Dog owners!

[fuegan13]

im picking up my boxer tomorrow night, cant recommend boxers enough. they are really loyal and playful. just all around good dogs. although its strange to see them with long tails nowadays. i've had two boxers before and i have never met a bad one. as for being home when you are out im not really sure because we alwasy have people home and if we dont the dog would go to my dad's work which is round the corner so its always with people, well at least thats how we have always done it and thats how we will be doing it for our new boy.

 

[fuegan13]

The other consideration with boxers is American or English.

American are a bit smaller and more refined. They generally have better confomation, and are sometimes called 'dry mouth' as they dont slobber everywhere like the English tend to. IMO, they are a bit prettier, and have a really nice looking face.

English are A bit bigger, boofier, and tend to slobber a bit. (or ALOT!!!)

We have had both, and they are both great in their own way.

We have noticed tho, that the Elglish tend to age a bit quicker. Thats the only thing with boxers, they arnt terribly long lived, and often, tumors are the cause of death.


There are also bob tails to consider, which come from an english line, with a touch of corgi a few generations back.
They were mixed with a line of corgi which carried a short tail gene.
They were then bred to retain the boxer looks, but keep the short tail.
They are becoming popular among boxer owners who have become accustomed to the docked look.

The problem with these are the price tag. Boxberry, the kennel that imported them, charge $1500 for a desexed pup. (entire animals are not available thru them)

the slobber is half the personallity !!

sorry to be taking over the thread but i have a question for you as to age of your boxers. how old is the oldest one you have had ? my last boxer made it to 14 and a half and the vet was shocked he made it to that age, only having had two (the first died when i was very young. he was 13 i think) i was wondering what sort of ages other people's boxers are getting to ?

as for docking you can have them shipped to new zealand, get docked and then bring them back. although i cant really see the point. im slowing getting used to the long tail look, as are most of the judges in shows and from the animals point of view id probly rather keep my tail. lol.

 

[MoreliaMatt]

Our girl has her tail, but i know why they dock them! That thing hurts like hell when she gets you in the knee caps!!! lol and its on a daily basis too!!!! But i hate docking, so wouldnt have it any other way!

 

[fuegan13]

Our girl has her tail, but i know why they dock them! That thing hurts like hell when she gets you in the knee caps!!! lol and its on a daily basis too!!!! But i hate docking, so wouldnt have it any other way!

haha our breeder warned us of that...

 

[the.badger]

If you're after something that doesn't need too much exercise, maybe look into whippets and greyhounds. I know most people think they're ugly and all that, but they have the most gentle nature, and they're happy to be a couch potato all day. Being sprinters, they only need a very short walk every day to tire them out, not like say kelpies which need at least 4kms daily. Even 15 minute walk to the end of the street and back will be enough to put em to sleep for 5 hours.

Whippets are pretty uncommon, but greyhounds come up for adoption all the time when they're retired from racing or when they don't cut the mustard. You can adopt ex-racing greyhounds from an organisation (I forget the name of it though) which completely train and rehabilitate it for you before adopting it out. I think they charge you about $275 to cover their costs. I think that's a great way to go, an older lazy dog which has been trained for you, all you'd need to do is maintenance training. Perfect for a first dog IMO.

 

[waruikazi]

Bah get a bully! How adorable is this face!

 

[Troyster]

hi jake,
i have 2 american staffs and they are awesome dogs great personality very loyal and amazingly protective.They are a little larger than the regular(english)staffy and in my opinion better looking.However like all dogs they need to be socialized when young to prevent them being aggressive towards other dogs but mine have been and they are great with other dogs including dogs they havent met before,and living in Adelaide we have some really great breeders to choose from.Ive included a couple of pictures to show you what an amstaff looks like cheers Troy

 

[Fireflyshuffle]

bullys are (no offence) the ugliest of big dogs out here. Its like buying a persian haha. Dont EVER buy two dogs they will prob end up pound dogs. one dog is all you should ever start off with. and boxers do need lots of exercise as with any large dog. id be summing up, do you want a dominating dog?if you dont know how to properly train and be hard on the dominating dogs they will walk all over you. get a dog thats more a mans best friend. unless you want protection. if your not home alot during the day id be thinking twice and would probly invest in another snake. Everyone seems to say ITS OK to leave your dog all day but theres no stimulation for it. which is why dogs whelp when owners leave. if you have already mentioned you wont be home alot during the day u should think for a while longer. And no matter what dog you end up with it shouldnt matter breed, age, etc if you want a dog you wont be asking everyone else what breed. its not somthing you can eeny meeny miney mo!

 

[Lovemydragons]

While we're on encouraging our own breeds, I thought I'd add a pic of my two babies. They are what ever I want them to be. If I feel lazy they will sleep, if I want to go walking they will run around and want to say hello to every person and dog we meet. We also do obedience training and are doing extremely well for their age.

 

[Fireflyshuffle]

awww gorgeous. I looked at sharpeis when we were looking but decided on an aussie shepherd as were so energetic and always working outdoors, she comes everywhere with us. she also does obedience training, agility, and flyball.

 

[mrillusion]

get 2 a male and a female if u wanna get a dog because they will keep each other company IF U KNOW WHAT I MEAN...........=p

 

[Chappy]

Cant beat a Shepard!! I love the breed and to me they are just awesome dogs and excellent family protectors and guardians

My Boy Bronson....

 

[Miss B]

For a first dog do your self a favor and don't get a shelter dog. Shelter dogs do need a second chance but they do usually come with baggage and i don't think they are suitable for first time owners.

That's not neccessarily true, especially as most shelters these days conduct temperament testing. And there are many varied reasons why dogs end up in shelters - it's not just because they are brats.

I have a female Siberian here who I adopted from the pound as she was going to be PTS. Her owners were not interested in reclaiming her as she is an escape artist. Doesn't bother me - with two other Sibes here my yard is well and truly escape-proof :lol: She is the most gorgeous dog, she is house trained, well mannered and has no destructive habits whatsoever. She's an absolute dream.

If you wanted to give an older dog a second chance, I'd suggest getting in contact with a rescue organisation. Their dogs have often been fostered in a home environment and you'll have a pretty good idea about the dogs temperament and any possible behaviorual issues.

If you are looking to get a puppy, please do your research and purchase from a reputable registered breeder who conducts health testing on all their breeding stock. I have seen Boxers come through our clinic with an underbite so bad you could wedge a plank of 4 x 2 in there

The problem with these are the price tag. Boxberry, the kennel that imported them, charge $1500 for a desexed pup. (entire animals are not available thru them)

$1,500 is not that surprising really? Purebred dogs are not cheap but they are worth every penny. The price is such a small consideration anyway, especially when you consider that the dogs upkeep and vet bills will cost far more over the course of their life than their purchase price ever did.

And unless you were planning to show the puppy and/or consider becoming a registered breeder, then there shouldn't really be any issue with the pup being desexed. In fact it saves you the effort of organising the op yourself later anyway.

Jakethesnake, here are some sites that may be of help to you. Good luck in your search

www.dolforums.com.au

http://www.qldboxerclub.org/boxer_rescue.htm

 

[snakelvr]

It doesn't really matter what you get, but do your research first. Don't get a working dog breed if you are hardly home. Size matters too. Do research on different breeds then you will have a better idea of what you want. You don't necessarily have to get a pure bred. There are people out there who detest purebreds. I admit , when I was a teen I refused to even consider a cross-bred. My dog I have right now though is a cross and the BEST dog I have ever met. Loving, loyal,faithful,dependable... the list could go on and on.

I have found the following saying to be VERY true, don't choose the dog....... let the dog choose you.

 

[shane14]

well ive got an overweight staffy that sits around all day, she is 7yo weighs about 18kg is 25cm tall of the ground so you get the point, very cute dog

 

[coatesy]

I don't reccomend getting 2 puppies at nce - Harder to train and they go through all the anoying puppy stuff and are harder to get out of. If getting 2 dogs start off with an older dog(maybe a rescue centre) then get a pup. The pup will learn off the older dog (make sure it is well trained). We have 2 jack Russells and they keep eachother entertained through the day. Boxers are a great choice - we will be think of them for our next dog.

 

[rmcneill]

Hello,
Well i have an American pitbull called Dozer and an american staffy called Storm.
Dozer is 4 1/2 years old and has a long list of baggage poor thing, so now he suffers from really bad seperation anxiety and also he gets scared very very easly, and seems to be very lonely beucase he tries to pull the fence pailings off to get next door with our neighbours dog molly.
so after trying many things we decided to get him a friend, Little Stormy...and he is so so much better, he is much more confident and is quite happy for us to go out without him because he has little stormy there to play with, they do everything together now, so once you have to its very hard to ever do anything with just one of them, they even go to the vets together now if one is sick the other goes alone for support lol!!
I think two dogs is good! They really keep each other occupied! And american staffys are amazing dogs!!
Just research each breed you think you like, maybe visit some people with them, see what you think.. Two are really really full on but its worth it! most of the time its maddness but thats ok!
Here are some pics

 

[Rainbow-Serpent]

Hi,


Dogs can be left at home by them selves for a few hours, but Staffies and Boxers, (mainly boxers), Are very active dogs, they need alot of exersise, so make sure they get the long walks they need and the play in the backyard and they should be fine!

 

[FAY]

Once you have had a Dane..you are hooked..no other dog makes the grade.

 

[waruikazi]

That's not neccessarily true, especially as most shelters these days conduct temperament testing. And there are many varied reasons why dogs end up in shelters - it's not just because they are brats.

I have a female Siberian here who I adopted from the pound as she was going to be PTS. Her owners were not interested in reclaiming her as she is an escape artist. Doesn't bother me - with two other Sibes here my yard is well and truly escape-proof :lol: She is the most gorgeous dog, she is house trained, well mannered and has no destructive habits whatsoever. She's an absolute dream.

You are right alot of shelter dogs are great. All of my families' dogs have been shelter animals and they have been the best part of the family. But it can be really hit and miss whether you get one with some kind of problem. I have worked at a vet clinic that had a shelter and rehomed dogs and cats so i have seen my share of shelter dogs and the problems they come with. That and shelters can be really really unhealthy places (not all of them are and it is nearly always beyond the control of the organization running it) when you have dogs in cages all lined up next to each other kennel cough and other diseases run rampant.

I only wouldn't recommend one as a first dog. If you do get a pound dog as a first then a puppy is an absolute must just for the learning curve, it is far easier to be patient with a cute little puppy than a big boof headed staffy x heeler lol. Once you've had your first dog and you know what it's like to be an owner and companion then i think you could consider a shelter dog as a mate.