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NIKA 2/20/05
#490

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Nika's Foster Journey - Adopted 8/27/06

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4 yr. old  White Female Boxer
  54 lb. Owner Surrender
Natural Ears and Docked Tail
Neutered and UTD
Not cat tested
No children under 10
Being Fostered near Flushing, NY
Adoption Donation $ $250 + $20 Microchipping

8/28/06 - Nika had a great first day.  There were no more aggressive kisses and the two Boxers actually played with Nika's toys.  She is eating okay and taking her business walks.  She slept through the night.  Hopefully today will be a building block on the first day.

8/27/06 - Nika has been adopted!!  She was adopted by one of our families who adopted another Boxer from us a few years ago and was looking for a companion for her.  Good luck Nika.

5/21/06 - Nika is doing well.  She went to the vet recently to get updated on her shots.  She did pretty well in the vet's office except for a rottie that didn't like her for some reason.  The experience scared her a little bit.  I have to take her back for her heartworm test, so I hope that goes smoother.  All in all she is doing great and is enjoying the warmer weather.  She loves running around the yard and playing in the sand. She would stay outside all day if I let her but unfortunately I can't stay out there with her.

3/15/06  - Nika is doing super.  She went to the groomers recently and got a nice bath, nails clipped and ears cleaned.  She didn't seem to mind being handled.  I just trained her to go pee pee on the sand in the yard and not on the grass, just in time for spring.  Now she can go out to play in the yard with Deuce and I don't have to worry about the bill from the landscaper.  Just kidding.  Nika learns pretty quickly, it didn't take much to make her understand where I wanted her to go.  Anyway, she's doing well overall and she's very sweet.  She and Deuce are playing tug of war right now.  He's going to miss her when she goes.

2/19/06 -Tomorrow is Nika's anniversary, she came to me a year ago, my first foster, I wasn't sure how things would work out but I think we've done pretty well.  Nika went to the Vet recently, so she is up to date on her shots and there are no other problems.  She lost a few pounds though but that's probably from running away from Deuce because she eats well and she likes any kind of treats.
She is doing better on the leash and she has learned to ignore the Catholic School boys as they pass us in the mornings, on our daily walks. All and all Nika is doing great but I don't want to be selfish and keep her all to myself.

12/22/05  - Nika is doing really well.  She still pulls a little on the leash but we have a system for when people pass us, I make her sit and stay until its clear and she does.  She does her business pretty quickly which is great because its been cold.  She loves romping around in the snow, sometimes she blends into it when the sun is shining and I think I lost her for a minute.  Most of her time is spent at my feet on the ottoman, trying to nap, in between Duece harassing her to play with him by either pawing her, sticking a bone or toy in her face, licking her ear or sitting on her.
So, somebody please save me, I mean her from that endless torture, Nika needs a home of her own where she can nap in peace.  I promise she'll keep you warm during the winter because she loves to cuddle up on your lap.  She's wonderful company, she follows me from room to room.  She's very good in the house, no accidents ever, she's barks only when someone rings the bell or she hears a noise outside the house.  Nika's a great dog, don't miss an opportunity to make her a part of your life.

11/26/05 - The trainer and his students came back today but it was too cold to work outside, so we practiced ringing the bell and having the students come in the house one at a time and greet the dogs at the door.  Nika sometimes jumps up when guests enter the house.  We practiced for about 2 hours, greeting, sitting and lying down when guests are over.  She did very well but I have to enforce the good behavior when non-dog people are over.  It seems that dogs know who doesn't like being jumped on so they jump on them the most.

11/19/05  - Today my trainer friend and his students came over to give Duece a brush up lesson and to evaluate Nika for me.  Nika pulls a little on the leash and jumps sometimes when strangers approach to say hello because she gets too excited.  So, the students practiced walking Nika and then coming up to her to say hello and petting her.  By the end of the afternoon she allowed them to pet her without jumping up on them.  Of course, Duece was the perfect gentleman while the trainer was around and as soon as he left Duece stole my slipper again.  Funny how that happens.  Its like when you bring your car to the mechanic and say it's making a noise and the mechanic listens and no noise.  Anyway, they're coming back next week for one more lesson just too make sure.

10/23/05 - I took Nika to the groomers today for a bath and to have her nails clipped. I was a little worried about how she was going to be with strangers handling her but they told me she was fine, a perfect little lady.  Of course, my Duece peed on the floor like he's done since he was a puppy, oh well they can't all be perfect.

9/6/05 - Nika is doing terrifically.  She's healthy and maintaining her weight.  I think I'm going to take her to the groomers this week, she needs a bath.  She did real well when I had a large group of people from work over for a BBQ.  When the crowd thinned out I let her out and she got attached to one of the girls.  She wouldn't let Deuce come near her.  It was like she was protecting her.
Maybe she was interviewing for a K9 position, well, the house was filled with law enforcement personnel.  Deuce is starting to get real pushy with Nika, like sitting on her or laying on top of her, she just growls and warns him to get off.  He tries anything to get her to play with him but sometimes she just doesn't feel like it.  We're still working on the jumping while on the leash but for the most part she listens to a firm no.  There's not much to say about Nika she's just a beautiful, sweet dog who needs a beautiful, sweet person to take her home.

7/26/05 - Nika is doing wonderfully. She still loves our walks and goes pretty quickly now for the most part. That's going to be a big plus in the wintertime. We've worked through some issues she had, she now greets guests much more gently and less enthusiastically and she barks less frequently at the neighbors' comings and goings. She still needs to learn to greet people and other dogs on the leash a little bit better. I'm sure with some practice she'll be just fine. Nika learns quickly and if not there is nothing a treat can't help push along. Nika and Deuce are great play pals, but sometimes Nika gets tired and rather watch Deuce play on his own from the ottoman.  Nika is very healthy.  I never have to take her to the vet. Only once in a while, she'll have an upset stomach. She just seems to blend into our daily lives. She's no trouble at all. Everyone always stops me and either asks what kind of dog is she or tells me what a beautiful dog you have. I always tell them she is a boxer of course and she is a rescue and she could be yours.

6/24/05 - Nika is doing great and she is just loving our walks. She does her business pretty quickly now and only gets distracted for a minute by a passing bird or stranger. She knows her way to the field and home and stops only to sniff the occasional fallen ice cream mark (there's a Carvel across the street from my house). My sister is getting around again after her back surgery, so she comes and lets the dogs out during the day. She tells me that Nika is so excited to see her that she runs circles around her while she sits in the chair in the yard. I guess Nika didn't forget her. Nika has become my shadow, she follows me from room to room, no matter what I'm doing. When I'm ready to go to sleep, she's ready, after her good night treat, of course! Nika is such a sweet girl. She is getting use to the neighbors, so she doesn't bark as much or maybe the neighbor's kids finally learned to close a door without slamming it. Remember there are no bad dogs just bad
neighbors or is that bad owners? Anyway, we grow more attached to Nika everyday, she is very cuddly. She sits in my lap every night to watch TV and leans backward to kiss me as if to say thanks for another day of care.

5/24/05 - Nika is doing better than ever. She's eating great now and takes plenty of treats. She'll even sit and wait patiently, while I eat some goldfish pretzels, hoping I drop one or give her one, the whole time she's giving me the puppy dog eyes with her head tilted to the side, it just not fair play. The battle of grass continues, although Nika is trying to pee pee in only one brown spot but it is a daily struggle. She rather hold it in for a day then go on the sand. One day she tricked me, she barked her "I have to go out" bark and I went out in the yard with her, it was a beautiful Saturday, she circled on the sand and I thought great, finally I can save my grass, no way, she laid down to sunbathe. Unfortunately for Nika it was too hot and sunny to stay out without sunscreen, she's fair and burns easily. I promised to get to the store for SPF 45.

4/23/05 - Nika is doing really well. She did very well at the Doggie Boot Camp on Sunday, my trainer friend and a few of his students said Nika was a very sweet dog and she learned fast. She was a bit stubborn at first but she listened. There was only one dog she didn't like and two that didn't like her. I wanted to test her on the leash with a lot of strange dogs and she did okay. She is a bit nosey and stops to sniff everyone sitting on the grass and the benches. She got a lot of attention from the people at the training session and other people passing by in the park, everyone said how beautiful she is. As if all that wasn't enough, on the way out of the park we found a tennis ball to take home. Nika has been crying and whining in her crate when I leave for work or go out to the store on the weekend, so I put a toy of hers in with her and that helped some. But lately I noticed she was chewing, so I tried a bone and a warm puppy cuddle toy just for her and just for the crate. So far so good.

3/19/05 - Nika's test results haven't come back yet, I'll call the Vet on Monday. She's eating much better now, thanks to one of BAR's in-house experts, he gave me a little tip to make her dry food more appealing. Nika has picked up a new trick from Deuce, she now also rings the bell I put on the doorknob when she has to go out. I wonder if I trained them to let me know when they had to go out or they trained me to let them out when they wanted to go out. I guess we'll never know. One thing is for sure Nika is very smart and learns fast. There is one thing I keep forgetting to mention about Nika, it is probably what makes her most unique and stunning, she has one blue eye and one brown eye. She's the David Bowie of Boxers (for you non-rock and roll historians, David Bowie had one brown eye and one blue eye).

3/15/05 - Nika went to the Vet today. She did great in the car on the way there, although she did need a boost getting into the SUV. She was very good while we waited to see the Vet, everyone was petting her and fawning over her, she even gave out a few kisses. The Vet said Nika looked very healthy, her teeth looked very good ( I was concerned because she was dropping her food, I thought her she might have some mouth pain), and he said it was okay that she dropped a few pounds, she's at a good weight now. I have to call tomorrow for her test results. Nika was a little bit nervous when we first went into the exam room but all and all she was very good and it was an easy trip.

3/12/05 - Nika is doing wonderfully. I'm sorry I haven't updated more often but I was very busy at work (some people in Queens County needed my attention), Nika said she would let it slide this time but that they should get their own foster mom. Nika has become such a part of our daily life that I forget she's a foster. She is so low maintenance, she doesn't eat much and she doesn't go out often (the complete opposite of Deuce). She never has any accidents in the house or the crate. She loves to run outside yard or play in the house with toys or with my pup Deuce. She is becoming much stronger because of all the exercise she gets running around the yard and the house after Deuce. She now get up on the furniture, she jumps on the back of the couch to look out of the window and she comes up and sits on my lap (in my favorite lazy-boy chair) after dinner to watch some TV and take a nap. Nika is the perfect dog for almost any household. If you live alone she is a great companion and good watchdog, as long as you take her for long walks or have a yard. If you have other dogs, Nika is content staying home playing with them. Nika likes cats and kids, so I'm told ( I don't have cats or kids).
Nika is great company for my puppy, they play for hours, so if you're looking for a nice second dog for your older dog or pup she's perfect.

2/27/05 - Nika is doing really well. She is very comfortable with me and my puppy Deuce. She is eating a little better and she had a lot of firsts this weekend. She picked up a toy for the first time to play with it, she took a treat from me for the first time and she barked for the first time on Friday night. My friend came over wearing a white rabbit fur coat with some black spots and Nika wouldn't stop barking at her. I'm not sure if Nika thought she was a Dalmatian (in my experience, Boxers and Dalmatians generally don't get along) or she was just showing unity for her fellow fur buddies. Since then Nika has become a bit more vocal, she warns me when my neighbor comes or goes. She lets you know when she is hungry and when she needs to go out. She is learning more commands every day and now she comes when you call her name or say come. When she is outside she would run around to avoid coming in, now I say inside and she comes in right away. She gets in her crate much better then before. She and Deuce play beautifully for hours, usually I have to separate them because their tongues are hanging out and they're panting but they won't stop on their own. She jumps a bit on company but if you correct her , she stops. She doesn't jump on the furniture or the bed, I'm not sure if its because she was taught not too or not.   She doesn't seem to mind Deuce drinking or eating out of her bowls but she did make some noise when I was eating today so I made her go into the living room and sit down until I was finished. Well, they finally passed out. Nika puts herself to bed. Deuce sleeps wherever he falls. Nika is a wonderful dog to have around, she is well trained and learns quickly, she does have a few Boxer traits that you have to stay on top of her about but that what make us love them. Right!

2/22/05 - Nika stayed home today while I went back to work (yesterday was a court holiday), so it was the first time she spent a few hours in the crate, she did very well, no accidents but it looks like she may have gotten a tummy ache. My sister came to let her out in the afternoon and she was very good for her. There is not much to report today, she ate some wet food and when straight to her bed, she's been there all night, I think she isn't feeling well, either that or she's hiding out from my puppy. She is a little overweight so one smaller meal won't hurt her. Nika is a very good girl, she listens when you tell her to do something and from what I can tell so far she is good with people, even strangers and other dogs. Nika is a beautiful, loving girl who needs someone to love her back.

2/21/05 - This is the second day Nika is with me and she is a pleasure. She finally ate something today and took one treat. She doesn't go out often and she was very good in the crate today when I went out for a few hours. She is getting along well with my puppy, they played today outside in the yard, in the snow, while I shoveled. Although, she didn't like him getting into her bed with her, so she gave him a warning. I guess Nika is a lady and she is waiting till she knows him better. She has no problems with him playing with her toys or drinking out of her bowl and she doesn't mind if I touch her food while she is eating. We'll find out tomorrow if she minds if "Romeo" bothers her while she eats. Nika puts herself to sleep if you tell her bed or bedtime and she slept through the night last night. She is very calm and quiet and very well behaved. She knows sit, down, come and she is learning inside because she likes to stay in the yard even after I come in.

2/20/05 - Nika arrived this morning about 10AM from New Jersey. She was a little nervous and shy when we first met but she is warming up to me and my puppy. Victoria said she was very good in the car on the ride over which is great because usually I couldn't get my husband to stop fidgeting. We introduced the dogs outside first and all seemed friendly but my guy is a little rough and Nika was nervous so we put her in her crate for a while. Nika is good in the crate, no accidents and no crying (she is very quiet). She likes to go outside, either in the yard or for walks but she pulls a little on the leash. If you correct her with a heel she stops and walks next to you for a short while till she stops to smell something, then you have to pull her. She didn't eat when I tried to feed her and she wouldn't take any treats but she did play a while with my pup. Right now she is sitting at my feet as I'm typing this update. She is a very nice dog. Well I have to go my guy is crying in the crate, I think I forgot to turn on Charmed for him.

8/7/05

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