Fetch pets: This Boxer taught her brother how to be a dog

Sometimes you adopt a dog into your life that becomes the boss of your home — and you wouldn't have it any other way. For Cheryl, that's her Boxer, Roxi.

“My daughter and I cried when we first saw Roxi because she was the most beautiful dog I'd ever seen,” Cheryl says. “She stole my heart right there. It was the beginning of a really special bond.”

For a long time, Cheryl only shared her life with Roxi — until she rescued another Boxer, Chase, from a harrowing situation where he didn’t know what it really meant to be a dog.

After getting used to sharing a mom and home, Roxi introduced Chase to life as a Boxer in a happy home. The first gesture: making room for Chase to sleep beside Cheryl at night (a space Roxi coveted).

The next morning, Roxi started poking Chase and jumping on the floor to entice him to play. That’s when Cheryl realized that her newest pup didn’t understand what his sister was up to. 

“Roxi has taught him how to be a dog,” Cheryl admits. “She specifically taught him how to be a Boxer because he didn’t know how to box. He didn’t know anything about his own breed.” 

The pair’s favorite activities now include swimming, tug-of-war games and play-boxing in the backyard. They’re two peas in a pod, and Roxi continues to teach her little brother things to this day.

One lesson that Cheryl wishes Roxi had withheld teaching her brother is how to unwrap Christmas gifts. “She unwraps, and Chase plays with things. They have a routine,” she explains. “Last year, they got into the gifts up in my closet and unwrapped everything when I wasn’t home.” 

But even though the pair can be naughty, Cheryl still loves them both — but especially has a soft spot for Roxi. “She means everything to me. She’s my life and my world,” she says. “Honestly, if I could draw a picture of my heart, it’s Roxi.”

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In an expression of love, Cheryl signed Roxi and Chase up for Fetch Pet Insurance in case of surprise health issues. And it was a smart decision. 

Boxers are known for their snoring, a breed trait that Roxi definitely has (sometimes Cheryl has to turn up the television volume to drown out the snores!). So when Cheryl noticed that Roxi wasn’t snoring anymore and started eating grass, she wondered if the pup had gotten into something. But Cheryl couldn’t recall feeding her anything she wasn’t supposed to. Soon enough, Roxi started throwing up— but nothing came out.

Cheryl rushed Roxi to the vet’s office to figure out what was causing the pup’s discomfort. After multiple tests, they found a solution (which included antibiotics) to help the Boxer get back to normal. 

Luckily, Roxi’s vet bills for this treatment (totaling over $2,000) were covered by Fetch. Cheryl even ensured they’d be paid for by pet insurance before agreeing to the procedures. 

“It’s literally a 10-second phone call, but then Fetch always offers more information and asks if there is any way they can help me above and beyond that. So it’s nice to know that Fetch cares, too.”