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My
boyfriend came home with a fifteen dollar bag of designer dog biscuits.
He said, "You think he's gonna like them?" I said, "I don't know, he's
out in the backyard eating doody, lemme go ask him".
Elayne Boosler
| A lifelong dog lover and Dear Abby fan, Elayne has decided to combine
her two passions; loving animals, and butting into other people's
business. Questions for No Bones? Please email Elayne with any and all pet related questions. Answers will appear in this new regular online column chock full of advice, sharing, caring and laughs. |
| Holiday No Bones 2002 |
| Dear Elayne, Hi. I have two male boxers. One is 1 year old and the other is 7 months old. A friend of mine recently bought a male boxer for her female to mate with and the breeder told her that 2 male boxers could never stay long with each other. He said that around the age of 2 that they would become aggressive against one another and fight and never want to be with the other. This is hard for me to believe because all they do is play. Is what this breeder saying true? Thank you Kristy, North Carolina Dear Kristy, I'm so terribly sorry to hear that your friend has bought boxers for mating. There are some fine boxer rescues in your area, which just proves that there are many, many, purebred boxers already born needing homes in North Carolina, and your friend is only adding to the problem. What bad news. There are also some great antique malls in your area. What is it with you people throwing out really good lamps? As for your two males together, the first thing you need to do is get them neutered. (This goes a long way toward having healthy dogs, and you certainly don't want to breed more boxers when there are already so many needing homes in your area. Neutering your dogs makes them better citizens and less prone to certain kinds of cancers and disease.) Next, rent The Odd Couple. It shows male roommates getting along, though I believe only one is neutered. Make your boys watch it with you. Actually, having two female boxers can cause more fights than having two male boxers. (Think Madonna and Mariah.) While it is true that at around the age of two they may have some power struggles to see who is going to establish being top dog in the group (pack), after that is settled, and one is established as a little more dominant, they should be fine. Fewer rock bands would break up if they understood this. And it may just be that they fall into their roles easily and never thump chests at all. If you start to have any problems, YOU must be the one in the pack to be dominant. You must prove that you are the leader and top dog by giving them a time out, and preventing any "sparring". Once they understand that it is really you who leads, they should be great. Unfortunately, this can only work on dogs. Damn! All dogs should be trained, for their own safety and happiness. I have seen books that say two male boxers should not be together, but what does Jerry Falwell know about pets? I can tell you firsthand from watching the people at Boxer Rescue L.A. all these years, and seeing many, many homes (including those of many of the volunteers) with more than one male boxer, that if you socialize and train your boys well, there does not need to be any problem. Tell as many rappers as you can.
Dear Elayne, I am writing to complain about my unpleasant experience with Boxer Rescue. I have a nice home with many acres of land. There is a doghouse near the back door. I tried to adopt a boxer and no one would give me a dog when I said that the dog would be sleeping outside. It seems to me that all the dogs in the rescue are outside waiting to be adopted anyway. I have all this land. Don't boxers like to run? And if the dog is getting attention all day, what is the problem with having the dog sleep outside? What is wrong with you people? No Name, Northern California Dear N.N., My first husband had the exact same attitude and look where it got him! What people who rescue dogs have found is that people who have their dogs sleep outside don't seem to truly, deeply, bond with them. I have seen at Boxer Rescue that the very few adoptions that don't work out, the people who return dogs, are the few they have let take dogs who were going to sleep outside. Boxer Rescue L.A. wouldn't adopt out to that situation for thirty years. Finally last year, with the overflow of orphaned boxers due to backyard breeders and puppy mills, they broke down and tried it. Who came back? My husband? Nooooo!!!!! Boxers who slept outside. If you want a dog, you' re getting a member of the family. You're getting a creature who loves you and wants to be with you. He wants to sleep where it's warm and be part of the pack, in the house. Boxers especially are emotional dogs, they will not do well being kept as separate. If you want a pet who sleeps outside, get an elephant. As for what's wrong with us people? Well, personally, I just can't quit sugar. But I'm working on it.
Dear Elayne, I saw on the Dr. Phil show last week that he told a family to get rid of their pets to save money on their budget. They had several children and I can't imagine that someone who is supposed to be a counselor for people wouldn't understand the devastating effect just "getting rid of their pets" would have on the children. Especially if the family is going through some hard times now. Why would he say that? Mona B., Philadelphia Dear Mona, The man's an idiot. Okay, that's the funny answer. Now here's the real answer. The man's an idiot.
Dear Elayne, A few weeks ago I saw you and Bill Maher at a benefit for the Amanda Foundation. While my wife and I didn't mind the high ticket price, believing that the money was going to help animals, when we saw the two of you come onstage we felt we had been taken. I don't know what you get paid for a performance, but I would think Bill Maher gets quite a lot of money for an appearance. While I have always heard wonderful things about all the good work the Amanda Foundation does to rescue animals, I can only say I thought my money was going to help animals. John C., Brentwood, CA Dear John, It did.
Dear Elayne, How come you never write anything about cats? Andrew F. Mulligan, Jersey City Dear Andrew, Well, what's the question?
Dear Elayne, I am writing because I am at a loss. I am irritated. Last night I went ahead and filled out a lengthy adoption form. I thought it was a bit much, but then figured it was probably one of those necessary evils to weed out the bad element. Understandable! I've been looking to get another Boxer for a while. I am thinking of getting one from a breeder. Then I thought maybe adopting one from Boxer Rescue might be an option. As a background on me, I would like to point out that I was raised to respect all animals and treat them well. My grandfather was a rancher who always had about 6 or 7 dogs at a time when I was young. One of my close uncles is a veterinarian. The two people being great influences on how I treat animals. I myself have had 3 dogs in my life. All of which were well taken care of. The last one is still with us. I treat my pets like they are part of the family because they are. But this is only up to a point. For many reasons, including cleanliness, I now prefer to keep my dogs outdoors most of the time. Now just because I prefer it that way, does NOT make my home any less of a good, healthy, safe and happy place to place a dog. But Boxer Rescue does not place any boxers with people who do not keep them indoors. This is "policy"? Sounds ludicrous! You exclude many a good possible owner and worse, you deprive a boxer a good home with a loving family. I do want to commend you on the work you do and wish you well in the future. Sincerely, G.P., Harbor City, CA Dear Mr. P., Thank you very much for your email. I am very sorry your experience with adoption was frustrating. I do want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for trying to rescue a boxer needing a home. I have no doubt you can offer a wonderful home, and are a kind and caring pet guardian. I understand that certain policies can sometimes seem ludicrous. Because Boxer Rescue L.A. has been in existence almost thirty years, and I have been a volunteer for only the last several, I also questioned certain policies. A year and a half ago I got an email similar to yours, from a man who was so incensed at the sleeping indoors policy, he made it a quest to get a dog from Boxer Rescue. We must have exchanged twenty emails, I was totally on his side and was determined to get him one of the boxers. He emailed me pictures of his home, his female boxer of five years, Pepper, his family, and his extensive acreage. I was the one who forced Boxer Rescue to let him adopt a boy. I couldn't give up on all that room to run! When I called to check up several weeks later, he told me that they had given Pepper away, as they "didn't really get along", and they had "always found her kind of cold". I couldn't believe it. Besides, there is a right way to introduce a new dog into an existing dog's territory, and they simply hadn't bothered. You can't just throw dogs together. Especially if they are living outside, and have no clear understanding of their place in the pack. Several months ago we followed up again, and the gentleman informed us he was sorry he ever got the boxer, and his children were terrified of him. He said he was digging and knocking cans over. Simply, what he had was a neglected outside dog who had never been socialized with dogs, or with people, and was bored out of his mind. We immediately took him back. For the last three months he has been with his new family, a family that cannot believe their good fortune at having gotten the sweetest, most loving, most affectionate dog they could have hoped for. I can make no judgement about your care of animals, I have never met you. What I can tell you is, boxers are extremely social, extremely emotional, family dogs. They would rather be part of a group than eat. There are many breeds that are more self contained, and may be totally happy with their corner of the yard overnight. Boxers do not fall into this category. They simply need to be part of a family. Because the dogs Boxer Rescue gets have already been through hell, (they often have untreated broken bones which have healed badly, mange, malnutrition, you name it, the vet bills keep us all indentured servants, trying to heal the cruelty of ignorant, or worse, people) they really try to place with people who want a loving relationship with their dogs. Yes, I can understand six or seven ranch dogs being part of a wonderful pack who are extremely content to live outside, of course. Might I kindly suggest it might be more humane for you to consider getting a dog more suited to a more solitary way of life? So you AND your dog can be comfortable. A boxer will not be happy in that situation. I have fostered them here for five years, and even the most beat up old guy, who I would think would be happier on the patio, stares into the bedroom for hours, until let in to curl up quietly on a blanket at night. We want good homes for these battered souls. It is only a disservice to place a dog in the wrong situation for the breed. Please do not judge Boxer Rescue harshly, they have seen it all. Keeping the boxer outside under most conditions usually tells us something about the home in general, and a boxer may not be the best choice for you and your family. You can get a puppy from a breeder as you mention, but I hope you will reconsider. As for the "cleanliness" issue you mentioned, well, I can't relate to that. I just finished sharing an ice cream cone with my dog!! Happy Holidays Everybody!!!!
Be Safe And Well. Copyright Brooklyn Prods. Inc. 2002 |
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Copyright Brooklyn Productions, Inc. 2003-2006
