Let me introduce our dog, Dharma! 
Dharma came to us in August of 2003, just 5 days before we had to put our Dodger dog to sleep. I am not sure I could have gotten through that time with any degree of sanity, if we hadn't already adopted Dharma. Of course, she couldn't replace Dodger, but she sure provided a warm, furry doggie body to cry copious tears onto... and she demanded attention, which kept me from crawling inside myself in mourning. That's part of how she got her name... and Serendipity was too long ;-)
Dharma, like Dodger, is at least part Boxer...
we don't know what she's mixed with, and in fact are not 100% sure she is a mix. Assuming that she is a mix, we have tossed around a couple possibilities for what she is mixed with. Other folks have chimed in too. One of the most common things people think she's mixed with is Pit Bull... the older she gets the less I think this is true. Oddly enough, recently I've been thinking she might be mixed with American Foxhound, or some kind of hound. She has the oddest hound-type bark, which just doesn't seem right coming from a dog that looks like her, and she holds her mouth in a very hound-like fashion while she's barking! 
Also, the way she scent tracks puts me in mind of a hound. Her size and some parts of her confirmation, especially her hindquarters, also make me wonder about the hound theory.
Dharma is EXTREMELY playful!!! She has been more difficult to train than Dodger ever was... it's like she has ADHD!!! She just can't seem to calm down, and concentrate... and if there are other dogs around, or if someone wants to pet her... oh my!!! She just turns into a big wiggle, jumping and licking, twisting and turning!!! Puppy school didn't help much, but we did get one thing out of it- a new collar!!! Right now, she is about four years old, and she has really gotten better in her "adulthood". She has had the opportunity for more offleash time and training, since we moved to VA, which has helped. She usually listens and minds well... still not always. :-/ She really just wants to play, but her size (around 75 lbs now), and over-activity are still overwhelming to most potential playmates! She does have a few doggie friends here in the neighborhood, and for what it's worth, she actually tends to "go submissive" on the larger ones, male OR female! drops right to the ground and shows her underbelly! LOL! :-) She loved the dog park in CA, and they are planning one in this development, soon. Hopefully, that will be a good experience for her! She also enjoys her daily walks, meeting people and other dogs (at least the ones that don't run screaming at the sight of her!), and chasing the squirrels in the backyard! 
She has been very happy, here in VA, with the big, wooded backyard full of critters, and her doggie door that lets her enjoy it at leisure!
At home, Dharma has what seems like hundreds of toys spread all over the house- bones and balls and ropes and chew toys... she has gotten much better at not chewing up things that aren't hers, a problem when she was young (like most puppies). She's a good watchdog, though, and she loves to sleep with her family members, or on the couch or chair with us even though she does have a bed of her own. Like Dodger did, she will chase flashlights or laser lights for hours if you have the patience. And she likes to watch TV... which in a way is good, because the TV will occupy her and keep her company when no one is home. The photo to the right was taken on her first trip up to the mountains in CA, where she got to experience snow for the first time- she loved it! Which is a good thing, because since moving back east, she gets quite a bit every year, and doesn't have to travel to see it! Still, she's an INDOOR dog that goes outside to play and do her business... then comes back in!
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I got my graphics for this page from the Dog Hause, but they have since removed their free graphics page :-( You may still want to drop by, and see what else they have to offer!
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