Back to
Available Dogs

FRANKIE (KRAMER) 9/18/04
#402

Pictures

Kramer's Foster Journey - Adopted 10/17/04 - Rainbow Bridge 4/9/07

Transport Angels

Pertinent Information
 4-6 yr. old  Fawn Male Boxer
  69 lb. Shelter Surrender
Cropped and Docked Tail
Neutered and UTD
Being Fostered near Burnt Hills, NY
Adoption Donation $175

4/9/07 - It's a sad day in the Anderson household.  Our dear Frankie went to heaven today.  We'd had 2 1/2 wonderful years with him, but it wasn't enough!  He was a gentleman with a capital "G" and loved us as much as we loved him.  He was good friends with our other dogs and cat. We recently adopted a Yorkie named Riley from our son and daughter-in-law.  He's 1 1/2 yrs old and Frankie had taken to him immediately.  They even played together like puppies, though we found out Frankie was a lot older than we thought.
With no signs before, Frankie started feeling poorly last week.  We took him to the vet and were saddened to find he had cancer (blood had filled his abdomen).  We chose to let him go ASAP so he wouldn't have to suffer.  We brought him home to bury in our backyard.  We miss him terribly.  It has left a big hole in our hearts.  Steve was home all day with Frankie and they were best buddies. 
We're so grateful for the time we had and know that God wanted us to have this angel for a time.  It was hard to say goodbye, but we know we'll see him again in heaven.  He'll wag his little stubby tail and do a kidney-bean dance!  Thank you BAR for your part in our adoption of Frankie.  Keep up the GOOD work!

10/18/05 - Wow!  It's been 1 year since we've adopted Frankie and the time has flown!!  We celebrated his adoption day as his birthday.  He is a full-fledged member of our family.  We can't remember what life was like without Frankie.  He still has the most affection and attention for Steven, his master and friend.  My husband comes alive when Frankie's there.  The two are a special pair; true friends. Frankie loves our other dog, Katie and our cat Scrapper (male). The three are exceptionally
"tight" and share their beds with each other.  If I can figure out how to do it, I'll try to send an updated picture.  Steven and I are so grateful to BAR as I know Frankie is also.  He'll live out the rest of his life with us in comfort and freedom and lots of LOVE!  God Bless Boxer Angel Rescue!!!

5/14/05 - Oops! Forgot the 6 month update April 17th. Time flies when you have a boxer in your household that makes everyone happy!
Frankie is a character, but as I read the e-mails (Chat bulletins), it seems he's the quintessential Boxer. He is a joy to love and he gives that love right back! He is definitely a "Velcro" boxer. He stays right by Steve's side at all times, which Steve loves. Frankie is the pal he hoped for when we adopted him last October. Frankie gets along well with all dogs and cats. He LOVES babies. Our two grandsons live next
door (18 mos and 6 mos old). Frankie is always kissing them and keeping watch over them. Our neighbor has two boys (10 and 5 yrs old) that come over to "play" with Frankie. We can't figure out who has the most fun! Frankie is playful, but gentle. Frankie's also a "talker". He howls/yowls with his jowls to communicate with us. Steve knows exactly what Frankie wants. It's amazing!
Frankie really likes attention, so it's funny when Steve and I try to dance cheek-to-cheek. Frankie barks, yowls and tries to get between us! He'd make a great chaperone. He wants to see daylight between us!
He's a clown, but a gentleman, too. He brings a smile to our faces at least once a day. We feel he is God's gift to us through BAR. We thank God for him every day. BAR does a great service to get the right pet with the right people.  Cheers to BAR!
 

1/19/05 - We've had Frankie for 3 months now and couldn't be happier! He's a real "character" and he's showing himself more and more. He is an early riser and wants us to be too.At 10 pm every night he finds "his place" on the corner of the couch and falls asleep. He looks like a person napping!
When HE's ready for us to wake up in the morning, he sniffs and whines at our bedroom door. He is thrilled to see us every morning and "howls" at us if we don't give him the attention he wants. He's even "talked" to Steven, trying to get him to feed him or remove our other dog Katie from his favorite dog bed. Every day he puts a smile on our faces
with the things he does and how cute he is! He always wants to be included in our activities.
When Steven and I hug each other, Frankie will place himself between us (our legs) and wait until we notice he's there! He's a gentleman through and through. We're so grateful to BAR for their part in our adoption of Frankie. He is very happy and so are we!

12/27/04 - We've had Frankie in our home for two months now and it's like he's always been here! We feel the Lord blessed us with Frankie because he's been a perfect fit (for all of us!) He has not shown ANY bad habits or behaviors from day one! He absolutely LOVES Steven and follows him everywhere. Steven is VERY happy with that. As Gail (his foster mommy) noted, Frankie does especially like men. His responses to them (we have two grown sons) is sheer happiness. He is also wonderful with children/toddlers. He has played in the yard with our neighbors two boys (ages 5 and 10). He's gently playful with them and they enjoy the fun!
He's a great companion, full of love and joy that he shares with us. Doesn't that sound like a blessing?!
Happy New Year 2005 to you all!

11/14/04 - We've had "Frankie" (aka Kramer) in our home 4 weeks now and it's like we've always had him as part of the family!
From the time he came to our home until now, he's acted like this is HIS home. He made friends right away with our yellow lab mix, Katie (10 1/2 yo) and our son's cat, Scrapper (who is always over here, so he's like our own). Katie and Scrapper liked Frankie, too. They all sniffed each other and decided everything was okay! Frankie went from room to room the first day or so to see what was there and acquaint himself with his new surroundings. As Gail (his foster mommy) had observed, Frankie seemed to attach himself to the man of the house (Steven) right away. We petted him often and assured him constantly that he was okay and that this was HIS home.
I (Karen) work fulltime, but Steven is retired now and spends the whole day with Frankie. In fact, the times Steven is not here (out running errands, etc), Frankie looks all over the house for him. He'll finally settle down, but is thrilled when Steven returns!
Frankie and I have gotten closer and more familiar with each other as I spend more time with him. He is happy to see both Steven and I in the morning! He does his "happy dance" and jumps in the air. He'll be so full of energy that he "howls" at us to pay attention to him. He gives kisses in the morning without hesitation.
Frankie was well-trained is so many ways. He is a blessing to us as he surprises us with each new "thing" he does. He walks very well on the leash, never tugging. He doesn't do the usual sniffing and marking that Katie likes to do, but perhaps that will come as he gets used to our neighborhood. He is absolutely wonderful with doing his "business" outside. He takes care of it right away.
He is better in the car than we hoped. He's seen the vet for a Lyme vaccine and she found one of his elbow pads had gotten infected. She drained it and put him on antibiotics.
We've been putting vitamin e on it to keep it supple. We had picked up other balms, but Frankie was licking himself (he won't keep a bandage on) and we were concerned about what he was ingesting. He goes back to the vet tomorrow for the 2nd lyme shot and eval of the elbow pad.
Frankie is revealing his personality more and more. As Gail had seen, he loves to play with balls. He plays soccer with it and is very good! He'll tap the ball with his nose to roll it to you, too. When I come home from work he comes barking to the door until he sees that it is me. Then he goes into his "happy dance" and jumps off the floor with all four feet! Steven will tell him, "Mommy's home!" and he seems to be happy about that! He has shown himself to be a guard dog as he sits at our feet and "keeps watch". He always faces himself out from us as to watch.
Frankie's proven himself to be an intelligent, handsome companion. He's been with us four weeks now and he seems to recognize his name. He listens to us and obeys our commands. Frankie and Katie lay side by side on their beds with no quibbles. Scrapper the cat even sleeps with them! Frankie has also been good with other people coming into our home and outside the home. He has met all our neighbors (as they wanted to meet him) and he's well behaved. He doesn't jump up on people.
Steven and I have the dog we dreamed of when we contacted  BAR. Everyone involved with the rescue/application/adoption were wonderful. We knew we were working with people that truly love boxers (as well as other creatures) and showed it by giving their time and homes to help these helpless dogs. Frankie has found his forever home with us where he has the run of the house and lots of LOVE!

10/24/04 - Kramer has been in his new home for one week and I have just heard from his family. They have renamed him Frankie, although Steven calls him Pal. He's such a smart guy, so I think he'll do fine with his new names. They just love him and he has settled into their home fabulously. I'm so happy for all of them.

10/17/04 - Kramer just left with his new mom and dad. They were so excited to meet him. He will be spending all his days with his new dad, who is retired. No more crates for our Kramer!!! We are so happy for him...

10/13/04 - Kramer is pending adoption.

10/6/04 - Well, Kramer is still here (for the life of me I can't understand why), waiting for his forever family to step and claim him. Kramie has been with us for 2 1/2 weeks but it seems like a lifetime, because he fits into our family like a glove. Although he is with me in the office during the day (my other two dogs are not allowed in the office because they bark at anyone who comes in and Kramer does not), he prefers to be with my other four legged children. We take walks to the mailbox, and trips to the bank. I don't think Kramie had much experience in riding in the car because he pants and drools quite a bit, but loves just being with me, so he tries really hard to like the experience. Every time we go out, he gets better at it. He is such a smart boy.
I just have to tell you about an incident that happened yesterday that will tell you about who Kramer is: We were on a walk yesterday and took a different road than normal. We passed a house that had a dog in the yard. The dog came running out to the road, with his teeth bared at Kramer. It was obvious that it wasn't me that he was upset with, but Kramer. Kramer just kept walking and did not look at the dog. We stopped at a garage sale next door and the dog came across the yard, heading straight for us. I stepped between him and Kramer and yelled, but the dog came at us anyway. It was a scary moment, but Kramer was wonderful! He did what I told him to do and as a result, no one got hurt...I was so proud of him... We don't know why he ended up in rescue, but we feel that we have been fortunate to have him in our lives for however long he will be with us.

10/2/04 - After two weeks with our Kramer, I find myself wondering how I'm ever going to give him up! I hope you have your application in for him. There is going to be one very lucky family out there. He is doing so fantastic in our home. This week we have had house guests for the past 5 days. He has been so comfortable with them and even went for a "run" with my friend. When they came back Nancy said that he kept looking back, as if to say "where are you taking me...I want my mommy", but he jogged the whole 2 miles with her. When he came back, he gave me the cutest kidney bean dance. He does this little twisty thing and all four legs come off of the floor at once. One of the best things about having a mature boxer in the house is that they don't need a lot of exercise, so if you're busy for a day or two, they won't be climbing the walls to get out. Today, it was raining out, so we all slept in, and Kramie was content to walk to the end of the driveway and back, take a couple of spins around the living room with his ball, wrestle for about 5 minutes with Penny, our lab, and then was content to hang out for the rest of the afternoon on my bed with his foster brother and sister. He is getting so much more relaxed with meeting strangers. He will look at me for approval, and will gladly let them pet him right away. We went to the vet this week and he checked out as seeming to be a healthy boy. While at the Dr., he met "Abby" another BAR foster baby and Carrie. He was great with Dr. Smith and all of the staff. His photos do not do him justice. He is much more handsome. I'll try to get updated pictures soon.

9/27/04 - Kramer has been with us for our first full weekend and has been absolutely terrific. It's like he has always been with us. To give you an example of how calm he is, I overslept this morning and had to "multi-task" a little. I was drinking coffee, walking him, while carrying the pooper scooper and was successful at all three at once. He loves my other two dogs and vice versa. There has been no jealously whatsoever between them. Another thing that we found out this weekend is that he loves balls. We've been trying out all different types of toys and he doesn't seem interested in any of them until we found an old ball and his eyes lit up and he ran around and played fetch until he couldn't move anymore. He's so good about dropping it at our feet to have us throw it again...
His favorite thing is to just be hanging out with "his family". Kramie is just an "easy going" kind of guy. He does like to keep tract of where everyone is. He'll go looking to see what room everybody is in, then when he's satisfied that everyone is accounted for, he'll plop down and take a nap. He still has not barked, counter surfed, or touched anything that he shouldn't. The best thing that happened this weekend is that Kramie is "crate trained". Even though Kramer likes to be left out in the house, we felt that it was best that he be able to use a crate, especially for the transition period after he goes to be with his new family. We have tried to put him in a room with the door closed and he didn't like that so, we tried to put him in a "wire crate" and he absolutely hated it! We then borrowed a vari-kennel and after two or three times in there, he now goes in on command (with a little push). He has almost totally stopped drooling and whining when in there. Last night he just popped right in and went right to sleep. He always sleeps through the night and is so very good about doing his business right away when we take him out.
Kramie remains to be reserved in his affection but will give little kisses when asked and does this cute little kidney bean dance. He does NOT think he's a lap dog, but would prefer to lay next to us on the couch, on the bed or on the floor beside us. I have tried to cuddle with him by putting my arms around him when we're laying on the couch or bed and he will jump down and lay on the floor next to me. He doesn't growl or anything like that, but his body language tells me that he's rather not do that...Because of this, we feel that he would do best with older children, who would not try to squeeze or try to cuddle too hard with him, or run up to him before he was ready to accept their affection. He does accept hugs, body rubs and sweet talk gladly though. I really need to emphasize that he really is a sweet, loving boy! We would keep him ourselves in a heartbeat, except if we did, we would not have room to take in any more foster babies, so please consider opening your hearts and home to this handsome, gentle guy.

9/24/04 - Well, Kramie has been here 6 days now and every day he shows more of his personality. I brought him over to see a trainer friend of mine and he put Kramer through a little routine. It appears that indeed, Kramer has had training. He's a little rusty, but we're on a daily regime of two training sessions a day. One thing that he needs practice in is "come". When I want him to come with me, he starts to walk the other way...I have to go to him and pick up his leash. When I do that, he follows me easily. Sometimes, I feel that he thinks it's a little game, but I'm not playing.
He has been introduced to many people this week as he comes to work with me. He loves to sleep under my desk and is quiet as a mouse. When someone comes into the office, he gets up to greet them, but does so with a quiet reserve. He smells them and his tail wiggles, but he does not want to be touched by them. He will duck his head as if to say "I don't know you, don't touch me yet" He doesn't seem to be afraid or protective at all, he just doesn't want to be touched by strangers. He did that with my sister and me when we picked him up on Saturday. It takes about 10 minutes and he accepts all the pats anyone wants to give him. He does not actively look for attention
though. He is happy to be just sitting by people. It doesn't really matter who, although he still loves my husband. He will give kisses sparingly, when asked to, although he has to know you first.
When he plays, he is very gentle. He play bows, but never body slams, or jumps up. He's funny to watch run around because he looks like a "human boxer". He has this cute stocky build that looks kind of comical. Also, Kramie has never barked once since he's been here, which I personally am thankful for. We've been practicing using the crate the last couple of days and he is doing terrific. Did I mentioned how smart he is? Actually, today was a great day.

9/20/04 - WOW! What an awesome boy Kramer is! Anyone who adopts him will be so proud to have him walking beside them. He is very handsome and his slightly greying muzzle is so distinguished. He is in such good shape. He has this huge neck and muscled compact body. He is probably very strong, but has not showed any interest in pulling at all!!! Another thing is that he absolutely LOVES men and other dogs. He just follows my guys around trying to get them to play with him. He especially fell in love with my 14 yr. old terrier mix. He bounced on my "old guy" and Spunky snapped at him. Kramer didn't even flinch, he just kept jumping and bowing, not ready to give hope that Spunky would break down and play with him. There is not a "mean bone" in his body... The three of them all stand in line for attention like they have lived together forever. No jealously or pushing. Kramer is just so happy to be with them. I brought him upstairs when I took a shower I left all three of them alone in my bedroom and when I came out, all three were asleep on my bed. Kramer had his head on my husband's pillow :o). I have never let a new foster alone with my dogs so soon, but this guy is so special. Another thing, when Kramer "does his business" he only goes on gravel or pavement. That really saves our grass and it's a lot easier to clean up. Someone has given this boy a lot of attention. He knows sit, stay, lay down, no. He does not show any interest in "people food" and hasn't even tried to sniff the counters or table. He has met all three of my cats, and I feel that
he will be fine with them. It's too early to have them all run free at the same time yet. The only minor issue that he has is that he doesn't like to be in a room with the door closed, and does not like to be in a crate. I haven't tried to make him stay in the crate for very long, because I truly believe that he doesn't need to be there. The very first night, he slept in the den, with bottom of the dutch door closed. He whined for a few minutes, but then settled down for the night.

9/18/04 - Kramer just arrived in Upstate NY after a 6 hour ride. He is a beautiful boy. He's fairly small for a male, but has a very nicely built. He's been checking out everything in the house, but doesn't want to venture very far from us. It appears that he can be attached to men. When I picked Kramer from the people who transported him on the way to pick up their new boxer, Dominic, he kept watching the husband to see where he was at all times. He has been doing the same thing with my husband. He was a little nervous at first, but when we were making dinner, he settled right down and lay next to us in the kitchen and didn't appear to be bothered by us stepping over him. I did take him for a little walk and he was great. No pulling at all...He saw my kitties along the walk and didn't seem very interested...that's a very good thing... I put him in the den for a few minutes so I could feed my dogs, and he whined and drooled a little. Then he quieted down and I peeked in to check on him and he was sitting on the couch, so it appears that he has been used to some comforts. I haven't tried to put him in the crate yet, so we'll see how that goes tonight. We are so happy to have him here, I'm sure he'll be wiggling and smiling in no time.

 

Gary
Mary
Denise