My Boxer Girl

I haven’t had much time for the web lately because of other things going on in my life. No, not lupus, chemo, or anything having to do with lupus, it’s just I’ve been busy. One role that has kept me very busy is becoming alpha dog. Yes, alpha dog.

I recently adopted another Boxer and the boy is wild. Beautiful dog, a little on the thin side and he appears to have had some training but, unfortunately, it was never reinforced which means I’m constantly on him to enforce or reinforce the training lodged somewhere deep in his memory. He remembers it but he doesn’t want to remember and that has kept me very busy.

My white Boxer, who is either somewhat deaf or has selective hearing, believes I brought the guy home for her. She is now acting as if she has a new toy and won’t leave the guy alone. Everywhere he goes she goes. She chases the poor fella all over the yard and, as Boxers are wont to do, they play goofy games with each other all day. They are a joy to watch.

However, with two big dogs I have had to step into the position of alpha dog to ensure they play nicely together and behave while inside. This has meant breaking up the snarls and growls when either in tight spaces or when food is being served.

Whispering sweet nothings

Since the man is so wild, my girl started channeling her inner wolf. She growls, snarls, shows off her fangs, charges and does an excellent job of muscle popping blustering. Since she cannot be alpha-1, me, she has decided to content herself in being alpha-2.

The other night, during feeding time of course, she played a silly little game thinking she would avoid me flexing my alpha muscles. It didn’t work. I saw her get low to the gate, which separates their feeding areas, and watched as she showed him every tooth in her mouth as if to say “don’t even think about my food.” No growling, no snarls, she just showed off her teeth. I wanted to laugh hysterically but could not. Instead I had to put my face in her face to let her know the boy is not a dentist.

Boxers are such goofy dogs and they have provided me with loads of laughs. They are such good medicine for me and I love ‘em dearly. Unfortunately, I will have to return to school with the boy because he really does not want to remember his lessons and he is in dire need of obedience training.

A fine specimen of a manly man