Please follow the link below & VOTE for Tyson (middle row with the e-collar on). If he wins the "pet of the week" contest a brand new Kuranda dog bed will be donated to BOCAR! You can vote once a day & it only takes a second!
12/15/2009 – 12/21/2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
BOCAR is having a Rummage Sale December 5th!
Boxer OC Animal Rescue is having a rummage sale on Saturday December 5th to raise funds for our rescue! We are currently accepting donations of new or gently used items (like clothing, appliances and furniture). If you would like to donate please email Nancy at nancy@ndomino.com for drop off information.
Or if you’d rather shop please stop by 5132 Bayonne Cr., Irvine, CA 92604 on December 5th, 2009 from 7:30am until 2:30pm. We look forward to seeing you there!
A dog for the kids?
We recently had an adopter contact us to “return” their dog after a year of ownership. The reason? Their kids were bored of the dog & didn’t play with it anymore. Yes, that’s a real excuse.
The family felt that the dog would be better off in another home where it would get more attention from the children. As if the dog is some sort of “hand me down” just waiting for the next kid to grow into it.
So in light of this unfortunate situation we’d like to mention that getting a dog “for the kids” is a very poor reason for getting a dog. While most kids are very keen to have a pet and might even beg, plead & promise endlessly for one; children are also very fickle, and very selfish. This is not to downgrade kids - being selfish is in their very nature, and that's the main reason why they need parents - to look after all their wants and needs - including looking after their pets!
Now this is not meant to discourage anyone from adopting a dog as a family pet. Many choose to get a dog for their child’s benefit. Living with a dog can be a beneficial and wonderful experience for children. Dogs can enhance children’s self-esteem, teach them responsibility and help them to learn empathy. But that should never be the singular reason why you are adding a dog to the family. You should also want the dog for yourself. And you need to accept that your children will probably never take any real responsibility for the family pets. The simple truth is that children's priorities and interests change much too often to reasonably expect them to fulfill the life long commitment necessary for owning a dog.
Dog ownership is a dog is a long term undertaking. Dogs can live 10 to 15 years. Never acquire a dog on a whim, only to dump them when they become inconvenient. Do research before adding ANY pet to the family. Dogs, in particular, need to be researched for compatibility with your lifestyle. Pets should never be given as gifts, and children can not be 100% responsible for the care of any pet.
Owning a dog is not just a privilege-it's a responsibility. These animals depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. If you are considering taking a dog into your family, you need to think seriously about all that dog ownership entails. If you already have a dog, you need to consider if YOU (the adult) are fulfilling all your obligations as its owner.
The family felt that the dog would be better off in another home where it would get more attention from the children. As if the dog is some sort of “hand me down” just waiting for the next kid to grow into it.
So in light of this unfortunate situation we’d like to mention that getting a dog “for the kids” is a very poor reason for getting a dog. While most kids are very keen to have a pet and might even beg, plead & promise endlessly for one; children are also very fickle, and very selfish. This is not to downgrade kids - being selfish is in their very nature, and that's the main reason why they need parents - to look after all their wants and needs - including looking after their pets!
Now this is not meant to discourage anyone from adopting a dog as a family pet. Many choose to get a dog for their child’s benefit. Living with a dog can be a beneficial and wonderful experience for children. Dogs can enhance children’s self-esteem, teach them responsibility and help them to learn empathy. But that should never be the singular reason why you are adding a dog to the family. You should also want the dog for yourself. And you need to accept that your children will probably never take any real responsibility for the family pets. The simple truth is that children's priorities and interests change much too often to reasonably expect them to fulfill the life long commitment necessary for owning a dog.
Dog ownership is a dog is a long term undertaking. Dogs can live 10 to 15 years. Never acquire a dog on a whim, only to dump them when they become inconvenient. Do research before adding ANY pet to the family. Dogs, in particular, need to be researched for compatibility with your lifestyle. Pets should never be given as gifts, and children can not be 100% responsible for the care of any pet.
Owning a dog is not just a privilege-it's a responsibility. These animals depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. If you are considering taking a dog into your family, you need to think seriously about all that dog ownership entails. If you already have a dog, you need to consider if YOU (the adult) are fulfilling all your obligations as its owner.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Why Give Your Dog a KONG?
Nature made dogs to hunt, forage, scavenge and work for their food—not have it delivered for free in a bowl! One reason dogs develop behavior problems is sheer boredom, resulting from a lack of physical exercise, problem solving and outdoor exploration and investigation. To make your dog’s life more enjoyable, you can give him fun “work” to do when he’s home alone or when you can’t play with him.Tips for using a Kong:
Tips for using a Kong:
How to Stuff a Kong
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Is your Boxer bored?
There are a lot of interactive dog toys that may keep their attention…
Please note most of these toys involve food. If you have a multi dog household please use under supervision until you are sure there will be no squabbling over resources. Also you should have one toy per dog (two dogs = two toys). Never assume your dogs won't fight.
A. Giver her meals in a stuffed Kong. Make it challenging so she really has to work for it. Mix kibble & some wet food or pumpkin (or something even more yummy) and stuff it so she really has to work at it (see post on how to stuff a kong).
B. Canine genius toys are fun and are great to keep dogs stimulated!
C. Busy Toys (I think the name says it all!)
D. Manners Minder; you can set this to automatically dispense at different intervals when you are away or use it by remote when you are home.
E. The Tricky Treat Ball! Our dogs love these but I had to teach them to use it. The 1st few times they pushed it I would toss a treat at the ball (so from their perspective it seemed to come out of the ball). Then they got the hang of it and would push it hard enough that the ball would dispense on its own. This is one of their favorite toys!
F. Bustercubes are another favorite!
G. Treatsticks are fun too!
H. Nina Ottosson has a line of truly unique puzzle toys for dogs. The Dog Tornado is an innovative and unique interactive dog toy that is both fun and mentally stimulating for any food-motivated dog. The Nina Ottosson Dog toys are one of the most original on the market.
Please note most of these toys involve food. If you have a multi dog household please use under supervision until you are sure there will be no squabbling over resources. Also you should have one toy per dog (two dogs = two toys). Never assume your dogs won't fight.
A. Giver her meals in a stuffed Kong. Make it challenging so she really has to work for it. Mix kibble & some wet food or pumpkin (or something even more yummy) and stuff it so she really has to work at it (see post on how to stuff a kong).
B. Canine genius toys are fun and are great to keep dogs stimulated!
C. Busy Toys (I think the name says it all!)
D. Manners Minder; you can set this to automatically dispense at different intervals when you are away or use it by remote when you are home.
E. The Tricky Treat Ball! Our dogs love these but I had to teach them to use it. The 1st few times they pushed it I would toss a treat at the ball (so from their perspective it seemed to come out of the ball). Then they got the hang of it and would push it hard enough that the ball would dispense on its own. This is one of their favorite toys!
F. Bustercubes are another favorite!
G. Treatsticks are fun too!
H. Nina Ottosson has a line of truly unique puzzle toys for dogs. The Dog Tornado is an innovative and unique interactive dog toy that is both fun and mentally stimulating for any food-motivated dog. The Nina Ottosson Dog toys are one of the most original on the market.
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