LEASH AND COLLAR DRIVE

Leash and Collar Drive for the BRLA Shelter Dogs

When you're a dog at the shelter you don't have much to look forward to.  The excit ement of your day is when the volunteer walkers come to your run to take you for a walk around the block.  While out on that walk you get exercise, a chance to play and some much needed love and attention that you so lack waiting for your new family to take you home.  Leashes and training collars sound like such a basic item but for the shelter they are of top priority and something they are always in need of.  Without Borders is running a leash and collar drive till Sept. 30th 2008 to help raise funds so that we can donate much needed new leashes and training collars to the shelter for the volunteer walkers to use each and every day to walk the waiting boxer babies.  Please donate whatever you can, even $1.00 will help us towards our goal.

Our Goal is 20 New 6 foot leashes and 20 new training collars!  Check our blog to keep track of how many leashes and collars we have purchased!

To donate please visit our website, we accept donations through Paypal or email us for other options:

http://www.rescueaboxer.ca/Medical_Help_Reqd.html

NO FREE LUNCH, bringing your new boxer home

Hi Everyone!

This seems to be a common email that we have been sending out to new families over the last couple of weeks with their new boxers or boxers who have been in their home for some time.  Please remember boxers are a more dominant breed and it is important to deal with them as such.  Please read over the following and decide how you will put the advice in to practice to help with a smoother transition in to your new home.  For some dogs this whole approach is not fully needed but it's good to take pieces of this and remember it.

The best way to describe what your boxer needs is "NO FREE LUNCH".  I strongly suggest the entire family start a training program with your new boxer.  A training class not only will help with basic obedience but also to help build the bond and pack order that every family needs with their new addition.  Please research your trainers well, ask your vet, rescue volunteer etc. for recommendations.  I would highly recommend reading Cesar Milan's books, Cesar's Way and Being Your Dog's Pack Leader.  Both books are well worth their weight in gold and will give you a lot of insight.

Your boxer needs to know where she belongs in the pack and that is at the bottom.  She needs rules, boundaries and structure.  She needs to work for everything and receive no free anything (affection, treats etc).

She should be crated at all times in the beginning unless an adult is present to watch her behaviour and actions.  This is not a punishment but just a safety measure.  This will help with house training and also teaching your new addition boundaries and house rules.

If crating is an issue then start feeding her in it, throw cookies in etc.  Get her going in on her own, everytime she goes in attach a word, house, crate etc. to it.  So that she learns the word/command to the crate.  Praise her when she is in it.  For more advice on crate training please ask.

When out she is in work mode, there's no free time for her.  Although the kennel is not the best place it is very structured.  You wake up, some one brings you food, you are taken out, you are brought food, you go out again and you go to bed.  Not much time to think for yourself and that is something your new boxer should continue not to be allowed to do.  To live in a structured world for so long and then be allowed so much freedom can be very overwhelming.

Structure her day, out of the crate for a bathroom break, breakfast back in you crate.  Out of crate for a walk and work time, back in crate.  Out of crate for some free time with mom in the livingroom (during this time she should not be given free run of the house) back in crate etc.

Touch equals praise to a dog so make sure if she is growling, barking etc. you are not touching her.  Touching her to try and quiet her or soothe her is actually telling her it's okay, good girl, this is a situation you should be barking in or a person you should be growling at.  Keep a leash on her and if she is barking, growling anything like that you have the leash to pull on not the collar because grabbing the collar causes you to touch her neck.

Praise only when she has done something you have asked her.  Dogs love our praise so use it to your advantage, it's a big power that you have.  She works for all attention, food etc.  If you want to stroke her it's on your terms.  Call her to you, stroke her.  Make her sit, stroke her etc. etc. She needs to work for it.  Make her sit for her dinner etc. etc.

When out on a walk she is not allowed to walk out in front.  Leaders walk out in front, followers follow.  This is harder then it sounds, I know that but she needs to learn to heal and stay with you or behind you.  Once she understands her place in the pack being allowed to walk out in front is different but if she does not understand this position allowing her to walk out in front can only add to her thought that she is the queen.  She can have a "free" walk but only when you allow it and not when the dog thinks it's time.

Please make sure not to "baby" your new addition, that is the last thing she needs at this time. She needs a lot of structure, rules and boundaries.  She needs to know her place in the pack and these all need to be set before you can relax and allow her the free run that she deserves but must earn.

Daisy Update (BRLA/WBBR Alumni)

 

I keep thinking of the little write up that her foster parents sent saying, 'she has been nothing but love'-and its so true, she comes up to my hubby at the kitchen table and just lays her head in his lap/hands, he just melts! Oh and I took her to work, I am a RCA @ an Elderly Home and the Residents and staff would not let me leave- I was there for almost an hour trying to leave, Lucy soaked it all up adoring every one in her sight,I probably would sound sappy to non-dog lovers when I say she is such a blessing to our family but not to you and other dog lovers. Her and Chloe were actually nuzzling on the couch this morning as they laid together- I am amazed at how calm she is, not getting into anything (the bedroom door is closed,lol) and laughed one night getting off work at 11pm and thinking, 'where is Lucy?'- there she is sleeping with my husband, gasp, he is sooooo easy.... well will keep you updated

Pinkey Update

Pinkey is doing wonderful in his recovery.  He just finished a week of antibiotics to help treat a secondary skin infection.  These infections can be quite common with mange.  He has all his puppy energy and loves to run around and play with the other dogs in the house.  He is doing great in his crate and is working on housebreaking.  Pinkey has a fine coat of white peach fuzz all over his body.  In the beginning you had to look closely to see it but already in such a short time you can almost see it when just glancing at him.  He is such a good boy and as you can see in the picture is very compliant.  He loves his oatmeal soaks, I'm sure it feels really good on his itchy skin.  We will be off to the vet next week for a progress check.

Molly (BRLA's Sasha) Update

asha (we've changed her name to Molly) is doing fine.  She responds to her new name quickly and is very smart.  The first day we got her she was quite thin, and had kennel cough.  I contacted the vet the next day, but could not get in till Chantelle got back from LA.  Apparently her meds must have fallen out of her file so we didn't have any to give her until Thursday when Chantelle dropped them off to the vet.  She is now over the kennel cough and is very active.  She loves running around the yard.  At this moment she is sitting beside Danny watching TV.  She's very funny as well,  the second day we got her she was in the family room, I had a delivery at the door and left her for about 10 minutes, when I returned she was on the couch curled on my pillow and watching TV..... eyes wide open!

 

Up until today she knew only to shake a paw.  This evening we taught her to sit!  That was exciting. 

 

We noticed that since we got her she has not barked once.... which is good for the neighbours. She loves to play and has made friends with the mailman (who feeds her dog biscuits when he sees her).  Yesterday he even commented that she has gained weight!.  When we got her she was 44 lbs , today we weighed her and she is now almost 50 lbs.   When  we got her the first week I was feeding her 4x a day (small portions) (I took a week off work).  Now she gets fed twice a day, morning and at dinner time.  She is breaking into the routine well. 

 

We also found out that she wasn't housebroken.  The second day she had an accident on the carpet.  She tries hard to please us and rather doing her business on the concrete she is now doing it on the grass. 

 

She is very mischevous as well and seems to dislike anything plastic, ie:  plastic bags - she finds one and ripps it up.  

 

Another thing we discovered was that she wouldn't go outside once she was inside the house.  She would only go out if she had a leash on her.  No amount of bribing would coax her.

 

All in all I think she has adjusted very well with what has happened in her life in the past few months.   She is now part of our family and we have taken her on car rides and have shown her to family and friends - they all think she is a beautiful dog.

 

Thank you and Chantelle for all the work you do in rescuing boxers like Molly.   Let me know when you are in the neighbourhood so you can drop by for a visit.

 

Karen & Danny

 

Conky (BRLA's Charlotte) Update

Hi everyone,

 

Charlotte (renamed Conky by my boyfriend and reluctantly by myself) is doing great! I thought I would send you a couple of pictures from our first couple of days together. I will be sending some blood away for a heartworm test today so we'll see how she does with restraint thought I'm sure she'll be fine. She lets me put her eye ointment in with no problems.

Thanks, I will send some more pictures when her mange begins to heal so you can see the progress!

 

Natasha

Chandler's Cast

Chandler spent the morning with the vet.  He had his cast removed and new x-rays taken.  His leg is healing nicely but he has developed pressure sores from the hard cast.  His feet are raw and infected so his new cast leaves his feet open to the air so they can heal.  He will be in this cast for another 2 weeks and then will go back again for a cast change and x-rays.  

Chandler is such a sweetheart.  He won over all the staff at the clinic.  He is soft, mellow and although he badly wants to trust someone in his past has hurt him badly.  He is most comfortable with our toddlers but is opening up to both us as well.  This young boy has been through so much in his short life and deserves only the best from here on in.