George172

GEORGE 1/2/04
#172

Pictures

George's Foster Journey - Adopted 5/1/04

George is really a very active dog, but he also likes a good nap!

Pertinent Information
2 1/2 yr. old fawn male
90 lb. Owner Surrender
Neutered and UTD
Crate trained and Rides well in cars
Being Fostered in Nassau County, NY
Adoption Donation $250

7/1/04 - George is just as lovable with me as ever. He's regained the weight he lost and if I can't find some way to stop him he'll soon be even bigger. He hasn't broken into the food cabinets in the last to weeks. Thank heavens for that. I don't think I'll soon forget the mess I found in the kitchen and family room after his last two attempts to "clean out the cabinets". He has discovered that stealing cooling cakes and squares off the counter in a split second. He's faster than lightning. I can't turn my back to answer a phone or get something from the cabinet. He's eaten the last two desserts I made to take to a picnic and a birthday cake .My brother finally brought up his cage from the basement after 8 weeks of pleading so I have been locking him there for the last two days when I go out. He's not happy to be put in but I have got him there. I'm sure this smart dog will soon find a way to resist momentarily. He is very loving with me and is my constant companion. Unfortunately I'm becoming a hermit because he scares friends so much they won't come in the house. I haven't attempted to take him in the car since his last try to scare the traffic cop and the gas station attendant to death. I'm continuing to try to work with him to control his aggression issues but with very limited success. He quietly sat with me on the deck watching a deer for 30 minutes without barking but every cat and dog in the neighborhood takes wide detours to avoid him.

5/30/04 - We have come to love George. He has many adorable traits and can be great. I think he might be the smartest of all our previous boxers. He's a lot of company and is a good watch dog. Only a very brave thief would attempt to enter the house. He is very playful and thinks he is just a cute little lap dog. He has already put on some of the weight he had lost, most of sore spots have healed and his coat is much nicer. He a very good looking dog. He does however have some really bad habits that I am having trouble changing. He can indeed be aggressive when anyone comes in no matter how I attempt to gently introduce them. If the visitor hasn't already backed out the door with the growling and will stand their ground for a few minutes George usually becomes friendly and is soon licking them to death. If anyone has a fear of dogs, George will certainly reinforce that. He is a counter surfer. I had some family and friends helping with outdoor work so I had made a pot of sauce and meatballs & sausage. While I went to check if people were ready to eat George helped himself to 2 loaves of Italian bread and grinders. It's a good thing I wasn't long because the pan was been eyed with pleasure when I reentered. I guess I should be grateful he didn't get into the sauce. That would have been messy! I'm becoming exasperated cleaning up after him. He is not house trained. He still gets upset when he is left for even a very short time and messes the floor no matter how many times he has already been let out. He will even mess the floor without any kind of signal when I am in the very next room. I've verbally scolded him and he seems to realize he has done wrong but the carry through does not last more than a day. Positive reinforcement has produced a sly devil. I have given him a treat when he goes outdoors. He has that concept down because he has repeatedly scratched the door to go out, just stepped on the landing and barked and scratched to come back in without going. When let in he goes and paws the treat cabinet and when I don't give him a treat he goes on the floor. Although he loves to ride in the car anyone traveling in an adjacent car or cars at a light are viewed as fair game. I'm afraid he will break a window to get at them. I made the mistake of running low on gas with him in the car. I don't think the local garage man wants me as a customer any more. I could barely hand money through a crack in the window. When Tina said he was tough she wasn't kidding!!!. So tell me why I love him so much? We will continue to try to make progress on these issues. Any suggestions would be welcomed. Linda

5/1/04 - Well George left a little bit ago with a terrific family...two adults and a 17 year old boy....they have lots of boxer experience. I feel really good about this adoption and believe George will have a very spoiled life!

4/26/04 - George is pending adoption.

4/16/04 - It has been a while so George wanted to send in his own update.

Hi everyone...George here! Boy has it been a while and you know what... I am getting tired of being in this training facility!

I really am a good boy. I love people so much, I just want them all to my own...now, you tell me is that a reason to be here? And cats...now who in their right mind would like those furballs anyway! We boxers have much more personality, can keep you warm in the winter, snuggling with you in bed, and kiss the sweat off you in the summer...what more could you ask for!

Kids you ask?!...well I love kids and love for them to play with me...ok except the little ones...under 6, 7 8, you know, they are kinda small, I get going, forget my strength and can knock 'em over or hurt them with my big ole paws...don't mean to be nasty...it just sorta happens... so what they tell me is no dogs, no cats (YEAH!!) and no small kids.

Now I just know there has to be a family out there willing to take me in..a family with a home, land, maybe a farm in the country for me to romp and play. I don't want any whimps..I want someone to work and play with me and teach me how to be the dog I am suppose to be.

I am sitting here in this facility day after day just waiting for someone to come along and love me.

Please don't make me wait to long....boxer wiggles and kisses, your best friend to be, George

1/19/04 - The Wings & Halo Haven decided to have George over for a weekend stay over to get to know him a bit more. I have met George a couple of times at the trainers, but wanted to spend a weekend with him for a little one on one.
When I picked him up on Saturday, I had to park around the corner form the trainers place of business, as there was not parking by the storefront. When I got George, he had a regular buckle collar, and I had forgotten my pinch collar. I will tell you I had my hands full keeping George on my left side, and keeping him close to my hip. This is one strong boy. He was totally fine with everyone we passed on the sidewalk, he just seemed so happy to have some time outside. When we got to the car, he hopped right into the back, and watched the scenery.

We drove for abut 1/2 hr, and George arrived at his weekend retreat. I let him loose in the yard, and after a bit of exploring, he was ready to come into the lower level, and meet a few of the little guys (a peke and a shih tzu, both 15 lbs). He was a bit to inquisitive with Coby, the partially sighted Shih Tzu, so Coby snapped a bit, and George new it was time to move on.

After about a hour or so, my 23 yr old daughter came down and met George. He was fine with her, and later was fine with my 18 yr old daughter. George does have a habit of getting up on you and putting his paws on or over your shoulders. He is a big boy, and when he stands, he can do this to anyone under about 5 ft 8 inches. This is something that will need to be worked on. It has been worked on before, but George can be stubborn. When he does this, he starts giving you sweet, gentle kisses, but it is probably better if this kind of behavior is discouraged until the hierarchy is well established in the home. George did show me what a smart boy he is, as he quickly and happily did "sit", "paw", "down" and "speak". Speak was kinda cute, as his mouth was flapping, but only a little squeak was coming from his mouth.

Later in the day, we decided to let George meet my 105lb boxer, who is a bundle of mush, Chance. We always let Chance be lead temperament tester, as I know he will NEVER start anything. They met outside (leashes on, of course), and both were fine with each other. No nerves, nothing. After a bit, they came inside, and again were fine.

Later in the day, when Chance was downstairs, my oldest daughter was standing next to George petting and giving him some love, and Chance wandered by and got close so he could get some lovin too. George growled and Chance backed away. I was curious what this was all about, as they were getting along well, so i asked my daughter to call Chance over again. I firmly held Georges leash, and sure enough, when Chance got close to my daughter, George lunged at Chance. It happened very quickly, and was over just as quickly. Chance did get a little scrap on the bridge of his nose, but he is fine.

It appears that George does have some issues in "sharing" his 2 legged friends with his 4 legged friends. This does follow a pattern which got George into rescue in the 1st place. His original owners said George was getting into some scraps with the older female boxer in their home, although the female was starting most of them. But if the doorbell rang, or if they were both at the door greeting someone coming into the home, a fight would inadvertently start. I can see how that would happen after what I experienced.

I also tested George around the food bowl, and did not detect any issues there.

George is really a wonderful dog, we just need to find the right situation for him. I really enjoyed my weekend with him. He is a big boy, is beautiful as you can see, he just needs the right situation. That situation would probably be a home where there is a firm and steady hand, patience and commitment to work on his training, and no other pets. Also, children would be best to be older then 10, just so they can be big enough for George so he does not get confused as to who the alpha's are in the house.

Does this sound like your home? If so, George may be the boy for you. He is really a very nice boy, why not give him a chance for a new forever home. He deserves it, and so do you!

1/7/04 - From George's Former Owners - I just wanted to let any prospective person interested in adopting George that they would be getting a one in a million dog! He was great with the entire family but started to become dominant over my 3 year old daughter for some odd reason. George is a very protective dog, he would not let you into the house unless you were invited and once you were in he would not stop giving you kisses! George also loved to play 24 hours a day! If you are interested in a boxer and have kids over
8 years old George is the dog for you! We are so completely heartbroken that we had to give him up but we know he will find someone who will love him as much as we do. Give George a chance, you won't regret it! Please keep in touch with us as to how he is doing. We have plenty of pictures of him that we can email if anyone is interested.

1/2/04 - We are very sad to report that George has had to come back into rescue. He was doing extremely well in his new home until recently he has become dominant over their 3 yr old daughter. The family was heartbroken and felt it best to place George into another home with no young children. So we are looking for a home with adults and teenage and above for George. He is currently at our behaviorist for some training and is doing very well. George will be ready to go to his new home within a couple of weeks.

7/02/03 - Sorry I am late with our update. Georgie is doing just fine. He adds to the craziness of our family. He can be a little high strung at times but we are adjusting to it. The kids just love him. He is extremely protective of the house and the kids. However the kids are always all over him and he just takes it in stride. He is such the lover. I really am convinced that even though he is weighing in at 85 pounds that he thinks he is 20 pound lap dog. He is forever trying to sit on our laps. We had to get him a bed of his own, that we keep next to ours just so that he would stay out of our bed. He has a check up at the vet tomorrow and we are expecting to hear that he is in good health. He is a crazy dog that has caused craziness in our house but we love him and are glad that we made the decision to adopt him. He is just one of the family!

2/28/03 - Hello everyone, sorry our update is late. George is doing just fine. I think he is stir crazy being that we just had 20 more inches of snow. George is adjusting just fine with us but a few issues have come up. He can be very aggressive toward some people. Usually it is with some strangers, however he has been friendly one minute with someone he knows and then the next he will turn on them. Not sure what that means however it is causing
me some concern. I was unsure about getting such a large dog because of this reason. He has more aggression that I thought boxers had. He does well with our family members and really is very lovable. The kids love him and he really loves the kids.

1/20/03 - Sorry for the late update, things are always crazy in our household. George fits right in. We had a wonderful holiday season with Georgie. We have made contact with his previous owners and they have filled us in on a lot of Georgie's history. This has helped with our adjustment period. We have been working on his problem with not liking hats. We are making progress. He is a big crazy dog who loves to be the center of attention. He stays in his crate during the day without any problem. At night he was sleeping with our son but
lately has decided that he likes my bed. That does not leave a lot of room for me. The kids just love him and would not know what to do without him!

12/03/02 - Hello everyone, It has been almost a month and George is doing great. The adjustment is on going. I think he is feeling very comfortable with us. My daughter thinks he is her pony that she can ride. George is tolerating her. He lets her know when he is tired of playing. He likes to wake up our son with lots of wet boxer kisses. We thought about changing his name, however decided against it. George is a wonderful addition to our
family. Thank you Boxer Angels Rescue!

11/15/02 - Hello, I am not sure where to start about our first week with George. How about that he is completely attached to Jeff. He follows him everywhere and cries when he leaves the house. He seems to be adjusting well and is adapting to our lifestyle. It is also a big adjustment for us. We forget that we have to close the garbage cans, gates, and wipe paws. We are learning. He has been great with Matthew and Carli. He loves running all over the yard, has been playing ball with the kids and burying bones. Matthew will throw a ball in the air and George will catch it in his mouth. He does not know to bring it back, but Matthew is working on it. He is tolerating Carli hanging all over him. It is hard to explain to her that she needs to give him his space. She walks around telling him to sit and stay. He is already listening to her. I am convinced that she will have him in a bonnet having tea parties with her and her dolls in know time.
He is eating well (6 cups per day) and enjoying all his treats. We are convinced George is an escape artist. On his first day crated (while we were at work) he broke through the top of the crate and got out. Thank heavens he did not hurt himself. When Jeff got home and found him in the living room, George definitely knew he did wrong. He coward when Jeff went to him and was so afraid that he wet all over himself. Jeff reassured him that he was not going to hurt him however, let him know that he did wrong. Today he stayed put in his crate.
He has had no accidents and lets us know when he needs to go out. He always lets Matthew's friends in and out of the yard and house without a problem. He will let some adults in the house but others he does a lot of barking and growling at. He does not do well on the leash. He seems to be aggressive with people and animals that he comes in contact with during his walks. We have curtailed the walking for now until he is more adjusted to us and us to him. Also until we complete his obedience training. I am still looking into different trainers and will make a choice soon. He is sleeping with Matthew at night. They are both loving that. We are taking George for his first well visit next Thursday. Thank you for helping us bring George into our family.

11/11/02 - Hi everyone! Until I get a digital camera or some of the rolls of pictures developed the only shots I can show you are those of George sleeping on his now favorite couch in the basement. In this picture last night it was 11:30 pm and I was just finishing some work on my fantasy football league on the computer. I turned around to find George upside down snoring like a freight train! Boy, is he fitting right in! He does not seem to get along with the next door neighbors dog, but that might just take time. His eating is now back on schedule, WHAT A HORSE! HE EATS FAST! We have to put a can, or ball in his bowl to slow him down.

11/8/02 - Well, I think this is it---the home's George has been waiting for. Dad made the long trip alone, and said that the kids at home are soooo excited to see George---2 year old daughter already has the doggie cookies ready. George immediately decided that he loved his new Dad---didn't need any "warm up" time at all. And George's Dad said that George "exceeded his hopes." How's that for a compliment to one of the nicest foster boys we've had here! We are all going to miss this lovable boy, but Dad Jeff said that he will definitely keep in the loop---even got a digital camera so that he can share future photos of George with us! Speaking of photos, here's some of our boy George and his new Dad.

10/31/02 - George is pending adoption.

10/27/02 - Well, George had a busy weekend. On Saturday he went on a home visit, where he thoroughly charmed the family. He always loves being the center of attention! Sunday was a chore day, and George had so much fun being outside for the afternoon while the yard got a cleaning. It was a beautiful day, and the three dogs just ran and ran around the yard playing together. George is such a good boy. Well, I must confess that our Georgie Porgie is a certified couch potato. We have one couch that the dogs are allowed on, and George just loves it when he “gets the couch.” Yesterday, he was forced to share it with Poppy; each had a side, butt to butt. But tonight,
George got it first, and stretched himself out as long as he could. My Duke just lay on the floor staring at George, grunting and groaning, and George just gazed down at Duke with a completely lazy-day expression. George wasn’t going to be intimidated to get off that couch! He is a Boxer boy who likes the comfortable, lived-in home!

10/24/02 - Well, Georgie boy had a bath today. My son filled the tub and told George “in” and the cutie pie actually stuck a leg in before decided that it wasn’t his idea of a fun time. He always tries to please. So, he was lifted into tub and washed up. After his towel-drying, he raced around and around, crawling under the big dog pillows on the floor. He is quite frisky right now. I think he likes that clean feeling ;-)
Last night George did the cutest thing, I was holding him and giving him kisses, which he loves. He has this cute way of holding real still and pressing his mouth onto my face, like a kiss but without the slimy licks, which is just fine with me. All of a sudden, he started nibbling on my nose! (Very gently) I started laughing, and he got all wiggly—he has a GREAT Boxer wiggle!
George is waiting patiently for his very own home, and will be such a loving family member. Get ready for lots of hugs and cuddling with George!