Stewie 
Breed: Olde English Bulldog
Sex: Male
Age: 8 months old
Weight: 47 lbs.
12/30/2017 Update:
Stewie was ADOPTED!!! Stewie will be partying like it’s 1999, even though it is 2017. He doesn’t care, because he found his forever Mom.
Stewie joined the No Borders Bulldog Rescue family via another local Rescue. The other Rescue said Stewie had been stepped on when he was a puppy and he couldn’t see very well. Assuming that was the only thing wrong with Stewie he joined his first foster home. It was quickly determined this foster home was not equipped to deal with Stewie. After making a couple of calls to the previous Rescue we learned Stewie had sustained a head injury, and he had spent his entire previous life in a breeder’s kennel all by himself. He was essentially feral and had NEVER been socialized. So, in addition to his neurological issues, he had no reference as to how to behave or what was expected of him. From there he was placed with a trainer to see if she could help Stewie. The initial plan was Stewie would stay for a couple of weeks for intense training and then go to another foster home. Stewie responded well and showed great improvement. However, at the time we did not have a foster home that was a good fit. Stewie’s trainer decided she would foster him so she could continue to work with him until his forever home was found.
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. While Stewie was slowly transforming into a completely different dog, we only had very limited interest in potential adoptive families for him. And those families that did express interest in him were not a good fit for one reason or another. All changed 3 days ago when Stewie’s trainer contacted us and stated it was time Stewie officially became hers. She knew exactly what Stewie needed and had formed a close bond with him while they worked together day after day. It was a match made in heaven so even though Stewie will start 2018 with a new forever Mom, his forever Mom was right in front of him all along. Stewie’s forever Mom summed up Rescue better than we have heard in a long time. She stated..”You don’t always get the dog you want, but you always get the dog you need.” It is apparent this match was made far beyond NBBR and it is just the right one for both Stewie and his new Mom. Congratulations to you both.
8/6/2017 Update: Stewie has been working hard helping his foster mom/trainer unpack the new office. He has made great strides with his resource guarding. He allowed me to be near him while drinking without lashing out. This is HUGE! He has also found the fun in being a dog. This guy has learned how to play and LOVES it!!! He has amazing bit inhibition and knows not to clamp hard while playing. This is also an amazing sign for this guy! He is continuing to make great strides and will be adoptable to a family who will continue with his behavioral modification techniques.
7/25/2017 Update: From our volunteer: Today I visited with Charlotte (trainer) and Stewie. I cannot believe that I was looking at the same dog! He was so relaxed and comfortable. I walked into the room where he was laying on the floor and he just calmly listened to my voice and waited for me to approach him. Two weeks ago he was so uncomfortable that he would not lay-down or let his guard down. Stewie was actually behaving like a giant puppy and it is so wonderful to see him acting like a dog instead of a scared wild animal. He will never be “normal” due to his neurological condition, but wants nothing more than to be a part of the most perfect home. We know there is a perfect place for this guy out there. He really needs someone who has experience working with rehabilitating dogs (he was basically feral when he arrived). In addition to rehab experience, his new family would also need a very strong understanding in dog behavior as his neuro condition has him “delayed” when it comes to learning and also would help understand some of his “quirks” He is learning ques and is a smart little guy and needs someone willing to learn HIM. To learn how he learns. We realize that this is a needle in a hay stack home, but that home is out there! It is very important to note that he will need a home without children. Not because he is mean, but due to his limited vision and neuro-condition he has episodes where he “reacts”, which he could unintentionally harm a child. These episodes tend to happen when Stewie is over-tired. He is responding well to redirection and has come a looooooong way in two weeks. I cannot wait to see what the next two weeks hold! I believe that the sky is the limit with this guy!
7/19/2017 Update: From Stewie’s trainer:
When Stewie first came to us, I was not extremely hopeful about his future and his ability to be made adoptable to anyone, or rather, John Q. Public anyone. I still believe that it would take someone extremely patient, committed, dedicated and knowledgeable about animal behavior as well as neurological deficit (to some degree).
However, a few days ago, after much observation, work, research, studying, more observation, random tests for hearing, sight and balance, a few tears, a little blood (ours not his ha and totally human error) because someone was wearing thong flip flops and their foot was suddenly a monster, lots of sweat and tons of laughter Stewie started to really “get it.”
We have provided him with structure, rules, boundaries, play, proper play rules, redirection from behaviors that were either dangerous to him or possibly to those around him, socialization with other dogs and humans unknown to him, love, respect and LEADERSHIP first and foremost. Stewie finally appears to feel safe in this environment and has decided he wants to be a real puppy!
He has successfully responded to a recall “come” command from as far as 25 feet 3 times to the sound of a human voice. Predominately mine and Sherry’s. He has also learned to follow the wall in the big garage area to the outside grassy area to go potty, as well as following Crash to that area and others.
He can eat outside his crate and is learning to “wait” before being given the “okay eat” cue so he knows we are in charge of the food and thereby in charge of the world and that we have his back!
During my observations of him and testing different pitches and tones to see what he responded to best, I noticed that often times in response to noises like whistles and air horns, he will look to the right for the sound, no matter where you are standing when you make the noise. Not being a vet or neurologist, obviously i cannot opine with any degree of medical certainty why he does this. It could be several different reasons, but it appears that he is unsure where the noise comes from just by sound and he defaults to the blue eye side, which is his right and i am assuming blind or almost completely blind. I do believe he can see some things because he can be called from a short distance and will come straight to you while you are standing still and stop when he gets to you. When we first started, he would usually end up between our legs or veer off before he reached us.
7/16/2017 Update: From Stewie’s trainer: I was successfully able to get Stewie to respond to “drop it” today and I was extremely happy. I was also able to pet him and touch him while he was eating. Every time he would turn his head to the side right before he starts to growl and I was able to redirect him by clapping and saying his name and telling him everything was all right. He plays his rear end off and is so cute! He has learned to follow the wall of the inside, main training area to the outside play area where he loves to run and play!!!
While this is a positive step for Stewie, he still needs lots of training. He has a long road ahead of him. While he will never be “normal” we are working to get Stewie to a point were he can find the right home for him.
7/11/2017 Update: After several days at his foster home it is apparent that Stewie needs more help than they can give him currently. There are many things going on with Stewie, some of them are neurological, some are training issues. We have decided to send Stewie to a board and train facility where he can benefit from professional help. We will keep you updated on his progress at the training facility.
7/7/2017 Update: Please welcome Stewie to the No Borders Bulldog Rescue family. Stewie is an 8 month old male Olde English Bulldog that weighs 47 lbs.
Where to begin with Stewie. Stewie comes to NBBR from another rescue that was full and couldn’t take Stewie. According to the history we received, when Stewie was 3 weeks old his mother stepped on him and caused damage to his head and eye sight. When he was old enough, the breeder that had him adopted Stewie to another breeder as a pet. Stewie stayed with the second family several months.
What we know about Stewie currently. The first thing you notice with this little guy is he has heterochromia. This means that his eyes are two different colors, while one eye is the traditional Bulldog brown, the other is blue. While during his initial vet checkup, it was determined his vision is very limited but he isn’t completely blind. We are currently working on determining if his vision is permanent or if he will respond to treatment. Dr. H found presence of an infection of his inner eye, so we are treating that to see if it responds. Stewie does have some behavioral quirks as well. He will be laying calmly on the floor and will suddenly bark and snap at the air. We are not sure if this is due to his vision or a neurological issue. Also, Stewie is very possessive of his food and water bowl. It seems this is learned behavior from having to fight for his share of food with his littermates.
Stewie is a very friendly little guy that loves attention and gets along well with other dogs according to his previous owners. He is currently with his foster family trying to learn what makes him tick. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Stewie isn’t your typical Bulldog puppy and is going to need lots of training and TLC. We will be looking for a very special home that can work with Stewie to offer him the best life possible. Stay tuned for more information on this little guy.
