Tucker253

Pertinent Information
2 yr. old Fawn Male
Natural Ears and Docked Tail
Shelter Surrender
Good with Children, Dogs and Cats
Neutered and Updated
Being Fostered Near Boston, MA
Adoption Donation $250

9/2/07 - I just have to add a note here. I know none of you ever got to meet Tucker, besides his transport
person. But he is a special guy, and you are all boxer lovers, so I wanted to share him with
people who can appreciate him. We have had a narrow miss with him the other day. What with two
children now and severe lack of sleep, I just took a nap and let Tucker out. I didn't realize there
was a narrow bar under the gate didn't have its' special cover on it to keep Tucker in. I think he
didn't know where I was and went looking. Normally he never leaves me when I am home. But this
time he got out and hurt a dog that was on leash. The owner was incredibly nice about it.
Luckily they use the same vet we do, so they had all of Tucker's vaccine records. The dog ended up with
just a scratch, thank goodness, but it was a wake up call for us. Tucker returns in about 15
minutes, after he has done his bad deed for his lifetime. No more naps for mommy without double
checking all of the gates and doors!

Tucker came to our home when our daughter Samantha was 3 years old, so he never had to manage the
baby phase. We had a little boy one year ago and Tucker is wonderful with him. Our son, Joshua,
is quite gentle, but he does love to crawl over to Tucker, lie on top of him and pat his back.
Tucker just wiggles his tail and doesn't move until Joshua is safely back on ground. Joshua is
fascinated with Tucker's food and likes to reach in while Tucker eats and move the pellets to the
water bowl. Tucker just keeps eating, completely unfazed. We had a one year birthday party for our
son yesterday, and you can imagine the chaos with the older and younger children here. Tucker
was great. he still barks when someone comes to the door, but after the third guest arrived, even
his barking settled down. He just is so mellow with all the little ones. no licking, no jumping.
He is now quite friendly with people, coming up to them to sniff and wiggle. I appreciate the
trust he gives to people now, because it has been such a long time coming. He was never mean about
it, he just wasn't outgoing, if you know what I mean. I don't think I will ever see him be a
nut, over the top, exuberant dog with a stranger, but I think that is a plus. I know when Tucker
immediately takes to a new person, that is a good person.

Anyway, almost four years later, and he is a much loved member of our household, with his flaws
and wonderful character all to ourselves. Thank you.

7/4/04 - I had to write and tell you that both times Matt took Tucker to the Sheepfold this past week, our local dog play area,
he said the same thing, "Tucker was the perfect dog, most obedient dog there, played well with the other dogs and didn't
wander off at all when he went for a walk in the woods. He goes to meet other people, but just curious. He doesn't jump or
lick anyone (overfriendly) and he certainly doesn't growl or seem scared (underfriendly)." I am so proud of how well he has
done. I am getting more used to having a boy dog and find they are more physically connected than my female, more aware
of their surroundings (on guard), more protective and more selective. Tucker is very aware of his family, happy to get
petted by others, but very clear that he watches his family and not caring about the others. Ella and Tucker said hello to my
daughter's classmates, all under three years old, who love dogs. Tucker just lay down on the ground and watched everyone.
I had to restrain Ella alot, but Tucker was an angel.
That being said, I did have to yell at him yesterday because he was nipping at my brother-in-law in the backyard. He thinks
he is playing, but it is not okay to have 60 pounds of muscle darting around trying to bite you, even if it is just love nips.
He doesn't do this very often, and only with certain males or very masculine women. I still haven't been able to teach him to
play with me, like playing tug or fetch. He refuses to take anything but food from my hand. I don't understand what is wrong,
but I keep trying. I catch him chewing on Sam's stuffed animals or her books, say
no, and then try to hand him a bone or a lovey. He won't take them from me. He plays really well with Ella, sharing everything,
but doesn't have a clue about what to do with me and gets upset when I play tug of war with Ella.
We reinforced the fence in the backyard so he absolutely cannot get out. He tested it recently when a nutty golden retriever
came over to our gate to say hello. Nutty in a bad way and Tucker hates him. Tucker gave a very serious 'get away from our
yard' bark and tried very hard to get to him. I don't walk past that dog's house anymore, and I call the animal control officer
whenever I see him loose, which is often. Anyway, Tucker can be a serious boy when the situation warrants. He stopped a
teenager salesperson in his tracks when he climbed the stairs to the house, and Tucker's bark had me running for the door.
Every hair on his back was up. Tucker calmed right down when I thanked him for the warning and told him to go sit down.
The teenager took a bit longer, but I didn't want him at my door anyway. He is great with people who visit the house, no
trouble at all. I just watch him and make sure he understands that I want these people in the house. Ella generally makes it
clear that people are wonderful and very welcome. A little too clear, too many licks and stuff, but we are working on that. :-)

2/8/04 - Our guests just left and Tucker is sleeping on top of my foot in front of the fire, the sleep of the just and the courageous. There were 6 small children here, all of whom thought he was very handsome and sweet and needed hugs. There were 20 adults, all of whom said he was very handsome and snuck in the hugs when they thought no one was looking. Adults are more reserved than two-year-olds, don't you know. He took it all in stride, lay down under the dining table for most of it, and just sniffed the table now and then. He stayed out of the garbage, even with cake on top, and did not steal the food from the children's table. He was a perfect angel. I am so impressed. I have rarely seen any dog manage this much chaos so well, much less our excitable clowns, the Boxer.
He had his first class in Good Manners on Saturday. He was not so well mannered there. He was just too excited by the other dogs there. That and he had a tummy ache. Threw up practically on the instructor's shoes who gave him a sympathetic pat and showed me where the paper towels were. Nice boy, just took it all in stride. Tucker did sit a few times and even walked nicely for a second. He walked past the border collie that was having a difficult time with aggression issues on leash. Tucker mostly left him alone even though the dog tried to take a chunk out of him. The dog's anger level was high, so we were happy to go home at the end of class. I think Tucker did a wonderful job, in the end. He is a baby that wants to play and he will be amazing when he gets older and understand the work concept better, i.e., not all time is play time. I know, he's a boxer, but they can learn this over time.
He is a love. My daughter is adamant that Tucker say goodnight to her and stay in her room for a while. He is very sweet, lays right down next to her bed and snuggles in.
Tucker's fur has gotten silky soft. It is like petting satin to rub his chest. He is filling out with solid muscle. Very solid, square powerful shape. He is beautiful to watch run. He is maturing into a very handsome boy.

1/15/04 - Tucker is doing so well. He starts his obedience classes at the end of the month, but he is already showing up Ella in obedience. 'Come' is a tough one when there are other dogs to play with, but he is still very much a baby in many ways and he will learn. He dashes to me when I say 'come' in the yard or the house, so it will just take a little more time for him to have it down. I am looking forward to showing him off in the obedience class. The instructor loves boxers too, and I know he will appreciate this guy. We are going on a weekend trip and Tucker knows we are going away. He sits on top of my feet whenever I get a chance to stop for a minute, and he keeps looking at me so soulfully. I tell him I have a wonderful person coming to stay with him in our house who will pamper him shamelessly, but it doesn't seem to help. He is in good hands though.
Last night my daughter woke up from a nightmare soon after she went to sleep. Tucker came in to the den to get me, pacing back and forth to say, hurry up, she's sad! He shoved the door open behind me and came in to sniff her as if to make sure she was okay. She petted him and then he lay down next to her bed until I got up to leave. Boxers and children are a unique pairing, special. For her part, she made sure that Tucker had a blanket for his nap on the couch this morning, and Tucker just laid there while Sam tucked the blanket in around him.
I've enjoyed learning the differences between the two dogs' personalities. They get along together beautifully, sharing rawhide bones and cheese treats even.
Life is very rich with this boy. He is very smart, very loyal and eager to please. I have all kinds of dreams of what we could do together in obedience or agility. Did I mention he is a very agile, powerful boy too? We are working still on his pulling on the leash. He tries, but he is just so eager to see everything that it is hard for him to slow down.
He had his rabies shot at the vet with Ella, and they all thought he was adorable. He was very brave with his shot, but he clearly wasn't happy about the vet touching Ella. He didn't interfere, but he stared at the vet hard enough to make him nervous. I kept a tight hold on Tucker's collar so there was no danger, but Tucker does like to make sure that his family is safe and happy. Luckily he is very smart and seems to have a uncanny sense about what is really a danger.
Right now he is laying almost on top of Ella on the dog bed near the radiator and having a nap. He is filling out into a handsome dog.

12/23/03 - I knew I was in trouble when my holiday letter had more notes about Tucker than my daughter. My husband did some judicious editing for me, thank goodness.
Tucker has gotten much better with counter surfing, the ‘come’ command, and does a sit/stay very well. He is so happy to play that learning game. His whole face lights up when he gets to learn something new, and a new way to get treats and hugs. He is so smart, it is fun for me to learn with him, certainly challenging to keep ahead of him.
He really does think he is a 60-pound lap dog. He climbed into my husband’s lap the other day and licked his face. Tucker moved over when our daughter joined in. Tucker has been so patient with our toddler. He comes into her bedroom at night when I am putting her to bed. Now Samantha won’t go to sleep until Tucker is in the room with us and she is able to give him a full body hug and a kiss. He is well loved, even with his puppy high jinks. He looks like a big adult, but there is definitely a puppy spirit in there, still investigating the world and learning what to trust and what is safe. He is gaining confidence in leaps and bounds, but he still looks to our other dog Ella for cues on who is safe and who isn’t. He met my very tall brother-in-law yesterday and is in love with him. I think maybe Tucker wants to go home with him.
Tucker is always a gentleman, just a little stand offish at first with some people, particularly if Ella isn’t around. He will sit and watch people and then walk over and let them pet him. He is a true boxer, just wants to make up his own mind. He is always patient with a new person, especially the little ones.

11/27/03 - Last night my daughter would not go to sleep without Tucker. We had to get him off the couch so he could join us in her room while I read her a story. He is a very good boy and just lies down next to her bed until I open the door to leave. He looks like he would be happy to just sleep there, but they are both still too young for that.
He is definitely on our list of Thanksgiving blessings. Thank you BAR for this wonderful character.

11/22/03 - Tucker is settling in well. He is so good with my daughter, and it is amazing to see him learn what it means to be a goofy puppy. He can leap very high and very far. My shyest kitty has come out now and rubs herself on him. He looks a bit puzzled by her attentions, but he just sits and watches.
With his greater trust comes some behavior issues, like play nipping and counter surfing. He also has coprophagy and we are trying a few home remedies for that recommended by our vet. We will all be in obedience class soon.

9/15/03 - Tucker has settled in very nicely. He sleeps with his head on top of our other dog, and our big kitty is usually in the mix there somewhere. He wants to be with my daughter at all times, to keep an eye on her. He romps like mad outside and has learned the fine art of 'keep away' and 'hide and seek' very well. He is getting more into puppyish mode, chewing and misbehaving with that typical boxer panache that says "I may be getting into trouble but I'm cute and I know they love me." He is just that special and we still do love him very much.
There have been a couple of accidents in the house as we continue to learn his signals for going potty, but he also has dashed downstairs to the door when he had a bout of diarrhea recently in the middle of the night. I think he is very much housebroken, we just have to pay attention. He is just a puppy and like all small ones would rather play than deal with anything else.
We are looking for an obedience class for him. He is getting very good at sit, and 'go crate' I couldn't get him out of his crate last night. He was demanding his treat before he would leave. Smart puppies do offer unique challenges. :-)
He is a joy, and well loved by all who run into him.

9/7/03 - After doing a poll of co-workers, friends and colleagues at BAR, this special boy now has an extra special name, Tucker. It seems to fit him. We just got back from spending over an hour at Pet Rock fest (http://www.petrockfest.com) and we had a blast. He is such a calm boy. Whenever we stopped for a bit he would just lay down at our feet. We just can’t believe he is only a year old. He is so calm. He is wonderful with tiny children, no licking faces, no trying to knock them over. He just wants to be next to you and hug you. Yes, that’s right, he lifts his paws up and wraps them around your waist when he knows you well enough. He doesn’t jump on people at all, just a polite sniff and an endearing wiggle for a pat on the head and he is happy.
He got along great with everyone he met, even the ones that weren’t so good with him. He just took it all in stride, from my toddler’s screeching when she got overtired to the truck’s beeping noise as it backed up, even the dog that snarled and lunged at him. I’d almost think he was deaf if he didn’t sit when I asked him to. Usually. He definitely needs to go to obedience class, but he should do well there. He seems to pick up on things very quickly.
He’s been doing really well with my cats. He actually got to lick one of them last night as we were sitting on the couch together. He is good at just letting them walk by, even outside. The cats have taken to rubbing themselves on him when he is lying down, so I’d say they like him, as much as a cat will admit to liking anything.

9/6/03 - Max has been renamed Tucker after a poll of BAR volunteers with suggestions for his new name. He was not responding to Max, but seems to be responding to Tucker already.

8/30/03 - There are moments as a foster parent that make it clear why we do this despite the times we fall in love and then break our hearts giving them up. It seems that Max was not always treated with a gentle hand, and yet he faces the world with joy and forgiveness and a gentleness that is astonishing in one so young. I learn a lot from these dogs.
My toddler walked over Max to get to the other side and he just stayed there until he was sure she was on solid ground again. He walked right past the cat while they were outside. The cat is not one to run away, but he also wouldn’t show himself so much if he were uncomfortable. He must feel that Max is okay. Max has shared his bowl with Ella, my husband and me, and has let Sam try to give him a bone by shoving it into his mouth. Max doesn’t understand toys yet, but I am confident that our house clown will soon set him straight about playing. He plays beautifully with our dog and clearly is in love with her. He met a big, neutered, dominant male dog last night on our walk and he was a bit scared, tucked himself as close to my knees as he could until he realized that this dog just loves to play and run too. Max didn’t curl a lip, no hackles raised, just a proper puppy “I’m little and cute, be nice to me!” mode. (He’s not that little. If he grows into his feet fully he will be a good-sized boy)
I told him today that he will have his very own family that will return his sweet kisses and wiggles with hugs and lots of love. I promised. Do you want to be that special family that will give him a warm home for his big heart?

8/29/03 - Max arrived this afternoon, and he is a sweetie. He is a very happy boy, a little on the skinny side even for a one-year-old. He has shared his food and his water bowl with Ella and with me (I just put my hand in). He let me pick up his hind legs and lift him while he was eating with no reaction. I dropped a metal lid on ceramic tile a few feet from him, and he came over to find out what the noise was all about. He has met my 18 month old progeny with delight and reasonable curiosity, not overly energetic. Max was very well mannered with her. So far he just ignores our cats. He did pee on a corner of our furniture after his bath, but the marking behavior should calm down after he is neutered. We will be working on housetraining and crate training. He does know 'sit' but isn't great at doing it reliably. When I raise my hand or arm, he crouches down and backs away, but he wags a lot and has nice kisses when I lean over him and hug him. He is very trusting and loving, and seems like a sunny, steady kind of pup.