My New Boxer Pup

crunchie44

As a child,I was lucky enough to have 2 parents who loved dogs so always had a dog around the house.Now that I am living in my own house wit my girlfriend and 3 year ols son,I would like him to grow up around a dog,as I see it as beneficial for a child to have a dog.But common sense always prevailed.Unlike my parents house,where my mam was always home,both me and my gf work,9-5:30,and I didn't want a dog alone for that long.

As it was my birthday recently,my gf surprised me with a stunning,brown and white purebred boxer!!I was over the moon at first to have a dog again,especially one as beautiful as a boxer.Now reality has set in.The pup is 8-9 weeks old and work looms.My heart is torn at the thought of leaving her alone for this long(8hrs).Although my mam is willing to come and let my pup out and so on,I am worried she will feel neglected.Had my gf thought it through,she prob wouldnt have got me a boxer,cos as I know from experience,they are both goofy and blessed with mountains of energy.

Some of my friends have dogs they leave at home all day but this isn't how dogs were treated when I was growing up so I'm a little worried.

My pup gets all the loving attention before we leave and from half 5 til we go to bed she is the centre of attention for me,my gf and son.Also I have just quit playing for my local soccer team so as she gets older I plan to bring her walking,jogging and cycling like my last boxer.

I guess what I want to know is,do you guys think she will be ok alone during the day,apart from the times my mam visits.My gf knows now she should not have got a boxer but Socks(her name) is here now and my son would throw an unholy fit if she disappeared,as would I.So do u think leaving her alone for 7 and a half hours a day is ok,providing she is the centre of attention and gets plenty of play and walks when we are here?

Shane St.

i think the boxer will be okay. However id be more worried about your furniture after leaving it that amount of time alone. Wev a boxer and he goes cracked when hes left alone

T2daK

Shane St. wrote: »

i think the boxer will be okay. However id be more worried about your furniture after leaving it that amount of time alone. Wev a boxer and he goes cracked when hes left alone

what about pooing everywhere and stuff

ISDW

How often will your Mum come over during the day? Could the pup maybe go to her house for a few hours each day, would that be easier than your mum going to your house?

Where do you live? There are a good few doggy day care centres now around the country where she could go for socialisation and lots of playtime while you're at work - once she's a bit older and had her vaccinations of course:D

tk123

[QUOTE=ISDW;71905241 There are a good few doggy day care centres now around the country where she could go for socialisation and lots of playtime while you're at work [/QUOTE]

+1 My guy goes to DTI and he LOVES it lol :pac:

andreac

No, leaving a pup alone for 7 and half hours is not ok. You will need to get someone to call into her and let her out to the toilet during the day, feed it etc.
Your house will be destroyed if you dont get someone to call in, and boxers are chewers as well so you will find your house will be wrecked if the pup is alone for that amount of time.

moving_home

Andreac the OP has explained that they shouldn’t have gotten the pup and the circumstances around it so I really don’t think your comment is constructive. He is looking for advice on how to make it work. Better than the doggie ending up in a rescue center or pound. He loves the dog so much that this has to be a better home than half the dogs across the country thrown outside without any proper human interaction, bitches let have litter after litter, dogs left to roam in all sorts of weather etc.

OP, could you build a dog run or is your garden secure and you could leave the dog outside during the day? Boxers can be quite destructive alright when left alone in the house.

It is not ideal to leave a dog alone for such a length of time but it can work if your mother is willing to help especially for the first few months while it is still very young. In the mornings you will need to get up earlier than usual to spend a bit of time with the dog and bring him/her for a walk. Remember the 5minute rule for walking the dog (5mins per month of age). Also doing some training can tire them out as much as exercise.

There are ways of keeping the dog amused while you are work such as use of kongs (especially when frozen they last for ages) or feeding their food from a treat ball rather than just from a bowl. I also find that a carrot keeps my little one amused for ages and it is something that is ok to feed them and not bad for them. I would avoid giving things like pedigree jumbones or dentastix too often. Natural things such as banana and natural yoghurt frozen in a kong are more healthy for them. A young pup should be fed 3/4times a day depending on its age. How many times a day will your mother be calling?

As long as you devote your evenings to spending time with the dog (exercise and training) it can work.

I am lucky that my OH can go home for lunch and let our dog out and spend time with her so she is only alone for 4hrs at a time. Most people have to work and still want a dog and it can work but it is more ideal for an older dog than a puppy.

andreac

crunchie44 wrote: »

So do u think leaving her alone for 7 and a half hours a day is ok,providing she is the centre of attention and gets plenty of play and walks when we are here?

@Moving home, i answered the question that the OP has asked.

He will need to get someone to call to the pup during the day and thats what i have suggested.

moving_home

crunchie44 wrote: »

Although my mam is willing to come and let my pup out and so on,
My pup gets all the loving attention before we leave and from half 5 til we go to bed she is the centre of attention for me,my gf and son.Also I have just quit playing for my local soccer team so as she gets older I plan to bring her walking,jogging and cycling like my last boxer.
I guess what I want to know is,do you guys think she will be ok alone during the day,apart from the times my mam visits.

he does say that his mam is going to call and let her out

andreac

moving_home wrote: »

he does say that his mam is going to call and let her out

If you have a problem with my posts then report me.

Hellrazer

Moving home--no need to be so condensending towards andreac.


Shes bang on in this case.A dog left for 7 hours straight is going to be destructive.

crunchie44

hi all,
sorry for my late response.anyway,i have recently had to take time off work so our little pup has constant companion around so that eases those fears.

She seems to be thriving and brings a smile to my face with her antics and seems a very healthy,well adjusted pup who seems to love everyone even strangers.she loves nothing better than admiring strangers rubbing her face.

I'm feeding her a high protein dry food 3 times a day and it seems to be working 90% of the time.Sometimes tho she refuses to eat it.I realise that there are some days when her appetite isn't great but I was wondering if there are any other types of food I could give her just to give her a different taste.Dry food will still obviously be her main everyday food.Obviously it has to be something healthy.

My friend with a boxer feeds his one a raw egg!Seems strange to me but he has done it with years.Supposed to help their coat.He also feeds him scrambled egg.

Any tips on additional food to the dry food would be a great help

andreac

If you want to add something then you can add healthy options like Tuna or sardines in oil, not brine. I wouldnt be adding things too often though, as this will just encourage your pup to be fussy and you will end up with a dog that will only eat its food if theres something added to it and this can be a nightmare, trust me, ive been there.

I suggest you soak half of her meal in some warm water, not boiling water, just for a few mins and then add the rest of the meal to it. By softening it, it also brings out the flavour a little more too which can be more appealing to them and they will be inclined to eat it quicker.

Raw eggs are very good for them but maybe only once or twice a week, you can feed a raw egg whole, shell and all.

I really wouldnt be too quick to add things tbh unless you want to try and improve something, like the coat etc.

I also suggest an oil like cod liver, salmon or flax/linseed oil, which is great for their coats and skin.

Cherry Blossom

OP I give my terrier a very small amount of high quality wet dog food (natures menu) frozen in a kong when I'm leaving for work, I also use it for recall training, I only give her a small amount every day, 1 tray lasts about 3 weeks and I never give it to her with her dry food as she's a fussy eater at the best of times. If you are giving her something different I would advise to feed it this way ie. as a separate treat rather than as part of a meal and don't give it to the dog in it's usual food bowl or in the room it usually eats it's meals.

purity

The main thing is she is loved and treated with love. Dogs can spend hours alone and be okay, what your doing isn't cruel and if anything she is a lucky dog to be given plenty of attention so I doubt she would be neglected or sad to be alone for 7 hours.

orchidsrpretty

Hey OP, I have a boxer who is now nearly 5. When she was a pup we sometimes had to leave her at home for long peroids, and when I could take her with me I would leave her in a friends house which was also empty but was closer to my work so I could visit on breaks. It was a nightmare. The dog destroyed anything she could get her paws on. She was also hard to train and quite disobedient(sp) due to the fact she didn't know if she was coming or going.

When she was about 2 we decided to leave her permantly in my boyfriends parents house where she would have company all day and she has turned out to be a really happy well adjusted dog. I think boxers really love company and because of the size/strengh/energy can let you know about it alot more than most. If you could get a dogminder that will look in on her and walk her in the day, I had one for a while who charged 15E per day?
And make sure you get the pup used to you not always being around, leaving her for longer peroids at a time so she know you will always come back

Best of luck with Socks, post some pics when you get a chance!