booge

No I had him desexed at around 18 months on advice from the breeder, he said to do it later than 6 months for physical development.

I just found his website which has a phone number. Many thanks

Just starting an elimination diet for my itchy boxer. Am using Vets All Natural Sensitive skin with roo mince and some sweet potato. Is Barf roo ok also? Or is it better to use plain old roo mince?

My boxer boy is 6 and is still quite boisterous. It's just the way they are, can be frustrating at times when you want them to behave in a social situation! I'm still coming to terms with it myself. Don't do what I did, for some unknown reason i thought picking the loudest rowdiest one of the litter was a good idea.....guess what? I got a rowdy dominant boy as an adult. He's just a big who sook who LOVES kids and playing. He's ready for a play anytime of day. Just go for a puppy thats middle of the road temperament. The dog whisperer has four clips on youtube where he picks puppies from four different breeds. I found those very interesting, as the breeders told him which pups they think he should have (the loud active ones). He picks the relaxed ones. Good viewing. If you can't find them on youtube I can post the links.

I'm in Victoria. The last dog school i went to was quite good, Alpha Dog Training held at Boronia Heights Secondary College. Unfortunately with both my wife and I both being shift workers we couldn't attend regularly enough to make it part of the routine. He still passed about 4 levels of the school though. He's a smart dog when, he wants to be! Just a handful when dogs are around. I know he wasn't socialised quite enough when he was young. He has definitely taught me patience being a stubborn dog. I'd do many things differently with the next dog....already contemplating an Amstaff when my boy passes on. Although my wife isn't so sure about an Amstaff.

He seems a tiny bit tense/excitable on lead....not that I'm a dog whisperer. Off lead he'll generally run straight at another dog, stop before he gets there, head down (stalking pose) then run at them....probably more rough play, but I'm just not 100% that's what it is. I know one dog owner in the past yell at me when he "stalked" her and her dog while off lead, that time he was just playing....but it made me aware of how intimidating he can look....I know he's just a sook though.

His approach is head up, chest out, moving straight towards them instead of the side to side kind of greeting. Hopefully that explains it better. Don't know any other boxers. I just don't want to be known as "that guy with the boxer" at the park!

My boxer boy is now 6 years old, first Boxer I've had. I now know I did the wrong thing by picking the most energetic rowdy one from the breeder (His pedigree name is "Lotsa Attitude"). He's been to dog training on and off for a few years of his life. But i've never been able to curb his poor manners with other dogs. His approach is fairly dominant, when meeting dogs, when walking towards them he is almost in a stalking pose. Generally the result is some sort of altercation(not a fight), whether it be growling or just tense. My question is....Is this just a Boxer trait? Or is it a combination of not enough socialisation/dominance towards other dogs? He lives with a Pug and gets along fine with other dogs once he's got the first meeting out the way. I find I don't enjoy my time with him as much as I'd like to as I'm constantly tense and frustrated with him. A new dog park has opened up nearby but I don't take him in there with other dogs around in case he causes problems, he doesn't listen at all when he's around new dogs. Any advice or Boxer owners comments most welcome.

I don't know what dosage, how many pills, would be required for my 30kg dog though. The vet didn't get that far in the conversation after I heard the price!

A box of 50mg capsules of Cyclosporine is $66 for a pack of 30. There's different strengths from 25mg up to 100mg. I'm assuming capsules could still be opened and put in the dogs food?

Has anyone else used the online pharmacy supplies from overseas to get cheap medication? I saw a site called pharmnet.com and noticed their prices for a generic Cyclosporine were very cheap. All they need is the vet to email or fax the script.

My boy has been on Cortisone on and off for a few years, as said by others, it only masks the problem and doesn't fix it. However I think I could do a better job of managing the itches than my main vet. He just hands out cortisone without even a second thought or asking anything. My theory was each time the itches start I'd just have him on Cortisone for a week and at the same time start a course of anti biotics. I'd prefer that to having him on cortisone permanently.

The vet seems to think it's not a food allergy as his itches improve slightly over the cooler months and get worse when the weather fines up. I've been feeding him BARF for a few years, with on and off Vets all Natural or just Supercoat dry food. Just saw the new Vets all Natural for sensitive skin and will give it a go and feed just the kangaroo barf.

Amstaff was what I was originally going to buy, but I went with a boxer. I love my boxer but there's many days when I've thought an Amstaff may have been easier on my sanity. He's a dominant dog too with other pooches. The main reason i didn't get an Amstaff was fear of it being overly dog aggressive, I know this is more about socialisation and training, but I wasn't prepared to take the risk being a first time dog owner. Are they as high maintenance as a boxer exercise and training wise? My boxer is smart, when he feels like it.....which doesn't suit me! Does anyone have any comparison to training/owning a boxer? I'd still like an Amstaff as a next dog.

It actually is a human anti rejection drug originally used for transplant patients called Cyclosporine. Its cost is based on weight, so for my 30kg dog it works out to $360 a month. Any good (reasonably priced) Holistic vets recommended in Victoria eastern suburbs?

Went to a different (more affordable) dog allergy vet today as recommended by another forum user. Whilst the consultation was much cheaper than another specialist place i went, when it came to recommending ongoing treatment for my pooch it's the same old story.....$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Recommended was a drug which would cost me approx $360 per month! Other than that it's pretty much just the anti biotics i had in the past. Th vet was very good and knowledgeable, but I'm still shocked and disappointed at how much pet health costs. Humans don't cost this much. Is there any way to treat a dogs Atopic allergies that doesn't cost the earth??

I don't mind the thread hijack, I'm always looking for something that will help my dogs itches. For him as soon as he's finished a course of antibiotics or cortizone he's straight back to itching. I don't like having him on medication all the time. Have you had allergy tests done? My lab was an itchy scratchy dog until I got him tested and onto desensitization injections, he is so much better now it's unbelievable. The beginning of the year he had some bad hotspots but nothing for 5 months which is a record for him I began the whole allergy test thing, after finding out I'd be up for at least $1300 initially, plus a couple of hundred bucks per year for regular injections I said thanks but no thanks. I honestly think it's a rip off. It may work, but it shouldn't cost THAT much.

I don't mind the thread hijack, I'm always looking for something that will help my dogs itches. For him as soon as he's finished a course of antibiotics or cortizone he's straight back to itching. I don't like having him on medication all the time. Have you had allergy tests done? My lab was an itchy scratchy dog until I got him tested and onto desensitization injections, he is so much better now it's unbelievable. The beginning of the year he had some bad hotspots but nothing for 5 months which is a record for him

I don't mind the thread hijack, I'm always looking for something that will help my dogs itches. For him as soon as he's finished a course of antibiotics or cortizone he's straight back to itching. I don't like having him on medication all the time.

Yes that's it!! Thank you so much. Has anyone here tried it?

No it was a dry food. I already use the All Natural stuff....i've got a boxer that's always got skin problems and trying dietary things now because I'm over having him on medication constantly.

I'm racking my brain trying to think of this dry dog food. I saw it on one of the current affairs shows a few years back. It was made by an older man, I think he's a vet, and it's meant to be super healthy for dogs, and even fit for human consumption. I remember it actually made dog urine good for grass and plants. It's a long shot, but does anyone recall the name of the food???