Follow Up: Bogart

It was a year ago in February 2002 that my partner, his 5 year old son Jack, and I trekked into Queens to see Lynne Melemenis about adopting a boxer named Bogart. I'll never forget it when Bogart came out of her house. He was in tough shape. His original owners gave him up because "they had no time for him anymore". During his time in the shelter, he developed kennel cough and needed constant care. Thankfully, Lynne nursed him back to health. He had some battle wounds, a scar here and there, and he was less than 60 pounds. He also had a lot of dander and was in real need of a bath. However, you could see that he was a handsome boy.

Our biggest concern was his behavior around Jack. Bogart gets very excited around adults as he likes to jump and lick; however, he allowed Jack to pet him and never did he once try to lick him or jump on him. He did well on a leash. I was a bit hesitant at first, but my partner felt that this was the dog. Lynn agreed that Bogart was a good match for us.

So, we took him home. He loved riding in the back of the car. When we got home, we gave him a bath. That was an experience, but one that Bogart eventually enjoyed. He settled in pretty well. The next day, we had to work. Bogart wasn't crated so we shut all doors to bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. He had 3 rooms to himself. I was so concerned about what the house would be like when I returned. I came home, he was wagging his tail and doing the boxer dance. I checked everywhere. There was no pee/poo, nothing broken, nothing chewed, just an imprint where he was sleeping on the couch. We felt that this dog has been through so much that if he wanted the couch as his bed, it was his. He doesn't sleep or climb up on anything else, unless invited of course.

Bogart met all of the dogs in the neighborhood. He loves to play with them and he likes to play football with Jack. He walks well on the leash. We've gotten to the point where I can let him out in the morning/night without his leash and he will run off to pee and come right back in. He's become one of the family and the only time he barks is when he feels like he's being left out of the conversation or being ignored. He's very healthy now and just wants to be loved. When I take him to the vet, he just wants to sit in my lap; however, at 85 pounds, that's not going to happen. I can't stress enough how great it is to rescue a boxer. I've been considering getting another.