Wolf & I Co. Blog | Adventures Of The Wolf Pack

One of the perks of owning a dog gear business is being a part of all your dogs adventures, and when Michelle picked up a couple of dog collars for her crew and started tagging us on The Salty Boxers instagram we had to find out more. We asked Michelle everything about her boxer dog crew, what it’s like to keep boxers as a breed, their daily life and to get an insight into how The Salty Boxers came about. Here's what Michelle had to say...

How long have you had Boxers (dogs)?

Since 1998 when we purchased our very first brindle Girl Molly here in Australia.

Why have you chosen Boxers as a breed?

Personality, Boxers have the best personalities and are just so much fun very loyal and become a part of your family very quickly. Also their looks, we love the squish faces (brachycephalic faces) floppy jowls and a short coat.

What do you love about the breed?

They are impossible not to fall in love with. You cannot beat a boxer for "personality" it is pure joy and love for life and their humans. 

What are the key characteristics of a boxer dog (temperament)?

Loyal, playful, energetic, very intelligent and a little stubborn at times. A lot of people think of boxers as clowns that are dumb and hard to train .... that really irks me they certainly can be clowns but their intelligence is up there in dog breeds they can do anything you ask them to with the right owner by their side.

Probably not a dog everyone would cope with in terms of exercise requirements and their playful nature but that is why you should always get a breed that suits your lifestyle and what you can actually give to them.

What do you love most about your crew of boxers?

Well everything...I love how they all have the similar boxer quirks but also have their own individual personalities that shine. I like to spend time with each of them nurturing those traits and allowing them the freedom to express them. Jager is your classic old soul who just loves food. Bella is a gentle sweet old lady. Grace is super smart to the point I swear she understands us humans fluently, and Oak is very clever and has so far been a breeze to train, he is just a little smooch who thinks he is a big dog and very easily pleased.

What are your dogs names and ages? 

Bella 10 years 3 months, Jager (like the drink) 8 years 9 months, Grace 6 years 9 months and Oak who is just 22 weeks.

We have four more that have crossed the bridge Molly, Oscar, Ruby and our white girl Layla who was Bellas litter sister.

Are they from the same breeder?

Bella and Layla were being litter sisters. Jager from one breeder, Grace another and of course Oak another one here in Australia.

Not one dog, but four, when did you decide to grow your pack and why?

What can I say, I love boxers! It has always been a thing I have had to own five boxers at once don't know why just something that I have wanted to do since we got our first one, I just fell in love with them. We had our four in NZ on our farm. I trained them off lead as farm dogs, helped herd the cattle and all things farm related,... they were and still are by my side from daylight to dark. We lost Layla in NZ and when we decided to return to Australia we brought Jager, Grace and Bella with us obviously and then we recently added our little sapling as I call him, Oak. So I still have one more to get!

What is a typical day in the life of The Salty Boxers?

We are awake at about 3.30 am and off to the beach about 4-4.30 am to have their daily walk and catch the sunrise. That usually lasts a couple of hours sometimes we can stay a lot longer. Then we head home for a rinse off and condition, wash out our gear and they will just chill out while I get my jobs for the day. Outside for some playtime during the day and another beach, bush or road walk in the afternoon. Dinner is served about 5pm, they are all raw fed. Then we just hang out until bed time unless we have something planned. At the moment there is a lot of training going on with our little 'sapling' Oak as well so that is done during the day. Sometimes one on one and other times with the whole crew involved. Always good to work with them as a pack when doing training so they all work well together.

Besides frequently hitting the beach, are there other any walks in your area that you take your dogs on?

Yes, we have an awesome bush river walk right out our back gate where they can swim in the river at low tide. There are also several National Parks very nearby where we can take them for walks.

Are you in a dog friendly area in regards to cafes, restaurants, pubs etc and do the dogs get to come along?

We are a little remote but we have taken them to cafes with us and we are taking Oak into town frequently to socialise him with all the sounds, sights and humans we can. The times we do have to go into town for anything the whole crew usually comes with us anyway, it's usually a family outing.

Do you travel with the dogs?

We travelled the South Island of New Zealand with Jager, Bella and Grace in a house truck for five months before returning to Australia it was amazing and they big three handled it like pros, coming off a 100 acre farm and into a house truck and not one issue from any off them. Our motto is where we go they go...if not we usually don't go! We are wanting to travel Australia in the same way with them but that may not happen for a while yet.

You engage on social media, how did that come about?

I just decided to open an instagram account for them. I used to be a professional photographer and after selling all my gear I thought I can just have some fun and combine my two loves, Dogs and photography, using my iPhone. What could be better than taking photos of my dogs enjoying being dogs and playing on a stunning beach. (Which the location is a well kept local secret by the way so I won't be giving that away sorry.)

What do you love about connecting on social media?

Dogs! You get a glimpse into other peoples lives with their beautiful dogs and all the adventures they have together, beautiful locations all over the world they explore and the mutual love and admiration for dogs in general.

What have you learned about boxers or dog owners since connecting with others on social media?

Thats a tough one can't really say I have "learnt" anything specifically from the social media side that is different to what I know in everyday life. I think there is a lot of misinformation that circulates in doggie insta especially in regard to training but I don't make any judgement on what any one chooses to do as long as the dog/s are healthy and well looked after.

What are your dogs favourite toys?

Balls, their kong safestix but they also enjoy the flirt pole and frisbee. Oak has his squeaky toys that he loves to play with very dramatically right about the time we will put on a movie at night.

Do they all get along or is their some mischief going on sometimes?

Bella, Jager and Grace are all very very close so when we introduced Oak, Bella was a bit stand offish. We figured that was fair as she has been through the puppy stage with Jager and Grace and being our senior we give her that. Grace who had never experienced it was also a little unsure, ends up she has taken the mother type role with Oak and they are now the best of friends. They are all just a happy little family crew now.

Oak likes to stir some mischief but he is still only young and he doesn't really get too far with the big crew. It is always very interesting watching the 'pack' dynamic and seeing the older ones teach him what is and isn't acceptable behaviour to them.

What is it that you love about dogs in general?

Everything...mainly their pure nature it's all love and loyalty probably the most beautiful creatures on this planet, in my opinion anyway.

How did you hear about Wolf & I Co.?

I believe it was a google search looking for Dog Collars.

Elaborate on your dogs Wolf & I Co. gear.

We have purchased a few dog collars from Wolf & I Co. now and all of them are top quality, which is why I keep coming back. In particular the Alpha Wolf Tactical Dog Collars we wanted collars like that for the ease of the release and knowing they would last with all the sand, and surf wear they get.They have proved to be exceptional for that.

We just got the new Agave colour in another style and have to say the colour is just gorgeous. It is very annoying when you spend money on collars that just simply do not make the grade which is why I was so glad I found you guys, every time you have exceeded expectations with the quality of your gear.

Anything you’d like to add?

Just that I wish you a very happy, healthy and successful 2025 and everyone else stay salty and go play with your dogs!

Want to follow The Salty Boxer's adventures? Check them out on instagram @thesalty.boxers and subscribe for more epic adventures sent direct to your inbox!