Defiance at it's finest

Like children, I think that puppies choose to be just as defiant. Maybe it's for attention, maybe it's just to show off, but I think that puppies go through the stages like "terrible two's" just at a different age. Levi, when he is feeling defiant, as shown in the above picture, will grab his leash and swing it around and run with it. He does this especially when we go outside and it's time to come back. It's mostly when he is feeling playful. He will pick up the end, so we can't step on it to catch him(smart boy!), and run away with it. Generally, he will just run circles around us. Occasionally we will get clever and run away from him and make him chase us. Sadly, he catches on to our trick so when we turn around to grab him he turns faster. It's a fun game, and to end it we all go inside where Levi is sure to follow.

I think that one thing that non-dog owners/dog-haters fail to understand is the unique bond that is formed between the dog and the human. This can be said for many animal-human relationships, but I think that dogs are the most expressive (at least of all the animals I have ever known). Most likely, anyone that has had or has a dog knows what I mean. Well, I should probably be more specific here..anyone that has owned/owns a dog that LOVED them and CARED for them, never neglecting and abusing them, this category of dog lovers is the one I am referring to. When I came home from work today, as with any day that I come home, Levi gets SO excited his whole body wiggles. I know it's definitely a boxer thing, that little butt shake they do, simply because they have no tail. It's the cutest thing ever, and no matter how bad my day has been at work the Levi wiggle never fails to but a smile on my face. Its such a simple, and innocent thing, and who can't be happy when they see that?

Levi is my first dog. My family has owned dogs before, but the dog was not any one person's dog, so while I love her, I have a different bond with her than with Levi. I am the one responsible for feeding/buying the food, shots, vet appointments, and training. Levi loves his whole family, and would likely give his life for any one of us, but when it comes down to it, he is my dog. This is not me being possessive, but he is my boy and what I mean is that I can almost tell what he is thinking and read his expressions. This may sound crazy, but I think that many people that do a lot with their dogs could say the same, or maybe it's just the wonderfully expressive face of the boxer that makes me think this :).

I never could have predicted when I picked Levi up as a puppy that it would be possible to love him as much as I do. The very thought of ANYTHING happening to him fills me with so much sadness, just as much as the thought of him being unhappy. Furthermore, making him happy (giving him a favorite toy or treat) makes me SO happy. I have spent plenty of money on training classes too, and I would spend it all again. We have a special bond, and the training has been so much fun for both of us! We have both learned a few new tricks, and made some new friends too :).

Having a dog is like entering a whole private club of itself, when I go places with Levi, someone ALMOST ALWAYS stops me and tells me about their boxer and comments on Levi's looks. In Maine, I see so few boxers around that it surprises me how many people come up to me and tell me they own/have owned one! It's so great to get the chance to compare notes and hear the stories of things their boxer does/did. Some I can relate to, some I can't, but either way it is quite fun!

On a different note, Levi demonstrated his guard dog behavior the other night in full bore! My family lives on a busy road, and across from a gas station. Levi will look out our screened door and occasionally bark at the people over there. Well, a few nights ago, he started barking again, only this time more riled up with a deeper growl underlying the bark. This is an unusual thing for Levi, and if anything it wont last long, but he kept going. It was just my mother and I were home alone and we were asking him what the heck he saw. We couldn't see anything. Then, a few seconds later we saw a person slowly walking past our driveway. The man was carrying something and just staring towards our house. It was a freaky experience but Levi did not leave the window until the man was long gone. It made us both feel very secure knowing that we had Levi on our side :)

Well have a great night, give your pet an extra scratch behind the ear tonight :)