Wanted: Foster Families for Working German Boxers!

Occasionally we at Boxers von Bachbett Kennels find that there is just not enough time in our busy days! When that occurs, we may seek to place the “girl” in a permanent foster home, where she will receive the individual love and attention they deserve. We currently have several young adult females that are available for placement in permanent foster homes. These are females that we would like to possibly use in our breeding program in the future, but do not have space for in our house. And we do not feel it is fair to them to live their lives as kennel dogs. Every Boxer deserves a full-time family!

These dogs are made available to their foster homes at no cost, and may be kept by their foster families for the dog’s entire life. This allows people an opportunity to have an excellent German-bred working quality Boxer that would cost them thousands of dollars to buy or to import from Germany, for no cost. These are females who have the potential to be worked as competition dogs in obedience, tracking, agility or schutzhund, and in fact, all have had some training and several are already titled. We encourage foster homes to actively train and trial with their dogs if they are interested.

If we decide to use a foster female for breeding, she will be brought to our home during her heat cycle. She will then be bred and returned to her foster home until a week or so prior to delivery. She will return to us for whelping, and then, after her pups have finished being weaned (at about 6 weeks of age), she will return again to her foster home. If we decide we do not want to breed the female anymore, we will ask that her foster family has her spayed. At that time, the foster family will be given full registration in their name.

Foster homes are a great deal for the foster families, for the dogs, and for our breeding program as well. Everyone wins!

FAQ

How do you select your foster homes?

We are very concerned about where our “girls” are placed. Our first concern is that they go into homes where they will be well taken care of and kept healthy and safe. We expect they will be kept as house, not kennel dogs, and that they will be kept in a fenced-in yard. We like to place them in homes as close to the LaCrosse, Wisconsin area as possible, since this makes it easier for contact to be maintained between the foster family and ourselves. We have a questionnaire that needs to be filled out by all prospective foster families, and we also require a personal interview where you can meet us and our dogs, as well as where we can get to know you.

Do you place dogs in “multi-dog” families?

This is judged on a case-by-case situation. In general, we prefer homes that will be “only dog” families, but, we do make exceptions. Female Boxers do not always enjoy the company of other female dogs, and may fight if placed in a household with another female. They generally get along well with “boys”, but we will not place a female in a home where there is an intact (unneutered) male.

Am I the dog’s legal owner?

No. Foster parents do not own the dog. Full ownership remains with George and Cathy Markos until it is decided to remove the bitch from our breeding program. We then ask the foster parents to spay the bitch, and at that point, the dog’s registration papers will be signed over to the foster family, and we relinquish all rights to and control of the dog.  The foster family may, however, compete with the dog when it is not a breeding cycle.

How often will my foster dog be used for breeding?

It’s possible she may never be used, or may only have one or two litters before we decide to remove her from our breeding program. However, if we would happen to chose to have a litter with her, we want to have that option available to us. Unlike many dogs who cycle every six months, our females generally cycle only once every 10 to 12 months. It is part of our code of ethics to not breed a female more than once a year. In general, we do not breed females past 7 years of age.

Who is responsible for the medical care of the dog?

We will pay for any medical expenses related to her breeding or the litters. If the female is brought to us, we will vaccinate her for her DHPP at no charge. Foster families are required to keep the dog’s rabies vaccination up-to-date, and to keep the dog on heartworm preventative during mosquito season. (Dog must be retested each spring before beginning the preventative). All generally occurring medical expenses will be paid for by the foster family.

How will we know when it is time for the dog to be bred?

We will inform the foster family ahead of time if we plan to breed the female her next cycle. Foster parents must keep us informed of the female’s heat cycles. Even if a breeding is NOT planned for that cycle. We must be able to plan somewhat ahead, and can only do this if we keep records frpm each time she has cycled before. She will generally come into heat every 10 to 12 months. The signs will be a swelling of the vulva area and spotting of blood. At the first sign of spotting, Day One, the foster family must call us. If the female is to be bred, we will require she is back to our kennel by Day Five or Six at the latest. If she is not to be bred that cycle, it is the responsibility of the foster family to make sure she is not in contact with any intact males during her cycle which lasts about three weeks.

What if we decide that we do not want to be in the program anymore?

Not a problem. If for any reason the foster family can no longer keep a foster dog, the dog must be returned to us. If this happens we will either place the dog in another foster home, or sell it.

Can the litter be born at our home instead of yours? And can we split the litter with you?

No. Whelping puppies is a complicated process, and we have years of experience doing it. We are unwilling to put the burden of delivery on our foster families. No, we do not split the litter either. The foster program is not designed for persons who want to breed the dog, but rather, for those who want to enjoy the companionship or want to train with the dog.

What type of circumstances would cause you to remove the foster dog from my home?

A complete list of our foster home requirements and our Agreement follows. Purposeful non-adherence to these requirements would be sufficient, and legal grounds for us to remove a dog from a foster home.

The foster family agrees to adhere to the following conditions:

1. The foster family will take good care of the dog, providing quality nutrition, shelter and medical care, including necessary rabies vaccinations and heartworm prevention, so as to ensure the physical and emotional well-being of the dog.

2. The foster family agrees to feed a quality diet to the dog, not a “grocery store” type food, and to keep the dog at a suitable weight.

3. The foster family agrees to provide daily exercise, and to neither overwork nor underwork the dog, and will not allow the dog to run at large unsupervised. The foster family further agrees not to tie the dog to a fixed object, such as a yard tie out chain.

4. The foster family undertakes to ensure the female is not accidentally bred by carefully watching her for signs of heat, and then never allowing her to be out of their supervision during her heat cycle.

5. The foster family agrees the dog will never be used for experimental or research purposes, nor for any form of dog or so-called “pit” fighting, nor that the dog will be abused or mistreated in any manner.

6. The foster family agrees to contact the owner at all times when the dog has been seen by a veterinarian for any other condition other than routine reasons.

7. The foster family agrees to not maintain this animal as an outside dog. An outside dog is defined as a dog that does not come into the home daily and does not sleep in the home at night.

8. Foster family agrees to give owner notification on the first day of when the bitch has come into heat (first sign of spotting or swelling).

9. Foster family agrees to notify the owner when they have changed place of residence.

10. The foster family agrees to not spay the dog under any circumstances without the expressed written consent of the owner.

11. The foster family agrees to contact the owner should the foster family need to part with this dog for any reason. The dog will then be returned to the owner.

Any contravention of the conditions agreed to by the foster family in their signed Agreement can be considered cause for the dog to be removed from the foster family by the owner.

Interested?  Contact us to see if we have any Foster girls currently available.

Boxers von Bachbett
Cathy and George Markos
Wisconsin, USA
e-mail at schutzboxr@aol.com
phone 608-857-3393