This is Myrtle. She was rescued from under a house along with her five brothers and sisters and her mom who was a gray, looked to be, full blooded Pit Bull. She is almost 7 weeks old now and they say she looks like a Boxer and Pit mix, but you don't come across very many stray Boxers. Her mother was a bait dog, was missing her teeth, badly scared up, and thought to of had about 5 or 6 litters of puppies already.
By Morgan
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I was an AKC Boxer breeder (40+years whilst living in the US) and also did breed rescue for several years before relocating to the UK; my cousin raised Staffies. My experience with both breeding and rescue tells me this is indeed a Boxer-Staffie mix, and from the looks of your Myrtle, the mix is of parents with excellent genes on both sides.
Staffie is the short for American Staffordshire Terrier and from what I can tell of the yours, she really does come from a very good bloodline - same with the Boxer. On the Staffie side she has very good torso and leg formation, and on the Boxer side (from the look of her head shape, ears, eyes, muzzle and colour) she has a perfectly formed Boxer head with the much wanted Boxer eyes and fawn colouring that is well dispersed. She had a sweet look to her face yet is alert and clearly intelligent with those solemn yet curious eyes. (Breeders who really love the breed look for these things!)
The Staffie part of her (torso and legs) looks neatly formed and has all of the 'right' characteristics. To be honest, you have a really beautiful dog there! Because she has the Boxer head and face instead of the Staffie's more frankly aggressive looking face and head, she's going to grow up to be about 45lbs of gorgeous, knee high dog, and pure love if she's trained properly!
Because of all that I don't think she really was a stray for as long as you might think - dogs with that good a set of bloodlines don't usually go stray (as you pointed out re Boxers). Very, very sad to say that I think your Myrtle's mum was once a very loved well bred Staffie who was stolen to use as a breeder, and the Boxer sire was likewise stolen for the same reasons. Because of all the scarring you are very likely correct that she may have been used as a bait dog at one point but more likely the previous sires were Staffies who were ring dogs (fighters) and ring dogs are known to savage a breeding female during the mating process.
I suspect she somehow managed to get away from whomever was holding her when she was in the very early stages of her pregnancy. Sadly in breed rescue we do occasionally come across a female who is able to save a litter by escaping and I'm basing my post on my experiences with Staffie and/or Boxer mums who've done it.
As a Boxer-Staffie, she really does need to be carefully trained. There are breed specific books (library and for sale) and websites offering free breed-specific training guides that will be a huge help to you. Also, many Parks and Recreation centres offer low-cost obediance courses.
Get some books or peruse several Boxer and Staffie sites to learn all the breed characteristics so that you understand your darling pup's needs and understand that as a Boxer-Staffie she is not going to fully mature until around aged 3 years. Boxers and Staffies both are a 'mouthy' breed - they LOVE to chew, so be sure to have acceptable, vet approved chewies for her if you don't want her eating your sofa (not kidding, I've had Boxers do that!).
Finally, and perhaps most important, you need to check with your local authorities (town council, police, Animal Control, and the vet) to find out any legislation regarding what has sadly become in the eyes of many to be 'dangerous dog breeds'. These include Dobies, Rotties, Staffies, and Boxers, and the laws in your area may include the need to have special insurance, stout fencing, obligatory training, and almost surely will include muzzle-lead laws when in or around the general public.
Muzzle-lead laws generally state the owner must have the dog muzzled-leashed, or crated when you have company in your home, as well as when walking the dog in public areas. May I recommend the Halti muzzle as humane and reliable, and a chest harness instead of the insanely cruel choker? You'll find these are breed and vet recommended as the very best methods of controlling this strong a dog.
All the best to all of you, she really looks like a fantastic pup with the potential to be an outstanding family companion!
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