Many Boxers end up in rescues because their owners had done no, or very little research into the breed and just dont realise the amount of energy and attention boxers need.
Every boxer in rescue should have been assessed to determine the type of home the dog will need. It's important to choose a boxer that will match your particular lifestyle. Though no dog should be left for more than a few hours, an older dog might be slightly more tolerant. Young dogs usually require more attention and a puppy will need constant attention for feeding, toileting and training throughout the day.
Before contacting any Boxer Rescue, please ask yourself the following questions:
Can you Give a boxer a good home?
Can you afford to feed it correctly?
Can you afford Vets fees or Insurance?
Are you prepared to Exercise EVERY day and train it?
Can you give plenty of affection and attention
Do you know how much time this will take every day?
Will your house accomodate a Boxer and allow space of his own - including a garden?
Are you prepared to work through any problems he/she may have?
Do you have the patience to allow a dog to settle into your home? your new rescue dog may have accidents or need toilet training.
Are you prepared to take care of your boxer for up to 12 years or more, no matter what happens?
If you can HONESTLY answer yes to all of these things then go ahead and get your boxer!
There are few joys greater than the companionship and affection of a boxer. We hope this site will encourage you to choose your boxer wisely, treat it well and enjoy it to the full.
Adopting An Ex Breeding Boxer
Before
Puppy Farm Facts
Puppy farming is solely a greed industry. Thousands of dogs, (mainly female), are kept in appalling conditions, born to die in barns, sheds, caravans and crates, sometimes never seeing the outside world, except through a hole in the roof or a broken window. They never see a vet and all they know of humans’ is when a door is opened and food is thrown onto the floor. The only attention they get is when they are kicked or beaten. They know no other life. These female dogs’ exist only to produce puppies – they are simply breeding machines.
It is difficult to imagine the lives of these dogs’ - untreated sores, mange, ear mites, fleas, sickness. lack of clean water, unbearable heat in the summer and freezing in the winter.
Puppies are taken from their mothers’ as early as 4 or 5 weeks – the mother frets for her young. As soon as she is ready, she will be bred again, and again. Then there will come a point in her life, where, because of mental illness through being continuously bred, she may lay on their puppies and kill them, or she will not be able to produce enough puppies to be viable anymore. She will then be disposed of. If she is lucky, she will be shot, if not, she will be beaten to death then fed to her kin. This is only a short insight into the life of a breeding bitch.
Stud dogs’ are less in number, only because of their ability to mate with many females. Their existence is equally as miserable, some think worse, as these males live longer than the females and are usually kept in isolation for years’ – the only respite they get is when a female, ready for mating, is thrown into the filthy place they live.
Before you think of adopting – think of the problems you may face
• These dogs’ have only known cruelty from humans – they will come round more quickly if there is already a dog in the home, who can show them the way.
• They are not house-trained and are generally frightened of the outside. Be prepared to go into the garden with them in all weathers’ on a lead if necessary.
• All noises are frightening, a hoover, a washing machines, even an electric kettle. Although for some reason, they seem to like watching television, cartoons are the usual favorite.
• They will cower when you go approach and, (through fear of being kicked), will avoid passing you at all costs.
• If possible, let them lie on a couch or somewhere off the floor – they feel more vulnerable when close to the ground, especially when you approach them. They are not fear aggressive, their spirit has been broken.
• They quickly learn to eat from a bowl but, no matter how hungry or thirsty, will often be too frightened to leave their bed to eat or drink. Sometimes a little hand-feeding from their bowl will help.
• They have never been taken for a walk and are more at ease with a harness rather than a collar. Some have never had the chance to run before.
• They do not know how to play and have never seen a toy
Adopting an ex-breeding dog takes a great deal of patience and understanding, but the rewards are tenfold. You will end up being owned by the most loyal, loving and faithful friend you could ever wish for.
After
There are many unwanted dogs in the world, having your dog spayed/castrated will ensure that there are less unwanted puppies in the world. There are not enough homes for them all!
MALES
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS TO THE DOG?
There are several health benefits to neutering. One of the most important concerns the prostate gland, which under the influence of testosterone will gradually enlarge over the course of the dog’s life. In age, it is likely to become uncomfortable, possibly being large enough to interfere w/defecation. The prostate under the influence of testosterone is also predisposed to infection which is almost impossible to clear up without neutering. Neutering causes the prostate to shrink into insignificance thus preventing both prostatitis as well as the uncomfortable benign hyperplasia (enlargement) that occurs with aging. It is often erroneously held that neutering prevents prostate cancer but this is not true.
Other health benefits of neutering include the prevention of certain types of hernias and tumors of the testicles and anus. Excessive preputial discharge is also reduced by neutering.
WHAT BEHAVIORAL CHANGES CAN BE EXPECTED AFTER NEUTER?
The only behavior changes that are observed after neutering relate to behaviors influenced by male hormones. Playfulness, friendliness, and socialization with humans are not changed. The behaviors that change are far less desirable. The interest in roaming is eliminated in 90% of neutered dogs. Aggressive behavior against other male dogs is eliminated in 60% of neutered dogs. Urine marking is eliminated in 50% of neutered male dogs. Inappropriate mounting is eliminated in 70% of neutered dogs.
WHAT EXACTLY IS DONE SURGICALLY?
An incision is made generally just forward from the scrotum. The testicles are removed through this incision. The stalks are tied off and cut. Castration is achieved. If the testicles are not removed, the desirable benefits listed above cannot be achieved. The skin incision may or may not have stitches.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT UPON DISCHARGE FROM THE HOSPITAL?
The scrotum is often swollen in the first few days after surgery, leading some people to wonder if the procedure was really performed. If the dog is immature at the time of neutering, the empty scrotum will flatten out as he grows. If he is mature at the time of neuter, the empty scrotum will remain as a flap of skin. Sometimes the incision is mildly bruised but this is not unduly sore for the dog and pain relief is almost never necessary post neuter. Most male dogs are eager to play by the day after surgery but, to keep the incision intact, it is best to restrict the dog from boistrous activity.
WILL HE GET OVER-WEIGHT OR LETHARGIC?
Activity level and appetite do not change with neutering. A dog should not gain weight or become less interested in activity post neuter.
WILL HE STILL BE INTERESTED IN FEMALES?
His interest will be reduced but if he is around a female dog in heat, he will become aroused by her. Mounting behavior often has roots in the expression of dominance and may be expressed by a neutered male in a variety of circumstances that are not motivated by sexuality.
WHAT IF A DOG HAS AN UNDESCENDED TESTICLE?
Undescended testicles have an increased tendency to grow tumors over descended testicles. They may also twist on their stalks and cause life-threatening inflammation. For these reasons, neutering is recommended for dogs with undescended testicles. This procedure is more complicated than a routine neuter; the missing testicle can be under the skin along the path it should have descended to the scrotum or it may be inside the abdomen. Some exploration may be needed to find it thus there is often an incision for each testicle. The retained testicle is sterile and under-developed. If there is one descended testicle, this one will be fertile but since retaining a testicle is a hereditary trait, it is important that the male dog not be bred before he is neutered.
FEMALES
MAMMARY CANCER
A female dog spayed before her first heat will have a near zero chance of developing mammary cancer. After the first heat, this incidence climbs to 7% and after the second heat the risk is 25% (one in four!). It is easy to see that an early spay can completely prevent what is frequently a very difficult and potentially fatal form of cancer.
But is it too late if a dog is already past her second heat? No, in fact spaying is important even in female dogs who already have obvious tumors. This is because many mammary tumors are stimulated by estrogens; removing the ovaries, the source of estrogens, will help retard tumor spread.
Spaying removes both the uterus and both ovaries and is crucial in the prevention as well as the treatment of mammary cancer.
SIMPLE CONVENIENCE
The female dog comes into heat every 8 months or so. There is a bloody vaginal discharge and attraction of local male dogs. Often there is an offensive odor. All of this disappears with spaying.
PYOMETRA
"Pyometra" is the life-threatening infection of the uterus which generally occurs in middle-aged to older female dogs in the six weeks following heat. The hormone "progesterone," which primes the uterus for potential pregnancy, does so by causing proliferation of the blood-filled uterine lining and suppression of uterine immune function. It is thus easy during heat for bacteria in the vagina to ascend to the uterus to cause infection. The uterus with pyometra swells dramatically and is filled with pus, bacteria, dying tissue, and toxins. Without treatment, the pet is expected to die. Despite her serious medical state, she must be spayed quickly if her life is to be saved.
THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON DISEASE
OF OLDER UNSPAYED FEMALE DOGS!
PYOMETRA IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH "MIGHT" HAPPEN;
CONSIDER THAT IT PROBABLY WILL HAPPEN.
The older unspayed female dog has an irregular heat cycle. There is no end of cycling comparable to human menopause. If you still decide against spaying, be very familiar with the signs of pyometra. (These include loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, excessive thirst, marked vaginal discharge).
