Rescue Myths...

There are many beautiful & loving adult Boxers available for adoption. Many of the dogs in rescue are there due to no fault of their own. Often they are already trained, healthy, and have wonderful temperaments.

Myth #1 It’s better to get a puppy because with an older dog, you never know what you’re getting.

At 1st that theory seems to make sense, except the exact opposite is true. All puppies are cute; all puppies love everyone. It’s not until a dog hits sexual maturity that some innate behavioral problems start to surface. There are many desperate calls made to rescues from people who paid thousands of dollars for a purebred puppy, who is now a year or two old and biting people, attacking other dogs, or engaging in some odd neurotic behavior. Buying & raising a puppy doesn’t mean you will automatically get a well tempered dog. Purebred is not the same as well-bred and with all the back yard breeders & unscrupulous puppy mills there are far more poor quality Boxer "breeders" than good ones.

The truth is this: when we list a 4 month old puppy, we can only guess what kind of adult she’ll make. When we list an 18 month old or two year old dog, we can predict pretty accurately what kind of dog you’ll have forever. Puppies take a long time to develop and mature before you see the true dog. However if you rescue an adult what you see is what you get. They have already grown into themselves.

Myth #2 I have small children so its better to get a puppy.

Without a doubt, this is the most common reason people want a puppy. A sweet, small puppy just seems like the best choice for sweet, small children.

The truth is Puppies have needle sharp teeth that they will happily sink into anyone. They also have sharp nails that scratch. Puppies have NO MANNERS. I have heard many parents complain about how their kids dislike the new puppy because the pup is biting them, jumping on them, scratching them. It might be in the name of play but for kids it still hurts & scares them...especially Boxer pups that often outweigh the children.

It takes the whole family to be consistent & calm with teaching a pup good manners and sometimes little kids don’t have the patience. Kids leave toys around (how is the pup supposed to learn not to chew in the midst of so much temptation?), and kids laugh, run, & squeal which eggs a puppy on.

Of course, puppies and small children do successfully co-habitate. But, in our experience, a calmer 2-3yr old boxer is a lot better fit for small children & inexperienced dog owners. A dog that has already been raised with kids or properly temperament tested is no more risky than a pup. Actually in many ways it’s less risky because their temperament is already known.

Myth #3 I’m unsure about getting a rescue dog, because I’m afraid he won’t bond to me.

That sound you hear is all our former adopters falling over laughing. Because the exact opposite is nearly always true--your rescue dog will CLING to you. There is NOTHING like the love of a dog that knows he’s/ she’s been given a 2nd chance. Rescue dogs are eternally grateful and seem to appreciate all their new family has to offer. They bond deeply and so will you! :-)

More Reasons to Rescue...

Additionally when you rescue (from a reputable breed specific boxer rescue) you (usually) have a team of people who make an effort to get to know their dogs and get to know you (meet your family, your other pets, see where you live, ask questions about your lifestyle, etc) so that a proper match can be made. Furthermore if you rescue & it doesn’t work out most rescue organizations will take the dog back.

And another bonus to rescuing is that your dog (or Puppy) will come already up to date on shots, Microchipped, and spayed/ neutered. And it’s all included in the adoption donation. Not many breeders can promise that. Additionally the adoption fees that you pay go right back into the rescue and directly help save another dog's life. No Breeder can promise that!

Rowdy Update

Thanks to the generous donations from our supporters we have completed Rowdy’s 1st TPLO knee surgery. We would especially like to thank Dr Schulman & everyone at the Animal Medical Center of Southern California for taking such good care of this special boy! And Tazzy Fund for their very generous grant!

Rowdy is in limbo

Rowdy is one of the sweetest Boxers we have ever met. Despite his name he is mellow, loyal, loves other dogs, and is gentle with all children. And sadly, it is always the best natured dogs that are neglected the most. By the time he was 6months old, Rowdy found himself living life tied to a tree until the harness he was wearing became embedded in his skin. Luckily one of our volunteers spotted him and convinced Rowdy’s neglectful owner to allow us to find him a new home. At that time we found Rowdy a family with kids and another Boxer where he lived peacefully for the last few years. But recently Rowdy’s family had to give him up & he returned to the rescue once again.

Once Rowdy was back in our care we noticed something just wasn’t right. His gait was off, his back was arched, and he had a limp. After a trip to the orthopedic specialist we learned Rowdy has been walking on TWO bad knees. Rowdy condition is painful and his back is starting to ache from the awkward way that he has to hold himself to compensate for the damaged knees. And these are not new injuries. X-rays indicate that Rowdy has been suffering for some time. Amazingly his sprit is still high and he always greets you with a smile!

Unfortunately the only fix is a very expensive surgery. But the good news is that a skilled surgeon can make Rowdy’s knees perform better than ever. After the surgery he will live a 100% normal life walking, playing, and running pain free. The problem is there are no funds to pay for the surgery so Rowdy has to continue to wait for his new lease on life.

Can you help give Rowdy a new beginning? If you’d like to help Rowdy please click here to make a donation towards his surgery. Any amount is appreciated and no amount is too small!

And of course we are also in search of a new responsible & loving family for Rowdy. He misses having a warm home but he is waiting patiently for the right people to come along. Could it be you?

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.