Hi everyone, Just a quick notice that we are currently investigating different upgrade options for the current software used to operate the BoxersRules forum - we hope to have one selected and implemented in the next few weeks! Thanks!

I have no clue what is happening here, but the last few days, Lexi and Axel (the siblings) have been going at it. They are fighting over food scraps, toys, you name it. Fortunately, at this point I only have to yell at them to knock it off and they immediately go back to cuddling on the couch. They are still inseparable, but this behavior is concerning to me and it upsets Abigail and Bella. Any suggestions?

Sarah will be 8 months old May 10 and has started to show us what a "big girl" she is. She has gotten a big dog bark and just told the drunken neighbors she was here! I thought she was going to jump the baby gate to get to the front door, and she is still growling at them! I want her to be protective, but for heavons sake if this is going to be the norm I may have to get different neighbors, I can't have them upsetting the baby like this!

Any tips to get her to realise that once she tells them off she can be quiet and only eat them if they come INSIDE?

I read on another forum that someone wanted to teach their dog the "tissue box" trick - ie on a verbal cue like "ACHOO" the dog is supposed to go to the tissue box and fetch a tissue and take it to the person. But she was having troubles getting her dog to do it and wanted to know if anyone could help.

Some one posted a link Achoo Trick Link and so I thought I would give it a try with Raferty.

First thing I learned was to put the tissue box up on something otherwise he had his feet on it but not his nose.

I started using the verbal command from the beginning unlike the person in the video. Rafe got lots of treats for nosing and touching. Then when he first picked the tissue up I cheered and tried to treat him but the tissue was stuck to his slobbery tongue and he was having trouble spitting it out so I had to go find some white hankerchiefs that wouldn't 'melt' quite so easily.

The next step was to get him to give it to me instead of throwing it up in the air or stomping his foot on it and trying to rip it apart.

But now he seems to have the trick down pretty well. In fact, when he feels like doing it, I seem to find white hankies all over the place as he picks it up and goes looking for the treat lol Since the weekend we have been doing a little bit each day to remind him what it's about.

I have also progressed to getting him to pick up white gloves which we need in UD obedience here for the directed retrieve (not that Rafe will ever do it but always good training for me to learn how to do it).

Lots of fun teaching a new trick. Rafe is throwing down a challenge - how many other dogs can learn the Achoo Trick?

Rafe had his yearly needles and checkup early April and was discovered that his Epulis was getting bad again. With his itchies and always shedding coat, he is getting a lot of hair and muck caught around his gums. So we decided to get it cut back again and while under check on the progress of his spondylosis and arthritis. As we are competing in Rally with a couple of jumps I wanted to make sure that he was fit to do it.

His dental work ended up being quite extensive - more than 2 hours on the table. He had a big abscess on the lower jaw - which I had no idea was there - which made a big hole in his gum right down to the tooth roots so he had to have a couple of teeth removed as well. But all in all his mouth is in much better shape now and hopefully won't have to be done again for awhile.

On the other issue, his arthritis and spondylosis have progressed a bit faster than hoped. Two vertebrae are now fused which doesn't cause him any pain but gives him less flexibility. A few other vertebrae are calcifying. His left knee - not the one that was reconstructed - is showing a bit more arthritis than last time. He is on a course a Zydax which is an advanced drug to the one that helped Candy so much. Plus I will increase the maintenance meds - glucosamines, omegas 3's etc - to help as well.

The vet said there is no reason he can't compete but to watch how he pulls up. He had a MAJOR zoomie last comp which didn't seem to worry him too much but we can always use heat packs and massage if necessary. Once he gets his Excellent title we will try for our RAE but that will just depend on how he feels.

The Zydax is a series of one needle a week for 4 weeks. So Rafe has been coming to work with me because I work fairly near to the vets.

But as I work upstairs on my own, he has realised that going to work isn't that enjoyable LOL He can't see anything and rarely sees anyone and I get lots of "I'M BORED" looks. We do get visitors upstairs occassionally who nearly all end up playing fetch with him (even the bosses) but definately not enough action for him. We have two more needles to go and then we will see how he is going and give him a booster as needed.


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Anyone have any experience with this crud? Last year Joker tested positive for this although I have never seen a tick on him...they gave him a months worth of antibiotics which we used up just as ordered but they told us that there was no need to retest after they were done as the antibodies will still be there and he would still test positive....well today we went back and had his one year re-check and sure enough he tested light positive again...the vet told me that he may test positive for years as it never really gets out of their system as it can penetrate the blood cells and live there where the antibiotics cannot reach them...but as long as he is not showing any symptoms and his blood work is good that he is OK and I shouldn't worry. We did a CBC today and it came back great...perfect...so I was told to not worry....but you guys know I am a professional worrier...I am very very good at it, so can anyone here offer anything in addition to this...because you know I am worried....