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Don’t put big breeds in a box

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‘Boxdog’ Axel Henderson with his ‘hoomans’ Marley, 11, Ivy, 16, Tillie, 18, and Violet, 11, Henderson. Photo by Bree Harding

He’s almost 56 dog years old, as big as a newborn calf, as solid as a boulder, but actually just as big a softie as his favourite teddy.

Marley, 11, Ivy, 16, Tillie, 18, and Violet, 11, Henderson, receiving affection from their big ‘smooching boxdog’, Axel. Photo by Bree Harding

Axel is Shepparton East family the Hendersons’ American bulldog-boxer, a mixed breed they call a ‘boxdog’.

Axel loves all and is loved by all. Photo by Bree Harding

He joined the family when he was just six weeks old, almost eight years ago, and, being the people-lover he is, landed idyllically with the right crew.

The Hendersons are a family of six.

Tillie Henderson, 18, plays with her family’s ‘boxdog’, Axel, at their Shepparton East property. Photo by Bree Harding

Mum Kym, dad Marshall and their four daughters, Tillie, 18, Ivy, 16, and twins Violet and Marley, 11, say their favourite thing to do with their boof-headed beauty — besides everybody’s standard favourite pastime of cuddling their pooches — is take him for zoomies in their property’s paddock or at a nearby oval.

“He just loves to be with his ‘hoomans’; he loves people, and attention, and pats,” the girls all agreed.

Axel is almost eight human years old but is still very puppylike. He enjoys a wrestle with Tillie Henderson, 18, here. Photo by Bree Harding

Axel is also a fan of sun-baking on a sunny day.

“He likes to grab his cushion and teddy from his kennel in the morning and put them in a sunny spot, and when it’s cold or raining, he grabs them both and tucks them and himself up in the kennel again,” Kym said.

The Hendersons got Axel when he was just six weeks old, pictured here at that age. Photo by Contributed

While that might be adorable and impressively domesticated for a creature descended from wild wolves, he does have one less-than-desirable ancestral habit imprinted in his genetics.

“He likes to roll in stuff he shouldn’t,” Kym said.

Eight-year-old Axel hasn’t aged a day since he was six years old (in this picture). Photo by Contributed

His penchant for stench and intolerance for cleansing water is the reason Axel spends most of his time outdoors.

“He hates water. He can’t swim,” Kym said.

“It’s a battle every time to wash him and, at 47kg, it’s quite a task.

“He then has to be dried properly before setting him free because, as mentioned before, he will find something to roll in.”

Axel got to join in with the girls’ school Book Week during remote learning throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Photo by Contributed

Even though Axel is an outside dog, the Hendersons say he occasionally persuades his way indoors.

“He is quite the sook when it comes to storms,” Kym said.

“So, he guilts his way in when possible.”

Of course, if his family didn’t have bleeding hearts, Axel couldn’t wrap them around his gigantic fur-covered toe anyway.

What dog didn’t love their humans being home all day long during remote learning in pandemic lockdowns? Axel is pictured here on the trampoline with Tillie Henderson and his old yard-mate Scout, who sadly died by snakebite last year. Photo by Contributed

At present, Axel is the family’s only dog after they sadly lost their little Patterdale terrier Scout by snakebite last year.

They said Axel missed Scout immensely, but now, to carry on his legacy, he had taken responsibility for tormenting the family’s two goats at the fenceline between himself and them.

Axel smiles widely for the camera, while one of his ‘hoomans’, Ivy Henderson, 16, tries to get his attention with a feather. Photo by Bree Harding

Besides barking at beasts of the bovidae variety, the Hendersons said Axel got along with any person or animal, because “he’s a big smoocher”.

“He used to love playing with the chickens, too, when we had them, although he was a bit rough given his size, so they were separated pretty quickly,” Kym said.

The family’s twins once took to their dog with textas to decorate him for a unique arts and crafts experience for them all. Photo by Contributed

Now that the girls’ sports seasons have wound up, they’re looking forward to spending more time with Axel at home and down by the river, but not too far away because as much as he enjoys car rides, he gets car sick.

“We’ll possibly consider getting another friend for him with Scout now gone, too,” Kym said.

“He’s been a bit lonely.”

Axel loves attention and interaction with people and other animals. Photo by Bree Harding

Loneliness will drive some people — and apparently dogs, too — to comfort eat.

Maybe that was Axel’s motivation behind helping himself to an entire freshly baked cake from the kitchen bench when he was inside one day.

Or maybe, at 47kg of canine, his appetite takes a bit to be satiated.

Whatever the reason, it doesn’t look like he’s doing much to support his case of becoming a permanent inside resident with cheeky antics like that.

Ivy Henderson, 16, and her family’s almost eight-year-old ‘boxdog’, Axel, share a rare quiet moment together. Photo by Bree Harding

With that big, bounding and boundless energy, those puppy dog eyes, that wide slobbery smile and giant blockhead you just want to scritchy-scratch behind his floppy ears, it would be hard to stay — or even get — mad at this imperfectly perfect playful pooch.

“He’s our big, beautiful dork and we love him so,” Kym said.