EVERYLABDESERVESAKID

Thanks Jed. I am still totally besotted. He is a lovely cruisey relaxed boy. I am beginning to wonder if that looney Boxer reputation is ever real or if people have just seen a lot of undisciplined dogs. We have solved (or nearly solved) the farting, with BARF and Blackhawk. He goes to dog daycare once a week and plays with 40 other dogs, all breeds and sizes and he is good, he loves it and it has helped the over excitement a lot. We did discover one surprising, other thing, DON't play any games that involve running away from him. he can chase down a large adult male, jump them at shoulder height and drag them to the ground by their clothes. It was in that moment that we discovered the true purpose of the boxer.

Thanks, I will look up K9Pro's document. I haven't had any more attempts at using the crate, I just decided not to put all of the changes on him at once and stress him out, so I keep him on a lead when he is in the house at the moment. My Jack Russell decided that he was ok on day 2 and they have become great mates and I can put them outside all day together and they sleep in the lounge room at night. The fact that they get along is a relief and the crate training isn't as urgent. Introductions to the cats are going slower but showing promise, they can be in the same room together and he is starting to be able to take his focus off them and look away and even nap with them there.

I am a newby owner of a recycled Boxer. My dog is 13 months, entire and came from a Uni share house, he has had limited socialisation with other dogs, none with cats, no behavioural boundaries, but basic obedience, sit, drop, no and wait for food was in place. Even though I researched this breed for a long time, there were a lot of things about the Boxer that surprised me, when I actually got one. I thought I would provide some feedback that might help other researchers to decide if this is the breed for them. I have owned German Shepherds (multiple) Grate Dane, Labrador, Maltese and a Jack Russell x . So that is my sphere of reference for comparing a Boxer. Nature - This is a really gentle and soft natured dog. I can't overstate how much more sooky teddy bear like he is than I was anticipating. He is happy, happy, goofy and funny. Contact - Likes to be physically touching you, not rough or obtrusive, but will move so that he can rest a paw on your foot or lay his head against your back. Intelligence - This is a smart dog, way smarter that I expected. He is eager to please and gets new commands in a couple of repetitions, almost needy of rules and boundaries. I would rate this dog as as smart as my Lab, but more compliant. Exercise and Activity - Not as high energy as I expected. My other breeds excepting the Great Dane and the Maltese were higher energy than this. This fellow enjoys a good long walk, a game of tug or a game of soccer or all 3 , but he doesn't go stir crazy without it. When playing he throws himself into it, running, boxing and jumping and a being a loony, but he can switch off immediately when commanded. Rambunctious and strong, yes, out of control, no. Slobber - For some reason I expected that smooshy face to be wet, but it is not, it is soft and squishy and kissy and dry. Hmmm delicious. We really haven't seen slobber or eye muck at all. His mouth is very soft, he takes food from your hand very gently. I am used to the very soft mouth of a Lab but this guy is equally as gentle. Smell - His fur doesn't have a doggy smell, even wet he is unsmelly, he doesn't leave the smell of dog on your hands after patting. This is the least offensive smelling dog of all the dogs I have owned. Farting - Yes, farts like a demon, can clear a room and sometimes you can even hear them. The biggest farter of any of my breeds. Dog Aggression - No, surprisingly for a dog that is entire and has not been socialised, My JR X backed him up the first time they met and the Boxer did not retaliate. Within 24 hours they were best buddies. He does get overexcited and a bit rough, so I imagine that could inadvertently start a fight, but there is no aggression. Chewing - I was expecting and was prepared for a power chewer, but not really, he isn't any more of a chewer than any of my other dogs were. Anyway, I thought I would do this while I am freshly in awe, because I think most of the articles and information about them is undersold and their faults have been far overstated.

He went in ok in the middle of the lounge room and quite happily curled up for a nap for half hour and then we let him out again. Later I moved the crate to the family room, so that I could rotate the other dog and the cats into the lounge room, he could still see us, but he got himself in a real state of anxiety, whining and panting and scratching to get out, he was worse when I shut the door and he couldn't see us. I didn't want him to associate the crate with feeling anxious, so I waited until he was quiet for 30 seconds and then let him out. He has gone back in there by himself and and got his antler out of the crate and bought it into the lounge room on his mat. I am not sure how to work out the accommodations over night, if I can't get him happily in the crate.

Today we picked up a 13 month old boxer that had come available for re-homing. While he is a placid and gentle boy, he is not yet desexed and has had little exposure to other dogs and cats and I have just introduced him into a house with 3 cats and another dog. My dog was reactive to him, so I need to do slow and controlled introductions and I also want to be able to have them all inside at night, with the nights getting down to -5 degrees. I bought a big crate today, I have never crate trained before and he is past the puppy stage, I need tips on crate training.

I don't know these breeders, but they are on my list to check out for when I want a puppy. They are located in SA and advertise that they are committed to health tested breeding stock, with a list of the testing they do. There is a DOL breeder profile for them. Check them out. http://www.bullmighty.com/

Please people, don't paper train puppies. They need to learn from day one, to go outside, if that means that you set the alarm and get up in the night to take them out then do that. Paper training just teaches them that it is o.k to pee in the house and it makes it more difficult to teach them to go outside later on. They learn not to do their business in the house, by never getting the opportunity to do their business in the house.

I have got something in my eye :) sniff.

I have seen coats like that in JRT x something fluffy and ACD x something fluffy.

I just saw this thread. I am so sorry for your loss.

A couple of years ago, I paid $180 to have my little scruffy male desexed, two retained baby teeth out and two front dew claws off. I got sticker shock when I went to pay the bill, because it was so cheap.

The trick is you only ever pat them if they are sitting, when they jump up, say nothing, but grab hold of their paws and walk into them , making them walk backwards, keep holding the paws and making the dog go backwards for another few seconds even after you feel the dog wanting to get down. This is aversive training as it makes them feel uncomfortable and they avoid the behaviour. Our Lab was a chronic jumper, a real hard case, after using the method above she now never jumps up on us.

My dog actually chewed not only the pop up part, but the actual pipes themselves, leaving a little 10 inch gap between the two ends so you couldn't just add in a joiner, she also chewed it off at ground level where it came out of the ground to attach to the tap. We used to smother it with tabasco sauce, we even tried wasabi and Vicks and that damn dog would huff and puff and froth and drool and run back and forth between the tabasco covered pipe and her water bucket, but she kept chewing. I gave up in the end after several hundred dollars worth of running repairs, it hasn't worked for about 8 years now and I have got used to the backyard looking like the surface of the moon, be careful of the craters though, you can break an ankle in one of those trying to hang washing out in the dark. :D

They go on the carpet in preference to other surfaces because it is absorbent and the pee doesn't splash up their legs or pool around their feet. Horses actually do the same thing, find the most absorbent surface to pee.

heeeheeeheee. I love it, I am feeling your pain, I had the Labrador from hell, she was the single most destructive dog I have ever seen, she just destroyed everything, she did all of the above. I even came home from work one day to a big brown Labrador eye peering at me through the closed wooden back door, yes she had dug and chewed a hole straight through the back door, so that she could see into the kitchen. Take heart though, it stopped completely when she was about 7 and now she is 9 she is just a lovely dog. She accidently got locked in the house all day (9 hours) a couple of weeks ago and my blood ran cold when we unlocked the front door and saw her sitting there waiting to greet us, a search of the house ensued and NOTHING, not one thing touched all day ;)

I personally hate paper training. I got a 5 month old pup (older unplaced litter), who had been paper trained. I think it just teaches them to pee in the house and what happens when a male dog starts to lift their leg, how does paper training work then ? Paper training was bad news for my daughter doing VCE, who liked to do her homework on the bedroom floor ;) Never, never rub their noses in it, it is revolting and they do not associate the toileting on the floor with you now shoving their face in it. The best way to toilet train a puppy is to never let an accident happen in the house, if one happens it is your fault not the dogs fault, just clean it up and don't make a drama of it. Make a place in the yard for toileting, by putting some pee soiled paper and transfering a couple of poos there, then take the puppy out to that spot, where it can smell its business on the ground and stay with it as long as it takes. Take the puppy out before sleep, after sleep, before meals, after meals, before play, after play. Every other time the puppy should be confined and under your direct supervision either in a crate or I just used to put my puppy on a lead and tie it to the leg of the desk. Use a key word, hurry up, do wees, go toilet, something like that and then when you get the response praise, praise, praise, reward even the fake wees that are done to please you. You need to learn to watch the puppies body language, he will have a "tell" that you will pick up on when he needs to go to the toilet, some puppies start to sniff around, some their little tail sags down at the back, some stick their tails straight up in the air and get a spacey look in their eye, some do circle work. My little bloke does circle work, now at 3.5 years old he still does circle work and I say "outside" and he does circle work all the way to the back door, runs straight out, lifts his leg on the verandah post and whips back in. I think it is important to stay with the puppy when they go out for a business and then let them straight back in the house. If you just open the back door and let the puppy out and leave it out for longer than the wee takes, then they learn that they get a negative re-inforcement (being left outside alone) whenever they want to go to the toilet, so they are more likely to sneak off and do it somewhere in the house, so they don't get put outside. When they are older, they have learnt to make it happen quick, so they can come straight back in while you hold the door open.

Trish. I have seen Poppy every day this week at Andrea and Ruth's. We have dressage lessons out there. She is well and happy.

Because they can.......because there is a whole world out there full of rubbish bins to raid and light poles and other dogs bums to sniff and home is a place that never goes away and you can always come back.........................if you can find it again. Why do people travel, if they have a nice life and home ?

Do these keep the flies away as well as heal the wounds? I have a red cattle dog client who i wash weekly, and his ears are black when i get there from fly dirt and blood. Damn things jump back on him as soon as i put him back in the yard. Owners put betadine and a cream they got from a pet supply several times daily but the little ba$tards keep coming back! I will stop by Petbarn tomorrow morning and see if one of these products is available. Actually, i just remembered a malamute i wash only occasionally who has trouble with fly bits on his feet and nose. Good excuse to give them a call - thanks for reminding me! Thanks for the info, and thanks to the OP who posed the question. Will let you know how poor little Jethro does next week. He is an adorable little thing, and doesnt make a peep when i'm cleaning off his ears, even tho it HAS to hurt! The Muscaban just repels the flies and very effectively too and is good for a preventative before the holes appear or after they heal, but I wouldn't put the Muscaban on an open wound . The Cetrigen is an antiseptic wound spray with a fly repellent (made for horses). It dries the wound and makes a scab form, the flies will still hover around but not bite the wound mercilessly. The only drawback with the Cetrigen is that is does stain their fur purple. We have a lot of flies in Beef country and both of these products have been effective.

I have a Lab that literally gets holes eaten into her ears, overnight. I have tried everything and I mean everything that is on the market for dogs and horses. I have only had long term success (we work all day and cannot re-apply) with two products. Muscaban which I use now, or purple Cetrigen wound spray for horses, the later looks dicky and stains their fur, but it is effective.

Older dog = bigger bladder. As long as she hasn't already got dirty house habits and has just been an outside dog who is used to going on the lawn already, I reckon the job is already half done as the lawn will already be the place she prefers to go and the place she knows it is alright to go. Follow the same routine as you would for a little puppy, before sleeps, after sleeps, before meals, after meals, before play, after play and every other two hours.............. and you should have good results in quick time.

That is so sad and beautiful too. He knew love right to the end, what a beautiful gift to give.

The best way to toilet train a dog, is to never let any accidents happen in the first place. If you eventually want the dog to do its business outside, you need to take the dog out before sleeps, after sleeps, before meals and after meals and at least every other two hours and stay with it on a lead until the deal is done. Once you have a wee on the grass, give praise, praise and more praise or a treat and then keep taking it out to that spot everytime, so that it can smell its own scent on the ground. They very quickly learn that if they hurry up, they get to go back inside. You also need to recognise the signs that they need to go, some puppies sniff, some do circle work and some stand with their little tails stiff, deep in thought. Never leave the puppy unsupervised, if you are not having direct contact with the puppy and it is not sleeping, put it in a crate or on a lead attached to something so it can't wander off and do sneaky business, while you are watching T.V . I used to just pop a lead on my puppy and hook it to the leg of the desk inside, to keep him within my line of site. My little bloke now 14 months old, comes and gets us and does circle work all the way to the back door and then pushes the screen door himself, when he needs to go out and then bangs to get back in, when he is done, if he is quick, he knows that I will hold the door open for him and wait. Dogs do not like any surface that has "splash back" or is not absorbent enough to stop wee from pooling around their feet, I have also discovered that little dogs in particular will not squat on grass that is long enough to touch their butts and if that is the case they will prefer to go on the path or concrete. I had a Maltese and it was the most difficult dog to toilet train I have ever seen, so, you will really need to be on the ball with this little one.

I paid about an extra $60 on top of the desexing cost for 2 dew claws. I wanted them done when he was already out to it. It would probably cost a bit extra on it own, you know how it adds up.......consultation fee, local anaesthetic etc

My little muttly had one dew claw not attached with bone, that was large and floppy with a very fast growing curly nail. I made the decision to have it removed during his desex for the following reasons. 1. This dog has a scruffy little dreadlock coat that requires daily grooming, he is a puppy and he squirms around alot and I was concerned that I might accidently hook it with the coat rake and give it a yank. 2. I dress him up in little woolies and coats to keep him warm and to keep the burrs out of his coat in the horse paddock. I had more than one experience with the nail catching in the woolies and I believed the likely hood of harm in this situation was high, given that I am not allways the one who puts his coats on and off. The OP was nothing a neat small line, no stitches and 3 days kept wrapped.