My friend had a dog that she was NOT taking care of. She has two, but Patton is a small cocker spaniel that live in the house and Cooper is a larger dog (about boxer size, like 40lbs) and so Cooper was always in his kennel. Like always... for about a year he was stuck in this 13X10 foot kennel, and no one ever took him out. When I finally asked to take him out he was standing in his own moldy fecies and his collar was ROTTED to his fur and too small... it was SO sad. Well the last time my friends dh was home (Army) he agreed to take care of Cooper (His dog when they got him) and then didn't and the dog did not eat for at least 4 days at one point... and my friend said she refused to watch him be so neglected so she was going to give him away. Well I came over and spent the weekend with her, and we were talking and I asked if I could let him out and see how many bad habits he has aquired...

And then I taught him to fetch in 1 hour. He was SO attention starved that he would do anything I wanted by the end of the hour. My friend tried to put him back in the kennel and he dead weighted her... she had to carry him. I could not let him go back. So I took him home.

He has been here for two days, and I got him some toys. That is all... my friend had food. My neighboor (who was just discusted by the shape he was in when I got him, and was really mad about such a sweet dog getting neglected like that) gave me a trainer collar (Pinch, not choker), a regular collar, a leash and 4 dog books, and my other neighboor has already offered to walk him when I can't.

I have paid $32 for this dogs toys so far, and I failed to mention that he is a pure breed boxer mixed with a pure breed chocolate lab. BEAUTIFUL dog... just beautiful!

He is learning quickly, and I SO hope that my dad and my aunt (house owners) will let me keep him. If not, at least I know that he will not go back there again. But honestly I would be heartbroken if I have to give him away. He is so sweet... and has already claimed a little spot in the living room.

Feel free to stop reading if you want now, but I have to tell you all, this dog has NO bad habits... he is untrained and a little pushy... but he does not bark, he does not claw doors, he does not pull you around on the leash... most of the time he comes when called, and he even sits. All on his own! He picks up things really quickly, and is very smart, and already somewhat protective of me and the kids. He doesn't even chase bikes! It just blows me away the things that he has been through and how few bad habits he has gotten. I feel very blessed to have found him.

We were going to change his name because he does not even know his name... but Don said that Cooper was perfect because he was cooped up for so long, and we like the fact that he can be called "Coop".

Love Val

What a neat story! What a neat thing to save a dog! I hope you can keep him.

Keep us posted on what happens.

BTW when we had a dog I would look at the stores for torn bags of dog food that they would tape up and sale at a reduced price....or buy it from Sams club.

Tawnya

Thank you for saving Cooper! We saved our oldest dog from a similar abusive/neglected situation and she has been such a gift to us. I know we saved her, but she has done so much for us in so many ways. I really hope things work out for you and you are able to keep Cooper. Please keep us updated!

Even though I despise going there, it is the only place that we can get dog food that is bone meal and ash free and at a reasonable price. In our area it is $13.88 for a 40# bag and the ingredients are comparable to that of the expensive dog foods. Because it doesn't have the fillers like the cheaper brands you also don't need to feed your pet as much as with the cheaper brands.

Originally posted by gabegavin
Even though I despise going there, it is the only place that we can get dog food that is bone meal and ash free and at a reasonable price. In our area it is $13.88 for a 40# bag and the ingredients are comparable to that of the expensive dog foods. Because it doesn't have the fillers like the cheaper brands you also don't need to feed your pet as much as with the cheaper brands.

What brand is this? We have a pretty small dog so we've been feeding the $$ stuff, but I'm going to get some better dog food for my Dad's dogs, he feeds them awful stuff...
Anne

What a great rescue!!! Boxers are the best!!! And mixed with Lab!!! Awesome!!!!

My mom has a boxer. When she watched Kyle when he was a baby and I worked, Sandy (the boxer) believed she was responsible for sleeping under his crib while he napped. If I had to scold Kyle for being naughty when he got older, she would place herself between me and him. She honestly thought Kyle was her pup.

And I second the Costco/Sams dog food. This is where we get our dog and cat food. Since you don't need to feed them as much dog food, that equals less poop!!! Added bonus!!!

Ohh how exciting! A good friend of mine rescued an abused boxer/lab mix and he is the BEST dog! He is one of the most well behaved doggies that I know. And he also has the sweetest temperment.

Aw, Val, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for Cooper. :heart:

That breed combo is awesome! I love Boxers, and Labs...but both have their icky hereditary issues....however studies show that when you mix the breeds, most all breeds, it outbreeds the "bad" and mixed breeds end up with less problems health and otherwise over 100% purebreds. Another reason why your new dog is thrifty!!!! :D

JUst a warning on the taped up, spilled food type bags....it is actually a risk to buy those. Petco sells returned foods, as do other places, and any opening or tear can mean that food was tampered with. Sickos, people trying to cause harm for the heck of it.....:rolleyes: Happens often sadly. So make sure whatever you buy you get it new and 100% sealed. JMO. (o; Not worth saving $5 and ending up with a $500 vet bill for a toxicity issue......

Thanks guys! I am really excited... and I am trying to find words to write this letter to each of them and ask them. I don't know if I can let him go now. I took him to Alex's baseball practice last night and he did not even whine or anything. Sat, intently looking the whole time... but just sat... occasionally stood up like he wanted to be included, but never pulled hard, never jumped on the kids going by or anything.

I have taught him how to sit, come, lay down and get down already... he is so eager for affection that a few doggy training treats (the ones they can eat in one bite) and some love was all it took. He WANTS to do what I want... really. I just can't believe that she could have let that go on as long as she did... he is such a good dog. But in some ways I am happy. I still have not heard him bark except at the vacuum. lol... He does "rush" the door when someone comes through though. I think that is great... but seriously he does not even bark at DOGS going by... much less people.

I left him in the house for 3 hours today, and came back to my dog, sleeping like a baby and my house just as I left it. I just can not believe how good he is. I will not find another dog like this. My neighbors love him... they both have come over with "doggy warming gifts", they are so sweet. I picked him up bowls today, and a little doggy treat glass jar at Big Lots... they have dog beds too... but they are $20. I don't want to get one until I check at Sam's Club or Costco for one, and make sure we can keep him. (I will check out the ingredients in the food there too! Thanks for the tip. I bet I could save some money there. I bet you he will gain 10lbs in the next month because he is SO skinny.)

Crossing my fingers... I will keep you all posted.

Love Val

Here he is!

Love Val

Awwww!!!! He is such a cutie!!!

He sounds like an awesome dog. I'm getting all teary just thinking of how lucky you both are to have found each other. :heart:

He's really cute.:thumbsup:

Oh, he looks like a sweetie! Poor guy. Why do people treat animals so poorly? Why? It makes me so angry. You have done a good deed, and I think it will return to you. I bet Coop will get to stay with you. He has to, he just has to!

I'm wondering about the food at Sam's Club. Although, we don't have that store, we have Costco. I'd love to feed our pooches something a little cheaper, the stuff we feed them now averages out to about $30 a month(maybe that isn't too bad? what do others spend?)

Our springer spaniel, Trevor was a rescue dog. He was neglected as a puppy. He wasn't given enough food, water, or attention. His body is fairly mis-shapened because of it. But, he is the sweeties dog in the world. I adore him. Our other one is from the humane society, Annie a heeler/shepard cross. She is a sweetie too. I adore her too, but she's more my husband's dog. Though, I feed and pick up after them....

Sorry to go AAM! You have a wonderful heart! :)

He is such a doll... not quite the angel we brought home anymore... but I am happy to say that means he feels comfortable in his new home. I love it. We have been trying to teach him to 'come'. So far he will only do it for treats... but he has 'sit' and 'lay down' in the bag, (and now he knows his name... poor thing)! Woooohoooo! "Come" is next... and I really want that to work... that will help us be able to take him places. Anyway... I am in love. He is so sweet.... still a little puppy like... but that means that everything we are teaching him is retainable... and that is GREAT!

My aunt is coming to meet him later this week. I bet she will love him... I don't see why not... even with the newness and the perfect dogness gone, he is still a great dog. Not really any bad tendencies that I can think would make her think he would be bad for the house. Anyway...

Love Val

Here is one more pic... :D

That was a sweet story. I love rescue dog stories... they are close to my heart now. :heart:

Love Val

What a sweet story Val. He's jsut gorgeous!

Icould you clarify a couple things for me because i must have misunderstood...
you said your friend was mad at her husband for not feeding his dog, leaving him in his own flith etc....does she not live in the same house he does? is she disabled or terrified of big dogs? or am i jsut not understanding the story because I don't understand why she couldn't jsut feed the dog/clean his kennel, play with him and ***** at her husband for being such a loser about his dog.
I am not being nasty here at all i really just really am curious
:)

Her dh is in the army... she has her own dog (the indoor cocker puppy) and her two children, plus his farret, and all of her own stuff. When they got the dog (and the farret for that matter, but she is in the house so can't ignore that smell) she said that it was his responcibility to feed him and take care of him. When he was not home she would feed him... would not take him out, or clean his kennel, but at least he was fed. When he was home it was his deal. She wanted cockers, he wanted a bigger dog. It was all his deal acording to her.

She was raised on a pig farm. Each year the pigs are all slaughtered, and they are bread for food. They are well taken care of (in many ways better than Cooper) but still they are food. Animals are animals and people are people. There is a huge difference for her. With me, we all have feelings and that should be considered part of the deal when you take on and dog or pet at all... but with her, he was an animal. There is little guilt for letting her dh abuse and neglect this dog, because he was a dog. But there is a limit even for her... and when Cooper was starving and living in filth that was her limit. I would have hit mine about 6 months into him being ignored (all the while being fed and sleeping somewhere clean mind). But there are differences with priorities and different people. For me the difference between the way I treat people and the way I treat animals is only as different as we interact, and I try not to gage on what level he feels shame, guilt and pain. That is not a consideration because to me any shame, guilt and pain should be used as little as possible, human or not.

Differences in values... that is why this dog is with me, and happy. :)

Love Val