Thanks to my own klutziness, I have been able to spend the last month with Sasha all day, every day, and it was the best thing for both of us. Sasha is such a different dog when she is with her people and gets to soak in the all the me-time she can. The anxieties she had when she first arrived are almost non-existent and she was completely manageable, even on crutches. Even so, its still best not to introduce too much too soon to her so she isn't overwhelmed with newness. It took me a while to realize but I've misread her in a few ways. Much of what I thought was purely a lack of training and bad behavior was just Sasha's way of vocalizing, and her way of telling me to give her attention. To a person meeting Sasha for the first time, it might be mistaken for aggressiveness, or anxiety, but it's not. Sasha doesn't do the typical boxer wookie sounds. She is a barker. That also leads to her being misunderstood and it can be frustrating, and possibly ignored for her behavior. This becomes a cyclical behavior of her being ignored, upset and demanding attention inappropriately. Since Sasha has had the benefit of living with my two boxers for the last four months, it is helping her to see how she is supposed to behave. She is able to take cues from my two dogs, gets corrections from me and my two dogs and she now has someone to keep giving her guidance and training. Granted some of her behavior is not appropriate; but, she is slowly learning to undo months and months of uncorrected antics. I admit, I missed the meaning behind the demand barking, and the nipping at my toes, and the random chewing on whatever she feels like it at the moment to get my attention. It didn't click in my head until I stopped to realize that every time she acted out, she was standing right in front of me - trying to tell me something in the only way she knew how and I was missing it. I let the fact that she came into rescue with anxieties cloud all the progress she has made since then. A typical, few-months back Sasha scenario would go something like this: In the morning, I would come downstairs and Sasha would greet me with barking and nipping and pulling at my pj's. If I slept downstairs with her, she was an absolute angel. Looking back now, it's kind of obvious he was saying good morning in a 1 yr old puppy fashion, a puppy who was never trained, or yelling at me for leaving her alone all night. Present day Sasha is allowed to sleep out of her crate and is usually just a sleepy girl too lazy to get up off her favorite couch and go out to pee. Before when we would go outside to go potty, she would bark like a fool, again nipping at my feet and hands. She wanted me to play. It's the same way she gets Marvin and Sasha to play. Now, what I've found is the best way to handle that behavior is to put her in a sit position and redirect her with a toy. Back when Sasha first arrived, I would come home from work and she again barked like a fool. She was telling me she didn't like being left alone. Or telling me to take her for a walk. One day she was barking, barking, barking... I stopped, she sat down in front of me and I just talked back to her, gave her a big hug and squished her cheeks instead of immediately correcting her before she had a chance to correct herself. She loved it. The barking was replaced with a wiggling tushy. Her demand barking has subsided considerably now that she is learning the appropriate behavior, but she will have the occasional flare up. Now the task is to see if I can get her to not be such a little piggy, chow hound. She's figured out that if she licks the bowl hard enough to lift it out of the feeder so she can graze all she wants. In this situation, I just have to keep telling her no and close off the kitchen until she gives up. Sasha is worth taking the time to get to know, appreciate and understand. She isn't a dog that can easily be summed up in a few words. Her behavior can sometimes be like a bratty child, but she wants to please you. She's at peace and content to simply lay in your lap and fall asleep. Give her a cozy blanket and she is in heaven. She is such a love but still needs discipline as she wants what she wants, when she wants it. She is after all, a young boxer that hasn't had the benefit of a family willing to give her attention and guidance. She is also quick to react to sudden movements and noises which is why I think she would be best in a home with out children, or children over 12. Yet another reason for her to be misunderstood. Yes, Sasha is still learning and no, she isn't the perfect dog. There's no such thing as a perfect dog, but with training, Sasha can be the most perfect version of herself. It will give her a sense of trust with her new family and provide a bonding experience when she gets praise for doing exactly what is asked of her. She will get a chance to meet new dogs and new people (which she loves), and it will build her confidence in new situations. The ironic thing about humans is we acknowledge there is no perfect husband/wife, no perfect child/parent, or no perfect world but we expect perfection, and expect it very quickly, from our pets. Sadly, we fail them by not providing the love, discipline and consistency needed to achieve our self-imposed goal of perfection, and then give up on them for not meeting a certain standard. What Sasha needs is patience, and acceptance from a committed owner. I'm sure there is someone who thinks Sasha is perfect for them and just hasn't found her yet. When that person is ready to find Sasha, I will be more than happy to tell them all the great things about her such as how she buries herself in blankets, or she never tires of playing in the snow. But for now, she is happy to wait here for her forever home with her dogs that she loves, all the food she can eat, all the toys she could ever want and all the attention she has come to crave.