My question is if a decision has to made about finding a new home for the puppy how do we make sure he gets a good home. He is a great family dog. I think he needs individual attention. Like I said he  is very gentle with my son. Everyone involved is extremely attached to this puppy. It will break a lot of hearts if we have to get rid of the pup. I would love to keep him but not if it jeopardizes my own dog.

If you have any suggestions on how to make this work either in my house or the original buyers I would really appreciate it.   Sincerely, Stephanie 

Answer:  Stephanie - unfortunately, this is a situation that rescue organizations encounter far too many times. As I'm sure you know now, breeding is huge responsibility, to the dogs, the puppies, the breeder and the buyer. Selling puppies into a household that already have an intact dog often causes problems. And when the puppy begins to mature, there can be huge personality changes. The puppy is trying to figure out it's place in the pack. The dog that is already there, knows what it's place in the pack is and therein begins the problem. Add to that mixture the natural hormonal changes that occur when one or both dogs are left intact and the situation can and often becomes hostile. The solution to have both dogs neutered/spayed is certainly the best solution but may not solve the problem between the dogs - aggression can start out as an initial reaction that can then become a learned behavior.
Placing the puppy into your home, with another intact female often leads to the puppy learning further aggressive habits. Many people with two females, often must keep their dogs separate for the lifetime of the dogs - with no visible provocation, the dogs will begin to fight and sometimes the fights will escalate to the point of serious injury or death.

I strongly recommend that this puppy be spayed immediately. Once spayed, if she is placed back into the home, training must be provided to ensure everyone's safety. If the puppy is to be rehomed, you may either want to contact a boxer rescue organization in your area or minimally, follow the guidelines that rescue organizations follow: do a home visit, make sure your puppy is being placed in a safe environment as an only dog. Be certain that the home is 'dog friendly' (make sure the dog will be an 'inside' dog in a loving environment). Contact references, vet and personal. Watch the interaction between the dog and the prospective new owners - is it calm, friendly?

The last thing I'd like to address is the fact that you are breeding your own dog. As a rescue organization, we can't say enough times that the very best thing that people can do for the health of their own dog and the welfare of the breed is to stop breeding. For the past 7 years, Northeastern Boxer Rescue placed over 4,500 dogs. That's 4,500 dogs being placed by one organization. Those numbers are staggering. In the United States, over a million dogs are killed by shelters each year. These numbers do not include the dogs that are dumped in the streets, abused, abandoned, hit by cars, tortured by people, left to die slow painful deaths by abuse and/or starvation. At this point and time, rescue groups are begging people to stop the cycle of abuse and death. Spaying your dog will only benefit her - many of the health concerns will be eliminated. And most importantly, you will not be adding to the problem of pet overpopulation. You see, had you not brought 11 more puppies into the world, 11 homes, looking for 11 dogs, would have allowed 11 homeless dogs, dogs that are already here and waiting, to be placed in loving homes. We hope that you will reconsider your breeding program and will enjoy your own dog for the wonderful pet that she is. If you have any other questions, or need help in placing your puppy, please contact us again.

Northeastern Boxer Rescue - NY

Answer: We in Boxer Rescue do not encourage breeding of Boxers or any other dogs, just for the sake of getting puppies. In fact we try to discourage it!

There are far too many puppies born everyday, too many adult dogs abandoned, and not enough homes for them all. Did you know that of the more than 30 million puppies and kittens born in the U.S. each year, only one in 10 finds a permanent home, according to the American Humane Association. The rest die of cruelty, starvation, disease, poisoning, or accidents, or they end up in a shelter. Less than 35% of shelter animals are adopted. Some 6 to 8 million adoptable dogs and cats were euthanized (humanely killed) last year.

Since you have come to a Boxer rescue site to ask this question, perhaps you could spend some time looking at all the available Boxers that are homeless and have made it to Northeastern Boxer Rescue. http://www.boxerrescue.com/available_dogs.htm.  For each dog on this page, there are thousands more put to death because no one wants them.

Should you decide to breed your Boxers and add to this pet overpopulation problem, you must make sure that both dogs are physically, mentally and genetically, perfect specimens of the Boxer Breed. 

• Do your Boxers have any predisposition to genetically linked diseases such as cancer or cardiomyopathy? If you don't know, then you shouldn't breed your dogs.
• Did your Boxers come from the pet shop or a backyard breeder, such as you plan to be? If so, then you shouldn't breed your dogs.
• Before you breed, make sure you've obtained firm commitments for adoption or purchase of all of the pups in the litter. If you don't, then you shouldn't breed your dogs.
• Before you breed your dogs, you should educate yourself in the many problems that can arise, and the high costs associated with the process.  Few breeders recoup their costs.  If you are doing it for the money, then you shouldn't breed your dogs.
• You should then enter your Boxers in Dog shows to make sure that they are up to the standards of the breed. If they don't win prizes, then don't breed them.

Or if you are just interested in having a puppy as part of your family, you can do this by spaying and neutering your two dogs, filling out an application from our site, and applying for one of our beautiful homeless puppies! They range in age from a few months old up to 12 to 13 years old. They are all adorable!!!

Please consider rescuing a Boxer, instead...

Answer: Thank you for your question about Boxer puppies and multiple dog families...
All dogs are pack animals, and we as their guardians, can substitute for the pack. However, we as two legged creatures, make a poor substitute for providing them with the amount and intensity of exercise and interaction that most dogs need, especially puppies. Anyone who's added an additional compatible dog to their family will tell you that their first dog exercises more then they ever did as a single dog. This exercise helps with their health, and to tire them out. They will also tell you that their dogs' "down time" is spent together, sleeping in a favorite location. This togetherness helps them when you, the top dog, leaves them behind for awhile.

You speak of getting a puppy... and of being out of the home during the work day.
Please be aware that a puppy can not be expected to control their bladder and bowels for more than an hour for each month of age that it is. And a puppy is more apt to chew on things if they are bored, under stress or lonely.

Since you have contacted Northeastern Boxer Rescue, a "Rescue" organization, with your question, I am hoping that you are considering adopting one of our slightly "older" puppies from us, rather than purchasing a young puppy from a pet shop or a backyard breeder. 

Our "older" puppies range in age from a few months old to about 12 or 13 years old! Most are already housebroken, all have been neutered and undergone an extensive vet exam, brought up-to-date on shots, and all have been evaluated and will be carefully matched with each applicant's circumstances, services you will not find at a pet shop! (If you were thinking about purchasing your Boxer from a pet shop, please, please take a moment to go to: http://www.boxerrescue.com/puppy_mills.htm , and read about why you should reconsider!)

Our slightly "older" pups are really quite cute, especially our senior and special needs pups. Somehow rescued dogs seem to know what you've done for them. Ask anyone who's done it... There is no better feeling then to give a forever home to a homeless Senior or Special Needs Boxers. Do it and you'll know how great rescuing an animal can feel!

Thanks for asking.

Question: Hello, I was wondering if a condo or townhouse was a suitable place to own a boxer?
Answer: Sure, it just has to be the right dog. Some boxers are very high energy and others are couch potatoes. You need a dog that will be happy with the exercise of long walks. 

Question: Hello, my girlfriend and I have a beautiful boxer named Maxi. We are having a couple problems with her.  We have had her for about 5 months now , and she is pretty much house broken, but still gets stubborn and goes in the house. Even if we just took her out, the minute we step outside the house she'll go poop, or pee in the house. We've tried everything, and don't know what else to do.
Answer: You don't say how old Maxi is, but from your e-mail, I'm going to assume that she's about 7 months. Please keep in mind that she's still a baby and not only is her body not able to respond the way an adult dog does, but her temperament is also developing. Where do you leave Maxi when you go out? Does she have full run of the house, is she kept in a crate, is she left in a specific area of your home? When you leave Maxi at home, do you say goodbye, play with her before you leave, tell her you'll be back soon? What is your reaction when you come home and Maxi has used your home as a bathroom? The reason I'm asking these questions is because it is apparent that Maxi is not at all happy when you leave her at home. If you are making a a big deal before you leave the house - stop. When it's time to go, just get up and walk out. No goodbyes, no petting, no playing, no nothing. You're coming and going should not be an event. They should be just part of life - no big deal. Are you setting Maxi up to fail? I know this sounds like a strange question, but think about it. You say that even if you just walk her and go out for a few minutes, when you come back home, she's peed and pooped. Do you come home, see the accident and start to yell, hit her, tell her she's bad? If you do, again - stop. Maxi is discovering that when she messes in the house, you come home and she gets all sorts of attention - good or bad attention, she's getting attention. So she's associating messing the house with attention and she thinks that she has the magical power to get you to come home. You've got to start from square one with her housebreaking. When you leave, she is to be kept in a very limited area of your home or in a crate. Take her out, let her do her business, bring her home, put her where she will spend her time and leave. Wait 1 minute, go back inside. If the house is clean, praise her like crazy, play with her, make her feel that she's just done the best thing in the world. Wait about 10 minutes (let her calm down from your happy arrival home) and leave again - this time, for 2 minutes. Come back in. Is the house clean? If it is, again, praise her like crazy, Maxi is a great girl! Wait a little while, until she calms down, and take her out again. Bring her in and it's time for you to leave again - this time, try 5 minutes. Keep increasing your leaving time by a few minutes.
If she has an accident in the house when you leave - first of all, ignore it. Clean it up, and do not say a word to her - do not discipline her, do not tell her she's bad, just clean it up and go about your business. But, if she has an accident, you've left her for too long. Everytime she has an accident, you've got to go back to the amount of time that she did not have the accident. The only way she's going to learn that she does not control your coming and going is if she understands that no accidents are a good thing and accidents will get her nothing. And, you've got to remember that she is still a baby, so accidents will happen. What you're trying to do now with Maxi is teach her that she does not control you, but you've also got to understand that puppies have accidents, their bladders are small, they need to relieve themselves more often then an adult dog. 

Question: Whenever my girlfriend (Darcey) goes to discipline her, Maxi will go to nip, or bite her. It's only her though. Not me. 
Answer: What is Darcey's role in the house? Again, Maxi's temperament is developing and apparently, she has discovered that Darcey is lower then her in the pack. This is very common in a home with more then one person - the dog is establishing her place in your pack and if she thinks she can get a leg up in position, she's going to try it. 

Darcey is going to have to become the caregiver of Maxi, so that she can establish her role in the pack. This means that Darcey is the only one to feed Maxi, Darcey is the one to walk her. There is a training method called NILIF (nothing in life is free). It is a non-aggressive training method, using positive reinforcement. I've attached a link to the NILIF information at the end of this e-mail. If Maxi wants to eat, she must sit before Darcey puts her food down. If Maxi wants to go out, again, she must sit while Darcey puts her leash on. Every thing that Maxi wants, Darcey will control and the only way that Maxi will get what she wants, is to do something that Darcey wants her to do. If Maxi is allowed on the furniture, that's fine. But, at some point during the time Maxi is on the furniture, Darcey must tell her to get off. I think it would be a good idea for Darcey and Maxi to attend obedience classes together. Classes will give Darcey the control over Maxi that she needs, and will allow Maxi to understand that she is not equal with Darcey in the pack order. 

I hope that this helps you to better understand what Maxi is doing and a little bit of why she's doing it. She's young and impressionable and is still trying to figure out her place in life. You will be able to guide her and teach her that you and Darcey are very capable of making decisions and she can count on you for everything that she needs in life. If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Good luck and keep us posted.  NILIF 

Question: How do I know what trainer to use?
Answer: When shopping for an obedience class, first observe a class.  If it doesn't feel right to you, it's not right for your dog.  For instance, Rule 1 - if the first thing a trainer does is slap a choke or prong collar or gentle leader on the dog - get up and leave. Any trainer that must rely on aggressive tools is not worth the money s/he's charging. A trainer that uses a flat collar or harness knows what he's doing. This is particularly important when shopping for a puppy class. If you start out teaching your puppy that if s/he doesn't listen they will feel pain, then you've taught your dog nothing but fear. 
In my opinion, the most successful classes are clicker classes. Clicker training is positive reinforcement - and from personal experience, the best most effective way to interact with your dog. 

Please send your Boxer or Rescue questions to BoxerFaq@BoxerRescue.com.

We will try to answer as many as possible, and post the FAQ's here.