5/9/07 - Willy is doing pretty good.  He has started his training and has learned to heel and is now working on sit.  If we are in the kitchen he has no problem sitting when told, otherwise he doesn't like to listen.  Willy is VERY stubborn.  Next week he will work on down.  The trainer tried at the end of our last session and Willy fought him, growled, and tried getting away.  The trainer said he was going to bring his armor.  :) 
Willy is a bundle of energy and loves to run and box with our other boxer.  Unfortunately he doesn't stop at the invisible fence so we will be working with him more on that.
He has a great disposition and is good with the kids but he still jumps and steals food from them.  Something else we will be working with the trainer on.
He is also still peeing in the house but only when we are home and sometimes in the same room.  We can leave him for 8 hours unleashed and he will not have an accident, but can't go more than 2 hours when we are home.  The vet says there is nothing physically wrong with him so we scratch our heads on this one.  He still chews and gets into things he's not supposed to but is getting better.
Willy has gone the past two nights unleashed all night.  He has been sleeping through the night and we decided it would be better for him to be loose.  The fist night he started out on the couch and then got up to sleep on his dog bed.  Last night he decided to sleep on our bed.  I woke up and was on the edge while Willy had plenty of room.
We took both dogs to our son's soccer game on the weekend and he was perfect.  He didn't bark or jump but sat by my feet and let people give him some love.  They met another boxer and did very well.  So, Willy has earned the privilege to go again next week.
So, Willy has a bunch of things to work on but overall he is a wonderful loving dog.  We will continue to take baby steps with Willy and he is going to turn out to be a perfect gentleman.

3/25/07 - Willy is adjusting well.  He had two accidents in the last week, one being strange and concerning.  He started peeing in the kitchen by his food bowls and walked into the living room, still peeing, and finished.  I am going to make an appointment with the vet to make sure he doesn't have a UTI.  I also noticed he urinates A LOT.  Not just frequently but in volume too. 

Willy is great with the kids and our other boxer, Zoie.  Zoie wasn't too thrilled to have a little brother but she has warmed up to him.  How can she not?  Willy has learned to sit when told and has just learned to give his 'paw' for a treat.  He will be getting formal training soon to learn his other basic commands.  He does ok on a leash but not
well enough for one of the kids to walk him.

Willy is still afraid of the crate but doesn't mind Zoie's being in the room.  The dog walker got him into the crate (with much effort) but once he was in, he was calm and eating his ham treat.  We are going to work on him getting used to the crate and hopefully going in on his own.  We put up a baby gate to keep him in one room while we are away but he has learned to jump the gate and be free.  He still can't be trusted to have free run of the house while unattended since we have lost a cell phone and tv remote to his chewing.

I will keep updating on Willy's training progress.  He is a great dog and a fast learner.

3/17/07 - Willy has been adopted.
Willy has left with one half of his new family. He will be a very happy and lucky boy with 2 skin kids and a new fur sister.

3/12/07 - Willy is doing better and better everyday. He is learning what is acceptable in our house and what is not and he is catching on really quick. He has already stopped jumping on the back door to be let in. He has had no accidents the last couple of days which is great.
A few things we have noticed as he is coming out of his shell is if the kids are hyper he becomes hyper in typical boxer fashion. We also have noticed he dislikes the melting snow outside he will do just about anything to avoid puddles and unfortunately we have one that forms at the bottom of our back steps. It is funny to watch him maneuver around the puddle to get back inside. He also has become a little more vocal. I knew that wouldn't take long living at this house.
Things that Willy loves………. Raw hide bones and snuggling on the couch.
The funniest thing that he does is he literally gooses you when you walk in the house doesn't matter who you are he even still does it to us. He seriously comes right up behind you and shoves his snout in your rear end. As if to say hello…. And Oh it's you. This took my sister in law by surprise yesterday when they came to visit. I am now thinking he needs the name of the guy who played opposite Tom Cruise in Top Gun because his nick name was Goose. Think I am going to have to look that one up.
Not so good news after a wellness check from the vet it was discovered that Willy has a grade 2 heart murmur from what I have heard this grade is not real serious and believe me when I say you certainly doesn't slow him down any. I don't exactly know what this means for him long term something I am not real familiar with. I am sure someone else could shed more light on the subject.
Thanks for checking in on Willy again. He really is doing super and hey have I mentioned how beautiful he is

3/11/07 - Willy is pending adoption

3/7/07 - OK if you have read all of Willy's updates so far you know he spent time in 2 other homes before making his way here this past Sunday. Both homes will attest to how great he was with their kids as is the case here with my 2. I also have 3 other boys here 3 days a week ages 8,4, and 3 plus my 4 year old niece is here on a regular basis. He is great with the kids. Willy is also great with my dogs. He leaves Maddie be for the most part and likes to box with Marco. He also tried to box with one of the dogs in one of the other houses he stayed at and she didn't really know how to take it. Willy also stayed with a dog who is not always easy to get along with and he did well with all the dogs he has encountered.

The other thing that the other 2 people who had the pleasure of his company can tell you is how much he HATES the crate. This boy has had to suffer some severe crate trauma because he freaks when he sees the crate. I didn't even try to put him in one because of what the other volunteers had told me. He will back pedal and take you down with him when he sees the crate. At the one house he was digging and scratching at it and banging into it enough that they were afraid he would get hurt so they placed him in a spare room. At the second house there is a crate immediately when you enter into the living room and he saw it and made a bee line for the door taking his handler with him. Now we have a crate in our bedroom for our boy Marco. It is at the foot of the bed so you can see it when you enter. Marco was already in the crate waiting for his treat and for me to close the door but man when Willy saw the crate he pulled back so hard that he ripped my nail right off. If you plan on using a crate he is not the boy for you in my humble opinion. I know this is something that can be worked on but I am not about to stress him or myself out trying. Our solution because I don't fully trust him is using a long leash and attaching it to something sturdy so he has access to the dog bed and the dog couch. At night he sleeps on a big ottoman with the leashes attached to my bed. This works out for both of us because Willy is clearly NOT a crate dog.

3/5/07 -  I think Willy is going to be due for a name change he doesn’t respond to Willy so we are thinking of something a little more regal for him because he is so handsome.  We made it through our first night with no problems and he continues to be a real lover. Willy does exhibit some real puppy type behavior still. It’s like things are so new to him and he doesn’t know what to make of it. He is also not 100% house trained. He has had to pee accidents. He goes to the kitchen but you really have to be paying attention because he doesn’t ask. He is also iffy about going outside like your going to leave him out there. Willy has done very good through dinner but is interested in food. He has no food aggression and really is an all around happy guy. Marco and Willy have already shared the water bowl.
Willy sure does know how to box. He can stand right up and box for a few seconds before putting his paws back on the ground. Marco loves this of course because he is also a boxing boxer. I truly think Willy would be perfect in any environment. He does not seem to have a dominant personality and he is really eager to learn and please. He mind is just ripe for the picking.
I will be really surprised if he is here more then the mandatory 2 weeks. Nobody would want to pass on this guy.

3/4/07 - Well, Willy has arrived here in upstate NY. What a sweet and beautiful boy. He has already made himself at home. He is fabulous with the kids and our 2 resident boxers. I don't really have anything too exciting to say about him right now because he has only been here a short time but I am sure he won't be around for long so get those apps in quick.

2/28/07 - Please welcome Willy...or "Silly Willy" as we have already started to call him! 
Willy is a beautiful young boy with a gorgeous reddish coat, and nice white markings.  He is in very nice physical shape.  I picked him up at a local shelter where he was brought in as a stray. He was wonderful on his car ride home, probably very relieved to be "sprung"!  He greeted my 3 children with typical boxer wags and wiggles.  If I had to guess, I'd say he was used to being around children because he has been excellent with mine so far.  Since Willy is a very happy playful boy, and extremely strong, he may knock little ones down though. He loves to be pet and scratched. He tolerates being touched everywhere...since he did not want to get into the bathtub, he had a nice sponge bath which he loved!
Willy walks nice on the leash with some correcting.  He does not know any commands at this time, but I think he will learn real fast. He is already responding to "sit" with some guidance.  He has no food issues at all, and allowed me to take a yummy rawhide from his mouth.  He has been introduced to my female boxer Nikkie on leash walks, and they did just fine.  Walking through my neighborhood, we encountered many dogs, joggers, geese, and other animals, he showed no interest in any of them, he just enjoyed his walk.
Because my 13 yr. old boxer is having great difficulty with his health right now, Willy will be leaving us tonight to stay with another wonderful BAR foster mommy until this weekend when he can be moved to his foster placement while waiting to be adopted.  He truly is a sweet loving boxer boy, and we know there is a wonderful forever family out there just waiting for him.