The Safranek Web

Ginger:

Died on August 15th, 2003.

Name: Ginger

Breed: Boxer. Maybe some pitbull too.

Birthday: March 3, 1997

Weight (avg): 85 Ibs

Gender: Female

Traits: Gentle, lazy, affectionate, protective. Want to be dominate dog.

Favorites: Food, food and more food, sleeping, chasing laser pointer, running, going for car rides.

Ginger (named for her beautiful coloring) was our second dog. Like Shana, she was a Humane Society adoption. She was dropped off at the pound because the owner didn't like her tail. Her tail was a serious problem, because she had what is called 'tail whip', where she would whip her tail around so hard that it would make the end of her tail bleed. We immediately chopped that tail off, and I think she was happy for it. Plus, it was messy because she would splatter blood all over the house. Right off the bat, Shana and Ginger were peas and carrots. But that came to a crashing halt when we got our third dog, Kosmo. That's when we experienced severe dominance issues between Ginger and Shana that turned into regular blood baths. Fortunately, increased training (thanks to Kristine) reduced those confrontations, but it was always something that could break out at any moment.

I wouldn't say Ginger is dumb, just a little slow. She is a great dog if you don't want to have to give a pet constant attention. She is more than happy to zonk out all night long. But, she also thinks she is a lap dog. Ginger's main motivation in life is food, she hasn't missed many meals. She is slightly on the heavy side, but most of it is solid muscle. Boxer's in general are built like a tank, and she is no exception.

Ginger is one of the most well-enduranced dogs I've seen. When we go for walks (roller-blades actually), she will be in a flat out sprint for what seems like miles. Plus, she is pulling my slow butt around. It was an adrenaline rush to get towed around by both Shana and Ginger while on roller-blades. There was no stopping that speed train.

The funniest thing about Ginger is the fact she is a deep, deep sleeper. She get's so comfortable she will usually snore (loudly!) and kick, bark, shake, dance in her sleep. Kirstine and I crack up laughing sometimes at the magnitude she does this. Ginger also likes to do what we call the 'Butt Dance'. When she is excited her back side gyrates a mile a minute, plus she likes to lean on you and curl into almost a doughnut shape. Definitely will lighten your day coming home from work. Another funny trait is that for some odd reason, she doesn't like trucks, especially the UPS truck. Going for a walk and one passes by, God forbid, she wants a piece of it. Told you she was slow, yea Ginger, you are a real match for a 2 ton truck. Well, maybe in her mind she is!

Ginger is an excellent guard dog and is very protective of her family, including dogs. She is always the leader and will be at the front of the group on any confrontation with a person or animal. First hand, Kristine and the girls were quickly approached by a dog while going for a walk. Ginger immediately took charge and blocked the dog and went into a combativeness state. If Kristine let her, that dog would have gotten it's butt handed to him. Good to know she will protect at all costs. Since Shana died, we've left both Ginger and Kosmo out during the day so they have the run of the house. I have no worries of someone trying to break in. They'll have a nice face to face with a fighter.

Ginger's Photos:

Various Photos:

Ginger on stairs

Ginger licking chops