If you happen to meander over from the BRC pages to the blog, feel free to comment about your adoptive boxer - your experiences, challenges and insights.
This applies to all boxer adopters, not just those who have adopted through BRC. Your experiences will be of value to all those who are contemplating adding a rescue boxer to their family.
5 comments:
I learned of boxer rescue after rescuing my first 2 boxer brothers from the local SPCA. Those 2 dogs were so full of piss and vinegar, they have spoiled me forever on other breeds. While Riley and Spencer were the first, several others have left their footprints on our hearts - Tyson, Rupert, Clancey and the newest rescue - Stella!
Thank heavens for the special people who donate their time, money and housing to help these animals!
Cudos to you and keep up the good work!
I just adopted my second Boxer, but not through BRC. My first adoptee is my dream dog. I am having lots of problems with my new boxer's severe separation anxiety (hidden secrets of private adoptions) and am wondering if I will have to surrender her to BRC, heartbreak :(
Can anyone give me advice on how to handle a dog that is pulling the crate apart one wire at a time? I am afraid she is going to get injured.
Can anyone give me advice on how to handle a dog that is pulling the crate apart one wire at a time? I am afraid she is going to get injured.
Can you give us some background on her, how old is she, how long have you had her etc, do you know her history? Was she crate trained when you got her?
It's not unusual for these guys to suffer from separation anxiety when being uprooted.
As far as the type of crate - I've found the plastic Vari-Kennel types to be better for dogs with separation anxiety (opinions will differ on this of course) as they pose less of an injury risk.
Have you backed up and gone through the baby steps of crate training such as leaving the door open, feeding her in it, giving her treats in it, closing her in it for a few minutes at a time when you're home?
Separation anxiety is really a tough nut to crack. We're dealing with it again with our four year old. Our other dog recently passed away and he is very lonely without her - he hasn't been an "only child" for a long time.
I second Marta's comment about switching to a plastic crate - the solid sides tend to make the dog feel safer (more of a den feel) and also remove the bigger view of the outside world that is making her obsess.
But let's dig deeper into the situation too - when does she display her anxiety? Are there any ways you could change her surroundings and her situation? What is your usual routine?
One thing I work very hard at is to try not to reward the anxiety behaviour. While I know it's tempting and feels natural to comfort her when you do let her out, it really only reinforces to her how much she hates being alone. What I try to do is let Diesel out quietly and without fuss when he's freaking out. I don't look at him, don't talk to him - in the hopes that he'll realize that I'm not really the rockstar he thinks I am (as much as I love him thinking so!).
I know how hard it is to deal with, and you may never "fix" her problem completely, but there are always things to try. We are here to help.
I just wanted to thank Marta for bring our two boxers Baxter and Baily into our lives. They bring nothing but joy to our home.
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