Housebreaking puppy tip #1
Housebreaking puppies can be difficult. So can housebreaking an older dog. And don't even get me started on housebreaking a puppy or housebreaking a dog when you live in an apartment!However, there are five tips for housebreaking a puppy fast that you need to know, to get maximum results in minimal time, whether you live in a house, an apartment or in a barn:
Dog housebreaking tip #1
You should be using a crate. The fastest way to housebreaking puppies is to start by confining the puppy to a small area. The crate serves this purpose because it brings out your puppy's "den instinct" and provides for a sense of security and well-being. It also acts similar to the way a crib or playpen would for a human baby-- it keeps the pup out of trouble when you are not around to supervise.
Housebreaking puppy tip #2
When housebreaking an adult dog, make sure that your dog receives a negative association when he has accidents in the house. In other words, your dog should be in the crate when you can't supervise him (see Dog Housebreaking Tip #1) and when you are supervising him, then he should get a correction when decides to eliminate in the house, rather than in the yard. Please note: Correcting your dog and punishing your dog for housebreaking are not the same thing. We never advocate punishing your dog. They're just dogs. They aim to please. It's our goal to correct unwanted behavior and teach your dog housebreaking ... not punish your dog.
Housebreaking tip #3
Anywhere you look on the internet (or in dog books) you'll find the most common of advice: When puppy housebreaking or housebreaking dogs is concerned, you must praise your puppy when he eliminates outside. This means finding a consistent spot, and repeating a key housebreaking phrase such as, "Get busy, Get busy" ... which the puppy will cue on. Once the puppy begins eliminating, continue with your key phrase. When he finishes, then praise (touch the puppy positively and say, "Good dog!" in a high-pitched voice).
Housebreaking Dog Tip #4
Seldom mentioned but just as important as the others when housebreaking older dogs and especially housebreaking puppies is to set up a rigorous feeding and watering schedule. This means no free feeding! You need to know exactly when your dog or puppy is eating and drinking and then take him outside to his special spot (see puppy housebreaking tip #3). Do this immediately after eating or drinking. And then do it again in 10 minute intervals, until your puppy eliminates outside. And then praise, of course.
Housebreaking Puppy Tip #5
No matter how dilligent you are, there will be times when housebreaking your puppy means that puppy has an accident. After utilizing housebreaking puppy tip #2 and puppy housebreaking tip #3, clean any accidents with an enzymatic odor eliminator that's specifically designed for pet odors. Typical carpet cleaners won't cut it. I like a product called "Nature's Miracle" but there are several that will work. You usually need to purchase these at your local pet store.
6/24/2007
6/18/2007
Are Boxers Guard Dogs?
Boxer dogs are not guard dogs BUT they can be excellent watchdogs. They will bark at any strangers but are not naturally aggressive or viscous.
They need continuous interaction with the family and are very affectionate to their owners. In fact, one of the most difficult training exercise for this breed is not to attack their own owners.
Because of their sturdiness and other "strong" physical features, they are mostly trained to become guard dogs. Sadly, many are left into abandonment due to their owner's dissatisfactions. In reality, they cannot be easily trained for attack and they are abused for such.
These dogs love to play, and they prefer children to adults. Boxers are crazy about children. They will tolerate all kinds of attention from a toddler. They tend to adopt their children and they are distressed when a child cries.
I grew up with Boxers and I don't know anything about them that is undesirable. They are clean, short-haired, and all around good-looking dogs. They are obedient, but they can be sneaky, too: our dog once licked half the meringue off a lemon pie that was sitting on a kitchen counter. I guess she thought we wouldn't notice.
They are very strong dogs, and can jump about three feet straight up like a pogo stick. They can be rough, accidentally, because their bodies are so muscular and compact. They are enthusiastic and loving dogs. They love to go places, and they will do just about anything you ask of them, but they are certainly not guard dogs.
They need continuous interaction with the family and are very affectionate to their owners. In fact, one of the most difficult training exercise for this breed is not to attack their own owners.
Because of their sturdiness and other "strong" physical features, they are mostly trained to become guard dogs. Sadly, many are left into abandonment due to their owner's dissatisfactions. In reality, they cannot be easily trained for attack and they are abused for such.
These dogs love to play, and they prefer children to adults. Boxers are crazy about children. They will tolerate all kinds of attention from a toddler. They tend to adopt their children and they are distressed when a child cries.
I grew up with Boxers and I don't know anything about them that is undesirable. They are clean, short-haired, and all around good-looking dogs. They are obedient, but they can be sneaky, too: our dog once licked half the meringue off a lemon pie that was sitting on a kitchen counter. I guess she thought we wouldn't notice.
They are very strong dogs, and can jump about three feet straight up like a pogo stick. They can be rough, accidentally, because their bodies are so muscular and compact. They are enthusiastic and loving dogs. They love to go places, and they will do just about anything you ask of them, but they are certainly not guard dogs.
6/17/2007
Why Train Your Boxer?
Boxers are great dogs. They're intelligent and athletic, and they love people.
What other breed will routinely do the wriggling, "kidney bean" dance when it greets you at the door? It's no wonder that the BOXER is one of the most popular breeds inthe USA and Canada as well as many other areas of the world.
The Boxer, however, needs training in order to become a treasured family pet. Because this breed is an extremely muscular and powerful dog with boundless enthusiasm and energy, it requires early and consistent training.
An untrained full-grown Boxer can wreck havoc at home, but also in the neighborhood.
To solidify your belief that training is a good thing for both you and your Boxer, read on and see how easy it is to train your boxer. These are the secrets that took me a long while to uncover and I've detailed it all for you in this "Ultimate Dog Training" blog.
What other breed will routinely do the wriggling, "kidney bean" dance when it greets you at the door? It's no wonder that the BOXER is one of the most popular breeds inthe USA and Canada as well as many other areas of the world.
The Boxer, however, needs training in order to become a treasured family pet. Because this breed is an extremely muscular and powerful dog with boundless enthusiasm and energy, it requires early and consistent training.
An untrained full-grown Boxer can wreck havoc at home, but also in the neighborhood.
To solidify your belief that training is a good thing for both you and your Boxer, read on and see how easy it is to train your boxer. These are the secrets that took me a long while to uncover and I've detailed it all for you in this "Ultimate Dog Training" blog.
6/16/2007
Boxer Secrets: The Ultimate Dog Training Blog
Introduction
After all the frustration to find out the truth on how to make a Boxer healthy, happy and obedient, I have created this ‘Boxer Secrets’ Blog.
I spent over 2 months just communicating with 93 boxer lovers (some are owners) to get their input and learn from their experiences.
Then, I searched the internet, burning the midnight oil to read articles and forum posts to find out more. And, of course, I did not forget about the tips I’ve gathered from books I’ve bought from the local bookstores.
Phew! It was a lot of work. But if you were to ask me whether it was worth the effort, I’ll say YES because I finally got my answers. It’s no longer a secret to me how to make a boxer dog happy, healthy and obedient the way you want it.
This is unlike ANY dog blog you see online because it’s a researched blog from people who personally own boxer dogs. This is information gathered that you can use and apply to your Boxer.
With that said, it’s time for to start reading the ‘Boxer Secrets’ blog posts below and see how these tips and tricks can make an improvement in your dog!
Leave your feedback and feel free to ask me anything you want on dog training.
After all the frustration to find out the truth on how to make a Boxer healthy, happy and obedient, I have created this ‘Boxer Secrets’ Blog.
I spent over 2 months just communicating with 93 boxer lovers (some are owners) to get their input and learn from their experiences.
Then, I searched the internet, burning the midnight oil to read articles and forum posts to find out more. And, of course, I did not forget about the tips I’ve gathered from books I’ve bought from the local bookstores.
Phew! It was a lot of work. But if you were to ask me whether it was worth the effort, I’ll say YES because I finally got my answers. It’s no longer a secret to me how to make a boxer dog happy, healthy and obedient the way you want it.
This is unlike ANY dog blog you see online because it’s a researched blog from people who personally own boxer dogs. This is information gathered that you can use and apply to your Boxer.
With that said, it’s time for to start reading the ‘Boxer Secrets’ blog posts below and see how these tips and tricks can make an improvement in your dog!
Leave your feedback and feel free to ask me anything you want on dog training.
6/15/2007
What Is A Boxer?
Boxers are a great all around breed.
They are a distinguished canine and the coolest, most lovable dog out there! It is a medium-built and strong breed that is so named because of its habit of standing on the hind legs to begin a fight and boxing with the front paws.
By nature, Boxers are working dogs. Throughout history it has been trained as:
- hunting dog
- police dog
- seeing-eye dog for the blind
- guard dog
- circus dog
- courier dog on the battlefields during World War I and World War II
- Fighting dog in the once popular sport of dog fighting.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) categorizes dogs into 7 groups:
· herding
· hound
· non-sporting
· sporting
· terrier
· toy
· working
And the largest breed registered in the working dog category is the Boxer.
No doubt the Boxer breed makes for great utility dog but the greatest advantage to owning one is that a Boxer can be your most outstanding companion on four legs and a great source of personal fulfillment.
By the way, the AKC registered over 150 different breeds totaling nearly one million dogs in 2003. To put that in perspective, the animal shelters in America rescue up to 12 million homeless dogs and cats every year and 25% of these are purebreds.
This little book is meant as a quick guide for Boxer owners like you to better understand your wisely chosen pet, how to take care and love it, make him happy, keep him healthy, so that he will better understand you and listen to you, love you and make YOU a better person during your incredible life journey together!
Devoted and glad owners of Boxers have come up with a long list of attributes and traits of their favorite pet that include:
· Alert
· Boisterous
· Boundless energy
· Brave
· Canine clown
· Courageous
· Devil dog
· Devoted
· Dignified
· Exuberance
· Family dog
· Fearless
· Friendly
· Hearing dog
· Highly trainable
· Intelligent
· Intuitive
· Keen judge of character
· Loving
· Loyal
· Patient with children
· People dog
· Poor swimmer
· Playful
· Quick learner
· Self-assured
· Smart
· Soulful
· Spirited
· Stoical
· Vigilant
· Working dog
· Wonderful pet
And you can add to the list…
The Boxer's history could be traced back to feudal Germany, where it was a small hunting dog that could tenaciously hold onto a bull, boar, or bear till the master arrived. It was also a utility dog for peasants and shop owners, and even a performing dog in circus.
The Boxer as we know it today is a bigger breed – a mixture of the German Boxer with a taller, more elegant English import. The era of this modern Boxer began in the 1880s and became really popular in the United States in the late 1930s-1940s.
Handsome dog: Within the canine world, Boxer is a medium-sized dog standing at 21 to 25 inches at the shoulder for a full-grown female, and weighs some 50 to 65 pounds. The male can be taller and 15 pounds heavier.
It has a striking good look with chiseled head, square jaw and muscled body that make for a very handsome silhouette.
The ears are cropped and erect that enhance its hearing – the Boxer’s most developed sense. It is always alert and vigilant, an instinctive guard dog.
The shortened muzzle makes hot and humid weather uncomfortable for the Boxer.
The coat is short, hard and smooth, and possesses a natural sheen that can be enhanced with rubdowns with a chamois cloth (especially after a bath).
The short coat cannot protect him well from extreme elements of the weather and thus Boxer should definitely not be kept outdoors. It is a housedog, sensitive to temperature extremes, does not enjoy the draft, summer heat or cold.
Boxers come in attractive basic colors of fawn and brindle. The fawn varies from a tawny tan to an especially beautiful stag red. The brindle (clearly defined black stripes on a fawn background) can be sparse, in between or dense.
A beauty standard for Boxers is that their white markings or “flash” should add to their look and may not cover more than one-third of the entire body. Some predominantly or all-white puppies (known as “check”) may be born in a litter.
In the US, however, the American Boxer Club members are pledged not to register, sell or use these “whites” for breeding so as to retain the beauty of the true fawn and brindle colors in the breed.
Personality-wise, Boxer is a cool dog that will not bark without cause. Its expressive face – the furrowed forehead and dark, soulful eyes - is a charming quality that sets the Boxer apart from other breeds.
It can mimic the moods of its master and adopting one could bring you 9 to 11 years of joyful companionship. In exceptional cases the Boxer can live up to 15 years.
They are a distinguished canine and the coolest, most lovable dog out there! It is a medium-built and strong breed that is so named because of its habit of standing on the hind legs to begin a fight and boxing with the front paws.
By nature, Boxers are working dogs. Throughout history it has been trained as:
- hunting dog
- police dog
- seeing-eye dog for the blind
- guard dog
- circus dog
- courier dog on the battlefields during World War I and World War II
- Fighting dog in the once popular sport of dog fighting.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) categorizes dogs into 7 groups:
· herding
· hound
· non-sporting
· sporting
· terrier
· toy
· working
And the largest breed registered in the working dog category is the Boxer.
No doubt the Boxer breed makes for great utility dog but the greatest advantage to owning one is that a Boxer can be your most outstanding companion on four legs and a great source of personal fulfillment.
By the way, the AKC registered over 150 different breeds totaling nearly one million dogs in 2003. To put that in perspective, the animal shelters in America rescue up to 12 million homeless dogs and cats every year and 25% of these are purebreds.
This little book is meant as a quick guide for Boxer owners like you to better understand your wisely chosen pet, how to take care and love it, make him happy, keep him healthy, so that he will better understand you and listen to you, love you and make YOU a better person during your incredible life journey together!
Devoted and glad owners of Boxers have come up with a long list of attributes and traits of their favorite pet that include:
· Alert
· Boisterous
· Boundless energy
· Brave
· Canine clown
· Courageous
· Devil dog
· Devoted
· Dignified
· Exuberance
· Family dog
· Fearless
· Friendly
· Hearing dog
· Highly trainable
· Intelligent
· Intuitive
· Keen judge of character
· Loving
· Loyal
· Patient with children
· People dog
· Poor swimmer
· Playful
· Quick learner
· Self-assured
· Smart
· Soulful
· Spirited
· Stoical
· Vigilant
· Working dog
· Wonderful pet
And you can add to the list…
The Boxer's history could be traced back to feudal Germany, where it was a small hunting dog that could tenaciously hold onto a bull, boar, or bear till the master arrived. It was also a utility dog for peasants and shop owners, and even a performing dog in circus.
The Boxer as we know it today is a bigger breed – a mixture of the German Boxer with a taller, more elegant English import. The era of this modern Boxer began in the 1880s and became really popular in the United States in the late 1930s-1940s.
Handsome dog: Within the canine world, Boxer is a medium-sized dog standing at 21 to 25 inches at the shoulder for a full-grown female, and weighs some 50 to 65 pounds. The male can be taller and 15 pounds heavier.
It has a striking good look with chiseled head, square jaw and muscled body that make for a very handsome silhouette.
The ears are cropped and erect that enhance its hearing – the Boxer’s most developed sense. It is always alert and vigilant, an instinctive guard dog.
The shortened muzzle makes hot and humid weather uncomfortable for the Boxer.
The coat is short, hard and smooth, and possesses a natural sheen that can be enhanced with rubdowns with a chamois cloth (especially after a bath).
The short coat cannot protect him well from extreme elements of the weather and thus Boxer should definitely not be kept outdoors. It is a housedog, sensitive to temperature extremes, does not enjoy the draft, summer heat or cold.
Boxers come in attractive basic colors of fawn and brindle. The fawn varies from a tawny tan to an especially beautiful stag red. The brindle (clearly defined black stripes on a fawn background) can be sparse, in between or dense.
A beauty standard for Boxers is that their white markings or “flash” should add to their look and may not cover more than one-third of the entire body. Some predominantly or all-white puppies (known as “check”) may be born in a litter.
In the US, however, the American Boxer Club members are pledged not to register, sell or use these “whites” for breeding so as to retain the beauty of the true fawn and brindle colors in the breed.
Personality-wise, Boxer is a cool dog that will not bark without cause. Its expressive face – the furrowed forehead and dark, soulful eyes - is a charming quality that sets the Boxer apart from other breeds.
It can mimic the moods of its master and adopting one could bring you 9 to 11 years of joyful companionship. In exceptional cases the Boxer can live up to 15 years.
6/11/2007
How To Keep Your Boxer Healthy
Feed him a balanced diet.
Additional tips from owners include:
· Give an occasional yogurt treat
· Ask your vet about giving Boxers calcium tablets as they could have some problems later on in life!
· Keep him comfortable so his immune system can remain strong.
· Boxers are shorthaired and sensitive to extreme elements of the weather and thus must be kept a housedog. His shortened muzzle also makes hot and humid weather uncomfortable for him.
· Give Boxers lots of exercise and regularly.
· Remember that he is a big and strong breed and requires physical outlets for his boundless energy and high play/prey drive.
· Walk them three times a day or have play sessions. Provide plenty of space for them to bounce around. You want to keep their spirit up and not break it or they won’t be the dogs you fall in love with in the first place. Healthy and happy Boxers are a joy to live with.
· Make a breeder your friend.
· Keep in touch with the breeder who sold you the Boxer. The breeder can advise you about care and health matters that are unique to the breed. Any Boxer breeder, for that matter, can be an invaluable ally to you throughout your Boxer's life.
· Guard your Boxer from fleas.
· Your Boxer has fleas if you find black specks in the fur or fleabite marks on the skin. A tip given by an owner is to give your Boxer garlic daily to prevent fleas.
· Boxers catch fleas from other animals. It is an every day problem that, at some time or another, you can expect to encounter in your Boxer.
· The fleas only go to the Boxer to feed on its blood.
· Fleas mostly live and multiply in your home. The comfortable living - central heating, double-glazing and, best of all, the fitted carpet – we create for ourselves and our Boxers also work best for the fleas.
· De-worm your puppy every month and your adult Boxer, every six months.
Worms
Worms is another everyday problem in Boxers but the puppy is more likely to get sick from worms than the grown up Boxer.
The sick one would lose weight and become weak, suffer from upset stomach, poor growth, listlessness or even lung trouble.
They may impede your puppy’s growth and cause him to have a potbelly or be thin and have a shoddy-looking coat.
Your grown Boxer may not be showing any sign of worms but he could spread them more than the sick puppy, through large amount of larvae or eggs passed out in the feces.
If your Boxer has tapeworms, he has fleas too because part of the tapeworm life cycle occurs in flea as the host. As such, treatments against flea and tapeworm are normally prescribed together.
Some, like the roundworm, that infect dogs can also get passed on to children.
In more serious cases, your dog will catch cough, pneumonia and develop lung problems.
There are different types of worms that infect dogs such as tapeworm, roundworm, ringworm and heartworm. De-worm your Boxer puppy every month and your grown Boxer, every 6 months.
Puppies get sick from worms, more so than dogs.
But your infected grown Boxers help spread the worms more through their droppings that would contain large number of larvae and/or eggs.
Released into the surrounding, these larvae and eggs could infect other animals and even children.
The tapeworms have a flat, segmented body.
You see them as single segments or chains that resemble segments of rice in the droppings of infected canine.
Part of the tapeworm’s life cycle occurs in the flea as the host. Therefore, if your Boxer has tapeworms, it has fleas too and the treatments for both are usually prescribed together by the vet.
The roundworms (toxocara) live and produce hundreds of eggs in the intestine.
They cause digestive upset in puppies, poor growth, and thin or out-of-conditioned coat.
The infected puppies may become listless, have a potbelly or tucked in appearance.
Once the roundworms migrated from the gut to the lungs, your Boxer can suffer lung damage, cough and pneumonia.
The roundworm eggs in the dog droppings get passed out and about.
These are very hardy eggs, resistant to heat and cold, and can survive up to 7 years in the soil. The eggs can pass on to children through ingestion and cause them to fall sick as well.
As precautions, you can toilet train your Boxer puppy to use a place where you can easily clean up and dispose of the droppings into the sewer. Have your children wash their hands every time after they handle the puppies and discourage your puppies from licking people hands or faces.
Additional tips from owners include:
· Give an occasional yogurt treat
· Ask your vet about giving Boxers calcium tablets as they could have some problems later on in life!
· Keep him comfortable so his immune system can remain strong.
· Boxers are shorthaired and sensitive to extreme elements of the weather and thus must be kept a housedog. His shortened muzzle also makes hot and humid weather uncomfortable for him.
· Give Boxers lots of exercise and regularly.
· Remember that he is a big and strong breed and requires physical outlets for his boundless energy and high play/prey drive.
· Walk them three times a day or have play sessions. Provide plenty of space for them to bounce around. You want to keep their spirit up and not break it or they won’t be the dogs you fall in love with in the first place. Healthy and happy Boxers are a joy to live with.
· Make a breeder your friend.
· Keep in touch with the breeder who sold you the Boxer. The breeder can advise you about care and health matters that are unique to the breed. Any Boxer breeder, for that matter, can be an invaluable ally to you throughout your Boxer's life.
· Guard your Boxer from fleas.
· Your Boxer has fleas if you find black specks in the fur or fleabite marks on the skin. A tip given by an owner is to give your Boxer garlic daily to prevent fleas.
· Boxers catch fleas from other animals. It is an every day problem that, at some time or another, you can expect to encounter in your Boxer.
· The fleas only go to the Boxer to feed on its blood.
· Fleas mostly live and multiply in your home. The comfortable living - central heating, double-glazing and, best of all, the fitted carpet – we create for ourselves and our Boxers also work best for the fleas.
· De-worm your puppy every month and your adult Boxer, every six months.
Worms
Worms is another everyday problem in Boxers but the puppy is more likely to get sick from worms than the grown up Boxer.
The sick one would lose weight and become weak, suffer from upset stomach, poor growth, listlessness or even lung trouble.
They may impede your puppy’s growth and cause him to have a potbelly or be thin and have a shoddy-looking coat.
Your grown Boxer may not be showing any sign of worms but he could spread them more than the sick puppy, through large amount of larvae or eggs passed out in the feces.
If your Boxer has tapeworms, he has fleas too because part of the tapeworm life cycle occurs in flea as the host. As such, treatments against flea and tapeworm are normally prescribed together.
Some, like the roundworm, that infect dogs can also get passed on to children.
In more serious cases, your dog will catch cough, pneumonia and develop lung problems.
There are different types of worms that infect dogs such as tapeworm, roundworm, ringworm and heartworm. De-worm your Boxer puppy every month and your grown Boxer, every 6 months.
Puppies get sick from worms, more so than dogs.
But your infected grown Boxers help spread the worms more through their droppings that would contain large number of larvae and/or eggs.
Released into the surrounding, these larvae and eggs could infect other animals and even children.
The tapeworms have a flat, segmented body.
You see them as single segments or chains that resemble segments of rice in the droppings of infected canine.
Part of the tapeworm’s life cycle occurs in the flea as the host. Therefore, if your Boxer has tapeworms, it has fleas too and the treatments for both are usually prescribed together by the vet.
The roundworms (toxocara) live and produce hundreds of eggs in the intestine.
They cause digestive upset in puppies, poor growth, and thin or out-of-conditioned coat.
The infected puppies may become listless, have a potbelly or tucked in appearance.
Once the roundworms migrated from the gut to the lungs, your Boxer can suffer lung damage, cough and pneumonia.
The roundworm eggs in the dog droppings get passed out and about.
These are very hardy eggs, resistant to heat and cold, and can survive up to 7 years in the soil. The eggs can pass on to children through ingestion and cause them to fall sick as well.
As precautions, you can toilet train your Boxer puppy to use a place where you can easily clean up and dispose of the droppings into the sewer. Have your children wash their hands every time after they handle the puppies and discourage your puppies from licking people hands or faces.
Feeding Your Boxer
Giving your Boxer a raw, natural diet (as opposed to commercially prepared one) makes the feeding task flexible and you get to control the quality of the food your Boxer is getting.
The Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or “BARF” diet is easy to prepare. You are basically feeding him “bones and raw food”, adding in or taking out supplement as needed.
It is better to first understand the principles behind this feeding method. And there are excellent reference books available on this subject matter.
Basically, the BARF diet is made up of raw meat and raw meaty bones, raw processed vegetables plus dairy products, eggs, fish, offal, muscle meats, fruit and maybe some supplements. It is a very balanced diet and you get to control the ingredients as well as the quality. Some people leave out dairy products or grains.
On the other hand, an owner suggests that you keep a Boxer healthy with occasional yogurt treats.
Boxers tend to have lots of food allergies. One owner put an ailing and lethargic Boxer on a strictly venison diet and the dog finally thrived, gained weight and became very active.
There is also a recent concern about eating a large amount of grapes or raisins, since they can be toxic to dogs, leading to acute kidney failure.
The reports concerning this grape/raisin poisoning have only just surfaced and the information is still sketchy at best. The Animal Poison Control Center in the US is investigating this new medical development.
Some questions remaining to be answered are:
· How much grapes or raisins eaten could become toxic to your dog?
· What is the toxic substance?
· How does it affect the kidney?
To be safe, have your veterinarian check your Boxer if he has eaten a large amount of grapes or raisins because a healthy kidney is key to its survival.
The Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or “BARF” diet is easy to prepare. You are basically feeding him “bones and raw food”, adding in or taking out supplement as needed.
It is better to first understand the principles behind this feeding method. And there are excellent reference books available on this subject matter.
Basically, the BARF diet is made up of raw meat and raw meaty bones, raw processed vegetables plus dairy products, eggs, fish, offal, muscle meats, fruit and maybe some supplements. It is a very balanced diet and you get to control the ingredients as well as the quality. Some people leave out dairy products or grains.
On the other hand, an owner suggests that you keep a Boxer healthy with occasional yogurt treats.
Boxers tend to have lots of food allergies. One owner put an ailing and lethargic Boxer on a strictly venison diet and the dog finally thrived, gained weight and became very active.
There is also a recent concern about eating a large amount of grapes or raisins, since they can be toxic to dogs, leading to acute kidney failure.
The reports concerning this grape/raisin poisoning have only just surfaced and the information is still sketchy at best. The Animal Poison Control Center in the US is investigating this new medical development.
Some questions remaining to be answered are:
· How much grapes or raisins eaten could become toxic to your dog?
· What is the toxic substance?
· How does it affect the kidney?
To be safe, have your veterinarian check your Boxer if he has eaten a large amount of grapes or raisins because a healthy kidney is key to its survival.
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