Greatest American Dog

As a fellow Boxer lover and owner of three rescued dogs......I'm so happy that Travis and Presly won last night. However, as a Boxer Rescue Volunteer it almost makes nervous.Now........everyone in the US is going to want to run out and get a Boxer like Travis. Many people will do so without even researching the breed. They are high energy and not the dog for everyone. They love people, yes. But, like all dogs, they are not born with manners and knowledge of obedience. It takes a lot of time, hard work and effort in order for dogs to be obedient. It needs to be fun for them...otherwise they'll shut down.Does anyone remember when 101 Dalamations movie was out? The dalmation rescues got slammed when all the people with dalmations decided to give them up when they realized the puppies weren't going to stay small forever....and that they required work.so......as a Boxer Rescue volunteer...I'm trying to prepare for the fallout that is to come in about 6 months to 18 months....all the people that went and got a boxer puppy and then realize that they require time, patience, understanding and training.I can only hope that people will rescue a dog in need before they go to a pet shop or backyard breeder.

boxermom0723 wrote: As a fellow Boxer lover and owner of three rescued dogs......I'm so happy that Travis and Presly won last night. However, as a Boxer Rescue Volunteer it almost makes nervous.Now........everyone in the US is going to want to run out and get a Boxer like Travis. Many people will do so without even researching the breed. They are high energy and not the dog for everyone. They love people, yes. But, like all dogs, they are not born with manners and knowledge of obedience. It takes a lot of time, hard work and effort in order for dogs to be obedient. It needs to be fun for them...otherwise they'll shut down.Does anyone remember when 101 Dalamations movie was out? The dalmation rescues got slammed when all the people with dalmations decided to give them up when they realized the puppies weren't going to stay small forever....and that they required work.so......as a Boxer Rescue volunteer...I'm trying to prepare for the fallout that is to come in about 6 months to 18 months....all the people that went and got a boxer puppy and then realize that they require time, patience, understanding and training.I can only hope that people will rescue a dog in need before they go to a pet shop or backyard breeder.

I knew that Travis and Presitly would win because if you look at the dog on the log, it is a boxer.I agree with you, go to a rescue first.

The thought has crossed my mind as well. Too many people go get an animal and don't think about the time, love, attention and money it takes. Let's just pray this isn't the case.

I thought about this too. Most of the time on the show Presley was either laying very calmly next to Travis, or doing the game of the show. They didn't show what a 1 1/2 yr old Boxer is like - very energetic, nonstop play. I had 2 at the same time. It was great for me I walked them every morning at the break of dawn 3-4 miles. Then walked them in the evening. Finally at the age of 5 they calmed down. I still have one of them she is 10, my other passed away in June. We also have a Flat-coated Retreiver, the Boxer didn't bark as much.Travis and Presley had 10 weeks 24/7 together on a huge property, with a pool, lots of room to run, other people to help give training advice. How many people actually have that?

No question Boxers will be getting some attention - AND FOR GOOD REASON!! Boxer companions know what incredible animals this special breed is. ABSOLUTELY Boxers should be RESCUED...and if the Boxer Rescue organizations are anything like Boxer Rescue Los Angeles, they place well maintained and often fully TRAINED Boxers. My Lois was found on the streets, trained by a volunteer professional trainer who even came to my home after adoption to followup on Lois' acclimation to my home (at no charge!) Ursula and her volunteers at BRLA know, like the rest of us, what great animals Boxers are - and would NEVER have sub-par facilities nor adopt out any Boxer who was not going into a well-prepared home. PLEASE RESCUE!!!!! ( www.boxer-rescue-la.com )Marian

While I think people may want a boxer now, I also think they did a pretty good job of telling Travis how well he did with such an energetic dog breed over the time he was there. In earlier shows, he did mention that Presley had a lot of energy. I also agree that the owner should do their research, but it also falls on the person/breeder/pet store selling the dog to inform them about the breed and make sure the breed matches their lifestyle. I used to work in a reputable local pet store and asked about the family's lifestyle and activity level before even discussing the breed they were looking at. I also asked them questions about they type of dog and activity level and intelligence they were looking for in a dog. When busy families with little time for a dog wanted one, I would suggest a different animal and explain why a dog would not be right for their situation. While they would be upset at first, once they heard how unhappy the dog would be and how that unhappiness would play out (destruction, urinating inside, etc.), they realized a puppy that needs a lot of attention might not be for them. For several, I did suggest the local animal shelter if I felt they had time for an adult dog but I also let them know there may be issues that needed dealing with as well. If everyone involved took the time, there would be a lot fewer problems with people getting a dog. Another suggestion I would give to people was to go to animalplanet.com and either take the quiz they have about the right breed for you or to look up the breed they want.

you all talk as though boxers are the only energetic breed. i can't count the number of unbearable labs, english bulldogs, yorkies (just to name a few) i've encountered in my life.show me these pups under a year old that just lay around all day

I don't think anyone who posted in this thread is/was bashing the beloved, boxer breed. All puppies are high-energy, and also there are alot of breeds, like the boxer, who are naturally more active. Also, no one has said that boxers are horrible dogs and don't deserve recognition for being a wonderful breed. -This is just a thread posting the concern and prediction of the rising popularity of the boxer breed. Other situations, like the rise in Dalmation popularity, have indirectly created a negative life for the dogs who were bought out of spontaneuity fashion-lovers or misinformed viewers. This same dog popularity occurance event is still happening with the chiwuawua and other Paris Hilton, purse size dogs. As a small dog owner myself, it was so upsetting to hear record numbers of chiwuawua's being dropped off in our state's chiwuawua breed rescue. They never had to care for so many dogs before and were having problems accomidating them.-The moral of the story is that a rise is popularity can be a diaster for animals who deserve better treatment. People whose only breed, or even DOG, education is through a reality show, Disney movie, or favorite celebrities picks don't fully understand what their getting into. The small, medium or big dog owners who don't properly train their dogs and take care are going to end up with a fully grown, misbehaving train wreck. The owners, who weren't informed before hand, probably wouldn't know what to do or, since they didn't get the perfect forever-puppy pooch instantly, don't want to put forth the effort.-This thread isn't a boxer bashing, but more for the love and concern for dogs.-After this long rant I would like to note that Travis actually admitted(I think during the doggie art episode) that he was once a frustrated, misinformed owner. Paraphasing, Travis said that he was that typical guy in the dog bark, who would get extraordinarily annoyed whenever Presley would misbehave and people would be calling him to come get his dog. He grew from that and anyone can, but it just takes alot of effort. -<3 Dogs are totally worth it!

Pugmeister referred to Travis' experience with Presley at a (off leash) dog park. Boxer people know that Boxers and off leash parks don't realy work for most Boxers. It's something about the tail - hard to communicate true (play) intent when it's docked...A Boxer Rescue volunteer compared avoidance of dog parks to defensive driving - just not a good idea for some Boxers.Now, get 2 or more Boxers together in play and you'll be tempted to play the opening song to ROCKY...lotsa high energy boxing going on...and so very cute...!!!

Absolutely. My Boxer is 4 years old and still plays strong. Boxers act like puppies longer and need time and attention. I wouldn't have it any other way. They are 80 pound lap dogs but they love you unconditionally and are wonderful dogs but do need owners who have time to spend with them. They are good family dogs and very loving but require a lot of time and attention! Way to go Travis & Presley.

You are so right. We have a bichon and a sheltie and where there was a discussion in the news about Obama looking for a small dog my bichon list was glad to hear that our breed wasn't on it. People don't do their homework when choosing a pet most the time. As dog lovers we need to make sure that we pass the info around how important it is to know what you are getting into when taking on the commitment of a dog. These creators aren't just throw away toys the way so many people treat them.

While in general I agree with you about people not doing their homework and jumping on dog "bandwagons", was anyone actually watching this show by the end? I gave up about four weeks ago when the judges and tasks just got too dreadful for me to bear. I checked in this morning just to see who the winners were. I doubt if there will even be a slight uptick of boxers around.

i do agree that there can be some fallout and bandwagon jumping with the boxer, but i worry that this could be the case with any of the breeds on the show. yes, presley will get the most attention but people will see what they want to see in each of those dogs on the show. want a dog that rides a skate board? get a bulldog! want a dog that has eyes just for you? get a maltese! that sort of thing. and of course many will not consider the amount of time and effort that went into getting those dogs to that level.the thing is people will continue to jump on bandwagons when what they see makes some kind of connection with them. it is not right but it will continue to happen. i have been on the adoption bandwagon for my entire life. almost all of the 12 dogs i have had have been rescues or adoptions. i get very aggravated when i tell people they should adopt a homeless dog and i hear things like 'i don't want a dog with problems. i want a good dog!' almost every one of the homeless dogs i have had a was great 'out of the box' so to speak. the ones that weren't only needed a little training to turn around. the training that was needed was nothing compared to raising and training a puppy. and to those of you who are saying boxers act like puppies until they are 3-5 years old, well i am so jelious! my beloved boxer, brandy passed away at 14 about a year ago. yes, i will agree she finally had some focus at age 5 but it wasn't until she was 10 that she stopped acting like a puupy and the last 6 months of her life that she actually acted anything like an old dog! she was the most wonderful dog. i will miss her the rest of my life. and i have nothing but respect for travis and what he has done with presley in just a short time. brandy had the attention span of a nat at 16 months! but she was also the star of our obedience class. like little andrew, brandy would give her all to do what was asked of her.i wish i could tell everyone who is considering a boxer how wonderful they are and help them to understand what they are getting into. a loving dog who will go from a 70 lb lap dog to a dog who acts like they will never run out of energy in about a second. they love as hard as they play. and they do both in abundance.donalee

Well said and put donalee13, Boxers are the best dogs and like I said in an earlier post, my Jackson is 4 and still acts like a puppy. It's good to know that will continue because I personally love it. I agree with you about the rescue animals too. That should be the first place anyone looks. I guess what I find the most aggravating is people who get dogs because they are "cute" and then they get older or the people don't want to say home enough and spend time with them and, to me, that's neglecting them. I think that anyone that wants to get a dog should be willing to devote a lot of time to that dog. Jackson is family to me and I love and cherish every minute I spend with him!I agree with you also that Travis did an awesome job with Presley and truly deserved the title. I thought some of the challenges were a little much but never missed an episode because of my love for Presley.