Winston was only weeks old when he went for his first walk.
It was August 2022, and the little English bulldog was excited, with his harness on and his ears alert to every new sound. But walking turned out to be much more exhausting than such a tiny puppy could handle. Halfway down the block, among a pile of garden rocks, Winston simply collapsed and fell deeply asleep.
The WeRateDogs account shared photos of the contrast, which had originally been posted on Winston’s Instagram, @sirwinstonthebulldog: first Winston ready for adventure, then overcome by sleep beside the rocks. The image went viral and racked up hundreds of thousands of likes, because anyone who has watched a puppy grow up recognizes that mix of enthusiasm and total exhaustion. Winston did complete his first walk, yes, but only after a nap that no one had planned.