Adding a new animal friend to the family...

[Guest cajun600]

Wife and I have wanted a dog for the longest time and we're about ready to go and get one. Fence is being put up over next weeks in anticipation of getting a dog. We are looking for a boxer or German shepherd pure bred, open to both and certain variations as well. We've been googling all day and would like to know if anyone here has had any good personal experiences with breeders around/here in Middle TN?

Thanks!

[dunndw]

We got our last Boxer from, Boxer Rescue...she is a awsome dog

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[Guest Anadais]

Technically, I have Boston Terrier's, but my Gizmo is a Boston/Boxer mix. I had two pure Boxers growing up and they are awesome dogs. If they have the right training and are afforded enough exercise, they make wonderful family dogs.

Good luck!

[zapfbroad]

Hillview kennels in west nashville has some great gsd lines, if they don't have any available right now they would probably recommend

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[Dolomite_supafly]

Boxers are very good dogs but will drive you crazy up until about age 2. Our Ernie has been to the emergency room several times because he seems to get into things he shouldn't. One was a 1/4 tennis ball that had to be removed surgically and the other was when he poisoned himself on a honey locust seed. Then there are all the other things he has chewed up. He is smart enough to watch us for an opening to do what he isn't supposed to.

He is the sweetest dog, without a mean bone in his body but he was a handfull when young. They do need a lot of supervision otherwise they will get into trouble. Another consideration is they don't do well in the heat. As a matter of fact most dogs with abbreviated faces don't. They don't breath well either. If you are an active couple that spends a lot of time outside you might want to consider a different breed because of this. On the flip side if you can't devote a lot of time to a boxer for excercise and training they may not be for you either. But if you do decide to brave it and get a boxer you will have a dog with the most personality I have ever seen. They ham it up for you and seem to brighten otherwise dreary days.

Our other dog is a pitbull. She is an extremely loving and smart dog. Acts almost like a cat in how she wants to be close to people. But she is not without issues either. She has a summer time allergy that requires baths and medication.

My wife and I have owned and/or breed pits for a very long time. There are some rules to keeping pits out of trouble. These same rules apply equally well to whatever kind of dog you adopt whether it be a chihuaha or a mastiff.

Socialize at an early age. Take the dog out as a puppy to meet and greet as many people as possible. Also try to do the same with other dogs. The more they are socialized the less problems you will have later on. I would bet almost all of the bitings you hear about in the news were done by dogs that were not socialized. They were probably chained up in a back yard with very little interaction with others.

Excercise your dog. Pent up energy leads to bad things whether it be chewing things up or becoming aggressive. It also keeps your dog in good health.

Don't have a feed schedule. Some may not agree with this but I do not have a feed schedule for my dogs and never have. The food is always out and readily available for them. I have never had a problem with obese dogs or with dogs that had problems like bloat. Once they realize the food is always going to be there they eat only when they are hungry and even then it is very little but a bunch of times a day.

Something else to do is google the breed to see what type of health problems they have. Some dogs are more prone to certain problems while others seem to be free of any at all. It is the purebred dogs that tend to be more concentrated in their problems. Not saying all purebred dogs are going to have problems but it is something to consider.

Of all the breeds that seem to be the best overall it is just a plain old a mutt. Especially a mutt from the pound. I guess it is genetic diversity but they seem to have the fewest health problems or at least fewer than some purebred dogs.

Dolomite

[peejman]

Visit the local shelter or humane society. I tend to avoid any sort of "pure bred" dog because of the frequent congenital health issues. If you're getting a puppy, I hope one of you will be home most of the time. Dogs are pack animals and don't like being left alone.

As the owner of a anti-social dog, I'll agree that socialization (with people and other animals) is very important. If you want any sort of "working dog" breed, you MUST exercise them frequently and give them a job. There are few things more destructive than a bored dog.

Read Cesar Milan's books. Yes he's a dork, but he's right most of the time. His techniques for dealing with a dominant dog work. Cesar Millan's Official Website | Achieving balance between people and dogs.

[enfield]

Congratulations on putting up a fence for your new dog. Most people just let them run.

Boxers are wonderful dogs, just a little bull-headed when pups. They grow up to be people.

[Guest cajun600]

all great tips, and thanks for the info and links!! Boxer's are definitely our first choice, I work from home and we both exercise / run daily, so sounds like its a good match. we'd be open to finding a boxer mix as well. I will definitely check out the boxer rescue.