BORIS - BOXER (SHORT COAT) DOG FOR ADOPTION

Description

Dog Breed: Boxer (short coat). Adoption Fee: $374.06 includes all applicable MN sales tax. Boris and his best gal pal Natasha were picked up as strays in eastern Kentucky. Both dogs were in pretty sad shape and after their stray hold they went straight to the vet clinic to get all checked over. Boris received all of his routine vetting and then after coming down with and being treated for kennel cough, he was nuetered and microchipped. Boris is soooooo cute and very sweet!! He tested very well with other dogs at the shelter. He has been a pretty good boy at the clinic but is starting to not like having to get back into his kennel after going outside to potty and run and play for a bit....I mean, who can blame him, right? 7/9 UPDATE: Boris is a treasure. He's a bit goofy, a bit klutzy, goes through anything in his way and doesn't seem afraid of anything (fireworks didn't faze him. They didn't faze Natasha either. Maybe those Kentucky dogs are used to noises that sound like guns). He's a big boy with that big head, huge brown eyes, chunky Boxer legs and perfect round and compact feet (no splaying) and the cutest little toenails. He'll come up to you and plop that big paw on your leg and give you that soulful look. Usually he's just ready for some extra love. He sticks to you like Velcro and cannot stand to be away from you. His vet record said excessive drooling while in his crate. So very true. He does not like to be in his crate, but we're working on it, no progress yet. The medication seems to help some, but not completely. So far I've never left him for more than 3 hours. Boris is housebroken and uses the doggie doors, but sometimes he just pees in the house. There's probably some reason, but so far I have no idea yet. Both he and Natasha have had some potty accidents, they both have the cutest contrite faces when they hear "bad dog" You can tell they know they aren't supposed to, After he settled down, he started walking fine on a leash. He's definitely had some training. He loves for you to throw a toy and he'll bring it back to you and will drop it on command. He'll do that a few times, then he's off to try to demolish it. There isn't a toy I've had so far that he hasn't managed to take apart. I'm picking up stuffing all over the house (no more of those for Boris)! He loves the plastic chicken and the sound it makes. It didn't last long either. These were all things I had, so now I know what's best for him. Let him get to a plastic McDonald's cup and he'll get it ready for the recycling bin for you. He loves tennis balls and the Kong, so that's what he'll have from now on. I also have some fleece blankets that I will be cutting into strips and braiding into toys for him, so I'll see how those work. He hasn't really bothered much with things around the house. There are toddler toys that look too much like things that should be his, so he gets those now and then. He's picked up something like a shoe on occasion, but drops it as soon as I tell him to. He will hold pretty good when you tell him and use a hand command. I think he's heard "NO" a lot in his past, because he understands that very well. He is a counter/table surfer. Whatever he can sniff out there is worth it to him to jump up and get to it. He's so tall, he barely has to do that at the table. The vet had referenced prior injuries to his back legs and I can see that in the way he walks and tries to run. I've yet to see an all out run from him, it's usually a fast lope. His back legs are stiff and don't bend well at the knees (is that what they are called in a dog?) It makes it difficult for him to lie down and get up. When he's lying down, he gets so far and then he just plops down hard. He struggles getting up, trying to do it with the back legs out straight. I have never seen him sit on his haunches, his back legs are always straight out. He doesn't jump up on anything, so he never gets on the bed or furniture. He does get in the van ok. He prefers to get in the sliding door. The seat is down and he has plenty of room to get in and climb out. Mobility is not a problem for him, just a bit of a challenge. I did get him Dasequin to give him in the hope that it will help him for the long run. He does love to be in the car and is very quiet. For the longest time he stayed in the back, but occasionally he will climb into the front passenger seat. I didn't hear a peep out of him for the three house trip back home when I picked him up. Although normally when we're out, he's not left in the car alone, it does happen occasionally in certain locations where I know it's safe and only for a short time. I can leave the windows cracked, the car running and doors locked. He has never been anxious in that situation, just sits quietly, doesn't bother anything, and waits for me to get back. He's really quiet all the time. He doesn't pay any attention to a knock on the door or the doorbell. When he's in the backyard, he never barks at anything he sees through the fence or that he hears. I'm not sure he's the best watch dog, LOL. I suspect if someone broke into the house, he'd bring them a toy, all wiggly and happy and want them to play with him. He does seem to be good with people who come to the house or we see when we're out. My granddaughter isn't here that much, but so far I haven't let him be out free with her. She's still a little afraid after what happened to her with another dog. Plus he's so big, he could knock her down easily, so we're just being cautious. Seeing his body language when he's near her makes me think he's fine with kids. He's been with me when other dogs are around, and hasn't reacted to any of them. He has had a few scrapes with Natasha, nothing serious and it stops with a firm NO. I don't let them be anywhere together unsupervised. When they are together they will play together, walk around, bump into one another. She tries to clean his ears and he doesn't care. He doesn't care if she tries to get a toy he has or grabs one end of it or even takes it from him. So not really sure what sets either one of them off, as they both have been the instigator. Our boy is a little bit of a work in progress but after being out on the streets as a stray for a while (along with Natasha), we know life wasn't always easy for him. We think Boris would live happily with a submissive female dog or would be happy just being an only dog. He definitely has some separation anxiety that has been a bit of a challenge, so please keep that in mind if you are considering him for adoption. He would do best in a home where someone is home most to all of the time or only leaves for very short amounts of time or can take him along.

• Physical Attributes

  Coat Length:	Short
  Altered	Yes

• Behavioral Characteristics

  OK with Dogs:	Yes
  Activity Level:	Highly Active

• Additional Information

  Was the Dog Found	No
  Other	Up-to-date on Vaccinations