Butch came to us from a Good Samaritan who rescued him 10 months earlier from a “mill” situation where he had been used at stud. He was in very bad condition when she got him, but she and her vet nursed him back to health. Had the Boxer in her home been more tolerant of an interloper, he would be with her still.

Though now in good condition, Butch has two significant health issues. First is chronic renal failure, which is currently stable and under control, but which may cause other issues at some future point in his life. Because of this, Butch drinks lots of water and needs go outside a lot, and when inside he needs to wear a belly band with a diaper rolled inside. His foster mom considers him housebroken, as he always pees as soon as he is released outside, and never poops in the house, but the urge to urinate is for the most part beyond his control. He seems to understand the diaper and is very complacent about having it put on. He gets lots of baths and cream to keep him from developing a rash on his underside.

The other major health problem is mega-esophagus, which sometimes causes him to vomit water and food. This is controlled by a Pepcid AC every morning about 30 minutes before his first meal, and he gets two or three smaller meals during the day. After every meal, his foster mom cuddles him on her shoulder for a few minutes to encourage him to both burp and swallow a few times while he is vertical to get any remaining food down his esophagus and into his belly, where it will then stay. It only takes a minute, and he likes the routine.

A final, less serious issue which came about due to his former life spent chewing on a rusty crate at the mill, is his teeth. They are very bad for his age. Butch’s chompers will need professional cleaning more often than most dogs and some daily home cleaning too.

Butch is full of goodwill and he enjoys playing with his foster mom’s 2 yr old granddaughter. He does sometimes need to be reminded not to jump, so sturdy kids would be great for Butch.

In his foster home the resident evil kitty sometimes slaps Butch around a little bit, but that’s only because the kitty is, as I said, evil. Butch never does a thing to provoke him and he doesn’t do anything when he gets slapped around either. Butch is fine with cats and would prefer one that is not evil if there is one like that available.

Butch gets along swell with an older frenchie girl, and a huge boisterous Black Russian Terrier neutered male in his foster home. They play well, but need to be watched so that the BRT doesn’t play too hard and jump on Butch. Butch doesn’t seem too worried about this and will run circles around the BRT and do his play challenge. Butch sometimes runs underneath the BRT and sticks his head up under him just for kicks. If the BRT were aggressive, he might take offense to this, but he’s as happy-go-lucky as Butch, so it all goes just fine.

Many ex-mill dogs are very attached to their crates. Butch is not. In fact, he cannot be crated without experiencing significant anxiety. Once inside with the gate closed, Butch immediately starts to cry and bang his head on the crate, to the point of bleeding. He never wants to be shut away again and honestly, after what he’s been through, who can blame him? Sweet Butch has spent enough time alone and locked up. He really just wants to be with his people.

Butch is happiest settled down next to a person. His foster mom works from home, and he sleeps quietly by her feet all day long. He is not a trouble maker and he’s not a noise maker. He is not a highly active dog, preferring to be a couch potato except during prescribed playtimes and short walks, which he loves. He also likes a nice romp in the yard when it’s warm outside. Butch knows “come” and “sit” but is not so good at “stay” yet.

Butch doesn’t enjoy being turned on his back, but he doesn’t get mad about it. Though he did have issues with the Boxer in his last home and can be a little pushy about getting attention (HELLO, he’s a frenchie!) he has shown absolutely no temperament problems in foster care. He likes balls, but doesn’t seem attracted to the other toys around the house. He mostly likes interactive play. He does the play challenge “front squat and spin” with the other dogs trying to get them to play outside. His favorite activity though, is snuggling with humans.

We think Butch would do best in a quieter type of home. We prefer a living situation with a fenced yard for Butch, although he is not a bolter. When not doing his business outside he stays close to his people. Kids would be fine once he realized they didn’t want to play all the time. Other dogs, either sex, would be good, as long as they were mature and tolerant of his attempts to get at the front of the line whenever attention was given. He will back off when told to, but his motto is “nothing ventured, nothing gained” when a human is in an ear-scratching mood. New owners should be able to give a pill and diaper him, both of which are easy jobs with him because they involve “attention” and that is his favorite thing. But some dog experience would be a plus. While he can be left alone for short periods, we would prefer someone who is home most of the day or who could take him to the office. Butch is a great traveler and will sleep on the seat next to you. He LOVES women and warms up to men too, just a little more slowly, probably due to his experience in the mill. Although we’d prefer a fenced yard, he would do fine in an apartment, with plenty of trips outside on a leash.

Some final words from Butch’s foster mom:

“Knowing that Butch spent his first year or two in such a bad situation, it amazes me how loving he is toward humans. Even though he requires a little extra effort, he doesn’t ask for much more than to just be near you. He gazes at you with so much love, and seems to appreciate everything you do for him. Once he understands what you want from him, he tries hard to give it to you. I think he even likes to get his diaper on, he never fights it and will stand there and let you dress him and change him without moving. He takes his morning pill without any balking. He LOVES to be held on your shoulder, and will stay there as long as you want him to. He puts his cheek next to yours and just purrs.

Butch has this funny little habit of sitting and staring at you before he goes to sleep. He reminds me of my Grandfather watching TV, his eyes would droop and then his head would fall forward, and then he’d jerk it back up and look around to see if anyone noticed he was falling asleep. Butch does exactly the same thing at night, until he finally slides slowly down and is out.

My cell ringtone is “When the Saints Come Marching In” and the cutest thing I have ever seen is to watch Butch and my granddaughter “dancing and singing” down the hall to the ring. And folks wonder why they have to call back a couple times when they know I have the phone in my hand! In fact those two will do a duet to most any music, even if she just hums a bit, he will sit in front of her and “sing” along. When she stays over, he sleeps with her. Everyone in my family loves him. (except maybe the cat Fred, who doesn’t like anybody!)

Butch is singing and dancing in Michigan, and he won’t be shipped, so load up your ipod and come get him!

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