ZEUS 4/6/05
#464
Pictures
Zeus's Foster Journey - Adopted 6/8/05
Post Adoption
Nothing like a good belly rub!
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Pertinent Information
6
yr. old Brindle Male Boxer (with perhaps a little Great Dane?)
110 lb. Shelter Surrender
Natural Ears and Docked Tail
Neutered & UTD
No cats
Being Fostered near Boston, MA
Adoption Donation $250
6/7/06 - Today is Zeus's one year anniversary with us. We've also made today his birthday as we don't know when it officially is. Zeus has been such a pleasure to have in our family. He really has become the dog we always wanted. He is still a very spoiled dog. We feel he needs all the loving we can give him as we don't know much about what his life was like before. He's become so much more relaxed. Most people can now get through the door with no problem. We tell him everyone comes to visit him, not us. He still has issues with squirrels and some dogs, but it's manageable. We went away on vacation and had to kennel him for five days. We started to bring him to doggie day care before we left on vacation so he would get used to the people and the place and all the other dogs. The handlers said he was very well behaved and had no problem adjusting to the place. They said he was just like the house dogs that live there. I must say, he did sleep very well when we got him home and he could hardly bark at all. I thought he might be mad at us for leaving him there, but that was not the case. He has also now taken over the love seat in the living room. We started to let him lie on the ottoman which he really enjoyed. Then one day when Quince got off the love seat, Zeus very quietly decided to relocate himself onto the love seat. We didn't much mind. It's the only furniture he goes on. That's exactly where you will find Zeus if you ever come to visit. Resting comfortably on the love seat. Our summer house is again open for the season. Zeus has been getting hours of play time down on the beach. He is very good off his leash provided there are no other animals around. He comes back immediately when called. I've attached updated pics (top 2 on the right) of our boy for anyone who actually checks up on Zeus. Thanks for reading.
11/24/05 - Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Zeus here, and boy do I have a lot to be thankful for. First I want to thank the Boxer Angels Rescue for getting me out of the shelter. And I also have to thank everyone who helped transport me to my foster home in Boston where Sandy took great care of me until I found my forever home. And most of all to my Mommy and Daddy who just take great care of me and love me to death. I have three separate beds to choose from. There's one in the bedroom with my Mommy and Daddy. There's one in my crate which I really don't use too much. Then there's one in the living room. That's the one I love the most. I get sooo much attention here. They love me a whole lot. I have an entire shelf in the pantry all to myself. That's where all of my snacks are. Mommy likes to buy me lots of toys, but I normally destroy them very quickly. Except for the Kongs, they're pretty tough . I also have many leashes and collars in different colors. I'm wearing my red one now for the holidays. My Daddy always saves me something from his dinner plate and shares with me. The only thing I decided I don't like is Frank's Hot Sauce. I get lots of carrots all day long as a snack. Daddy says they're healthy for me. I don't mind. Food is food. I pretty much like it all. I get taken out for many walks to do my business. Daddy runs me everyday. I've lost 15 pounds already. Mommy likes to take me for long walks. No running with her. She enjoys her quality time with me. I'm thankful they decided to keep an older boxer like me and give me a chance. Well, have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I need to go into the kitchen now and help supervise Daddy while he cook's this big turkey. Maybe I can mooch some more food. Bye.
11/7/05 - Time is going by so quickly. Summer has come and gone and we have closed down the summer house for the winter. Zeus was finally cut loose from his leash one day while we walking down the beach. After Labor Day most people close up their houses, the kids go back to school. It really is the best time out there. We figured with less distractions he would be fine and he was. Zeus would never wander more than 10 feet ahead of us and was always turning around to check on us. When called, he came right over. We would stay down the beach for hours at a time. When it was time to leave, the poor guy was so exhausted he couldn't even jump into the back of our truck. He still loves to dig for rocks and has no problem submerging his head in the water to get to a rock.
Zeus has also lost more weight. He is now down to 102 pounds and is looking good. Some people in our neighborhood can't even believe that it's the same dog. He has lost a total of 15 pounds since we adopted him in early June. Zeus stills goes running every morning with Quince. And he still has issues with squirrels. I think this is something that we're just going to have to live with. We're going to try to maintain his weight now. I don't want my boy getting to skinny.
I recently bought Zeus a red rain coat. We had eight straight days of raining before it finally stopped. I wasn't sure if Zeus would like wearing any type of clothing, but what a good boy. He had no problem wearing it at all. Although Quince has resorted to calling him Zeus the WonderDog because it looks as though Zeus is wearing a red cape. I even purchased some real nice sweaters for Zeus for the winter. I don't want my boy getting cold this winter. Unfortunately, the sweaters needed to be returned. Zeus didn't have a problem wearing them, they were just too small for him. Too bad they don't come in a XXL. So instead he has a shearling coat. Until our next write up, take care.
9/6/05 -
I figured I would send you
some new pictures of Zeus. I don't think the current pictures do him
any justice. He is a much better looking dog in person.
Zeus is really coming around. We recently had a BBQ out at the summer
house. We had quite a few people over and Zeus was soooo good. He
didn't give us a problem at all with people coming and going. Everyone
made such a fuss about him. I think he really enjoyed all the attention
he was getting and the treats he was getting probably didn't hurt
either. At first when people met Zeus I think they get a little
intimidated by his size. But once they get past that, they love him.
He really is a sweet dog. He still has issues with squirrels and some
dogs but we're working on that.
Quince recently built some gates for the deck. Now we can let him out
without having to tie him up. He has more room to play and he doesn't
get tangled up anymore. We bought a new toy for him called a "Teaser
Ball". It has a small ball inside of a larger plastic ball about the
size of a basketball. He loves to chase and push this ball around. He
barks at it, pounces on it, barks at it some more. It's the only toy he
likes to play with on a steady basis. Don't get me wrong, he still
likes his Kong (especially with peanut butter) but this is hysterical to
watch. Just stay out of his way and you'll be fine.
Quince and I are so happy with the way things turned out. He really is
a good dog. Every time I come home from shopping Zeus is checking out
all of my bags. He thinks I only go shopping for him. I must admit,
there normally is something in one of the bags for him. He really is
quite spoiled. I know now he is in his forever home. I just hope he is
a happier dog now and I hope he is having a better life now than what he
had before. I'm not quite sure what his prior life was like. I just
hope he's happier now. I know we are!
8/30/05 - I can't even begin to tell
you how happy Quince and I are to have Zeus in our lives. What a
difference three months have made. The beginning was rocky, but
with time and patience everything is working out just great. I'm
glad we took Gary's advice. He is getting easier to walk now.
Still has major issues with squirrels. We ran into a cat during
our afternoon walk today and Zeus didn't get crazy. I was able to
get Zeus to continue our walk and he lost interest in the cat. My
finger is now healed and I've been able to walk him unescorted by
Quince. I really do enjoy our walks together. I carry a
little bag of training snacks on my hip and when we pass other animals
and he behaves....he gets a treat. This has been working very
well.
Friends of ours had to go to Alabama recently to pick up their kids.
Their children had been staying with family for the summer. They
have a boxer pup only six months old named Sugar Ray. They were
going to put him in a shelter for the week while they were gone. I
volunteered to pup-sit for them. We had Zeus met with Sugar Ray
the week before they were leaving to see if they would get along.
They met us out at the summer house and they got along great! I
don't know if it was because he knew it was a pup or if Zeus knew Sugar
Ray was a boxer and knew his own kind. Either way, I didn't really
care. I was just soooo happy to see Zeus play with another dog.
When the pup got to be too much, Zeus just put Sugar Ray in his place
and then a few minutes later they were all over each other. They
were licking each other, kissing each other. It was really cute.
I figured this was going to me easy. Then the day came when they
dropped off Sugar Ray at the house in the city.
Things didn't go as well as they had the week before. I think Zeus
felt threatened because this was home turf. We had to separate the
two. The pup stayed upstairs and Zeus had the first floor. I
can honestly say now, I'm glad we didn't go with a puppy. Sugar
Ray is as cute as can be and listens and is such a good dog. But
pups are a lot of work. I don't think I'll be volunteering to
puppy sit any time soon. I guess getting a second dog would be out
of the question. I was considering another boxer but I think Zeus
loves getting all the attention and we're content with giving it to him.
7/19/05 - It's been about four and
half weeks now that we've had Zeus. He seems to be adjusting very well.
I few minor bumps in the road but that's too be expected.
He is walking a little better with the Gentle Leader that I use when I
walk him. Quince still uses the harness now and again but he is a lot
stronger than I am and can control him a lot better. Some dogs he has
met and he's been fine. Other dogs, not so well. I kind of think Zeus is
a racist because he really doesn't like little white dogs.
We've had a few mishaps. Out at the summer house July 4th weekend I had
him tied out to a tree. I was laying down on the hammock when I saw him
go into the crouch/attack position as I call it. Two women were walking
by with two little white dogs. Zeus charged, the women began to scream.
I was yelling that he was tied up and couldn't reach the road which is
where they were. He got at the end of the tie up and went ballistic.
Barking and trying with all his might to get at them. One woman picked
up her dog the other one wouldn't stop carrying on. I got Zeus back over
to the hammock where I wanted to look at his neck. He had charged with
such force he almost hurt himself. While I was looking at his neck I
noticed the D-ring on his collar which the tie out was anchored to, had
broken and now was now a straight piece of metal. Thank God Zeus didn't
realize this. If he would've gotten to those two little dogs, I think it
would have been ugly. So of course another trip to PetCo for a new
collar with a stronger D-ring.
He loves to walk the beach. Quince gets him down first thing in the
morning before the sun bathers are there. He loves digging up big rocks
and carrying them around in his mouth. He also found a crab which was
alive when he found it. He decided he should carry that around in his
mouth. Crab is now DOA. He only dropped the crab when he saw a squirrel.
That's another issue. He also loves digging holes. I'm not sure what
he's looking for but he sure has a good time doing it. He doesn't seem
to keen on the water. He'll stick his feet in it but that about it. It's
very calm water being that it's Long Island Sound and not the ocean.
Zeus is great with children. When Quince was bringing him home after his
nightly walk on the beach he was walking back up the hill. About ten
kids charged Quince and Zeus and wanted to know if they could pet the
dog. Before Quince could even answer all the kids were petting and
touching him and Zeus didn't seem to mind. The first time Zeus met my
two nephews he was a total gentlemen. He must know that kids are little
adults and is very gentle with them. Grown men he seems a little bit
apprehensive about. My mother can now walk right in the front door with
no problem. When he meets people outside the house he's fine. But don't
try walking in the front door. We've been having Quince walk the dog
when friends and family come over. This way by the time he gets back
from his walk, the guests are already in the house and sitting down.
This seems to be working better.
Zeus also went back for his second visit to the Vet. He got his second
Lyme shot and a Lepto shot. Zeus now weights in at 110 lbs. He lost 7
lbs in about four weeks. Quince takes him running every morning up at
the park. Quince has also lost 7lbs. Maybe I should take Zeus running.
My finger is healing nicely. I now take Zeus for his short little walks
in between Quince's marathon walks. I only take him for long walks if
Quince is with me. Like I said before, he's getting better. I'm not
quite sure why he goes nuts sometimes with dogs and other times he just
doesn't care. He's also gone nuts over large dogs so I know he's not
being a bully with just little dogs. Who knows!
Zeus actually lies down now in the car. When we go to the summer house
we take his bed with us. I think its a combination of his bed in the car
and we normally leave at night. Darkness works best for car rides. If
it's daytime he likes looking at everything. Zeus doesn't like traffic
but who does. He seems to do a lot more bouncing around and crying in
traffic.
I'm glad things are working out much better now. Zeus is now a part of
this family and he's not going anywhere. We love him and I'm sure he
loves us. I'm sure in time he'll only get better.
6/14/05 - This is our first update
since bringing Zeus home. He seemed to enjoy the car ride from Boston to
New York, but decided to stand the whole ride home. That's a three and
half hour car ride. When we brought him in the house he found his new
crate right away and went right in it. I had to coax him out. I wanted
him to get used to his new home. I showed him his new bed which is at
the foot of our bed. He didn't want much to do with it. I kind of think
that Zeus thought it wasn't his. I had to lay on the floor with him and
let him know it was okay for him to use his own bed. Now every night
when I go to bed I tell Zeus its bedtime, and he goes right to his bed
and goes to sleep. I don't even close the bedroom door when we sleep at
night and he stays there all night long with us. He knows all his basic
commands and listens in the house. He is such a great dog in the house.
I'm just having some difficulty walking him outside. He is such a big
strong boy that a collar doesn't seem to work. Quince and I recently
bought a harness which seems to be working much better. Zeus doesn't
seem to mind other people out on the street but if he sees another dog
or squirrel...that's another story. I lost control of him yesterday
morning when I was walking him. I didn't use the harness, just the
collar which turned out to be a mistake. I normally don't see anyone
else at 5:30 in the morning and thought the collar would be enough. Well
as luck would have it, someone else was out there walking their dog and
Zeus got the better of me and took me off my feet and down to the ground
and started to drag me towards the poodle. I couldn't control him and
verbal commands weren't working either. I had to let go of the leash. He
didn't bite the other dog, he just seemed to chase him around in
circles. I finally got a hold of him and got him away from this poor
little poodle. Zeus was fine, the other dog was fine, but I was shaken
up and had a few minor bruises. I found out that I broke my finger
and now it's in a splint. I'm unable to write and am currently unable to
walk Zeus. We need to figure out how to walk him without losing control.
Putting up a fence in our yard wouldn't be that big of a deal. But we
have a summer house out on Long Island and there are 100 houses on the
property. Everyone owns their own house but all the shareholders own the
land equally and putting up fences is strictly prohibited. So we need to
get this walking thing under control. Gary stopped by the house on
Saturday to meet with Zeus and to help us figure out how to walk him
without losing control. Gary used the choker on Zeus which seemed to
help. But poor Zeus's neck got raw. I'm not using the choker anymore. I
can't do that to my boy. We are now taking Zeus to private dog training
sessions in Manhattan. David, the trainer, suggested we use the Gentle
Leader. That seems to be working better than the harness and better than
the choker. Zeus still seems to be working out his issues with
squirrels. Hopefully we can resolve this.
We gave Zeus his first bath the day after we got him. We washed him
good, cleaned his feet and even cleaned his ears. He didn't seem to mind
or ever care. Afterwards I gave him a Kong with peanut butter which he
seemed to enjoy. What a pleasure it was to bath him. My husband was in
our tenant's apartment installing a rail in the bathtub. Zeus went
downstairs to investigate and jumped right into the tub. I guess Zeus
wanted another bath.
Zeus is such a great dog in all other aspects. He doesn't jump on us or
the furniture and he doesn't counter surf. Someone down the line has
trained him very well. Zeus loves to be in what ever room Quince and I
happen to be in. He loves to be petted and touched constantly. I find
myself laying on the floor with him just to be closer to him. He loves
to rest his head on my chest and then fall asleep (and then snoore). He
also burps and farts. LOL .
Zeus seems to be adjusting well. If we can just get this walking thing
under control. I'll keep you posted.
6/8/05 - Zeus
has been adopted
Zeus just left with Quince and Sue who came all the way from
the Bronx to Boston to pick up their new "baby." All went very well!
They said he was beautiful and Quince got a tiny ear nuzzle - already!
They had a new collar and leash with his name and address on a tag.
After we were done with paperwork and all, Zeus was so excited to get
into their vehicle, he didn't even wait for the hatch to be all the way
up before jumping in! There was a nice fluffy comforter for a bed and a
small kong for him to chew on (empty, he IS on a diet). As they pulled
away, Zeus looked at me out the back window and I waved at him. He
looked very happy, which actually made it easier to let him go. I really
liked Quince and Sue, and I look forward to seeing their updates.
6/4/05 - Zeus is pending adoption
5/24/05 - I don’t know how many
more ways I can say how greatZeus is! (But you know I’m going to try,
anyway!)
He’s always been easygoing and well behaved (excepting for kitties, but
lots of doggies don’t like them, right? :o), but even so, I can see a
change in him. The first couple of weeks, he was a bit nervous, which is
to be expected, regardless of anything else. He loved being touched if
he saw it happening, but if you touched him anywhere that he didn’t see
it coming, he would whip his head around and you could see the touch of
fear in his eyes, even though he would never get aggressive with you
about it. One time, early on, as I was putting my arm in my jacket
sleeve while standing next to his head, he actually dropped to the
floor! And any loud noise would startle him. I felt so badly for him!
Such a beautiful, regal boy, to be so fearful. Well, Zeus being the
quick learner that he is, soon realized that any touching he received
here was all good, and he doesn’t have any more jitters about things
like arms waving in the air, either. Now you can touch him any where,
any time, whether he sees you or not, and he’s very happy about it. I
usually give him a bunch of rubbing around his neck and back while he’s
eating, and he just continues eating and wagging his nubbin. And it’s
the rare noise that can startle him now (like he’s not happy with the
strong winds we’ve been having, blowing things around outside his
window), which just makes him curl up in a tight ball at the back of his
crate – wish I knew what to do about that. I did give him a few drops of
Bach’s Rescue Remedy in his mouth before leaving for work, and I hope it
works like “they” say. Not that Zeus gets nutty about the noises, I just
don’t like to see him so sad.
He eats fast, but I think it’s because he just likes his food; he’s
certainly not aggressive about it. And a really good thing about him is
– he doesn’t seem to have “gas”!! He might give a teensy burp after
eating, but I sure don’t have any problem with that!! :o)
He’s recently gotten started play bowing – with my adult son and the
girls. Zeus thinks it’s such great fun! He’s even getting into face
wrestling and that thing where they mouth each others’ legs (the girls
do this constantly – I don’t know what to call it) with Harley. It’s a
little difficult for him to do with SoBe, seeing as she is less than
half his size and weight. Zeus’ tail wags constantly! And he does the
most wonderful bean dance, you just have to laugh! He gets a lot of
attention here, there’s almost always someone in the computer room with
him, but he so deserves to have his own person/family. He’s been getting
“free” time in the house when we’re home, and
he doesn’t counter surf or even attempt to get on the furniture, even if
the girls are on it right in front of him. He’s gotten another bath, and
this time I just had to say “in” and into the bathtub he went! And he
was just as marvelous the second time as the first! He sure likes being
dried off with a big, fluffy towel!
He can hold a lot of “water.” I sometimes think he’d rather burst than
have an accident in the house or his crate!! I really find it quite
amazing. There are set times they all go out (with additional “breaks”
if asked for by the girls), so I don’t know how he would ask to go out
(I'm sure he would find a way, tho!), but after any length of time -
first thing in the morning (after 10 hours or so), at lunch or when we
get home from work, Zeus does know how to do the “peepee” dance! He’ll
get the to door before me (no surprise there!) and do this little
“marching” dance with his front paws, kind of like a kid who needs to go
REAL bad (mothers of little skin kids will know what I mean!). It might
not be funny to him, but I sure have to chuckle about it.
I’ve been wanting to take him for a walk off our block, but we have been
having such horrible weather here in MA! Cold and rainy all but 2-3 days
this month. Today we’re even having a northeaster, and it’s almost
June!! Not good walking weather at all. He doesn’t seem to mind rain or
cold, but I sure do!! I do take him out front on a leash, as I’ve said,
and he’s certainly not uncontrollable, but I’d like to see how he does
in a longer walking situation. He doesn’t actually heel – his steps are
too big, but he’s not constantly pulling on the leash, either. However,
it’s usually just in the evening, so we have yet to see a squirrel (I
think they got the word from my kitties not to show up when he’s out
there!).
I just know there’s the perfect home out there for my big boy. A more
affectionate Boxer you won’t find! He doesn’t give many kisses – maybe a
couple small ones a week, and they seem to all go to my son, but he is
still a very loving baby in many ways. He will look right at your face
when you have “conversations” with him, and it’s like he understands
what you’re saying! I even get a little sigh out of him now and then. My
four kitties won’t be sad to see Zeus go so they can have the run of the
house again, but I sure will be! Seeing him grow out of being jittery
and wary to a constantly happy boy just by being with people who love
him all the time makes me so happy about having agreed to foster him. He
didn’t have any bad habits that he needed to break, but he was
emotionally hungry, and now I think he is almost “full”! Once he’s with
his own family, he will be complete, as they will be, also.
5/12/05 - Ahhhh, there is almost
nothing like a good belly rub! (See new picture at left.)
Zeus is such a sweetheart to foster! He is so full of Boxer wiggles and
nubbin wags, he seems so much to want to please, and he is such a moosh!!
He lets me (and anyone, really) squish his wonderful face, play with his
ears, hug him vigorously around the neck or body, scratch/rub/massage
him anywhere (sometimes I am concentrating on the computer so not paying
attention directly to him, but that is okay with him, as long as my hand
is on him when I'm not using it to type). We have just found out he is
crazy about kongs with peanut butter and tiny dog treats hidden in the
pb. He does not need anything to calm him when he is crated, day or
night (although he has toys in there, of course), so I use the kong more
as a treat, not an everyday necessity (although I know he would not
mind).
He seems to know “stay” – self-imposed and as a command. If he happens
to be loose at the time, on his own, he has sat quietly and waited about
10 feet away while I made dinner (even though the girls stand closer to
me). He does this all the time when he is behind the gate while I
prepare meals, not getting all dance-y until I am actually in his room
with the bowl over his head, but I did not really expect it from him
outside the “restraint” of the gated room. We have also “stayed” him in
his room without putting up the baby gate, and he stayed. One day, as a
"test," I said “stay” just before I put down his bowl; he did have a bit
of a problem keeping his butt totally touching the floor, as he so loves
his food, but he did not come out of it all the way. (However, I am
guessing if there is a kitty, squirrel or the like in his view, all
“stay” bets would be off – we are looking to find out – hopefully with a
squirrel high in a tree and not one of my kitties on the loose in the
house! :o) He also knows the “usual” stuff – sit, come, stop, easy, no,
paw (either one), and we practice heel, which I think he knows, but his
stride is so long, it is hard for him to take small enough steps to stay
at heel. I do not know that he is a leisurely walk-type guy, as we do
not do walks, per se - with where my home is located and our yard, they
have not been necessary. Besides he sniffs way more than any dog I have
known (except maybe my Great Dane, now at the bridge), so it would be a
very long walk, time wise, indeed, and it would not be fair to him to
not let him sniff all he wants, as it seems to be a fave pastime of his,
and he does not ask for much.
He has not attempted to jump on any us or anyone, no matter how excited
he has gotten to see us, although he will “up” (and immediately down) on
the shingles next to the door if he gets there before you to go in
(if???). Oh, almost forgot! Zeus loves his car/van rides, and behaves
very well when on one!! Every time we go out front with him, he heads
right for the vehicles (at least once a day, as we do not put him in the
back yard after dark for his last tour of “duty” because of skunks –
Zeus is a breeze to bathe, but no matter what we have used, the skunk
smell has always been difficult to get rid of).
He is energetic about taking cookie treats, too, but whether I tell him
“easy” (which he does), or let him be energetic about it, he puts no
power behind the taking. More than once, my fingers have gone all in
with a cookie (because of his excitement while taking it), and just come
away wet, without even a HINT of a hard bite-down. I have even taken a
much-wanted rawhide bone end (among other things) out of his mouth with
no problem. Zeus is really such a happy-go-lucky love bug!! He seems
content to, over and over, sniff every blade of grass outside or every
corner of the house when he is given a break from his room. He gets
excited about going out, but also about coming in. He will go out in the
cold, windy, rain to potty (our two Boxer girls balk at that quite a
bit). He is very good with the girls, and he does not get manic about
the male Chow mix next door (even when he barks his fool head off, which
is most of the time), so he is probably okay with males, as well (still
have to get over to see my in-laws male Lab, but as always,
introductions to new fur kids should be done under controlled
conditions, no matter who they formerly got along with). This boy loves
people, and we people love him back, but he so deserves a “real” mom,
dad, and/or family – with or without another canine (from what I have
seen, he does not NEED a 4‑legged playmate to be happy) - who will love
and enjoy him and his antics for many years to come.
5/2/05 - I gave Zeus a much needed
bath Saturday, and he was just a dream to do!!! I put his front feet
into the tub to let him know it was okay to get in, and the rest of him
just followed. He stood absolutely still while I did everything (we have
one of those add-on hand-held shower thingys that we use to give the
girls their baths), and he didn’t even shake the water off – a major
bath-time good point with a guy his size (the girls do this continually
throughout their baths)! He also let me clean his ears with a wet cloth
afterwards. Maybe it’s the “hands-on” thing I mentioned before – he
loves being petted, stroked, scratched – dried with a big fluffy towel!
And what difference it made – his coat is so soft and shiny! Moreso than
I thought it would be; a nice surprise.
Yesterday, vacuuming was being done about 2 feet away from him, and not
a move. He doesn’t seem put out by the sound, and he didn’t seem to want
to go after it (our girls are notorious about that – want to eat the
nozzle!).
One day last week, they unexpectedly had to be left alone for almost 8
hours, and Zeus was no different than after “only” 4 hours or so. No
accidents, no signs of distress in his crate. However, from the start,
he has slept through the night with no problems, sometimes as long as
8:30 pm to 6:30 am.
Zeus got to meet a friend’s female non-Boxer Saturday, and he was all
excited. She, being about SoBe’s size (the smallest one in the group pic),
was overwhelmed!! He didn’t know what to do (reminded me of his reaction
meeting our two, except he was in a crate; here he was just leashed),
but he didn’t get aggressive or nasty (we didn’t think he would). I’m
going to try to get over to meet bro-in-law’s male Lab this week to see
if he’s okay with them, too.
There’s a couple other little stories, but I’ll save them (I AM trying
to be shorter-winded – hard to do when it’s Zeus). He’s SUCH a happy boy
and he’s such a people person; he loves to see you, even if it’s only
been 5 minutes – you get wiggles and spins and dancing! And he’s SO
sweet - I don’t think a lot of people expect that of the bigger
guys/gals, unless they’ve had one of any breed. Thank goodness he hasn't
tried to climb into my lap, tho! He seems content to put just his head
there now and then while I'm using the computer. I hope there’s someone
or a family out there right now looking for their perfect boy (except
for kitties – the only drawback I can find) - it could just be Zeus!
4/21/05 - Zeus is such a good boy!
He so deserves a home without kitties that will allow him to have more
freedom than he has here, like being able to sleep in a bedroom with a
family member. I feel so badly that he is crated so much, but
circumstances here don’t allow it to be otherwise (we have four cats).
There is usually someone in the computer room with him constantly from
after work until bedtime, during which time he is not in the crate, and
he is getting outside playtime (lots more of that on weekends than
weeknights), but then having to tell him to go back into the crate and
leave him to sleep all alone is heartbreaking. He goes in so well, no
matter when it is. While he’s in his gated room uncrated in the morning,
I’ll peek around the upstairs railing while I’m getting ready for work,
and he’s just sitting behind the gate, patiently waiting for us to go
back downstairs, and getting all excited when we do, even tho he knows,
by now, he’s going in the crate.
We finally heard Zeus bark, if it can be called that. It took a week or
so, but he was outside at the same time as the chow mix next door, a
very bark-y dog. We have a stockade fence, so they couldn’t see each
other, but there’s the chow, making all kinds of noise (as usual,
whether anyone is outside or not) and Zeus let out two soft “woofs,” not
a lot for a guy his size, and not angry-sounding at all, just woofs.
They’ve been outside several times since, and Zeus did give two more
woofs during one of those times, but that’s about it. He is not vocal at
all. SoBe has given him ‘what for’ a couple times, and he did yammer
back for a few seconds the first time, but still no attempt to try to
hurt her or go after he when she does it. It was like he told her once
he’s not interested in ‘arguing’ and that’s that. Even when the girls
get super bark-y to let us know someone is coming to the front door, he
doesn’t join in.
He does love balls, any size!! I bought a couple inexpensive basketballs
last weekend, one for Zeus and one for Harley, who is an amazing
‘soccer’ player. Well, Zeus just wants to chew on his, and 5 minutes
later, it was deflated and he was chewing away (I’m getting a solid ball
next time), but it was his, so that’s okay. When we went outside to let
Harley play with hers, all he wanted to do was lay on it and make it his
own, although not in a bad way, at all - he didn’t get aggressive about
it. So, to protect Harley’s ball, I pulled him off of it (not easy,
we’re about the same weight) so she could get it back. The positions we
were in (my basically straddling his back with him sitting, him leaning
dead-weight forward and me leaning back) could have made for bad news,
yet he never made the slightest move to go after Harley (who was right
in front of his face, waiting for her ball) or my hands or legs (which
were preventing him from getting the ball). By then, I wouldn’t have
expected him to, or I wouldn’t have pulled him away in the first place,
but it was so good to see that even as much as he wanted that ball (and
he WANTED that ball!), he didn’t go after me or Harley. I have also
taken a rawhide bone (compressed type, which he LOVES), and nothing – he
just looks at me with that wonderful face and big sad eyes as if to say,
“gosh, mom, would you give it back, please?” It seems as if you show
this boy love, you’ll get love in return, even when you do something
that he doesn’t understand the “why” of.
My son came home later than usual the other night, and Zeus woke up from
a dead sleep to run to the baby gate to see him, and in his extreme
excitement of seeing my son, a few drops of pee hit the floor. Zeus
immediately stopped his dancing and wiggles, sniffed at what he had
done, tucked his nubbin under, and went into his crate!! Neither of us
had said anything at all to him about it, and we both wondered what was
done to him to reduce him from the happiest boy in the world one moment,
to slinking away to hide for what he had done, which was not anything we
would have scolded him for, although since it was the first time, he
didn’t know that. We actually had to coax him out to let him know it was
okay.
Zeus is truly a sweetie, accepting all the loving that goes his way, and
giving much back. He reminds me a lot of my Great Dane (who went to the
bridge 5 years ago) – with his laid-back personality, great attitude,
and many of the things he does (however, my Dane was good with cats,
since she had been raised with them). He is now even doing the Boxer
bean dance, and if you want to see something funny, it’s a boy his size
doing that!!
4/8/05 - My first foster, Zeus,
arrived 2 days ago. I waited to post him because I wanted to be able to
give some information on him – and boy, do I have some (okay, a lot)!
First of all, he is a BIG mush!! He loves his chest and belly rubs, and
ear scratches and back massages, and basically anything that has to do
with the laying of hands on his body! Zeus gets along great with our two
Boxer girls. Even Sobe, my petite diva (half Zeus’ size and weight), who
tried at first to tell him she was the boss, is okay now with the fact
that he just doesn’t care. The three of them play really well together,
and their antics out in the yard are quite something to watch! Zeus can
run fast – that’s a site in itself - just not for as long at any one
time as the girls! He loves to rub his back on the ground, and it’s
funny to see him like that with his legs in the air! And he can stay
like that for a good while for one his size and nothing to brace
against.
During yesterday’s outside playtime, he found an 8-inch, skinny stick
from a tree and decided plop down to chew on it, and Harley (my son’s
bigger-than-SoBe-but-smaller-than-Zeus fawn girl, and the laid-back one
of the two) LOVES sticks, so she just stuck her head down next to his
and bit down on the stick with him, and all he did was stand up and turn
circles in place, playing keep-away. They all drank from the water bowl
at the same time. They sat in a tight row for a few small steak scraps
after dinner (that’s a sight!), and all these things occurred with no
food/water/attention aggression from any of them, at all. SO nice!
His crate is in the computer room, and he’ll lie on the hardwood floor
beside me (or whomever is in the chair) instead of on his fluffy
comforter in his crate 2 feet behind the chair, just so you can have
easy access to his belly! He knows basic words – sit, (lie) down, no
(which we’ve only had to use outside when he started to eat some old
leaves). I expect he may know more, but we just haven’t gotten to them.
He hasn’t even tried to jump up at all - on you or kitchen counters,
thank goodness! He’s not a big kisser, yet, although my (very tall)
adult son has gotten a couple single licks when he bent down to kiss
Zeus goodnight the past two nights. He goes into his crate when you tell
him to and doesn’t make any fuss after he’s closed in. The second night,
after having some playtime outside, he went into bed himself and was
very softly snoring in minutes, and I was still in the room with him. He
did the same thing last night, so it looks like just a little bit of
running and exercise time is enough for him, although I’m willing to bet
“no exercise” wouldn’t make much of a difference; you would just need to
ask him to go to bed. We shall know for sure the next rainy day, when
they can’t stay out long (well, they could, but the girls don’t like
to)!
Zeus doesn’t seem to have any separation anxiety. I stayed home with him
Wednesday to ease his transition into his new surroundings (which turned
out not to be necessary; I just wanted to do that for him, and it let me
get to know him a bit), but yesterday, he was in his crate for 4-5 hours
two times (which will be the norm on weekdays), and all was just fine
when my son went home around noon to let them all outside (he does this
every weekday with our two) and when we got home at 4:30 – no shredded
comforter, no accidents in the crate, no appearance of any distress. He
hasn’t had any accidents in “his” room,” when he’s been out of the crate
but baby-gated in, where he and the girls can still “get together” on
their sides of the gate (his head may be totally above the top of the
gate, but he seems to respect it and doesn’t try to push it down; I was
surprised at first, but seeing, now, how he is overall, I’m not
surprised any more), and no accidents in the house when we let him loose
for a bit at a time when we’re home. They go out a minimum of three
times (morn, noon, nite) and once before bed, and that seems to be
working for Zeus. Maybe he can “hold it” even longer during the day, but
there’s been no need to.
He’s constantly sniffing things (although his room is almost “sniffed
out” by now), but he shows no interest in “taking” anything from its
place. So far, he’s slept through the night without any problem – 9:30
pm to after 6 am. Zeus is super excited to see us (or our girls) at any
time – major nubbin wagging and butt wiggles – even if you were out of
sight in the other room for just a few minutes. There wasn’t any of that
the first night, but I guess it didn’t take him long to realize he is
now in a happy place.
Other than Zeus should not go to a home with cats or other small furry
residents (he is too fascinated by them), this boy would make anyone or
any family a great companion! He appears to love all humans, male,
female, tall, not-so-tall. He’s met a few other adults besides we three
since getting here, but no one of the “his-height” variety, although,
with what I know about him at this time, I would have had him around my
two children when they were small (many MANY moons ago – we always had
big dogs), but that’s something that would need to be decided between
the potential adopter and BAR. Zeus IS extremely gentle, but he IS big.
I really have gone on, here, but there’s just so much to say about this
beautiful boy after knowing him for just 2 days, that I wanted to share
as much as possible of it with everyone. Future updates won’t be this
long, I’m sure (well, almost sure!). :o) I haven’t seen any indication
that they will be any less glowing, either. So, if you have an affinity
for big Boxers, maybe you’ll consider this boy?
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