Expert: Jill Connor, Ph.D. - 1/8/2008

Question
I have a 2 year old dog at home now and i am interested in another puppy to add to our family. I'm not sure if this is wise. Our female dog Nyla is a mixed breed and we had her since she was 6 weeks old. She 's great. And she is a Rotty/Staffordshire Terr. mix. We would like to get a Boxer(female). Do you think this is a good choice? Or do you think that would be a bad idea. Please keep in mind our dog is the friendliest dog ever. And never showed us dog aggression. Or any for that matter. She is also raised with 4 children in the home. Which is my next question. How are boxers with children? Please help! Thank You

Answer
The Boxer is a marvelous breed and a fabulous family companion; but, like any dog, it is first and foremost (as a pup) the product of its breeding.  You must find a reliable breeder who is breeding for type AND temperament, not just anyone who has a litter of puppies.  Do your HOMEWORK.  Google the breed, go to the breed's AKC website and find a legitimate breeder, and ask all the questions regarding why they are breeding, how many times the bitch has been bred, how many litters they have a year, how they socialize their young pups, what sort of genetic testing they have done with their breeding stock, whether their dogs live indoors with them, and at what age they allow their pups to go to other homes.

That having been said, let me say that your hesitancy regarding another dog is most likely a very intuitive thing.  Only you know how Nyla responds to other dogs.  Has she been around other dogs in the past two years?  Has she played with them, does she allow them to sniff her and interact with her, is she friendly and confident around other dogs?  If you don't KNOW this, then adding a puppy may not be such a good thing.  If she IS friendly and accepting and likes to socialize with other dogs, then you can think about adding that puppy.  You will need to introduce Nyla to the puppy off her territory in a neutral place and then bring them onto your property together, both on leash, and observe the interaction.  Once the puppy has eliminated on your property (this is the start of housetraining), bring them both into the house.  Keep the puppy on long house leash in order to protect it from its own puppy madness and keep an eye on it for housetraining purposes.  Pet Nyla FIRST, pay attention to her FIRST, verbally reward and food reward her positive interaction with the pup, and you should be fine.  Any problems that arise, don't hesitate to repost.  Additionally, be prepared to be put on a waiting list by the breeder for a puppy.  Good breeders often have long lines of people waiting for their pups.  If you find a breeder willing to hand off a pup to you with no contract for spay/neuter and with no extended interview, do NOT buy a puppy from that person.