VegasKing12-2-06


	Age & Sex: 2 yrs. old 12/22/06


UTD: Yes


	Weight: 65 lbs.


Other Dogs: Yes


	Color: Flashy Fawn


Cats: Unknown


	Ears: Natural


Children: Under 5: Yes Over 5: Yes


	Tail: Docked


Professional Training Required: Yes


	Neutered: Yes


Microchipped: No


	Owner Surrender


Location: Honesdale, PA

Adoption Donation $300

3/21/07 - Hello, hello! Well, where should I begin? I took Vegas (King) home on Thursday night. He did great on the 1 hour 45 min. drive. We got home, went for a nice long walk and then I brought him inside. He sniffed around, say my 19 year old cat Chelsea. I was a little nervous to see what was going to happen. Well, Vegas could not be bothered. He sniffed her and then walked away. Chelsea was the one swatting at him but he did not do anything about it! On Friday I took Vegas out to meet my friends dog Parker. At first there was a lot of barking and a few minor little growling, teeth showing scenes but then the 2 ran around the yard and had a blast. It was then off to my friends softball game. There were so many people and at first I was a little hesitant. Vegas was soooooooooo great! He let all the people there pet him, even the little ones! Walking him on the leash is still a work in progress. He does continue to pull but with redirection he is doing ok. All around Vegas is a perfect gentleman!

3/29/07 - King, now known as Vegas, has been adopted. He just left with his new mom. As always, my mother was right. Good things come to those who wait. King and Abby are a perfect match. She understands his needs and appreciates how precious he is. He is an absolute doll and I think she's pretty terrific for being able to see that in him. I'm sure they will have a very happy life together. I look forward to hearing about Vegas and all the wonderful things that his new life will be bringing him.

3/26/07 - King is pending adoption

3/8/07 - Well, King has been with us for three months now. He's really come such a long way in that time. If I could relate his goofy personality to a familiar person or character, I'd say he's Dory. Yes, Dory the wacky girl fish in Finding Nemo.
Like Dory, King is so likable. He's a bit dizzy and certainly very silly and sometimes it's hard to figure out what makes him go. My husband wants to know when the batteries in his nubby are going to run out? It wiggles nonstop. He's just so happy to be. To be anything, to be your pal sleeping at your feet, the bed warmer that circles six or eight times before he curls up behind your legs, the funny guy that makes you smile when you look at him 'cause he's just tickled your paying attention to him, just to be with you.
King has been a work in progress since he arrived at the Boxer Fat Farm. And, right now I'm seeing all of the things everyone whose passed him up, is missing out on. People often have the "perfect picture" in their heads about what they want. But, you know, how many of us really have what we've always pictured we would? King is not the typical, classic boxer, in appearance that's for sure. But, you won't find a more pure boxer soul than his. He's a wonderful boy whose thrilled to be part of a family, albeit a temporary one, but he's part of this family nonetheless. King is a sweet boy who needs a home of his own. He's going to need a family that is willing to exercise him daily, pay attention to his potty schedule and generally just love the heck out of him. I can't imagine someone not falling crazy in love with him the moment they set eyes on him. For now, King will remain our snuggle bug until his forever family comes to take him home.

2/28/07 - King is very uncooperative with pictures. He can't help but wiggle over to you if you even look in his direction. He is pictured with my girl Darlah whose about 80lbs. He's also pictured with my son whose nearly six. (He's sitting down.) King has put on some weight and his now at, if I had to guess, 70lbs. He's lean and his ribs, hip and back bones no longer show.

2/11/07 - Ding.... Dong.... King a ling calling!! We are have so much fun with this goof ball, I can't even begin to tell you. He's such a funny boy. I think what makes him so goofy is that he's such a tall, lanky thing. It is believed that King is actually mixed with a Great Dane. So, this makes for one really tall, lean boxer. He has all the typical boxer traits though. That wiggle and kidney bean he has down to a tee.
King likes to play and is really going to enjoy a family that will be able to exercise him properly. He has a lot of energy and would like nothing better than to go on very long walks and run and play in a backyard. He quite often plays to exhaustion and passes out for a while. What a nice break from two big boxers thundering around my house!! When King does go out, he puts on a sweater because he has no fat and, of course, one thin fur coat. It's always a challenge to get goofy to stand still long enough to put his coat on! It it's not on right, he's a boy and his aim is terrible! I end up doing laundry;o)
In any case, King is a gentle giant, really a tall boy, high energy and friendly as the day is long. He's just looking for the right match, one that is going to be able to fill his needs. If you think you may fit the bill, fill out an application and ask for King.

2/2/07 - It's been some time since I've updated on King. My apologies for those of you following his story. King has been doing very well. That's probably why I haven't updated. He's getting better with each passing week, walking on the leash. He is crating really well at this point. He still can't be trusted not to mark in the house, so he is walked frequently and crated when we are not at home. He's put on that last few pounds he needed and is looking great!! King ding a ling is a big goofy boy with lots and lots of energy. He is going to do well in a very, very active home. This would be a family with or without kids or other dogs, he is good with them and would be fine alone. However, he needs ample exercise. King is an excitable boy and when he's worked out, he's less apt to jump about the minute you start talking to him. King is not allowed on the furniture, although he sneaks a rest while we're out of the room. He also likes my girls bed better than his, so the minutes she's up, he doesn't give it one second to get cold. It's like a revolving door with these two though because the second he's up, she's back in her bed that's entirely too small for either one of them, but they curl up in it anyway!! In any case, King is a welcomed houseguest. He's a super pleasant boy and will stay at the Boxer Fat Farm as long as he needs to. King's ideal family is out there just waiting to bring home their boy.

1/4/06 - King ding a ling is making friends fast here at the Boxer Fat Farm. This has been a busy holiday season and King has been host to a number of houseguests.

He celebrated with my family (I'm one of five children + we're all married + we all have kids = a lot of people) for my dad's 65th birthday. King was great!! We had kids of all ages here, lots of activity, lots of noise, lots of people messing with our routine and King was wonderful with all of it. The festivities continued throughout the holiday with babies coming to the house most recently. He was a gentle giant. My nephews, 2 years and 6mos, were here for the weekend and King was kind enough to bathe them in boxer style!! Good thing my sister in law is a boxer lover herself, she understands all about the slobbers!!

Kings manners in the home continue to improve. He is far less interested in things that he shouldn't have and is responsive to us when corrected. He will need ongoing work with the leash. We have several structured walks a day and he would benefit from a family that will continue this. He has been crated a lot in the last week due to a family illness and we've been unable to be at home with him right after work. I can tell you that King is very good about this. He has been wonderful with going in the crate and even allows our 9 year old daughter, whose just a peanut, to lead him by the collar to his crate. Initially, he's a little rebellious about being in there, but he settles rather quickly.

King likes to engage anyone in play. He loves to play chase with my boxer girl. King is also very funny with people playing with him. If I stand up and start to talk to him, he gets down on his front paws, wiggles, barks and waits for me to move. The second I step towards him, he's off to the races and barrels around the house until he realizes, I'm not chasing him. I just love to see him be so silly!

This is one really terrific dog. He needs a strong leader to ensure he remains a good canine citizen. He also needs a family that will spend time with him exercising and playing. King is a very young dog and needs someone with a lot of energy themselves. A bored dog is not a happy dog!! King is no exception. He has become a very pleasant companion here in our foster home and we enjoy seeing his antics. King always puts a smile on our faces.

12/19/06 - King ding a ling is now all ready to go to his forever home. He was neutered and brought up to date on vaccinations last week and, of course, everyone at the vet loved him. They thought he was such a sweetheart and he absolutely is. King weighed in at 65 lbs, but could easily stand to gain another 5 or so since he was a bit underweight when he came into rescue.
Houdini has been doing remarkably well in the crate. Although he has earned this new nickname. King is in an extra large crate and for good reason. He's entirely too tall for anything smaller. This weekend we had my father in law stop in to check on him and before he could say stop, King was out the door!! The problem with this is that he was crated when we left!! Evidently, he broke the gate on his crate and darted out the door when my father in law opened it. He came right back, even though he visited the neighbors. At least he came right home. So, we now have things rigged up with a bungee cord, simply because he cannot be trusted not to urinate in the house when we are gone. Otherwise, he would be fine. He is going in the crate with a little finger tap on the hind end and yesterday went in for my five year old without any coaxing.
We are so pleased with Kings progress in the various areas he needed some work on. He still pulls on the leash, but it is improved over when he arrived. He is a very strong dog and needs an even stronger leader. He listens when he's checked and waits for command. He sits to get the leash on and off which is a big thing in this house. Far too many times I've been whacked in the mouth by a dancing boxer! So, I'm very happy with his progress in this area. He was also a big time countersurfer. Now, even though his nose is high enough to sniff the counter he makes no effort to jump or grab for anything, although we still keep an eye on him and keep temptation out of his way. He gets a bit rambunctious and has removed a Christmas bulb or two from the tree, so we just have to make sure we get him plenty of exercise or he'll be taking the tree down, next!!
King and my girl have had a couple of exchanges. It is over rather quickly and they go back to being old pals. King is very forgiving, as I think my girl tends to be a bit of a queen.
Overall, I'm very, very pleased with Kings developments. He's such a funny dog, very goofy, very loving and just a real happy pup. I know he won't make it to his forever home for the holidays, but maybe he'll be cozy and warm with his new family for the New Year. King needs a strong leader and a family that has time to spend with him to get him proper and ample exercise. He's a real peach and just a big baby. King's second birthday is on the 22nd, so please think of boxer baby King and wish him Happy Birthday.

12/7/06 - King has been with us since Saturday and I am so pleased with what I've seen from him thus far. He is a real pleasant boy. He gets along wonderfully with my girl. In fact, sometimes they sound more like elephants!! He is also terrific with my kids. No matter what the history on a foster, we are always careful with a foster and our children. King was no exception, however he is amazing with them.

King had an accident in the house yesterday morning. He had been out at 4am and my husband didn't walk him again at 6 when we got up. King let us know that he really should be going out each time he comes out of the crate.

Speaking of the crate, he has been doing great. It is getting much easier to coax him into the crate and there is minimal whining once he's inside. With that being said, last night proved to be the toughest yet. He whimpered and whined for 1 1/2 hours. My husband finally took him out for a walk, but he resumed that action once back in the crate. So, 20min before the alarm is due to go off, I suggest to cover him and then..... silence. So much silence, we all overslept!!! So, the crate is a work in progress, but King is doing a wonderful job of making a smooth transition.

We will continue to update on his progress, as he is improving his manners daily. He has already done so well and I expect that to continue. King is a big boy that is very easy to fall for. He is a big goof ball and I can't help but smile at him.

12/5/06 - Always the first few days are an adjustment for both the family and the foster. But, I have to say that King is making it a very easy time. When King arrived we were told he couldn’t be crated. Well, I work full time as does my husband and King is doing very well. He is in an extra large crate and has no issues. He is crated overnight until he has been with us a few weeks and there are no problems. He needs little prompting to go in and once he’s there, he may or may not whimper for a few seconds and that’s it. He’s just great.

King is getting along well with our girl. I think he has had so much pent up energy since he didn’t have another boxer to live with previously. Now, the two of them chase each other around the house and box and have a grand time. King has been a good boy with the resident boxer and vice versa. There has not been any exchange.

We do not have a fenced yard although we live in the country and have tons of space. So, King must be walked on the leash and at first he was a little difficult. He is a good sized boy and tends to pull. However, with a properly used choke collar he is respectful of who is walking him and obeys.

King seems to know some basic commands i.e. sit, stay. He tries to push the envelope and not listen right away, but with persistence he’s going to do just fine. He needs a strong person to lead him otherwise a dog this size could very easily run the show. He is already making a change for the better. We are working on curbing things like countersurfing and he is aware that this is not ok. With a watchful eye, he doesn’t get the opportunity to nose the counter, so he is not even given the chance.

We are excited to have this boy here. He is a very friendly boxer boy and so eager to please. Our girl is equally excited that she has a fellow boxer to play with and I’m sure they’ll be wonderful playmates.

12/3/06 - Saturday marked the first day of Kings new journey. He arrived home with us Saturday afternoon and has been a real pistol since then. King is a very tall boy and towers over our portly princess. He is eager to engage in play with her and get down to "boxing". We're not used to having such a big guy in the house. His nose is level with our table and it doesn't take much for him to snoot at the counter either. We'll have to be careful of that!! King is in need of some training. It doesn't appear as though he has had proper training on the leash and he has a few undesirable manners we're going to work on. He is a very happy boy overall. He likes nothing more than to be at your feet and get all those big squeezes we can give him. King has even had a bath already. He came here a bit stinky and we thought he should get a freshen up. He's the easiest one I've had to bathe yet. I didn't even have to lift him in the tub! He stepped over the side all by himself. King is quite young. We're just shy of his second birthday. So, he's really got a lot of energy. I think my girl is going to enjoy that since our last foster wasn't too interested in playing with her very often. We expect great things from King. He's such a sweet boy and just melts my heart.