What are your adoption fees, and what do they include?

Our adoption donation for all Boxers is $350.00.  The adoption donation for a senior or “silver” boxer is $250.00.  For puppies that are too young to be spayed or neutered, we require a $100.00 deposit at the time of adoption.  This deposit is refunded back on proof of spay or neuter.  If surgery is prevented by a medical condition at the time of adoption, a timely surgery will be a requirement of the adoption contract and proof of spay or neuter must be provided to The Boxer Rescue). 

Can I see the dogs in person?

Our rescue does not have a “facility” where the dogs can be seen. We rely on our volunteer foster homes to care for our dogs.  Once your application has been approved and processed and your home visit has been completed, we will begin the matching process.  We will provide you with a volunteer contact so that you may discuss details about the specific dog or dogs.  These dogs will have been chosen upfront because we believe they are suited to your particular home and lifestyle.  Not all dogs fit every home (or vice-versa).  The volunteer who conducts the home visit will gather information about the prospective home answers any questions and provide input about that visit back to the rescue group.  Once that process is complete, a few of our volunteers and the foster home will make the final decision on the placement of any dog.  Once the dog has been matched, we will provide contact information to the prospective adoptive home so they can set up a meet and greet or to set up the adoption date for their new family member.  On occasion, we may ask that our adoptive families be willing to travel to meet and actually adopt their new Boxer.    

Why do you require that existing dogs in our home also be spayed or neutered? If the rescue Boxer is altered, then why is that so important?

Some Intact animals may exhibit certain characteristics that can make assimilation of "strange" dogs (rescue dogs) into a household difficult. This could cause additional stress on an animal that may already be stressed...one that needs comfort, security and stabilization. Also, most of our dogs come to us intact, and we have them spayed or neutered. Their hormones may not subside for 6 months after their neutering, which could also cause problems with their introduction and assimilation into a household with other intact dogs.

We are thinking about getting a companion for our resident dog, is there anything we should be aware of?

If you already have one dog you might want to consider adding a second dog to your family. If this is the case, you should be aware there are some special considerations when adopting a second dog. You may be considering adding another dog to the family to keep your first dog company or simply to have another pet to love. In either case, you should take care to ensure your second dog will be a good fit for your family, including your current dog.

Whether you plan to purchase or adopt your second dog, the following steps will help to make the process simpler:

1. Carefully consider your reasons for adding a second dog to the home. A second dog can be a wonderful companion for your original dog but it is unrealistic to expect the two dogs to keep each other entertained. They may enjoy playing together but if you are firmly established as the alpha, they will both still seek out your attention and require a great deal of your time and energy.
2. It is also important to consider the additional expense of a second dog. The budget for food, toys, treats and medical expenses will all increase with the addition of a second dog.
3. It is important to fully train your first dog before adopting a second. Trying to train two dogs at once can be quite difficult. However, if your first dog is already trained, he can be helpful in the training of the second dog as the new dog may learn by the examples set by your first dog.
4. The sex of your second dog is very important. If you already have a male, adding a female to the family will be easiest. Likewise if you have a female, adding a male is a good idea. It is also a good idea to ensure your current dog is spayed or neutered and to adopt or purchase a second dog that is already spayed or neutered. Dogs of the same sex are likely to fight often and problems can be exacerbated if the dogs are intact.

Two females living together:

When two females are close in age, there is a lot of competition. They will fight over rank and continuously try to establish alpha status. Such fights seem to occur in the presence of the owner. Because the owner is the ultimate pack leader, they may fight over who gets attention first. Owners must be knowledgeable on which of the two is higher in rank so he can pet her first every time and avoid conflicts.

Fights will also occur over other issues that tend to prove rank. They may fight over who walks first up a ramp of stairs or through the door; they may fight over sleeping areas, foods, treats and toys. Sometimes a cause may not be completely visible in the owner's eyes but it any case the dog higher in rank may have felt challenged by the other dog and felt the need to send her back down the ladder.

Adopting a female younger dog when owning already a female senior dog as mentioned above is also high risk. The newer dog may perceive that the older dog does not have what it takes to be a pack leader because of sickness or weakness and may try to take over the alpha role. The senior dog however, usually will fight with all her strength to maintain the top rank. Unfortunately, such fights have a history of having a sad ending, with the younger dog often killing the older one.  As a result of the potential issues with two females, our rescue will not adopt out two females together.  http://www.caberfeidh.com/Fight.htm

Frequently Asked Questions