. Stay tuned for another update and photos!!


May 30, 2013



Willy has been in his foster home for a week and is settling in well. He follows his foster Boxer brother, Bogey, everywhere and Bogey is enjoying his company. Willy loves to play and has talked Bogey into a few short games of chase in the house with a play bow and woof.



Willy has had little training and hasn't really been treated much like a dog so we've been working on a lot of things a little at a time. He went to the groomer and had a bath and behaved very well. He's learning leash manners on his daily walks and isn't pulling as much as he did when he first arrived, though going through doors at the beginning of walks is an issue as he is a door/gate charger. We are working on that with "sit" and "stay" hand signals. He's doing fairly well there and waits much of the time for permission to be released out, though walk time is challenging and takes several minutes to make it out the door since he is excited to get going. Potty times are much easier.



Feeding times have been a bit challenging as well. Willy shows absolutely no aggression but is a very finicky eater after having been fed all the wrong foods for so long and he isn't thrilled about his new dog food. He doesn't seem to like to eat in the morning so by evening he's extremely hungry. He likes to have his human stand next to him while he's eating and stir up his food every once in a while so it's easier for him to eat. I'm not sure if he has bad teeth or if it's just the shape of his muzzle but he seems to have trouble keeping food in his mouth because he is a terribly messy boy! The vet can tell us during his first appointment next week. He does, however, like sticking his nose in people's plates and we are working on personal space manners.



He was left alone in the house for several hours for the first time Thursday and, though he pushed out of the pet gate that was supposed to keep him in the kitchen, there were no messes or destruction in the house. He greeted us at the door with Boxer wiggles and smiles!



Finally, Willy met his foster grandparents this week and fell in love!! He was very good during the greetings, which is something he needs to work on. He jumped very little and behaved like a gentleman for the most part. He followed "grandma and grandpa" around the house and slept next to each in turn.



In general he's doing really well and enjoying Bogey's company, having a fenced yard and his daily walks.



This weekend we are taking a road trip and he gets to meet THE CAT. Next week it's off to the vet for his first major check-up and scheduling his neuter. Check back soon as we get to know "Willy Nilly" a little better.





May 25, 2013



Willy arrived at his foster home today and met his new Foster brother and seems to be fine with him. Willy is not sure how to greet people, he loves them, but is unsure how to greet, so he comes across as very pushy and nippy; like he just wants everyone he meets to play with him. He has not been well socialized and never been worked with as far as obedience training, so this boy needs a lot of work, but he will be well worth it! He's a big marshmallow that just needs the right person or family to give him the opportunity to become the well mannered, boy we know he can become. Where Willy is deaf, he would do best in a home with a canine companion and a fenced in yard.





May 5, 2013



Meet Willy. Willy is a 5 year old DEAF, White boxer that is coming into the program as his current owner is losing their home as of June 1. This is a very sad situation. Willy's female owner passed away a few weeks ago and Willy was very bonded to her. His current owner has had Willy since he was a puppy. He has not been well socialized over the past few years and he has never had obedience training. He is a bit overweight and is not currently getting any exercise. Because he has never been worked with, he is very jumpy, mouthy and pushy when meeting people, but we feel it's just over excitement and he just wants to play. Willy loves to go for car rides and walks. He will need someone to work with him on properly leash walking as he can pull and he is extremely strong. Willy is not crate trained, but does fine with free roam of the home. He is only left a few hours alone, as his current family was home most of the time. Willy would do great in a home with a fenced in yard and someone that is home more often than not. He would also benefit from a female hearing companion to be his ears and a playmate, as he loves to play. Willy will need a strong leader, someone that is patient and loving, someone that is willing to work with him on his manners and to work on training with him in general. He does not know any basic commands, but he seems extremely smart and motivated to learn. With the right home, Willy will make someone a wonderful companion. Willy is in urgent need of a foster home. Because of Willy's poor manners and jumping, we will not be placing him in a home with children, as they could easily get knocked over. We are looking for someone to open their hearts and homes to this handsome boy. If you are interested in fostering Willy, please contact us at info@theboxerrescue.org. Please check back soon as we secure a foster home for this handsome boy.

Deaf Dogs: Deaf dogs make wonderful companions if you are willing to make an effort to live with them successfully. Most importantly, they need to be carefully supervised and managed on leash at all times or within a confined area. The deaf dog is not handicapped – They simply can’t hear. They do not know they are deaf. Typically, deaf dogs compensate for the lack of hearing sound by developing a stronger reliance on visual signals and on their sense of smell. To learn more about Deaf dogs, please visit our deaf dog section or visit the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund.