Dog dilemma

okgirl

We have been offered the opportunity to take a Boxer pup. This is a decision we have to consider carefully. I have a few questions and would be grateful if some one could answer some for me as I am a very inexperienced possible dog owner:

Here goes:

How are Boxers with children. My kids are 7 and 8yrs old?
Is it ok to leave a dog in the garage to sleep over night? I don't want a house dog. The garage is attached to the house and I could make a bed out there.
Is a dog going to be ok in the garden ( with a kennel for shelter) until we get home. Back at 3pm most days.
What if we decide to go away for a weekend? What are our options?
Approx how much does it cost to keep a dog ? (vets, jabs, food)
Are boxers quiet by nature or barkers?

Any help would be great. I really do not want to get this dog to discover at a later stage it is not working out as it is not fair on the kids.

fits

okgirl wrote: »

Here goes:

How are Boxers with children. My kids are 7 and 8yrs old?

As good as any other dog, it depends on how you raise them. Proper socialisation is important from a young age. You'd need to invest time in training the dog and enforcing boundaries from the start also. Training classes would be a very good idea if you are a novice dog owner.

Is it ok to leave a dog in the garage to sleep over night? I don't want a house dog. The garage is attached to the house and I could make a bed out there. Is a dog going to be ok in the garden ( with a kennel for shelter) until we get home. Back at 3pm most days.

I dont think its fair to keep a dog on his own and isolated from the family like that personally. He could potentially be on his own for at least 20 hours a day. Too long for a sociable animal like a dog in my opinion.

What if we decide to go away for a weekend? What are our options?

Bring him with you, put him in kennels, get family or friends to look after him.

Approx how much does it cost to keep a dog ? (vets, jabs, food)

Annual check up plus jabs: 50 euro.
Food: it depends. About 35 euro a month per dog for us when treats are included
Worming and flea control: 15 euro every two months
Insurance: 11 euro per month (more expensive for pure breds)
Microchipping: 30 euro once off.
Neutering:about 150 euro

Are boxers quiet by nature or barkers?

Much more of an individual thing than a breed thing. I'd imagine if he's on his own in the garage most of the time, he could quite easily get distressed and bored, and become a barker. Dogs dont bark for no reason.

Any help would be great. I really do not want to get this dog to discover at a later stage it is not working out as it is not fair on the kids.

Or on the dog.

lurchin along

Not very fair on the dog either.
How much time will be spent with the dog when the weather is bad?
Who is going to exercise it when it's pouring rain and freezing cold?
Boxers are VERY active dogs and need a lot of exercise.
They're noisy when they're bored.
When you go away the dog must be looked after properly,not just fed,the only way to ensure this is a boarding kennel-30Euros a night or so?
1000 Euros a year should cover most eventualities in the cost of keeping a boxer.
In all seriousness I think you're not ready for ownership of such a dog.
Fair play to you for checking first.

GA361

1) Boxers are good with children that they are FAMILIAR with.They can,however,show aggression to strangers.I wouldn't leave your children alone with the dog as they are too young and they might accidentally hurt him causing him to bite.

2)He'll be fine in the garage as long as you keep dangerous or valuable things out of his reach. E.gHe could destroy some sports gear you may have stored in the garage.

3)The dog will be fine as long as you secure the perimeters. i.e make sure your garden is well fenced,especially if you are near a field full of sheep or cattle.N.B Keep him out of view of passers-by.Also,you might consider getting a run.

4)Ask a neighbour/friend to feed him and to give him a run.

5)Varies from dog to dog.Initial costs are high(fencing,collars,leashes,bed etc) if you do not have fencing.The breeder will probably have given the dog some jabs,ask which ones.

6)Food is relatively cheap(about €7 per week) provided you buy his food in farmer co-ops.

7)They definately aren't quite by nature,they are fairly boisturous in fact.

Also,be sure that the dog doesn't have hip dysplasia.You can do this by applying pressure to its lower,lower back.If he gives way to the pressure he probably has the condition.If this is the case do not take him.

Amimad

A dog is a big decision & a big family committment.

In my expereince boxers have become a much more popular breed over the past no. of years. I consider them to be the clown of the doggie world. They can be very clumbsey as puppies & continue to be comical throughout their life.Boxers do have a lot of energy & you'll feel like you have another 7/8 year old child in the house.Remember that you would have a big dog on your hands,so a big responibility.

Fits gave very good advice about socialisng the dog & getting to a training class.It's very important to get the dog used to different situations so they it can grow up to be 'well rounded' so they they learn t o take new things in their stride. As you seem not to have owned a dog before a class could be a great support system for you & your family, as you learn about dog ownership.

Don't be rushed into a decision about taking a dog just because one is on offer. Do a bit of research & make the right choices for you & family.

Ami:)

kerrysgold

How are Boxers with children. My kids are 7 and 8yrs old?
Any dog should be good with children if it is brought up with them, and as long as you also train your children to respect the dog there should be no trouble!

Is it ok to leave a dog in the garage to sleep over night? I don't want a house dog. The garage is attached to the house and I could make a bed out there.
personally, I think when you have a dog it should be part of the family, not kept in the garage or outside like a car. may I ask why you don't want a house dog?

Is a dog going to be ok in the garden ( with a kennel for shelter) until we get home. Back at 3pm most days. Personally I'd be worried about leaving a dog in the garden unsupervised, due to him possibly being stolen, finding a way to escape etc. Is your garden secure?

What if we decide to go away for a weekend? What are our options?
If you are going to a dog friendly hotel/B&B/self catering, you could take him with you, or leave him in the car to sleep overnight with plenty of blankets etc to keep him warm, or you could leave him with a friend/relative, or at a boarding kennel.

Approx how much does it cost to keep a dog ? (vets, jabs, food)
well I'm not sure how much it costs to feed my dog because she mostly gets natural food, but treats, maybe €4 per week? If you were feeding a tin a day + mixer maybe about €8 per week? It really depends on the sort of food you would be buying.

Are boxers quiet by nature or barkers?
I don't really know anything about boxers to be honest but no dog should just bark, if he's kept well entertained (exercise, company etc) then I doubt it, but if he is left alone in the garage/garden and wants to get out to his family then he could start barking out of frustration/boredom/loneliness/for attention.