Our new house guest

by Billygoat 20 Replies latest jw friends

  • theinfamousone
    theinfamousone

    I WANT A DOG!!! i have a cat in my little apartment, and think it would be kinda cruel to have a dog in here, so i dont have one yet... but one day soon, i want a boxer tho, i love boxers...

    the infamous one

  • Billygoat
    Billygoat

    This dog needs some help getting fattened up. So last night we fixed 1 1/2 cups puppy chow with low sodium chicken broth and 1/2 cup breakfast sausage. He gobbled it down along with two biscuits. He went straight back to his kennel and went back to sleep, where he slept silently all night long. We had a heating pad on the top of his kennel, so he was warm. He woke us up this morning at 7:30 barking at the neighbors cat (who I hate!) who was trying to get into our yard. (I would love this dog to keep that damn cat out of our yard!) So I made him another bowl of the same chow this morning. Again, gobbled it down with two biscuits. He's quietly playing with a Kong filled with peanut butter.

    Couple things that we've realized about him that we like...

    • Someone has taught him to sit, so we make him sit for a biscuit now.
    • He barks just one warning bark at intruders (the cat) and then sits quietly. He doesn't bark to hear himself talk.
    • When you throw a ball he brings it back to you.
    • When he has something in his mouth, he'll let you take it without any fighting.

    We think he's part AmStaff (pit bull), so we're impressed with the fact that he is not aggressive in any way. My little Maltese just ignores him when he sniffs her, but she's snapped at him a time or two. He always backs off then. He seems to know his limits.

    *sigh*

    We can't find anything behaviorally wrong with this little guy. He's making it hard to decide what to do with him. We have an appointment at the vet today at 2:00 to see how his health is. Hopefully, he'll have a clean bill of health.

  • Been there
    Been there

    Is there anyway of checking missing pets from Katrina? If you are close to the area at all? He may have hitched a ride.

    He sounds like he may be where he is suppose to be.

  • Billygoat
    Billygoat

    Yesterday we took the little guy to the vet. The vet said he's definately a boxer mix with some pit. He's 50 lbs and about 10 lbs under weight. He said outside of a few fleas and hookworms, he's in really good health. Heartworm and mange tests negative. He got treated for hookworms, heartworm prevention, given a handful of cookie vitamins, and a nice warm flea bath last night. He slept in his kennel all night in the living room and didn't fuss a bit. This little guy is really well-behaved. Even the vet said he was impressed with how mellow he is for being a stray. He poked and prodded him over every inch of his body and the pup just stood there and took it. So far he hasn't pottied in the house either, so we're really keeping our fingers crossed. We're training him to ring a bell on the doorknob for when he wants to go outside. My husband wants to keep him, but doesn't want to call him Bo. He responds to the name, so it's sticking for now.

    Here's a shot of him making himself at home. Cutie, huh?

  • stillAwitness
    stillAwitness

    What a cutie! I've always wanted a pet dear old mother says it will take away time from "spirtual things"

    As soon as I move out I want a whole zoo!

  • forsharry
    forsharry

    oooooh! What a darling! I'm just amazed at how well-behaved you were saying he was. That's a once in a lifetime dog you've got there!

  • Billygoat
    Billygoat

    Can anyone tell us how to get him to quit chasing after our cats? Our female will stand up to him and swat, as much as she can swat with declawed paws. But I'm afraid our little tenderhearted male is not so assertive. Any ideas?

  • Jankyn
    Jankyn

    Squirt gun. That'll get his attention off the cats. Also gets the cats' attention off the plants. I like it because the water's an uncomfortable surprise, but it doesn't hurt them. Plus, I get to practice my aim.

    I'd say that Boxer and American Staffordshire Bull Terrier would make a good combination. They really mix the AmStaff with other bull terriers to get a so-called "pit bull." AmStaffs tend to me very loyal and loving, but do get aggressive when their people are threatened. This is not a bad thing at all. Boxers are also surprisingly affectionate, and tend to be very sturdy dogs.

    Frankly, Bo looks like a lover, not a fighter.

    Jankyn

  • DazedAndConfused
    DazedAndConfused

    What a beautiful pup! Sounds like you walked in on a good find! I applaud you for taking in a stray and not taking him to the SPCA. I am in the process of training my 2 Pugs and it seems it is harder to train 2 than 1. I digress, ... again. About the kitty thing. When we got our puppies their most fun thing to do was chase the cat and bite his neck. My cat is declawed so he hasn't hurt them. It took a few weeks for them to adjust to each other and to set rules of behaviour for each of. The puppies still chase the cat but it is all in fun that the cat enjoys. In fact, the cat now does some chasing himself. It is so cute.

    Good luck with you bundle of joy!!

  • JeffT
    JeffT

    I think you've got a keeper! Finding a dog that well behaved is a treat. We adopted a year old dog some time ago. She had been abused as a puppy but responded immediately to lots of love. Your find sounds similiar. Doesn't sound like he needs a lot of training and neutering a male is not expensive. That may also slow him down from chasing the cat.

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