Miss Maddie - Boxador, Queen of the Mixed Breeds
What Maddie Has Taught Us
Seven years ago, My husband and I decided it was time for a new addition to our family - a dog for our boys. We set out on a mission to a local pet store to choose one of whatever breeds they had available and make that chosen dog a part of our family. I know, we were not acting very responsibly...we should have done our homework on which breeds are best for children, etc., but we must have had a little divine intervention that day because we ended up with the most special, wonderful dog we could have dreamed of.
The first dog we saw was a dachshund puppy and we really liked his cute little wiener body and long, fuzzy ears. We were pretty much set on buying him but then the owner of the store mentioned that he had some new puppies in the back that he was trying to sell for his neighbor. The puppies were a mix of an AKC registered black Labrador Retriever and an AKC registered Boxer. (We wondered which one jumped the fence!). My husband, who was never allowed to have a dog growing up, always liked Labrador Retrievers, especially when duck or pheasant hunting, so before we made a final decision he wanted to go take a look at them. Well, one look was all it took, as they say. The puppies looked just like lab puppies, only with the cutest little ears you ever saw...he (we) totally fell in love with them. We went home to get the boys and and brought them back to have a part in the final decision. We all agreed on an excited, shiny, black Boxador puppy with one white spot right in the middle of her chest.
We named our new addition Maddie Moonshine, because her coat shimmered and shined just like the moon shines across the ocean. She had the best temperament. The boys could lay on her, hug her, play with her and tease her with toys and she was game for all of it. The true test was when, shortly after we brought her home, we moved 1500 miles away. We traveled to home and back in the car, with Maddie, about fifteen times in five years - thirty one-way trips of 27 - 32 hours at a time, straight through without staying in a hotel and only stopping for short walks and "personal business". She was amazing on those rides. She has a sixth sense about our feelings. When we are sad or not feeling well, she will come and lay her head on us to keep us company - our little canine Mother Teresa. Once while staying at my Mom's house, we left Maddie while we visited other relatives and my mother was having a particularly bad day. She sat down and started to cry and Maddie went over to her, climbed up beside her and laid her head on her lap, as if to say "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll make it all better". We have learned a lot from her over the years about patience, loyalty, trust and friendship. My husband constantly says that he never thought he would ever love a dog as much as he loves Maddie - and that's saying something! Our oldest son went off to college this past August and I think he misses her most of all! We have had Maddie for close to seven (7) years now and we thank God for her every single day.
If you are looking for a canine addition to your family, think about a Boxador. Our Maddie is the best decision we ever made. She is a constant, loyal companion and brings great joy to us all.
