
UPDATE 6/18/07 - I just realized that I forgot to send in an update on Bella last week. My apologies
for that.
Bella continues to do well with our family. She is still an extremely loving dog with people of all ages
and we love when she's a cuddle bug with us, though it can get a tad too much if you're in the
bathroom. LOL!
With strange dogs, and even sometimes our dogs, she can be a bit domineering. Any new dog that she
meets, she gets nasty with, barking, baring her teeth, growling. She has established herself as the
dominant dog in our household with this same behavior and while everything has worked out ok with
our three dogs, I do worry about her getting into dog fights with other dogs. I'm not sure if she actually
got into a fight how far it would go, so we keep her on a short leash when it comes to meeting new
dogs. I'm hoping to address this with her trainer when we start obedience next week.
That being said, we are still very, very pleased with Bella. She's an excellent playmate for Marty &
she's already fairly obedient with us, sitting, laying down and even staying for a short time when we tell
her too. Added to that, she's just so gentle with people that she easily works her way into your heart
with her big brown eyes and so soft coat. My kids adore her and she is even obedient with them.
Bella has really grasped the household routine and is great about going into her crate when I leave the
house to run errands or at bedtime. She's also great about being house-trained. For an eight-year-old
dog, she's rather spry. She's just active enough for Marty, so that he plays to his heart's content without
aggravating his hip dysplasia. They are also starting to lay together occasionally paw to paw or nose to
nose.
UPDATE 5/8/07 - Angel (renamed Bella) has been with us for a month now. She has fit into the
household really well so far. She is actually the seemingly dominant dog, even though she is 20 lbs.
lighter than our male boxer. She does get a little crabby and "tells him off" sometimes, but for the most
part they play and play and then rest for a while.
Bella definitely needs some gentle guidance in the manners department. She's a world-class table
begger. It's the one time she ignores my commands and repeatedly comes back to the table to
"request" a hand-out. I'm hoping that obedience training will help solidify her otherwise good grasp of
commands and encourage some better manners. I am actually really impressed at the commands she
does know and obey. She definitely knows sit, shake and down.
Bella is a real cuddle-bug with people. She doesn't lay with my other two dogs but she follows me
everywhere and gently leans on me all the time. One time she even rested her snout on the back of my
shin while I was standing at the kitchen counter. I have very little worry about her with the children or
with us--she seems to clearly understand that people are the top of the totem pole.
We're really pleased with Bella as a member of our family. She's clearly very smart and very sweet.
She gets along with all of the humans in the family very well and with the other dogs most of the time.
We'll work on refining the way she interacts with our dogs, as it can be too aggressive occasionally.
We can tell that she wants to know what is expected of her and she wants to be obedient, so I truly
believe that it's just a matter of time for her to fully integrate into the rules and routines of the household.
4/9/07 - Angel has been adopted!
3/25/07 - We just adopted another dog, a little 6 mo mixed breed out of the south. Don’t know
why, but he’s another one of those that just needed to come here, I guess?he’s small, about 25
lbs or so, we think whippet and terrier. Very sweet, fairly laid back for a puppy, and really good with
all the residents here.
Having Roscoe in the house has turned Angel back into a puppy! You would NEVER know Angel is a
senior? She plays all day long with this little guy! Honestly, I think somebody went and dyed her muzzle
gray, because there’s no way she is as old as she appears in her pictures. Angel has so much life in
her that I think she has a lot of very good, active years to give someone! I’m attaching a picture of
Angel and Roscoe playing.
3/9/07 - Angel is doing just wonderfully here at the Lakeside Boxer Retreat. She spends her days with
the crew napping around my desk while I work, and on the days I have to go to my office she heads
right for her crate when asked and settles in without any fuss until we come home to let her out. She is
a really affectionate girl, and wherever I go, Angel is there to keep me company. You will never find
her being voluntarily alone, she prefers to be in the company of humans. She is wonderful with our little
children and patiently accepts their hugs and kisses and their strange attempts to find out what exactly
makes a boxer nub wiggle. Angel and my cat have grown so comfortable with each other that he gives
her head rubs and will walk right underneath her while all the animals are waiting in the kitchen to get
their meal.
2/24/07 - Here is a picture of Angel with our cat and my male boxer nearby. As you can see from the
picture, she is not even paying attention to them! Angel is becoming adjusted to the comings and goings
of the household and fits in very nicely. We are still trying to put some weight on her, she is a very trim
little girl and apparently doing step aerobics when I’m not looking to avoid gaining any unwanted
pounds. Seriously, though, this girl has a lot of energy for a senior. She loves to play with my dogs and
has more stamina for it than they do. We are looking forward to the weather warming up so we can
resume our morning walks, Angel just loves them.
I believe this girl can adapt to any situation with the right guidance. She is so happy to sit with you and
receive attention, and when you want to get up and go for a walk she is right there at the front door
wiggling her nub and raring to hit the trail. She has a true boxer spirit and does the best kidney bean
when you walk in the door. She’s been terrific with everyone that has come to our home, not a
barker at all, just happy to see anyone who might be coming in to give her some petting.
If you want to give a really great girl a forever home, please consider Angel. She’s so smart and
loveable!
2/18/07 - Angel has made it into the pack!
For the last three days, Angel has been with our dogs pretty much full time, including at night. She has
earned the acceptance of the other dogs by being a very good girl, and we are very comfortable letting
the three of them hang out together. No more baby gates, yay! At night Angel sleeps next to my side
of the bed, as close to me as she can get without actually being on the bed. She has been very
respectful of the boundaries we set for her and tries very hard to please us.
We got to test her with company tonight. We had guests for dinner, and Angel did not growl, bark or
have any guarding behavior with them. She was completely nonchalant about people coming into the
house and was her usual friendly self with all of the human beings in the house.
I’m very confident about her ability to be a good family dog and I think whoever adopts her is
going to be very lucky to have such a nice dog.
2/13/07 - I am really excited with Angel’s progress in getting along with the resident canines.
When she first came here she was *really* obnoxious with them – kept lunging at them and nipping at
their ears. My senior boxer did not appreciate it and let her know pretty quickly. We’ve been
very slowly over the last two weeks having her spend some time with our very laid back bullmastiff girl â
€“ who could really care less if someone is nipping at her ears as long as she gets a belly rub and a
cookie for her trouble – and gradually having her spend a half hour, then longer with both dogs and
the whole family. We were very on point with her and at first she required frequent, gentle correction
from us that this behavior was not needed from her. She finally has figured things out and today, for the
first time, is spending the day in my office with both of my dogs while I work instead of being baby
gated into the kitchen by herself. The WHOLE DAY! Yay for Angel! I am very proud of her, she is a
really nice dog who just needs someone who will understand her and give her lots of love and petting.
She responds very quickly and obediently to the most gentle corrections and is really a delightful dog.
She doesn’t get on the furniture, she doesn’t cruise the counters, and she is perfectly well
behaved with small children. She LOVES to be petted and sits as close to you as she can.
As I type this she is laying on the floor next to me, enjoying just hanging out with the family. I was not
sure when she came here if I would ever be able to see her do this in a room full of other dogs, but here
she is and I couldn’t be happier. Now all Angel needs is a family to love her for their very own!
2/11/07 - Angel is making good progress with the dogs in the house. She spent almost the entire day
with Lady the bullmastiff with no incident whatsoever. After dinner tonight she hung out with both Lady
and Hercules, our boxer, and she did great. Every so often she would get a little pushy, but all I had to
do was touch her on the shoulder and she settled right down. She’s really starting to feel safe here,
and I’m pleased with what I see in her personality.
Angel just needs the right amount of loving leadership, and if she has canine companions, well-balanced
dogs, and she will be a great addition to a household.
2/10/07 - Angel’s fecal and heartworm tests came back negative, so she is all ready to find her
forever home! She’s a petite 50 lbs, but we are working on putting another 5-10 lbs on her.
Angel has gotten extremely good in her crate ? she goes in without a fuss and no longer barks or whines
while she is in it. She is such a good girl, eager to please and very loving with humans of all ages. She
doesn’t bark when people come over, doesn’t chew things up, and is really a perfect little lady
in the house.
This is a really great dog, with lots of playful energy despite her age. If you adopt Angel I promise you
will have all the best traits of a boxer ? love, loyalty, affection and a dog you can trust around children
of all ages. In short, she’s your perfect Valentine! Won’t you consider giving Angel a forever
home for Valentine’s day?
2/8/07 - Angel saw my vet today for a fecal and heartworm check and to see if he thinks she is
spayed. He palpated her abdomen quite a bit and felt pretty sure he felt a spay scar there, so I think
we can update her top box to reflect Yes for spay/neuter. All her vitals were good, I will have status on
her heartworm and fecal checks tomorrow afternoon. He thinks she’s older than 7 based on her
amount of gray and her teeth, but agrees that she acts much younger.
2/4/07 - Angel has been with us for a few days now, and I have to say that I really like this girl. She
has a lot of energy – she wants to play a LOT, much more than the gray on her muzzle would make
you think. She can be a little bit of a pest with the other dogs, and Hercules really gets mad at her, so Iâ
€™ve been putting her with my bullmastiff for periods of time to let her be around a dog that just doesnâ
€™t get riled up no matter what she does, then correcting her when she gets too focused in her
attempts at playing. So far there have been no incidents at all, and eventually Angel will calm down and
just hang out. I’m hoping we can get her conditioned over time to do that around Hercules too.
For now, though, she enjoys Lady’s company a lot and I enjoy letting Lady be the teacher of calm
doggy attitude.
Angel has been terrific with the kids, I think she would do fine in a home with kids of any age. She
would like best a home where someone will make the commitment to provide her with a daily walk to
help her release some energy and be a more balanced dog. She could do Ok with another dog so long
as the other dog is very calm and patient. I also think she could do OK with a cat – not just any cat,
but a cat that is not afraid of dogs and will hold his ground and not run. She tries to get my cat to play
with her just like she tries to get Lady to play – lunging and being very vocal. She’s not
aggressive, though, and she’s not trying to bite him, just trying to get him to play. If he runs away
her prey instinct kicks in and she gives chase. If he holds his ground or even punches her in the face,
she soon settles down.
Angel has improved in the crate tremendously, and while she does not like to go in, a gentle hand on her
rear is all the encouragement she needs. She has quieted down a great deal and we are very pleased
with her progress in crate manners. We’ve gone on a couple of group walks with both my dogs
and she has really good leash manners, she is not a puller and responds very well to the leash. Weâ
€™ve also been able to determine that she knows all three basic commands – in addition to “sitâ
€� she knows “comeâ€� and “down.â€�
Angel is a really nice dog, and I predict as we she becomes more settled here I’ll only have nicer
things to say. She’s the kind of dog that just steals right into your heart. I can’t say enough
how much I’m really taken with her nice personality. She’ll be the perfect dog for the right
family.
2/2/07 - Meet Angel. Angel was picked up as a stray and spent her Christmas holidays in a shelter.
We have no history on her with children, but so far she has been very good with my two, ages 2 and
5. Her name was chosen by my 5 year old daughter, and we think it fits because from the looks of
things she has had a rough time.
Its hard to tell from the pictures, but if you look, the area above her right eye, where there should be a
nice round skull, she has a hollow area. She also has a very large, very old scar in the middle of her
back where it appears a large flap of skin was pulled down. I’m guessing she was the lucky
survivor of being hit by a car many years ago and someone, either an owner or kind stranger, nursed
her through her injuries. She doesn’t seem to have any fear of cars and she is not hand shy or
otherwise fearful of humans, so I think the has been treated well in her life.
Angel really loves to be with people and is very sweet and gentle with everyone. She loves to be
petted and is at her best if she is allowed to sit with you and receive affection. She is *very* good on a
leash and she does know “sit.�
Angel has interacted with both of my dogs. She very much wishes to play with them, and did very well
with my bullmastiff female, who is a very submissive and calm dog. She didn’t do quite as well with
my male boxer, as he is the more dominant personality and he didn’t appreciate her attempts to
play with him. As far as I can tell Angel is also a dominant dog and will do best only if placed as a only
dog or with a very submissive playmate. She’s also met my cat, and she really wants to chase him
but will stop when told “no.�
Angel is housebroken and will go in a crate, but reluctantly. She barks a bit when you first put her in
the crate, but settles down after about 15 minutes and is quiet until you let her out. She is accident free
when crated.
More updates after we get to know this little sweetheart better.
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|
State: NJ
Age: ABOUT 7 years
Weight: 50lbs
Sex: FEMALE
Neutered/UTD: Yes/Yes
Coat: Fawn/white
Docked Tail: YES
Cropped Ears: NO
Children Under 4: Yes
Children Over 4: Yes
Separation Anxiety: No
Other Dogs: Yes
Cats: Yes
Crate Trained: Yes
Housebroken: Yes
Leash Trained: Yes
Obedience: Required
Microchipped: No
Adoption Fee: $150 FEE WAIVED IF YOU
HAVE ADOPTED FROM SCBR IN THE PAST.