TICK I T BOU BOXERS

Rhoda, Wally & Kyle Ace, Box 656, Osgoode, On. K0A 2W0 613-826-3200

tickitbou@xplornet.com                                                             www.tickitbouboxers.com

INTRODUCTION

  Thank you for inquiring about our Tickitbou Boxers.  In choosing the Boxer as the breed that you wish to share your life with, you have chosen a truly wonderful dog.  The boxer is a dog with great intelligence, fearlessness, agility, and strength.  These attributes enabled the boxer to be one of the first breeds selected for police work in Germany.  The Boxer has evolved to be a loyal companion, full of vim and vigor, with a zest for life and a love for people.

           THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND TICKITBOU

  TICKITBOU kennels is striving to produce sound healthy dogs that every family would love to love as well as the judges love to look at.  To achieve this, we are very dedicated in breeding only sound, healthy specimens of the breed, without compromise.  However, even the best laid plans need help along the way.  That’s why all Tickitbou dogs are fed a natural, species appropriate diet.  It is an extremely easy way to feed a wholesome diet to your dog, and the results are amazing. The Boxer is a breed that is prone to ailments such as cancer and heart disease.  It is our belief that even though we do our best to ensure that breeding lines are free of these problems, our dogs need our help to keep them healthy.   This starts with eliminating the impurities and additives that so often have been proven to be cancer causing agents.  Careful and educated selection of a quality food is the first step.  If you don’t choose to follow our diet suggestions, we will be happy to help you find a quality, natural food that will best suit your dog and lifestyle needs. 

  All of our breedings are carefully planned and parents are heart and health checked prior to being bred.  Puppies are socialized with other dogs, people and children, and housed in different settings within our house and kennel.

  Upon bringing home your new puppy/dog, there are a few things you will need.  First and foremost, a crate.  The first thing you must learn about this invaluable piece of equipment is that it is not a horrible thing that every animal hates, but rather a quiet place that your new dog can call his own.  The crate provides a valuable training tool for house breaking, and provides a safe environment for your Boxer when you are not available to watch their every move.  I prefer the fiberglass crates as they are warmer and more stable in case of an accident in transport, and they are much quieter than wire crates.  Size is also very important.  Your Boxer must be able to stand, turn around, and lay down comfortably.  The size I recommend is comparable to the “Vari Kennel 400” for a female and Vari Kennel 500” for a male.  When introducing a young puppy to a crate, the crate should be made smaller so the puppy has only enough room to stand, lay and turn around.  Too much room can result in the puppy habitually using his crate to relieve himself.  When introducing a new puppy to your home make the transition as quiet and uneventful as possible.  Have the crate ready in a central location, with the door open and the puppies toys inside, this allows the puppy free access and gives him a place to escape and sleep. Puppies should always be fed in their crate.  This will make you puppy a consistent eater, as well as making the crate a pleasant place to be.  A cookie given when its time for the dog to go to its crate is a good reward, and the puppy soon with rush to its crate when he hear’s the cookie box.  At night place the crate beside you bed or some place close so you can hear if they wake and need to go out, or discipline if they are disruptive.  Never try to crate train a dog by placing them in their crate and leaving.  This will only cause separation anxiety.  Crate training should be done while you are home and in the room and at varying times through out the day.  Do not expect a dog to be happy when the only time it sees a crate is when you are leaving.

  If your puppy is disruptive in its crate, remove the puppy, and take it directly outside to relieve itself.  Immediately put the puppy back in its crate.  If the puppy is still disruptive, this is the time for discipline.  A sharp “No” with a stern look on your face will help.  If this doesn’t help,

escalate the correction to a good rattle of the crate, and back this up with “No! Quiet!”  Other alternatives are a spray bottle of water or a penny can, shaken loudly when the puppy is disruptive.  It often helps to have the crate covered.  Usually if they can’t see out, they will curl up and go to sleep.  The puppy needs to be happy in its crate in all occasions.  This will make for a happy well adjusted pet.

  The Boxer makes a wonderful house dog.  With adequate outdoor exercise, he will usually settle down for a long nap.  Most adult boxers require a daily romp of high quality, high paced activity.  You need not spend hours outside but a good 10 mins. With a ball will suffice.  If you are so inclined, and like to run or jog, I recommend that you leave your Boxer at home until he is at least one year of age, or until he is done growing.  After that, he will be a willing companion.  Puppies should only be self exercised.  Keep play time to short intervals, and restrict rough housing with adult dogs.  Joints on puppies are very soft and are extremely susceptible to injury. Train your puppy early on to walk properly, with out pulling, on lead.  If you are having difficulty achieving this, please seek help, either from us or a trainer.  Under no circumstances should you ever use a HALTIE or GENTLE LEADER on your boxer.  These are training devices that apply pressure over the nose.  On most breeds these are fine.  The anatomy of a boxer face gives them a very short nasal passage.  It also makes the cartilage of the nose at the same or higher level than the bone of the nose.  When the pressure of the Halter is applied over this area, it restricts their ability to breathe properly.  I would rather see a dog controlled with a prong collar than a halter type.

  Careful consideration must be give to our environment and our Boxers daily routine.  The below freezing temperatures we experience in our Canadian winters can quickly cause frost bite on our short coated friends.  On those extremely cold winter mornings, I recommend just a brief time out, just long enough to relieve themselves.  The hot days of summer can also cause problems.  A boxer left unattended in a car, or even outside without

Adequate shade and water can suffer heat stroke or death n a very short time.  White or Checked Boxers are very prone to sunburn.  You may want to consider a safe, non-toxic sunscreen to prevent this.

  One last word.  We do not advocate off lead dog parks for Boxers.  The only place your Boxer should be off lead is on your own property.  Boxers are strong dogs and in the wrong situation can cause a lot of damage.  With Governments in the heated battle of Breed Specific Legislation we want to

do everything possible to prevent this great breed from being next on the chopping block.  If in public always keep your dog on lead.

FEEDING

Your new puppy is used to 3 meals a day. We recommend that you follow this schedule until the puppy is approximately 3 months of age.  If you choose to feed our diet you will seldom have a digestive upset, and will have a very healthy puppy that grows at a slow steady pace.  If you choose to feed a more commercial diet follow these guidelines when looking for a food to feed you puppy.  We recommend that you look for a higher fat level (above 14%) and a moderate protein level (below 26%).  Never feed a puppy formulation.  The protien is much too high and this will result in rapid growth, leaving joints more sussesiptable to injury.  A good quality protien source is better at moderate levels.  Read labels and avoid any food that is not preserved with Vit. E or C.  Look for food that are made with human grade ingredients and are certified hormone free.  There are many good Natural diets on the market now.   Feel free to check with us if you think one might fit your needs.

  We recommend all our puppy people purchase the book by Dr. Pitcairin, “Dr. Pitcairins Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats”.  In that book, you will find some excellent recipes for home cooking, and also wonderful explanations of good health through natural rearing.  There is no hard fast rule as to how to feed your puppy, and it usually takes some experimenting to find what works best.  We do recommend that you feed your dog in its crate, thus elimination distractions, and encouraging good eating habits.

WARNING

  Certain breeds are highly sensitive to Heartworm prevention medication.  Although you have been told these drugs are safe, they may cause many adverse side effects from excessive drooling to seizures, and the most severe being death.  We have seen sever reactions to drugs such as Revolution, Program, Heartguard, Interceptor and Sentinal.  If you feel you must use a heartworm preventive, please research the drug yourself, and make an informed decision.  A daily dose of medication is easier to reverses than a drug that is to be released in the system over a month.  Treat only

for the peak of the mosquito season, not year round.  Remember these drugs are insecticides that are potent enough to kill a parasite over an extended period of time, it therefore has the potential to do serious harm to your dog.  Stop and think about things like a treatment going on the skin of your dog (it’s largest organ), and you aren’t supposed to come in contact with it.  If it isn’t safe for you, then why would it be safe for your dog?

  There are herbal and holistic alternative available, if you feel you must treat you dog.  These are proven safe and effective.  Rescues in the US have treated severe heart worm positive dogs herbally with great success.

 INOCULATIONS

  It has been our experience that dog’s immune systems are breaking down with all the so called preventative measures we are taking.,  If one of our dogs is ever to become ill, it will be soon after they receive their inoculations.  We are not against inoculations.  They are a very necessary evil.  By following our schedule however, we feel that we are minimizing the harmful effects.  We follow the vaccination schedule set forth by Dr. Jean Dodds, and we insist that puppy people follow that schedule as well or the guarantee will not be honored. That schedule is attached in this hand out.  We do not recommend giving Rabies vaccine until the dog is matured, or past 8 months.  Never give Rabies or any other vaccine in conjunction with

surgery, or when the dog is in less than perfect health.  Rabies must only be give every 3 years according to law.

TRAINING

We recommend that all puppies enroll in at least one session of puppy kindergarten.  This is an excellent way to socialize you puppy and is the building block to good behaviour.  After you puppy has received it’s second set of vaccinations is an excellent time to start.  At about 6 months of age, once your puppy is done teething, they are ready to continue their training.  Visit several trainers and get tier vies on training.  A boxer needs a highly motivational class, with lost of rewards.  They are very intelligent and if not motivated will soon figure out many ways of avoiding what you ask.  Do not be afraid to ask for references, as a bad introduction to training can set the tone of your dog’s behaviour for the rest of his /her life.  Look for a trainer who uses a positive approach, with many rewards.  Your local kennel club will usually have a list of recognized trainers.

  In closing, we hope hopefully covered the basics to ensure you and your Boxer have a good start to a long and happy relationship.  Do not take our word as gospel.  Research on your own some of the specifics we have mentioned.  Vets are not always receptive to “our” way of doing things, so it is best that you are well armed with your own knowledge and facts.  Please also remember that our commitment to our dogs does not stop when the dog is sold, but continues throughout its life.  If you ever have any question or concerns, we will always be there to help.