About Walt Whitman

** ADOPTERS MUST LIVE WITHIN 90 MILES OF DURHAM** Physical Description: Walt Whitman is a tricolor Treeing Walker Coonhound who will melt your heart on looks alone. With watercolor markings, floppy velveteen ears, and a slender white heart shape on his forehead, this handsome guy gets compliments from everyone. Walt's soulful brown eyes are his most winsome feature, though. Framed by distinguished silvering fur, they reflect volumes of wisdom and love. Walt will be 50 lbs at his ideal weight, making him a perfect Goldilocks dog: not too big, not too small, but just the right size! Personality: Like his namesake, Walt Whitman contains multitudes, all of them equally endearing. He is in awe of the simple pleasures of life: sunning on the porch, clean water and good food, a safe crate with a soft bed to call his own, and a spot next to you on the sofa where he can curl up for head rubs. Walt's easily pleased--and will let you know with a little skip and twirl (which has earned him the nickname Walt-o-Whirl), or by looking at you upside down through his hind legs! Exploring new horizons with his impressive coonhound nose is Walt's jam. On walks, he takes his time to smell the flowers and fallen leaves--somehow every time getting a souvenir adorably stuck on his nose. He'll ask to meet everyone, even the couple sans dog on the opposite side of the street. If someone is falling behind the pack, he'll circle back to tenderly check in. Ten-year-old Mr. Whitman's medium-persistence goofball demeanor is nicely balanced with his social motivation, keen attentiveness, and senior sense of ease and dignity. This means he does extremely well with basic obedience training involving lots of treats! His favorite noise to make is befitting of a spritely old man with a heart of gold: a barely audible, totally charming grumble. He does this when he's tolerating baths and nail trims, or when he's rearranging his nest before settling down to nap. (When he wants something of very high value, he sings a long, low coonhound bay.) Walt's dream forever home would provide a fenced-in yard, a canine companion or two, plenty of time for snuggling naps, and daily sniffing walks. He would do okay in an apartment with a person who spends lots of time outdoors with their dog. Walt offers all-embracing love, friendship, and a gently wagging tail to everyone who crosses his path--from humans young and old to other dogs. With this golden ray of light as your canine companion, you'll have an easy time remembering the poet Walt Whitman's advice to 'Keep your face always toward the sunshine.' Check out Walt in the video below. Walt loves meeting new people and canine friends! He was so excited when our neighbor walked by with his little dog (who you can't see behind the fence). You'd never guess he was a senior dog by the pep in his step! History: Walt Whitman came from a rural shelter. He was severely neglected. I drove 5 hours round trip to pick him up from the totally full high-kill shelter where he had been dumped over the fence into the exercise yard one night by his owner, who it seems was a hunter. He was covered in ticks and fleas, had nails so overgrown he could barely walk, and was completely emaciated with rope burns around his neck. For the first couple of weeks he barely moved or ate. Now, Walt is a whole new dog with so much verve, life, and goofiness, you would hardly recognize him from November. Good with Dogs: Yes Good with Cats: Unknown Good with Young Kids: Yes Good with Older Kids: Yes Health Information: Walt Whitman is neutered, heartworm negative, and current on all vaccinations. He is currently being treated with antibiotics for two tick-borne diseases (Ehrlichia and Lyme). Walt is hearing impaired. As with normal hearing dogs, his obedience training relies on auditory cues paired with visual cues. We also incorporate physical cues (e.g., shaking the lead on walks). His auditory cues must be louder (e.g., a metal whistle) and his visual cues more consistent and pronounced. His foster family uses a small set of ASL signs with Walt to communicate things like good job, go potty, calm, treat, etc. IAR Sponsored Training: IAR subsidizes post-adoption professional training with Jane Marshall (www.cheerydogs.com) to encourage a life-long and successful bond between the dog and the adopter. Group classes for puppies and adult dogs are provided at a substantial discount to IAR adopters. IAR ID#: D-18-258

Durham County
Durham, North Carolina