Getting a 2nd Boxer

[Panhorst]

My Zeke is now a little over a year old. My husband and I love him so much. We have been contemplating getting a second boxer. I have been told that if I get a second one Zeke won't care as much about us as he will the other dog. He loves to play with other dogs. My parents have a 5 year old boxer (Vito) and when the two of them get together Vito will ignore every human and only pay attention to Zeke. Zeke on the other hand still wants attention from his human family.

My question is if I get a second one will Zeke become less interested in us and more interested in another dog? Will he start some bad behaviors? We have gone through obediance school and he is very well behaved right now.

As a side note, I was out running him yesterday and came across a woman with a boxer that looked just like Zeke only a little bigger. The two just kept looking at each other like they were wondering "Am I looking in a mirror"?

 

[hogan's mom]

Hogan was 9 mos. old when we got our rescue, Hilda. She is 5-6 six years old and it is the best thing that ever happened to our household. They love each other. They play together a lot, but still each want some alone time. Hogan doesn't act any different except that when someone visits and tries to pet Hilda, Hogan is right in there trying to get all the attention. We've had two for a month and a half now and I will always have at least two boxers. You won't be dissappointed!

 

[Chula's Moms]

Let me just play devil's advocate and say that two boxers (or any dogs for that matter) are not always better than one. So often I see people thinking that because one is so much fun, two will be even better. That's not always the case. In addition to the cost of food, vet visits and training, the time you'll spend cleaning up after two can be overwhelming. Not to mention that not all dogs do well with other dogs. Sure, they may love playing with other dogs, but when it's a permanent, full-time situation, issues can arise. I think with that said, you have to be prepared to deal with keeping them separated should they not get along. Having two dogs can be fun, but it can also be exhausting.

Just something to think about. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Kali's Mom]

Well, all I can say is, since we've had two it's been the best thing for our household. Kali isn't needing my attention as much. They love each other so much but they also play by themselves too. For example yesterday...Gia was playing with her ball and Kali just wasn't in the mood. She came and sat by me nudging her head on my hand for me to pet her. She is still my spoiled little baby and still cuddles with me, but she also doesn't do it ALL the time! That was our main reason for getting another, so Kali could have a playmate. She had a lot of separtion anxiety issues.

It is a lot of work, but I think it totally pays off. I do go through food a lot more, I do have a lot more poop to pick up, but...when I look at those precious faces when I come home from a long day of work, it's all worth it to me.

You may want to do a search, there are tons of topics about this. Good Luck with your decision!

Melaina-Kali & Gia

 

[D'sMom]

Chula's Mom is right. Although having two is very much fun and twice the love there are cons that definilty need to be weighed. Such as the cost of having two 60 pound dogs, the cleaning/mess, vet bills, food bills, treats, regular wear and tear on the house/yard, vacation (if without your dogs) you have to pay twice as much to board/kennel them) if you do take them the same apply hotels will charge you per dog.

And for some reason later on your dog may decide they dont like eachother and get into an all out brawl and you have to keep them seperated for the rest of their lives.

Good luck with what you decide :D and if you decide on another puppy PLEASE PLEASE post pics!!!! :D

 

[VTbxrFan]

I have been told that if I get a second one Zeke won't care as much about us as he will the other dog.

This sounds a little bit like me a few weeks ago when I was trying make a decision about permanently adopting our latest foster. I had been telling myself that my first dog Dallas was jealous and didn't like sharing my time when I had fosters. A fellow BW member made me realize that my problem was really that I didn't want to share Dallas. I was focused on what I wanted - my dog's complete love and attention - rather than what my dog seemed to want - a canine companion. I started really paying attention to my dog with our foster and noticed that sometimes when he was with me enjoying some quiet time and a rub, he would leave me to go play with Gracie. And eventually I realized that I was getting a good balance from both dogs - both of them want human attention in addition to their playtime with each other. I'm not sure which one is more important to them, and in the end, it really doesn't matter because they can have both.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that to some extent, you might see your dog focusing a little less of his attention and time on you...but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I love that Dallas is not entertained if I'm busy. I don't feel guilty if I need to take care of something and can't play with him. He and Gracie have each other as companions and playmates when I'm busy, and I have the joy of having two dogs to love and dote on because as much as they enjoy each other, but of them still seek out me or my husband for some human companionship, too. If you think you'd like a second dog, and that your dog will enjoy having a second dog, be willing to step back and little bit and share your dog's time. When I realized that doing that might make my dog happier, I made the best decision for our whole family by adding a second dog to our home.

I do agree with the points Chula's Moms made, though. Two are not always better than one. I've had several fosters who were great dogs, but the feeling that won out in those cases was that it was just plain more work, more money, and more time. And in the end, I was happy when those fosters found permanent homes of their own. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to foster Gracie and to be able to see before I made a commitment that it was the right time and the right dog for us to add to our family. My two dogs have very different personalities, but they complement each other in a way that has made it much easier for me to have two dogs than it ever was with previous fosters - but it is still harder and more work in many ways than just one, and definitely more expensive!

 

[drw71762]

outragous boxer nutt

in my houshold i havent had a bad expereance yet ive had 2 sets of boxers over the years they absoulutly love one another the first ones and now the secound ones but as we all no boxers are all individgules and each pesonality will be differant it is more money more work more time and more love i can only speak for myself it is double the pleasure and will do it again and again good luck in what ever you deciede to do hope to here your decission and if you do get the puppy hope to here how it works out boxer nutt

 

[holm9201]

Best Boxer Move

Boomer was just like Zeke and demanded attention from his human parents. We love to play with her, but we didn't have as much energy as she did. That's when we decided to get Switzer. It was the single best boxer thing we have ever done. Switzer, who is more layed back, evens Boomer out. They play with each other until they are worn out, but still crave attention from Mom and Dad. Boomer hasn't changed a bit. She's still our licker, and will gladly give more kisses than you can handle. They run together at the dog park, but still will venture out on their own for some isolated adventure.

The more boxers, the better.

jgh