BOXER ADVENTURES

 I was really hoping to get out and enjoy Halloween this year.  Halloween is a great holiday to expose a new puppy to!  Seeing all different people of all all different ages dressed is weird costumes and masks - the more a puppy can be exposed to when they are young the better!  It will decrease the chances of them being fearful and reactive in the future. Unfortunately, mother nature is not in a good mood today.  It is terribly cold out and taking Booker out and having him freezing and uncomfortable would be counter productive.   And, since we live in a rural area, no trick or treaters visit us.  So, a bit of a missed opportunity, but we will make sure we get out and about while he's still young, and introduce him to as many people and places as we can! We also had such a cool costume for Sisko!  At least he was able to wear it at a fundraiser a few weeks ago.  And yes, he did take home 1st place!!

 Have you ever seen a dog with hugely overgrown nails?  It's unhealthy for many reasons and is usually uncomfortable or even painful for the dog. Keeping your dog's nails short is extremely important.  But for many owners the task of cutting cutting their dog's nails is stressful and they don't do it.  It doesn't need to be hard on you or your dog! Sundays are the days we cut their nails - yes, every Sunday!  If you make it a weekly task, you dog gets used to it AND - for 2 dogs - it takes less than 10 minutes TOTAL! Check this out, we have been doing Sisko's nails since he was a puppy and he is 7 years old and here is a picture of his foot today: Looks great, right? First you should know that dog's instinctively don't like their feet, tails or ears handled.  So when they are puppies, you should touch those places ALL THE TIME. Today we cut Booker's nails for the first time.  We use a dremel to do the nails usually but Booker is too small so we used ...

 Booker has been home one week.  Today it was FINALLY sunny and boy did we take advantage! First we went outside in the sun.  While Sisko has been doing great with Booker, the play has been minimal.  That changed today.  Outside they chased each other and wrestled!  Sisko was remarkably gentle.  We had some visitors today as our niece Heidi and her son Levi came to visit and brough a turtle toy that the boys took turns taking away from one another and playing keep away.  So happy that Booker is being exposed to many different people - that it crucial in making a puppy grow to be a social dog! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Booker and Sisko (@boxeradventuresny) Then while the sun was still shining we took Booker to one of our favorite places on earth - the beach!  Booker got to run and play with his brother and even put his little toes in the water! He got tired quickly and Marc had to carry him most of t...

 Today is Sisko's 7th birthday!! The joy Sisko has brought to our lives can't be easily described.  He has been our constant and dedicated companion.  He is hiked every trail, climbed every mountain and traveled on every adventure we have taken with a unabashed enthusiasm.  He is stuck to our sides at all times and we can always trust him to do what we ask of him.  He is my running buddy.  He is silly and loving and loyal.  We feel so lucky to have him. So on his day, I'm sharing some pics of this special soul...

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Booker and Sisko (@boxeradventuresny) Look at how cute Booker is AND how GREAT Sisko is doing with his new brother!!

 Let's talk food!  What you feed your dog is one of the most important decisions you can make.  Some people don't give a lot of thought to what they feed to their dogs, but that decision, just like with humans, is essential in determining the overall health and happiness of your pets. Well known brands like Purina and Pedigree are affordable, but they are also crap food.  They are made with low quality filler ingredients and are definitely not the best choice. Can your dog survive eating this type of food?  Well yes, of course.  Just like a child could survive if he was only fed very cheap hotdogs and greasy potato chips every single day.  But I know I want a food much healthier that keeps my pets in top shape physically and mentally! A great resource is dog food advisor  - they have a list of about every dog food on the market and rate the foods on a scale of 1 to 5.  It also breaks down the ingredients and explains why each food is rated as...

 One of the most challenging aspects of training a puppy is potty training!   I put Booker in bed with me overnight and he got restless when he needed to go which was great as he knew not to pee in the bed.  It was 1 time the first night but 4 times last night!  Hello sleep deprivation- I have NOT missed you! The good news is each time I took him out he immediately peed.  Then we do the happy dance and praise him for going.  We are also doing bell training which we have had success with in the past.  We have hung bells on each door and every time we take him out we take his paw and hit the bell.  This teaches him to notify us when he has to go. Imagine my shock this morning when I heard the bells jingle and he was out in our entryway.  I quickly took him outside and he peed.  Now whether he was just sniffing around that area and accidentally hit the bells and figured he was outside he might as well go or it was on purpose I don't k...

 It has been a long time since we had a puppy in the house and they area lot of work. I had a lot of mixed feelings about getting a puppy so soon after losing Archer.  But other puppies would be available in January.  If you've ever potty trained a puppy in January in Northern NY - well it's a special slice of hell. We went to pick him up and the breeder and I were chatting as she saw we had Sisko with us.  Guess what?  Sisko's father is also Booker's great grandfather!  I couldn't believe it!   Not sure that I always believe about things being meant to be, but... wow... We took the long trip home being lucky enough to stop part way at our niece and nephew's house for a break and lunch and some play time.  Booker was a little shell shocked, understandably.  But we made it home to greet some extremely pissed off cats and to explore his new surroundings. Last night he slept next to me, getting up once for a potty break. Today we are gettin...

 A very quick post as it as been a very long day! Meet Booker! Guess what?  We found out today - as none of us knew it - that Booker's great grandfather is Sisko's father!!   He is quiet and sweet so far - he is a Boxer so that is likely temporary!! So far Sisko LOVES him! Minutes after they met...

 Today we headed down to stay in a hotel room. On the way we stopped to eat lunch and to walk on part of the Erie Canal Trail we've never been on before. One of the most amazing things you can do with and for your dog is to take them to an unfamiliar place.  The smells alone provide your dog with a ton of enrichment. Sisko was thrilled to get out and run and explore.  Another mental stimulant is walking across unfamiliar surfaces - like this bridge we crossed. He's currently crashed out next to me on the bed. So why are we in a hotel tonight?  Well, tomorrow we meet and take home our puppy!!! Stay tuned!

  This is Sisko, our incredibly handsome sealed brindle.  He came home to us 2 days before Christmas in 2016. He has been a goofy sweetheart from the start.  He is athletic and fun-loving and doesn't have a mean bone in his body.  Before he came home, I had bought a super long training leash which helps teach recall in a safe way.  Guess what - I never opened it!  Since he was a young puppy Sisko has always stayed right by our side!  He had and continues to have perfect recall.  He HATES to get in trouble and is highly motivated to do whatever is asked of him. I mentioned how athletic he is - he is part European and is strong and muscular.  He loves to run but prefers off leash trail running where he can go at his own pace, chase chipmunks, and pause to smell interesting smells.  He does go with me on road runs and I always feel safer with him at my side.  He is also a strong swimmer, although keeping his short nose out of the wate...

While we are excited to get our new puppy, we are still grieving the loss of our beloved Archer who recently left us. So first and foremost I want to pay tribute to him Archer was born in July 2010.  Out of the 11 pups, he was the breeder's husband's favorite.  They wanted to keep him but could only keep one puppy, and wanted a dog they could show - white Boxers can't be shown so he became ours. He came home and our other Boxer, Chakotay, loved him immediately.  To say he was spoiled is an understatement! For the rest of his life Archer firmly believed that everyone - human or animal - was his best friend and acted as such.   He was a devoted cuddler and would climb onto people's laps when he was being petted.  During the evenings he would hop onto the couch and lie as much on me as next to me.  He had the sweetest temperament but was not above being intentionally naughty and was never remorseful about what naughty thing he had done!  He knew he ...