Tag Archive for: boxer breed

beau the boxer on the floor

42,038 Memories of Beau

 

It would only be fitting to share our 42,038 memories of Beau. Beau was a full-blooded Boxer however, we never had him registered.  We didn’t care about paperwork or someone telling us he was special.  Beau was the king in our castle and in our hearts.  My son (10 years old at the time) dubbed him his full-unregistered name Beauregard Stormy Doughnut Schnautz.

Beau lived approximately 12.5 years, which equates to almost 91 in human years so he had an exceptionally long and quality life for a boxer. Working through the tears and collecting all the things that were a part of his life invoked hundreds of memories.  My fear is that as time goes on, I would forget so I wanted to document them.  I also wanted to share with others as they may have similar experiences.  I hope you enjoy the following memories of Beau, as many of you have been a part of his life as well.

Having him curled up on the rug in my bathroom through every shower or bath for the past 12.5 years  = 4,563 memories

Sharing my green smoothies every morning.  Sharing my mid-morning fruit snack. I’ve not eaten an apple by myself for the past 3 years since I’ve worked from home.  We always shared our food.  Sharing my lunch and sometimes even dinner = 17,520 memories

Running to the laundry room each day that I would leave the house because he trained us to give him a treat before we left.  Happy Hips, hormone/antibiotic-free jerky was his favorite. 4,380 memories.

My husband and I would take him for a walk in one of the parks almost every weekend and let him run leash-free through the grass.  The protocol was to unclip his leash and Alvin/dad would exclaim, “Go on, get out of here!”  Beau would take off and run like a wild and free dog! Well, it was only a few hundred yards and then he’d stop to turn around to ensure we were still within his view.  Our favorite places were the 4-H Fairgrounds where we would play hide and seek.  We would hide behind the trees or equipment and see if he could find us. Of course, he always did and then we would run and hide somewhere else.

Up until the past couple of years, he was able to scale the playground slide (yes, he would climb the ladder) and slide down.  The kids and parents were just amazed that he could do this and he loved it. He loved the slide and the attention.  624 memories.

Every Sunday after we returned from the church he would start crying with anticipation because he knew it was time to go to Grandma’s.  Grandma had two things Beau loved, treats and his “girlfriend” Summer (her Boxer).   624 memories.

Sitting in “his” chair waiting for Alvin to come home from work.  He knew exactly when to start looking out the window to watch for his dad. 3,120 memories.

Beau verbally greeted my clients with his howling, yowling talk that told me he knew these folks and they were considered friends. The new ones would get the standard “I don’t know you and I’m not sure of you yet” bark. 3,120 memories.

During the last year when it was too hard to jump up in our bed, he would cry to see if we would get out of bed and lift him in (all 80 pounds).  Alvin and I would play the “don’t make eye contact” game in hopes that he would give up and just lay on the floor or would try to jump up.  We had enabled him in so many ways; we knew this would be a bad habit to start. Catalina, our Siamese, would also get in on the game by sitting right where he would jump on.  Beau was too much of a gentleman to bowl her over but would cry until she would move or what was more likely to happen is that I would have to physically move her.  1,095 memories.

Having to spell “Walk” when if we mentioned the word, Beau would start crying and almost screaming, jumping up and down to go out.  He ended up learning W-A-L-K and we had to shorten it to “W” and then finally put our walking shoes on because he was SO impatient!  Walking him through the neighborhood was always an adventure.  If people were in their yards or sitting on their porches, he wanted to go say hi to everyone.  He couldn’t understand and didn’t like it when people ignored him.  And if he knew someone was watching, he’d pick up the leash and show off by “walking himself.”   1,800 memories.

I remember him sitting on the couch (yes, we condoned bad behavior) between my brother and brother-in-law as they were conversing.  He would turn his head side to side as each of them spoke like he was acknowledging their conversation.  My brother exclaimed, “my gosh, I really think this dog is human and understands what we are saying”.  It really was scary, as he did seem to “speak” to us with his expressions.  Something he only did with Alvin and me was this little head nod.  We were never completely sure what it meant but it almost carried a tone of the extreme attitude of “I run this place and I don’t want you to forget it.”  The sad truth was, he did.  Alvin always said if you could go to jail for overindulging your pets, you would be in prison for life.  1 memory.

One day I had left the house and had a bag of dried beans on the counter.  I questioned if my sister had taken them as she has stopped in while I was out and I knew right where I left them.  Well, I believe Beau was a bit miffed for me leaving and I found them hidden under the cushion of his chair.  1 memory.

Then there was the time I was working with a client and I could see Beau pick up a computer lap station in his mouth and place it on the floor.  It was in his way on his chair.  I had to stop and gasp and I wasn’t sure I believe what I just witnessed!  He usually his big head to move things around but this time he carefully picked it up off the chair and gently placed it on the floor.  Please don’t tell me dogs aren’t intelligent! 1 memory.

Watched Alvin and Beau chase each other around the dining room table and worry who was most likely to get hurt.  Usually, it was Beau, as he would get so excited that he may run into the couch or chair cutting around the corner in an attempt to catch his dad.  624 memories.

Beau’s final message was when he looked me in the eye and I saw the pain in his.  He spoke to me and I heard him say as clearly as he spoke out loud, “Mom, this is too hard.  I can’t keep doing this.”  I asked God for a sign and he gave it to me.  1 heartbreaking memory.

Last but most importantly, the unconditional love he gave every day of his life.  4, 563 memories.

Thank you for reading this post, as my hope is that it will help you remember a pet that changed your life forever as Beau did ours. And I’m so glad I know that all dogs do go to heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beau with his Aflac duck

How to Keep Your Dog Healthy

I wish someone would have shared how to keep your dog healthy long before he was diagnosed with cancer. Along with the information on which dog breeds are genetically more susceptible to disease and cancer.

Providing your pets the safest and cleanest products and environment available is an absolute must, especially if they are more susceptible to disease or cancer.  Most products we use for our baby (an 80-pound Boxer) are human grade as the standards are much higher. You can read more about Beau’s story here if you haven’t been following it.

Beau, our 13 year old Boxer, was first diagnosed with a mast cell tumor when he was around 5 years old.  Boxers have a strong predisposition for cancer which I didn’t realize until he was diagnosed.  Our vet was able to remove the tumor and from that point on we put him on a protocol similar to one I  would suggest for my (human) clients.  If you are considering owning a boxer (they actually own YOU), or any dog, this is what I would recommend helping reduce the risks of cancer and disease.

Beau drinking green smoothie (or blue smoothie in this case)

Beau’s Food Blend:
(fed twice daily)

  • 1 part Taste of Wild dog food dry. Taste of the Wild is a Protein based food, not a grain based.
  • 1 part Taste of the Wild dog food canned food  OR
  • 1 part raw and cooked beef, turkey, chicken free of hormones or antibiotics
  • Raw Goat milk (purchased a share from a local farmer).  This is a complete food and full of natural probiotics.  There are many amazing health benefits to raw goat milk as it is even used as a substitute for breast milk when a mother can’t breastfeed or needs to supplement.
  • Coconut Oil  1 Tablespoon (coconut oil absorbs into the body best with protein)

Beau receives the following general supplements in his food blend twice daily:

  • 1 dropper full of Animal Maintenance Formula (Pure Herbs)
  • Juice Plus Fruit and Vegetable blend capsules (Open capsules and sprinkle over food)
  • Fish oil capsule (human grade)- He would chew like a dog treat and/or
  • 1 VSCLR enzymes from Loomis (to break down the food to enable him to better assimilate)

The following are Chinese Herbs from our holistic vet are specific to Beau’s needs.  Thank you to the caring staff at Ark Vet, including Dr. Margie Garrett, Leslie and vet tech, Laura.

  • Hindquarter weakness blend – Tonify Kidney, strengthen back and hind limbs, move Qi, relieve pain
  • Xin Yi San – nasal symptoms caused by nasal tumor
  • Jin Suo Gu Jing – kidney & liver support (crucial for all cancer and disease)
  • Gui Pi Wan – supports the spleen

Water:  Reverse osmosis or purified water (never straight tap water due to chlorine and other chemicals)

Morning Snack

Beau and his morning Green Smoothie

Green Smoothie: (whatever I drink, he drinks excluding grapes which are toxic to dogs).

He drinks 2-4 ounces typically.  Mix in Vitamix: 8 oz water, 1-2 cups of greens typically kale, spinach, chard, or romaine with carrots, celery with berries, and apple. Dogs need the live enzymes, phytonutrients, and probiotics that raw produce offers.

Snacks throughout the afternoon:

  • Raw green beans, zucchini, apples, or banana – basically anything I eat, he eats. Note: grapes, onions, raisins, and pecans are toxic to dogs.
  • Organic fruit, apple with nut butter or pear
  • Occasionally, organic yogurt (plain, unsweetened) or organic cottage cheese.

Misc. Needs:

From hygiene to pet ailments, we’ve managed to find plenty of good natural alternatives and procedures that helped. Here is a breakdown of how we naturally care for our dog, Beau:

    • Shampoo:  Organic (human) baby shampoo. If it is good enough for your baby, it’s good enough for mine.
    • Flea/Tick repellant:  We finally succumbed to a more conventional flea/tick product called Revolution as in 2012 we had fleas for the first time ever.  Revolution is safer than the other two conventional flea/tick products on the market.
    • Beau loves the Aflac duck or any toy that made noise.Toys: We purchased human/baby toys as the standards were higher.  Dog toys, especially plastics, were avoided because of the materials, chemical colors/dyes, etc. Especially for the first three years when Beau ATE every toy we gave him!
    • Fitness/ Exercise: Sick animals often do not get the level of activity they require, the remedy for us was Hydrotherapy Treatments – Beau walked in the underwater treadmill for 15 minutes every 7-10 days.  This helped tremendously to rebuild lost muscle in his hindquarter area.  Laura, his Vet Tech, is fabulous and helped acclimate him to the process.
    • Stress Relief: We own an infrared dome and infrared pad.  He loved the pad but the Dome scared him (not sure why) so it was hard to get him under it.  The pad is good but only emits one-third of the microns versus the dome.  We placed it primarily on his hindquarter area to reduce stress.
    • Vaccines:  We would give him only the required minimal dose for rabies according to our holistic vet’s recommendations.  We so appreciate our vet supporting us in our decision to keep him free of unnecessary toxins.

We also take great care to limit his exposure to cleaning and household toxins   Your dog’s nose is super sensitive so protect them by NOT using toxic chemicals in your home.  Think about their feet touching the floor and what they eat from it.  Avoid Swiffer cleaners, air fresheners, or plugs ins as they are toxic to pets and humans.  My motto is, if I can’t eat it or drink it, I’m not cleaning with it!

Although this process may seem extreme to most, we treat our animals with the same love and respect we would treat anyone that came into our home.  Our pets are worth the time, effort, and few extra dollars spent based on the love and happiness they provide.  If you agree or have questions about our protocol, please comment below.

 

 

A Mom and Her Dog – Part I of Beau’s Journey

They steal our hearts with their unconditional love.  You can leave the house for five minutes and they greet you with such excitement that you’d think you had been away for days, weeks or months. They create habits and lifestyle that we condone or become enslaved to.  I’m not referring to our children; however, they could fall into this same category. I am referring to our four-legged children.

Beau is our four-legged child/twelve-year-old boxer. Beau came into our lives when my son was 10 years old.  He and my husband wanted a dog and I swore we wouldn’t have one of those little creatures in my home! (Never, say never!) However, I really felt it was important for a “boy to have a dog” as much as I despised the thought of a dog in my home.  I remember telling a friend that we had an indoor dog she exclaimed, “You have a dog in your home?!” as it was completely out of character for me.

It all started when a family in Kentucky advertised a litter of pups and we went to “look”.  We were on the floor checking out all the pups when Beau walked over and curled up in my lap and went to sleep. It was done.  I lost the battle.  Beau reached out and grabbed my heart at that moment and 12 years later he still owns it.

We brought him home and since this was my son’s pet, I’d place Beau in bed with him so they could bond.  However, Beau would always find his way back to our bedroom.  I’m not sure why this was (or maybe I do)!  Was it because I carried the dog around with me constantly like he didn’t have legs?  Or, I would take him for a walk and end up carrying him because he’d get tired.  My husband tells everyone the story that the dog’s feet never hit the ground the first nine months of his life.  Sadly, that is partially true.

I remember “walking” him one day carrying him like a baby on his back, which he was perfectly content with.  One of my neighbors thought he was hurt or sick and asked me what was wrong.  I told him that “he was just tired of walking” so I had to carry him.

One thing we noticed about Beau when we brought him home the first day was that he had unusually large feet especially for a boxer.  Well, Beau grew into those feet and peaked at around 80 pounds.  Therefore, sleeping with us in bed wasn’t as cute as it was in the beginning.  So we did the most humane thing possible, we replaced our queen size bed with a king.  However, no matter how big the bed was, Beau insisted on sleeping between us and sleeping on a body part.  He like laying on our legs and many nights we would wake up with partially paralyzed extremities!

Well, those fond memories are gone as Beau is no longer strong enough to jump up in bed.  For a while we would help him up in bed but realized this wasn’t in the best interest for any of  us.  After a few heartbreaking and failed attempts, we purchased him his own dog bed, which we placed next to ours.  We didn’t know how he would adjust after 11 years but I think he realized it was time.

Beau was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor when he was around 5 years old. We revamped his diet, supplements and lifestyle to the same protocol I would use for my cancer clients.  He did exceptionally well up until the last few months.  We recently learned the cancer is back and this time it is a nasal tumor.  Boxers have an extremely high rate of cancer and typically don’t survive much past eight years so we knew we might expect a return one-day.  However, living this much longer than average, we feel extremely blessed.

Obviously with our commitment to holistic approaches, Beau is receiving mass quantities of herbs, essential oils and the best foods. He eats a blend of raw and cooked meats (organic/clean of course) along with raw goats milk. I’m also utilizing infrared technology on him.

The hardest part is seeing the changes in him.  He no longer runs to greet us when we come home.  He may lift his head off “his” chair or bed but the good ole days off his energetic puppiness is gone.  His appetite surprisingly is still good.  I am grateful as Beau and I have been drinking green smoothies together for years and he eats most all other whole, clean, organic foods that are in our home.  Yes, Beau eats better than 90% of most Americans.

We are taking one day at a time and staying focused on enjoying the moments we have left and thank God for bringing the once bouncing (and large) bundle of joy into our lives. Animals teach us so many lessons in life and Beau has taught me more than I could mention.

My son left home years ago and is now in the military.  What started out as a boy and his dog developed into a mom and her dog.  I’m so grateful as he’s taught me so many lessons about life and unconditional love.  He has also brought joy and love to many of my clients.

If you’ve had a special pet in your life, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.