Hello again, so I was wondering what I should look for in choosing the perfect puppy. Let me give you a little info about me so that you might be able to figure out what I'm looking for. I live in a townhouse 1 block from Newport Beach w/ a backyard 12x12 not large at all but the puppy will be kept very active and go everywhere with us. We do a lot of vacation trips to the desert and the lake so I would like to get him/ her comfortable with water fairly early on. I work part -time and my boyfriend is a personal trainer who does all of his training out of the gym in our house so the puppy will always get plenty of attention. We do not have any children (so this will be our baby!) Although we have a lot of family and since the puppy would go everywhere with us, he/she would need to be good with kids ( all the kids already have plenty of experience with dogs and know how to treat them so that wont be an issue). I don't need a AKC puppy or the champion, I want a good dog who has a great personality and wants to be spoiled. I would like a a purebreed though but I'm not sure if a male or a female would be better for me... ? What is the difference in personality?
Any friendly tips on choosing and raising a Boxer?
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Please consider looking into a rescue there are so many great dogs there that would love a home like you describe. One thing to remember with puppies is that forced exercise should be limited to 5 minutes for each month of age so an older dog would fit in better right away. If it is a puppy you are set on then buy from a good breeder. There are previous posts that tell what to look for in a good breeder and the heath certifications you should look for.
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One tip that i wish i looked more into when i got Maddy was the Back Yard Breeder thing. I am more than certain that Mad was from a BYB. Not that i would take her back to her breeder, cause i do love her so much. But she has had alot of health problems, and i did pick her up from the breeder. The setting was HORRIBLE! When you walked into the house, all you could smell was urine, the mom of Mad looked like she had been bred soo many times. Then we found out that Mad never left the house, she had never felt grass and when we took her outside, she flipped out and ran under the car. It's heart breaking, but I am glad i got Maddy and that she did not stay there, for the the chances of her being bred was pretty high.
Sorry for the long story, but just look into where you get your puppy from, and get a reputable breeder.
Sorry for the long story, but just look into where you get your puppy from, and get a reputable breeder.
No thank you for that! That is so true! Some people just do it for the money not for the love of the dog. Well I am so glad she has a great home that will give her all the grass and love she can ask for! haha
P.S. They are great looking dogs!
P.S. They are great looking dogs!
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There are some things you can look for...all I can say is don't rush into ANYTHING...take your time...our choices were premeditated as we knew the breeder and the owner of the stud...we knew the parents well...I hear so many nightmare stories...it's worth every minute of your time researching and even playing with your puppy of choice...visit the puppy more then once if you can...(and you should be able to) watch how the puppy responds. I am pretty sure there are stickies on here that refer to all of that...good luck and enjoy!
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Haha she has 3 acres of grass to run around on. And i would not change her for the world. =)Amy20\";p=\"33447 said:
But yeah, look around seriously like Mic and Indy's mommy said, take your time.
Considering a rescue is a great idea if one is available to you. There are some great pups looking for a good home and family. Boxers need tons of attention and exercise so make sure that you are up to that. This is not a breed to leave in the laundry room or a 12x12 yard for 8 hours at a time. I am lucky enough to be able to have mine with me all the time including work. As far as a boy or girl....they are both great. The boys tend to be larger and from my experience the girls are easier to potty train. Take your time and find "the one". Keep us posted as to what you come up with.
Good luck
Good luck
There is some information on finding a breeder on my site:
www.newcastleboxers.com/breederquestions.shtml
www.newcastleboxers.com/breederquestions.shtml
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welcome and kudos for asking questions before running out and just getting a puppy...Jennifer(newcastle) has a lot of good information on her web site, I would really recomend reading thru it. I did a Sticky topic in the breeding section on here and a lot of what I wrote, I got from her, so you might want to read that as well....
As far as sex, myself, I love the males, I bond with them better, they generally tend to be a bit easier to house break and train as well..My females have been my "runners", not my males for some reason..Size wise, don't let the female fool you, My Angel is 55 lbs and as strong as an ox! She just looks like a delicate little girl....
Rescue is a great way to go, but seldom do you find puppies and if you do, chances are they came from a BYB(back yard breeder). I support rescue, but it's not for everyone, as many people on here can tell you(myslef included), you don't know the background of your new baby, bad habits etc, but having recued 2, I would do it again, it is soo worth it.....If you do go the breeder route, take your time, interviwe breeders and expect to be interviewed as well, talk to boxer owners, try and attend shows and see if there are any boxer meetups in your area, it's a great way to newtork and also to watch a bunch of clowns having a blast.....
Hope this was some help
As far as sex, myself, I love the males, I bond with them better, they generally tend to be a bit easier to house break and train as well..My females have been my "runners", not my males for some reason..Size wise, don't let the female fool you, My Angel is 55 lbs and as strong as an ox! She just looks like a delicate little girl....
Rescue is a great way to go, but seldom do you find puppies and if you do, chances are they came from a BYB(back yard breeder). I support rescue, but it's not for everyone, as many people on here can tell you(myslef included), you don't know the background of your new baby, bad habits etc, but having recued 2, I would do it again, it is soo worth it.....If you do go the breeder route, take your time, interviwe breeders and expect to be interviewed as well, talk to boxer owners, try and attend shows and see if there are any boxer meetups in your area, it's a great way to newtork and also to watch a bunch of clowns having a blast.....
Hope this was some help
Yeah I agree with the what everyone has said, and thank you for all of the advise :bsty: And my boyfriend and I have taken into concideration the size of our backyard and house. We are already very active people and want our new baby to go everywhere with us. And he or she will be able to run around the house and we can leave the back door open so he or she can go in and out. I really don't think he/she will ever really be home alone... thats why we chose now to finally be able to get a puppy because we finally have our life situated to where we have the perfect amount of time and a life style that I think would fit a new member very nicely. :dance: We are very excited to be able to do this because I'll tell ya we have been waiting a long time haha. So thank you everyone for your help! You will be the first to know when we get our new addition!
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I've always liked males, Tink and Mad were our first Females, and i think when they go over the bridge, a nice fancy fawn male is for me =)
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