Discouraged By Breeder - Page 2

Murf · #11 06-18-2009, 12:03 PM

Rocky is not our first dog but he is our first boxer and we are having a blast with him.We did our research on the breed and by the sounds of it you have as well.If this is the breed that you have decided on then "go for it".I think the people that haven't done any research on the boxer those are the people that run into trouble.

BxrMommieNAZ · #12 06-18-2009, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffDery

I'm a first time dog owner. I got a boxer. Life has changed for me since. My secret to have a good dog is exercise. Now I get up at 6:30am get dress tie Dax to a lease and out we go. We get back around 7:20am after a walk, a bike ride or a rollerskate ride depending on the weather. This is the commitement you have to think about before you get your puppy.

If I dont do exercise in the morning, I have a bad dog. I mean it. Dax is very intelligent and will do bad things in the house if she did not exercise properly.

That's not all, she needs exercise at night too. After a full day in the crate (i have to work to pay for her food, and well I do office work, I'm in "crate" like her :-) So after diner, it is outside time again. I often spend more than 90 minutes playing fetch, walk or let her play with the neiboorg's dogs in the field.

If you leave in an appartment and dont have access to a backyard, well... get a cat. I have a hell of a back yard just beside a little wooded area where she can be off leash and secure. Even with that she still needs to see more, to walk on "new" grass... It is a need for her, and I, as the pack leader, must fullfill that for her to keep her balanced.

In the weekend, Me, My GF and Maksim (5yo) goes to new place where we can walk with Dax. Most of the time in the woods or by the sea. Exercise makes her calm and submissive.

I read in this forum, a tired puppy is a good puppy. this is so true.

So before you get you puppy, ask yourself: "Will I go out EVERY DAY to walk/run my dog, 2 times a day for 30-60 minutes each time (more when possible)?
- Every day means WINTER DAYS too and when it rains... I'm dead serious... EVERY DAY!!!" If you say YES! then I'm telling you... your chance to have a "good dog" are excellent.

I remember last winter, minus 30 celsius, big wind and Dax not wanting to get inside. She was like NO I need to run outside, i'm not comming inside... This is where the laser beam got usefull. She could run for 30 minutes to get that beam... wierd but she had to exersice even if I'm freezing in my snowsuit. The laser beam batteries was freezing after 10 minutes, I had to keep them warm... lol. This tells you that the dog NEEDS to burn energy.

Now Dax is 9 months old and I am in pretty good shape, thanks for that Dax I could not have done it alone.

Honestly it just depends on the dog. I live in Arizona, it's dangerous to be outside for that long for humans as well as animals. Heck just SITTING outside doing nothing from 6:00-7:00 at night while my son rides his bike or scooter and my poor dog is panting and that's with a bowl of water (which usually gets drank) on the ground, and that's just sitting in the driveway. I've had 3 dogs of my own and a few fosters, all Boxers, none needed the amount of exercise that you have described. So it really just depends on the dog IMO. Would it be nice to do that much all day everyday? Sure. But I don't think it's a 100% requirement either and could very well scare away a potential owner.

kayboxer · #13 06-18-2009, 10:25 PM

I agree with BxrMommie. I live in Kansas, it was 100 degrees today with about 65 to 75 percent humidity. I could barely breathe. I do walk mine, in fact we went tonight, but it was about 9:30 p.m. In the a.m. I try, but sometimes I don't get out the door before the heat and humidity hit. The other morning I went running and thought I was seriously going to be physically ill. I can only imagine how my dogs would have felt if I had taken them out. I walk them as much as possible, and do off leash running when it is cool enough here to let them run hard. No way is it possible for me to do two walks a day, one is pushing it in the summertime here, but I try.

JeffDery · #14 06-19-2009, 01:17 PM

I agree, it does depend on the dog and maybe the place where you leave on the globe. But for me that's the way it is. By the way I leave on the Gaspé peninsula, in the city of Matane (google maps it you'll see... i'm way up north, in a windy region by the sea) Today is a hot day, it is 74°F outside without the windchill. So for me, there is no heat problem. I have more problems in the winter with the cold. I bought a pair of snow shoe last winter to be able to walk dax in winter time. That way she struggle to run in the deep snow (burning extra energy) and me I can walk with her. She also like to run up and down snow hills (15-20 feet high)

My experiences had show me that when she does not exercise, she become a bad dog. Let say, it is saturday, I get up at 9am and dont walk her until 11am...(dont worry, I let her out around 7am) well during that 2 hours, I see the washroom and living room garbage upside down, she will do the recycling box, I'll find her eating towels, plastic bottle, piece of wood, my kid's toy even gloves... So for me (or I should say for Dax) the exercise is a must.

If I go out with her for at least 30 minutes first thing in the morning, she will play with her toys and will behave PERFECTLY back into the house. She's so good I love her :-)

Dax is not a year old yet... So maybe with time she'll need less exercise. Time will tell.

BxrMommieNAZ · #15 06-19-2009, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffDery

I agree, it does depend on the dog and maybe the place where you leave on the globe. But for me that's the way it is. By the way I leave on the Gaspé peninsula, in the city of Matane (google maps it you'll see... i'm way up north, in a windy region by the sea) Today is a hot day, it is 74°F outside without the windchill. So for me, there is no heat problem. I have more problems in the winter with the cold. I bought a pair of snow shoe last winter to be able to walk dax in winter time. That way she struggle to run in the deep snow (burning extra energy) and me I can walk with her. She also like to run up and down snow hills (15-20 feet high)

My experiences had show me that when she does not exercise, she become a bad dog. Let say, it is saturday, I get up at 9am and dont walk her until 11am...(dont worry, I let her out around 7am) well during that 2 hours, I see the washroom and living room garbage upside down, she will do the recycling box, I'll find her eating towels, plastic bottle, piece of wood, my kid's toy even gloves... So for me (or I should say for Dax) the exercise is a must.

If I go out with her for at least 30 minutes first thing in the morning, she will play with her toys and will behave PERFECTLY back into the house. She's so good I love her :-)

Dax is not a year old yet... So maybe with time she'll need less exercise. Time will tell.

Also there are ways to exercise them in the house. You can put them on a treadmill, you can stimulate their mind with puzzle toys and Kong toys where they have to figure it out to get to the treat, etc. Trust me living here it's 115-120 in the summers, I have found other ways LoL.

Caney Creek · #16 06-19-2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BxrMommieNAZ

Trust me living here it's 115-120 in the summers, I have found other ways LoL.

OK it's not quite that hot here in GA, but the humidity is horrid! And I can totally relate to "finding other ways" to entertain them LOL

Their old marrow bones have been stuffed with every goody possible, I've changed the batteries in the laser pointer 3 times over the last two weeks, and I don't think there is a toy in this house that hasn't been tied to the end of a broomstick and flown around the living room

BxrMommieNAZ · #17 06-19-2009, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caney Creek

OK it's not quite that hot here in GA, but the humidity is horrid! And I can totally relate to "finding other ways" to entertain them LOL

Their old marrow bones have been stuffed with every goody possible, I've changed the batteries in the laser pointer 3 times over the last two weeks, and I don't think there is a toy in this house that hasn't been tied to the end of a broomstick and flown around the living room

Yes prior to living here we lived in central Louisiana so I understand the humidity too LoL. My first dog almost never got walked when we lived there, he was a Boxer young, and did just fine in 900 square feet of military housing LoL. 'Cause yeah at 100 degrees and 100% humidity it wasn't going to be happening, not to mention the BUGS were so bad too.

johann · #18 06-20-2009, 06:47 AM

Johann and I can barely handle the few 90 degree days we've hard. Part of that problem was he had his coat on 5 days before (cold, rainy, in low 30s).

He doesn't get nearly that much exercise, but he does go burn around the yard a few times before breakfast. Morning is his sleepy-time (just like his mom)....he sacks out on the couch and soaks up the sunshine.

The early evening hours are his monster hours...and you better watch it if he has extra energy. Tends to go a bit insane.

We usually do lots of playtime in the backyard so he can run around, a short walk down the side road we live on, some obedience. Then, he either goes with me to the barn and wrestles with another boxer and runs around for an hour or two or we go for a 1.5 hr walk in town. I'd love to walk him more often, but we live on a busy road (50 mph) with no shoulder to walk on.

So we drive to town to walk, or drive to a trail. He particularly likes to strut around town and have so many people admire him. Especially if they pet him, have kids, or have cookies. He adores getting to have little kids pet him.

Dax is a lucky dog to have an owner so devoted to keeping her exercised and tired/happy. Have you thought about sending her to a doggie day-care? We found one that has 3 other boxers, so Johann joins that group once a week. It gives me 2 days of peace and quiet to sleep (I work overnight 12 hr shifts). 1 while he's at daycare, and 1 day after because he's so tired.

JeffDery · #19 06-22-2009, 11:42 AM

Hi,

There is no day care for dog where I leave. We don't have dog park either. Matane is a very small town... Dog Park is the forest... :-)

It sounds like is is very hot where you guys leave. Thought about moving north? I would not move south, that's for sure.

good day.

kayboxer · #20 06-22-2009, 12:41 PM

I would LOVE to escape the humidity here. It's not feasable for us as my husband owns a business in this town and we can't just pick up and move. We had a tornado hit our town on Sat. Damaged my son's school. There is so much rain right now the mosquitoes are unbelievable. They look like small aircraft.

It's supposed to be over 100 degrees today, but luckily the humidity is better today. It's only about 50% right now, so I'm hoping for a walk with the furkids after the sun goes down.