[Chatito]

Any recommendations on certain dog houses I should look into. At 6 months, my baby Chato will be sleeping outside, and I want to make sure I get him a nice, secure home that he will like. I was told by the breeder to stay away from wooden homes due to cracks and crevices that might develop and would lead to a breeding ground for ticks/fleas. Just wanted your opinion. Thanx

 

[samsonsmom]

Since you don't need to use it as a "container" to keep him in, I think a Dogloo would work well, that's what we used with Buck for awhile. Then we put a nice cushy blankie in it for him. Of course he kept dragging it out and flinging it around in the yard! LOL...Check Petsmart, they have a good selection

 

[samsonsmom]

Just an afterthought, you are aware that Boxers are not good with temperature extremes. My 2 were outside during the day when I lived in Southern Calif, but I would never leave them outside here in Bama. The winters are too harsh & the summmers are too hot. They need to be inside, with their skin people  

 

[tootsie]

I have to agree 100% with what Samsonsmom just wrote. Boxers are not a breed to be left out all night in a dog house of any kind. I think I read that you are from Texas? I know the temps can be extreme there, both cold and hot. I'm probably going to give you more information than you wanted to know, but here goes. Boxers have short fur that makes them unable to keep warm in the winter. Their shortened muzzles makes it hard for them to cool off in the summer. Boxers are FAMILY dogs, meaning they need to be around humans, be an ACTIVE part of the family. A dog can develop serious issues by being kept outside and unattended. In Brachycephalic breeds their mouth and nose areas are significantly smaller therefore they have less receptors, which then leads to a greater chance of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Therefore Brachycephalic breeds are physiologically incapable of cooling themselves.
Boxers are one of many breeds that do not have "undercoats". Dogs that do not have undercoats (Boxers for example) do not have the physical capability to maintain body heat in the cooler temperatures.
Boxers are not "all weather" dogs, they can not handle extremes in temperature for any significant amount of time and must always be supervised during extreme weather days to ensure they are not over heating or getting too cold.
Boxers love company and really need to be involved in the life of the family. They are an "in your face" breed, or "shadow" that needs the constant attention of their humans.
Besides all the above mentioned, there is also the concern of other animals getting to your dog, (in the dog house) and the chance of disease or fights and injuries.
Why will Chato be spending his nights outside?
I just can't stress enough that Boxers are not good "outside" dogs. May be just my opinion and I know he is your dog and you will do with him as you see fit, but I just can't see the good in leaving him outside all night.

 

[instructor74]

I have to agree with tootsie. Something that I read in almost every boxer box I picked up is the boxers need to be with there family. Leaving a boxer on its own can lead to all sorts of unwanted problems....like digging and in some cases biting ect. Whith out standing on a soap box if you haven't taken the time yet. It might help you to look into a few books like The everything Boxer book, or any other strickly boxer book. I read 4 or 5 really good books just after I got my boxer. The first title is the only one I can remember off the top of my head. If you would like a few more titles just let me know and I will get them for you

 

[Chatito]

Thank you for all your input. I did not plan to have him outside 100% of the time. I work overnight till 3am, so he will be outside from 11-3am. Hopefully it will not affect him for those 4hrs outside. Of course, if the weather is harsh, there will be arrangements made for him to sleep indoors as far as my parent's home or friend's home. Summers, it gets really nasty hot here. I am from the tip of tx, so u can only imagine. So there will be arrangements made as well. By the way, do you all have your babies indoors in cages/crates while at work? I can't imagine these powerful pooches enclosed. If so, which kind of cage/crate do you all recommend? Thanx again for your input.

 

[instructor74]

I have crate trained Soloman since I got him. I started with very short stay in the crate no more then an hour. I aways left fresh water and a few toys for him to play with. I never really had any problems as far as him going in his crate. We have slowly increased the time until he was okay for most of the day. He now gets the spare bed room with his crate in it and the door open durring the day. I have found him many times asleep in the crate when I get home. Remember the crate is a safe place that your pet can goto sleep or play.The rule of thumb is the caret needs to be large enough for the dog to turn around in. I would look for one with mult doors for access and an easy to remove bottom tray for cleaning.

 

[tootsie]

If Chato will only be alone for four hours a night, I would suggest crating him indoors. A crate is like a dogs den, it is their "safe place." 4-5 hours in a crate is fine for them, especially since it will be overnight, he will be sleeping anyway. Just make sure you get one that he can comfortably stand up and move around in. I think that is in the best interest to Chato, and you. A boxer puppy can do a lot of damage if not crated. They are big chewers, I've heard so many stories of pups chewing up couches, drapes, even walls! Since he is a young puppy, now would be the time to start crate training him, if you haven't already. Personally, I use a wire crate. Maddie loves it, she will actually go in on her own and go to sleep in there.  You can buy a big enough crate now so that you won't have to invest in one later. They usually come with a divider so you can make the crate small while he is still a puppy. This is actually a great way to housetrain. I don't know whether he is trained now or not, but it is a great training tool.  Here is a link to crate training info.

http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html

Hope this helps.

 

[heather-mumofdaisy]

I also swear by my dog crate. We've used it with Daisy from day 1. When she is put in her crate she does just settle down and go to sleep. At least you will know that Chato will be safe and secure indoors in his crate  if you do go for this option.

Heather

 

[nano]

A crate is a wonderful tool for a boxer and it lets them learn being home alone and being calm about it.  Consider it a "den" instead of a cage.  Make sure to get a nice big one for right away so he will have plenty of room inside of it.  I also have an Ex-pen that I use for mine.  You can set it up and make it smaller or bigger as needed.  I would recommend leaving indoors also with the weather temps being hot or cold.  They do much better being in.

Good luck

Nano

 

[Chatito]

Thanx for the help everyone!

 

[samsonsmom]

Oh I would definitely crate him for that short of a time. Most boxers do quite well with a crate & some actually will use it as their version of "time out"..If you start at a young age, you shouldn't have any problems. As far as crate size, get a big one!!! Boxers grow fast. If you can get the kind that you actually can split into 2 for when he's small. My hubby hates crating Samson, he really has an issue with it, but we don't generally crate him unless he's in a new location..My baby suffers from separation anxiety & until he gets himself acclimated to his surroundings, he will do major damage. Get a nice soft old blankie, lay it the crate, give him a couple toys & whatever you do, once he's in,,,don't fuss over him..Leave the room, let him get used to it & just build up his time in there.

I didn't realize you were planning on leaving him outside due to work, I should have asked, but what everyone has told you is spot on. We are always extrexmely careful with Samson, esp in the summer due to his age, he doesn't do heat well at all. Those cute short noses we love make it very difficult for them.. Crates allow you to leave & not worry that anything is going to happen while you are gone & believe me, that's something you don't want....

 

[Sundanz]

Mitch was already crate trained when we got him at 8 weeks. We bought a medium size crate which is big enough when he was small but we have to buy a large one very soon because he is really growing up fast now. ( He just turned 5 month old 2 days ago.) The crate is great, we only put him in there when we have to go somewhere, like shopping or to the movies. We are retired and we are usually home. Mitch has no problems with the crate, we leave the door open and sometimes he goes in there by himself to sleep. It's his den and he feels secure in there. When we are gone the door is closed with him inside.  He has 2 old pillows with a soft blanket on top, and I cover the crate partially to make it real 'denny' in there. He just kies down and goes to sleep. He never whines or barks while in the crate. When we come back home he is usually still sound asleep. I would not leave my dog by himself free in my home...especially not a chewing puppy. I definitely would not put my dog outside in a doghouse...Boxers are NOT meant to live outside, not even in the nicest doghouse. They are FAMILY dogs and that means they want to be with their family, day and night. I have had different breeds before and Mitch is my first Boxer...let me tell you, they are the best dogs for a family. They are also the cutest!!

 

[Chatito]

1 more quick question guys. What crate size do you all have? I am going to be getting one at pets mart, the "life stages", which comes with divider. But there are several sizes. I just wanted to know if you all had your cage sizes handy so I can compare. Thank you.

 

[Sundanz]

1 more quick question guys. What crate size do you all have? I am going to be getting one at pets mart, the "life stages", which comes with divider. But there are several sizes. I just wanted to know if you all had your cage sizes handy so I can compare. Thank you.

The first crate I bought for Mitch ( currently in use) is 36x21x24, that is lenghts, width and height respectively.

 

[tootsie]

Go with the biggest one. I had bought the one that had a picture of the boxer on it, I think it was the medium one. Because it  was advertising for a boxer, I thought I was safe. Well, I brought that one home and don't ya know it was too small. Maddie couldn't even stand up in it. She is 60 lbs. I went back and got the one for Great Danes. It is the perfect size. Soooo, I would recommend buying the biggest one!  

 

[Chatito]

Thanx for all the advice. I got the Midwest 42'' double door crate. I also bought him a plush pillow filled w/cedar chips and polyfill. He absolutely loves it. Both Chato and my 2.5lb Chihuahua are in there sleeping as I type. I will be starting school next week so Hopefully he does well over the next few days in his crate. Thanx

 

[samsonsmom]

Good choice, it may be a bit large & gets in the way, but trust me, when Chato gets fullsize, you will be glad you got that...I also got Samson one of those cedar chip filled pillows for Christmas, to give him a cushier bed & you know he wouldn't have anything to do with it for 3 days!!! The noise it made when he walked on it bothered him...So, Momma had to go and lay down on the pillow and then he knew it was ok.. Now he loves it....Samson has issues with noises, in case you didn't notice, we suspect it has something to do with his previous owner & the way he was treated....