Middle Tennessee Boxer Rescue

What??
He can't be a boxer - he has a long tail!

Twenty years ago, we never saw boxers with uncropped ears. "It doesn't look like a boxer!" It took a while, but as more and more boxers were left "natural", the public became accustomed to the look, and embraced it. Now, especially in middle Tennessee, it's actually unusual to see a boxer with erect ears. We love the soft expression and feel of the floppy ears. And the dogs love not having part of their anatomy cut off, and the bother and discomfort of having their ears "posted" until they stand up.

Well, get ready - a new revolution in the boxer appearance is here! Straight from the up-and-coming European designers, and all the rage on the Continent, the natural tail is the cat's meow (sorry cats - couldn't resist that). We still hear people say, "It doesn't look like a boxer!" But that just means they're not up on the latest fashions.

The European Union, and many other countries, have banned the cropping of ears and the docking of tails, calling it unnecessary and cruel. It is amputation, and painful, with no benefits other than cosmetic expectations. Boxers with long tails, regardless of how gorgeous they might otherwise be, are often left languishing in rescue for months or years, before they finally find a place of their own. For this reason, to help the dog get adopted in a reasonable length of time, some rescues (and we are sorry to say we have done so, but will not in the future) will have the tail docked when a long-tailed boxer comes in, just because so few people thus far are open-minded enough to recognize that a long tail does not change the wonderful boxer personality, and even adds some nuances of its own.

DON'T PASS THEM BY!

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Just in case you are reluctant to be a style-setter, here are some comments from owners of "natural" boxers:

"After having a boxer with a tail I must say that I love it, and given the choice would definitely go with another boxer having a tail. I find that it is very expressive. If Buddy is lying down and you call his name you get to hear that "thump thump thump" of the tail hitting the couch or floor.

"As dangerous and you might think the tail would be, we have never had anything sent flying off the coffee table. We do have to make sure we keep the door open a couple extra seconds when we let him in or out but that is no different than it would be for any other dog with a tail - just something we did not have to do with the previous boxers.

"So if anyone hesitates to adopt a boxer with a tail I would say that you should just tell them that they will soon learn that it is a great feature and they should consider themselves very lucky to get such a special boxer."

****

"The tail is just as expressive as any boxer face or wiggly nub, and we also have never had anything swept off a coffee table by it. For whatever reason, they just don't seem to do that with them. We call it her "monkey tail" because that is what is seems like - she actually wraps it around you if you pick her up, like she is hugging you or holding on with it. She is also very adept at standing up on her hind legs and balancing for a good period of time because it gives her greater leverage to have it on her backside.

"Now it does mean that she does an altered version of the "kidney bean", and we get an occasional shin-whipping from being in the wrong place when she is really happy that we have to watch out for; but I absolutely LOVE her tail and wouldn't have her any other way!

"Our other boxers have (and had) docked tails of all different lengths - and I would adopt another regardless of tail "style". For us, there is no difference in the dog - it is the personality that we fall in love with."

****

"I own a girl with a tail. It is almost as expressive as a Boxer face. When she alerts or plays, it curves like a question mark. I have never had anything knocked off of a coffee table or an end table by her tail. It's amusing to watch when she wags it into an unsuspecting grandchilds face."

****

"One of mine came from a Rescue, the other one came from an individual, and both have their natural ears and tails. I can say this - neither of them has hurt its tail, nor have they broken anything, or knocked anything off any tables or shelves they come in contact with. Cole, my male, will wag his tail 90 to nothin' if he is excited, but the only thing he hits with it is his sister if she is too close."

Home About Us About the Boxer Why Rescue Boxer Health Adoptable Dogs Adoption Application Training Boxer Friends on the Web Other Links Site Map Contact Us World Small Animal Veterinary Association position statment on tail docking Boxerdalen's Hot'n Sophisticated Norwegian Champion Boxer	What?? He can't be a boxer - he has a long tail! Twenty years ago, we never saw boxers with uncropped ears. "It doesn't look like a boxer!" It took a while, but as more and more boxers were left "natural", the public became accustomed to the look, and embraced it. Now, especially in middle Tennessee, it's actually unusual to see a boxer with erect ears. We love the soft expression and feel of the floppy ears. And the dogs love not having part of their anatomy cut off, and the bother and discomfort of having their ears "posted" until they stand up. Well, get ready - a new revolution in the boxer appearance is here! Straight from the up-and-coming European designers, and all the rage on the Continent, the natural tail is the cat's meow (sorry cats - couldn't resist that). We still hear people say, "It doesn't look like a boxer!" But that just means they're not up on the latest fashions. The European Union, and many other countries, have banned the cropping of ears and the docking of tails, calling it unnecessary and cruel. It is amputation, and painful, with no benefits other than cosmetic expectations. Boxers with long tails, regardless of how gorgeous they might otherwise be, are often left languishing in rescue for months or years, before they finally find a place of their own. For this reason, to help the dog get adopted in a reasonable length of time, some rescues (and we are sorry to say we have done so, but will not in the future) will have the tail docked when a long-tailed boxer comes in, just because so few people thus far are open-minded enough to recognize that a long tail does not change the wonderful boxer personality, and even adds some nuances of its own. DON'T PASS THEM BY! ** Just in case you are reluctant to be a style-setter, here are some comments from owners of "natural" boxers: "After having a boxer with a tail I must say that I love it, and given the choice would definitely go with another boxer having a tail. I find that it is very expressive. If Buddy is lying down and you call his name you get to hear that "thump thump thump" of the tail hitting the couch or floor. "As dangerous and you might think the tail would be, we have never had anything sent flying off the coffee table. We do have to make sure we keep the door open a couple extra seconds when we let him in or out but that is no different than it would be for any other dog with a tail - just something we did not have to do with the previous boxers. "So if anyone hesitates to adopt a boxer with a tail I would say that you should just tell them that they will soon learn that it is a great feature and they should consider themselves very lucky to get such a special boxer." "The tail is just as expressive as any boxer face or wiggly nub, and we also have never had anything swept off a coffee table by it. For whatever reason, they just don't seem to do that with them. We call it her "monkey tail" because that is what is seems like - she actually wraps it around you if you pick her up, like she is hugging you or holding on with it. She is also very adept at standing up on her hind legs and balancing for a good period of time because it gives her greater leverage to have it on her backside. "Now it does mean that she does an altered version of the "kidney bean", and we get an occasional shin-whipping from being in the wrong place when she is really happy that we have to watch out for; but I absolutely LOVE her tail and wouldn't have her any other way! "Our other boxers have (and had) docked tails of all different lengths - and I would adopt another regardless of tail "style". For us, there is no difference in the dog - it is the personality that we fall in love with." "I own a girl with a tail. It is almost as expressive as a Boxer face. When she alerts or plays, it curves like a question mark. I have never had anything knocked off of a coffee table or an end table by her tail. It's amusing to watch when she wags it into an unsuspecting grandchilds face." ** "One of mine came from a Rescue, the other one came from an individual, and both have their natural ears and tails. I can say this - neither of them has hurt its tail, nor have they broken anything, or knocked anything off any tables or shelves they come in contact with. Cole, my male, will wag his tail 90 to nothin' if he is excited, but the only thing he hits with it is his sister if she is too close."
RESCUE BOXERS ARE READY-MADE LOVE!
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