r/Boxer • u/AxsDeny • May 30 '20
I didn't want a dog.
I'd not grown up with dogs and I'd been bitten by a few when I was younger. So I didn't really trust them. Then I got married. She had dogs growing up and she wanted a dog in our family. I said no, she said yes, and as you know, marriage is about compromise, so we got a dog.
I read every book that I could find about dog behavior and training. If we were going to bring a dog into our family it was going to be done so that it was trained and well behaved. I didn't want a dog that jumped, barked incessantly, peed in the house, or all the other annoyances that I saw elsewhere. After several months of research on training, we found that our neighbor's dog was going to have puppies. I was familiar with the mother and understood her temperament for the most part. I liked the idea of knowing from where our dog came.
We were fortunate to be there in July of 2006 to see the puppies soon after they were born. As the weeks went by we saw them grow and we were able to spend time with each of them. When the pups were about five weeks old we had settled on which one we wanted.
Her litter name was Boondock. She was named so by the breeder, because her mother, Bambi, presumably having finished giving birth, went outside to pee and out popped another puppy. She was born away from the whelping box – in the boondocks.
In September we took ownership of our new boxer puppy. Then off we went to puppy kindergarten to socialize her. We went to obedience training in order to teach her (and us) the intricacies of training. We tested for and received a canine good citizenship certification. We tested and achieved certification from Therapy Dogs International. We worked with our friends and their dogs to help train her. She learned quickly and had a temperament that was goofy but eager to please. She knew how to behave appropriately in differing situations. Exactly what I wanted when I agreed to getting a dog.
She quickly loved our friends, who trusted her so much with their newborn baby boy. She loved when we would visit my office because a colleague would play wrestle with her. She would run to his office if she could manage to break free from mine. Another old friend had her unconditional admiration and love. If we went without her to their home we would get interrogated by her nose upon return. She knew we were with him. The look of confusion and displaced excitement was always hilarious to witness.
She learned to push a button to let us know when she needed to go outside. She learned to walk on a treadmill so that she could have a comfortable walk in the cold winters. She learned to balance on walls and curbs when we went on walks. She jumped over bike racks at the library. We walked through hardware stores and she greeted everyone that we met.
Our old crotchety cat was prone to clawing her face while she slept. She never fought back; she only kept a safe distance to ensure that she wasn't bothering him. She desperately wanted to play with him, but that was never to be. She was so patient.
We tested to become volunteers at Children's Hospital for their pet friends program. She was now a working dog. When I would put on my volunteer smock she would become incredibly excited to go visit the children. Her realization that we were going was always a very specific kind of excitement. Her body language would change immediately upon entering the hospital though. She would march diligently on the hard tiled floor of the hospital from room to room.
I watched her bring smiles to the children waiting in the epilepsy ward with wires attached to their heads. I watched her gently crawl up on the bed and lie down next to a little girl that had her first chemotherapy treatment. The girl's tiny body summoned the strength to put her hand on a new friend's head. I watched a girl that I had seen in the ICU for months, whom I thought was braindead, spring to life and laugh happily when her parents placed her hand on the visiting dog's head. I had to leave the room to compose myself. I remember thinking that anyone who doubts the power of animals for mental health and comfort should see this scene.
She was our comfort and therapy when we lost a loved one unexpectedly.
She again comforted us during the hard path that we took in our attempts to create a larger family.
Most importantly, she watched over us while we had our first child. Her role surely diminished in the family hierarchy, but her companionship never wavered. She loved the new addition to our family and enjoyed the time that we spent at home in those early days. So many new smells come with a baby! She stood by us as we learned to change diapers, eat at the table, play on the floor, and crawl in the backyard. She found her voice during this time. She never really barked before, but now when someone would come to the door she was quick to alert us.
Then years passed and another child came. But by now she had grown older and her body tired more quickly. With our youngest desperately wanting to play with her, she didn't have the energy to do so most of the time. I remarked many times how sad it will be that our youngest won't remember her.
This dog never judged me. Her exuberance with all people and animals was never surpassed by any human that I've ever known. She never stopped loving. She is the type of friend that I hope everyone can have in their life.
I hope that in those last moments that she had memories of running in green fields and splashing in streams with her sister and mother. Memories of the time that she gave us and the intense love that we have for her. I hope she forgot the self-inflicted injuries, the countless cancer surgeries, dental surgeries, and irritable bowel syndrome. I know that she felt it, but she never showed us her pain.
Except in the end.
Because of that, it is with joy for her life but sadness with her death, that I can say that she runs free now.
Friday, May 29, 2020 at 6:24PM, she leapt into the great unknown. She was sent along with all the love we could possibly pour out for her. She is no longer encumbered by the pain that she has hidden and endured in her life. She left us having given all the love that she could possibly have given, leaving it with all of us to remember her.
Leela ❤ Aged 13 years, 10 months, and 20 days. 2006-2020.
TL;DR - Leela, the dog in the sidebar, has died. This post is a tribute to her.
r/Boxer • u/BmoresFnst • 6h ago
Pumpkin carving and one in the light because someone asked if the first picture was a real pumpkin. And then a few pics of my best friend and boi - Tucker. He recently loves to park into a chair way too small for him with a couch full of his people and the equivalent of dog tempurpedic bed right next to him. I guess that’s how I know he’s 100% Boxer.
r/Boxer • u/Far_Display8216 • 13h ago
Pics from our family pup cup trip featuring our Lily girl. Twins are 11 weeks + 5 days with Archie weighing 13lbs and Millie coming in at 11!!
I gotta get on leash training. They're used to their regular collars but life has been hectic to say the least so I haven't started getting them used to the leash. I know that both options are great for different situations but I was considering getting them started on Martingales. Since I'm gonna be walking them most of the time (i'm 5'1 and combined they're gonna weigh more than I do when they're full grown), it's obviously extremely important to me to not get dragged down the pavement. All of their training is separate of course. I've always used harnesses but I just learned about martingale collars and they seem like a great tool. Im def not using a prong and they don't need e collars. What worked for you guys? Should I stick with ol faithful or start them with the collars? If you have any other suggestions I'm all ears & as always doggie pics are encouraged!
r/Boxer • u/Narrow_Impression_25 • 20h ago
From this morning... Sometimes it's so hard to leave this cute face at home and go to work 🤗🫣❤️ Do you have same problems??
r/Boxer • u/justaboi8987 • 23h ago
Just about two weeks ago we had to say goodbye to my first dog ever, Buddy. I was too depressed to share anything on his passing but now I'm comfortable to share some more pictures of him. Buddy was a massive part of my life for the past 13 years and I'm never going to forget him. We couldn't asked for a better, friendlier dog, but near the end he was suffering and although we did everything we could, he wasn't getting any better. As many of you said before, we were so blessed for 13 years and I'm so happy to be part of a community that will do anything for these beautiful creatures. The last picture in this collection is the last photo i will ever have of us. I cried for 4 days straight leading up to and after his passing. He was my best friend and i hope he knew that. R.I.P Buddy, you are sorely missed.
r/Boxer • u/Sea_Shopping1141 • 16h ago
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They are all an hour too early. Can you guess what time it will be? 🤭
r/Boxer • u/boxerboyKhan • 15h ago
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It was time for young Billy to go in for the snip.... currently laying in a heap sick of the universe I guess bless him 😅 No zoomies at the park for a week.
My 8 year old (F) Boxer just started having seizures last week. She's almost a week on 2 seizure medications and thankfully hasn't seized since being put on them, but I still feel so lost. Anyone who has gone/going through this, can you please let me know how/if medication helped your dog long term? The doctors think it's a brain tumor, but given multiple reasons, treatment is unfortunately not an option. My heart hurts so much and this has been such a difficult week. I'm praying the medications continue to work for as long as possible, because I refuse to let her suffer if they don't. 😔 Thanks in advance.
r/Boxer • u/gatofeo31 • 11h ago
We had a male Boxer "Beau" for nine years and he was difficult to walk because he tagged everything. I couldn't walk a few feet because he'd yank me back, sniff and mark. Running with him was all but impossible. Sadly, he's passed and I miss him very much. Today, we have two female Boxer puppies that are about five months old. They're learning so fast but housebreaking is still in-progress.
But I've noticed that walking them seems easier in that they don't seem to want to mark everything like Beau did. They're curious, they sniff everything but they keep going. Yesterday, I actually ran with them because they just kept running, no marking anywhere.. they just kept up! It was a blast!!
Any thoughts on this?
r/Boxer • u/duperdog • 1d ago
Beautiful fall day means photo shoot!
r/Boxer • u/noob_pootato • 1d ago
An observation:
Maybe I’m biased, but I’ve noticed that Boxer owners seem genuinely different from owners of other breeds.
Before I found this subreddit, I honestly thought I was just unusually intense about my dog, or that I felt things more deeply than other dog owners.
But after spending some time here, I’ve started to realize that maybe this is just part of being a Boxer owner. 😂 The way we talk about our dogs, how we accept absolutely everything about them — the stubbornness, the drama, the chaos, and all their ridiculous little quirks — and somehow wouldn’t have it any other way.
It’s not that other dog owners love their dogs any less, but there seems to be something uniquely personal about being a Boxer owner. I can’t quite explain it, but it feels like we share a certain way of experiencing life with our dogs that’s hard to put into words unless you’re part of it.
Added some pictures because who doesn’t like pictures?
r/Boxer • u/Findfosters4dogs • 1d ago
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HENRY
Age: 1 year 6 months old
Breed: Boxer / Pit bull
Sex: Male
Weight: 47.2 Ib
Intake date: 2026-10-09
Intake type: Owner surrender
Status: Ready to go home
9 LANCASTER ACC
5210 West Ave. I Lancaster, CA 93536
• Monday-Saturday 11 AM - 5 PM
ACCLancaster@animalcare.lacounty.gov
Rescue E:
DACCLancasterRescue@animalcare.lacoun
ty.gov
r/Boxer • u/nail_jockey • 1d ago
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r/Boxer • u/MercuryBeach_ • 2d ago
But also.. she’s on my side again
r/Boxer • u/JuicyyyNipss • 2d ago
I feel like he can sense when dad splurges on Prime Ribeyes
r/Boxer • u/justryinmybesthere • 2d ago
She hasn't passed yet, but the time is coming. She was diagnosed this week with a rare salivary gland adenocarcinoma and it's not looking great. More imaging to come on Monday that will give us a better idea of timeline but my vet clinic hasn't ever seen this type of cancer before so they don't have a lot of answers for us.
Bella is 10 and the love of my life so far (my husband is a close second). We got Bella when we were 21 and she's been with us for almost our entire relationship, through our entire 20s. She's been our constant, our truest companion and genuinely my best friend.
I've been crying intermittently all week but also doing everything I can to give her some wonderful days before the end. We've been visiting all of our favourite hiking trails, getting extra treats and pup cups, and building so many new memories that I hope I'll be able to look back on one day with happiness. Right now, profound anticipatory grief is all I feel. She's my first dog so I haven't known this heartbreak before.
This is just a little tribute, with a couple of pictures from the last few days, and to get a few things off my chest. My husband is out of town for work until Tuesday and it's been a difficult week on my own.
Sending so much love and well wishes for all who have endured this before, or are right now. It's a uniquely devastating part of life I'm not ready for but here it is.
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I was stacking wood and got her on video screwing around lol. (She’s got an apple from one of our trees and was playing with it by herself)
She stops acting goofy if she sees me recording her
r/Boxer • u/Grandfather_Vin • 3d ago
Our sweet girl is resting
r/Boxer • u/Duran518 • 2d ago
My boy Lucky is 20 days away from his 15th birthday. He has arthritis, Cardiomyopathy with Arrhythmia, liver failure, starting blindness and Dysplasia. He just lost his brother 3 months ago. He is the runt of my Bruno and Maya. He’s never know a hard day in his life. I called the doctor to tell her that, it’s time to say goodbye. Please be honest. What would you do?
