I agree with trying to reason with them about the lack of time & offer them $ if necessary, but I would definiately bring up the cost of even just reg vet vists, Heartguard, Frontline Plus etc, not to mention the possible emergencies that may arrive! Plus a good quality food, toys, equipment (collars, leashes, id tags etc) city license, all of these things really add up and not to be ornery but if you really think this is not an appropriate home for a Boxer Babe I'd lay it on really thick, give them the guilt trip, I visit our local humane society weekly & see the lame excuses of "too big" "too much energy" etc, etc, so do the best you can to make sure she he will be given the best chance possible. : )
Good luck!
Jackie & Zoe
I did make a money offer, but she still has to think about it. I went over all of the expenses with her, info on the breed, and what can happen if not properly trained and cared for, but of course, she has to think about it. I thought about the possibilty of them maybe falling in love with the pup so much that they may change and actually take care of him, but they've had several medium to large breeds before, Great Dane, St. Bernard, Doberman, Labs, and they have all turned out the same!! As we all know, large dogs have high energy and without the proper training, they can possibly turn into little monsterous disasters. They never properly socialized or trained any of these dogs, they became "bad dogs" and would tear up something in the house. My cousin never wanted to pay for obedience, though I doubt she even had/has the money to do so. Then, she'd eventually either drop the dog off on someone or shelter, or just leave them in the backyard, sometimes on a chain, with little interaction. Honestly, I personally see that as abuse, cruel and inhumane, especially when dogs give so much back to us...:(