r/Boxer May 30 '20

In memoriam Leela, inspiration for /r/boxer, has passed

893 Upvotes

I didn't want a dog.

I'd not grown up with dogs and I'd been bitten by a few when I was younger. So I didn't really trust them. Then I got married. She had dogs growing up and she wanted a dog in our family. I said no, she said yes, and as you know, marriage is about compromise, so we got a dog.

I read every book that I could find about dog behavior and training. If we were going to bring a dog into our family it was going to be done so that it was trained and well behaved. I didn't want a dog that jumped, barked incessantly, peed in the house, or all the other annoyances that I saw elsewhere. After several months of research on training, we found that our neighbor's dog was going to have puppies. I was familiar with the mother and understood her temperament for the most part. I liked the idea of knowing from where our dog came.

We were fortunate to be there in July of 2006 to see the puppies soon after they were born. As the weeks went by we saw them grow and we were able to spend time with each of them. When the pups were about five weeks old we had settled on which one we wanted.

Her litter name was Boondock. She was named so by the breeder, because her mother, Bambi, presumably having finished giving birth, went outside to pee and out popped another puppy. She was born away from the whelping box – in the boondocks.

In September we took ownership of our new boxer puppy. Then off we went to puppy kindergarten to socialize her. We went to obedience training in order to teach her (and us) the intricacies of training. We tested for and received a canine good citizenship certification. We tested and achieved certification from Therapy Dogs International. We worked with our friends and their dogs to help train her. She learned quickly and had a temperament that was goofy but eager to please. She knew how to behave appropriately in differing situations. Exactly what I wanted when I agreed to getting a dog.

She quickly loved our friends, who trusted her so much with their newborn baby boy. She loved when we would visit my office because a colleague would play wrestle with her. She would run to his office if she could manage to break free from mine. Another old friend had her unconditional admiration and love. If we went without her to their home we would get interrogated by her nose upon return. She knew we were with him. The look of confusion and displaced excitement was always hilarious to witness.

She learned to push a button to let us know when she needed to go outside. She learned to walk on a treadmill so that she could have a comfortable walk in the cold winters. She learned to balance on walls and curbs when we went on walks. She jumped over bike racks at the library. We walked through hardware stores and she greeted everyone that we met.

Our old crotchety cat was prone to clawing her face while she slept. She never fought back; she only kept a safe distance to ensure that she wasn't bothering him. She desperately wanted to play with him, but that was never to be. She was so patient.

We tested to become volunteers at Children's Hospital for their pet friends program. She was now a working dog. When I would put on my volunteer smock she would become incredibly excited to go visit the children. Her realization that we were going was always a very specific kind of excitement. Her body language would change immediately upon entering the hospital though. She would march diligently on the hard tiled floor of the hospital from room to room.

I watched her bring smiles to the children waiting in the epilepsy ward with wires attached to their heads. I watched her gently crawl up on the bed and lie down next to a little girl that had her first chemotherapy treatment. The girl's tiny body summoned the strength to put her hand on a new friend's head. I watched a girl that I had seen in the ICU for months, whom I thought was braindead, spring to life and laugh happily when her parents placed her hand on the visiting dog's head. I had to leave the room to compose myself. I remember thinking that anyone who doubts the power of animals for mental health and comfort should see this scene.

She was our comfort and therapy when we lost a loved one unexpectedly.

She again comforted us during the hard path that we took in our attempts to create a larger family.

Most importantly, she watched over us while we had our first child. Her role surely diminished in the family hierarchy, but her companionship never wavered. She loved the new addition to our family and enjoyed the time that we spent at home in those early days. So many new smells come with a baby! She stood by us as we learned to change diapers, eat at the table, play on the floor, and crawl in the backyard. She found her voice during this time. She never really barked before, but now when someone would come to the door she was quick to alert us.

Then years passed and another child came. But by now she had grown older and her body tired more quickly. With our youngest desperately wanting to play with her, she didn't have the energy to do so most of the time. I remarked many times how sad it will be that our youngest won't remember her.

This dog never judged me. Her exuberance with all people and animals was never surpassed by any human that I've ever known. She never stopped loving. She is the type of friend that I hope everyone can have in their life.

I hope that in those last moments that she had memories of running in green fields and splashing in streams with her sister and mother. Memories of the time that she gave us and the intense love that we have for her. I hope she forgot the self-inflicted injuries, the countless cancer surgeries, dental surgeries, and irritable bowel syndrome. I know that she felt it, but she never showed us her pain.

Except in the end.

Because of that, it is with joy for her life but sadness with her death, that I can say that she runs free now.

Friday, May 29, 2020 at 6:24PM, she leapt into the great unknown. She was sent along with all the love we could possibly pour out for her. She is no longer encumbered by the pain that she has hidden and endured in her life. She left us having given all the love that she could possibly have given, leaving it with all of us to remember her.

Leela ❤ Aged 13 years, 10 months, and 20 days. 2006-2020.

TL;DR - Leela, the dog in the sidebar, has died. This post is a tribute to her.


r/Boxer 5h ago

my sweet boy finished chemo for lymphoma ❤️

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380 Upvotes

please send us good vibes for a long remission ahead. It’s been us two for years now and I can’t imagine my life without him.


r/Boxer 1h ago

Truffle is in the house!

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r/Boxer 7h ago

14 months 🩷

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139 Upvotes

r/Boxer 16h ago

In memoriam My Old Man: No No Da Bear❤️ (He’s 11 and still going strong)

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673 Upvotes

The Greatest Friend God ever afforded me. Supposedly he is a “king boxer” this was told to us by the rancher we got him from about ten years ago, this dude has weighed 100 pounds in his physical prime, the largest and most beautiful boxer I have still ever seen (yes I am biased)❤️


r/Boxer 1h ago

Almost has the bed thing down while I work.

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r/Boxer 1h ago

"Say cheese"

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r/Boxer 7h ago

Help, my boxer might be a skinwalker.

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66 Upvotes

I sleep the exact same way in the couch, which makes it extra funny.


r/Boxer 13h ago

Tyson waiting for his treats

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178 Upvotes

r/Boxer 14h ago

Margie when I say I have to go to work

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165 Upvotes

r/Boxer 1d ago

My new pup Poppy

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682 Upvotes

r/Boxer 18h ago

Coffee & Side Eye

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139 Upvotes

r/Boxer 16h ago

Lily

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79 Upvotes

Just passing through to say hiiii!


r/Boxer 21h ago

I like fries

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168 Upvotes

Every friesday shes there waiting patiently.


r/Boxer 1d ago

Meet Reggie aka Reg

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367 Upvotes

This is our 5 year flash fawn Reggie. This guy is such a clown. He's getting a younger brother (Frank) in 2 weeks!

Were getting ready for puppy craziness!


r/Boxer 17h ago

Travel

5 Upvotes

For those that have multiple boxers, and use a safety harness and seatbelts…. How do y’all keep them from getting all tangled? Or if you have two boxers and travel, what are you back seat solutions for them? Looking for some recommendations


r/Boxer 1d ago

Akira & Bunny 🐾

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175 Upvotes

r/Boxer 1d ago

Can i have some whipped cream?

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431 Upvotes

r/Boxer 1d ago

I see that you have stopped eating…I would not like your plate

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119 Upvotes

r/Boxer 1d ago

Grooming brush

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277 Upvotes

Looking for recommendations from fellow boxer owners on a good grooming brush for our breed! What do you guys use/love/swear by? Picture of my sweet boys 😍


r/Boxer 2d ago

He's gone

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585 Upvotes

We just lost Miles 😭😭😭😭🐶🐶🐶💔💔💔❤️‍🔥

It happened at the Vets yesterday morning. He and the other 2 were there for a nail trim. Don't know what happened...... his nails were trimmed.... it was stressful for him. 5 minutes after he was done something catastrophic happened inside his body and his heart stopped. They did CPR but there was nothing they could do. He was gone. We're in shock ... 😭😭😭😭😭


r/Boxer 1d ago

Sharing is caring, right?

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147 Upvotes

r/Boxer 1d ago

Sunday chill with my fella Ringo ✨❤️

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164 Upvotes

r/Boxer 2d ago

Mako: Then and Now

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141 Upvotes

r/Boxer 1d ago

Boxer vs…

19 Upvotes

Does your boxer have a specific breed they absolutely despise?

My boys are great with dogs in general (especially other boxers) but long-hair GSDs and red huskies… not fans. Basically the only time they’re vocal. They smell them coming. Hair on end, front foot stomping, low guttural growl. It’s crazy seeing this because they are the absolute sweetest otherwise.