Some people see dogs as "just dogs." It is an old-fashioned outlook but to each his own. You can't tell someone to feel something that he simply does not. Maybe the BIL's home is not the ideal situation but perhaps it will be better than this one. See the glass as half full. The way I look at it these days, people will keep or rehome dogs as they please...Visa was rehomed with me and I couldn't have been happier. Sometimes it works out for the best.

I'm sorry you didn't get the security system you were hoping for. With so much time spent at work, perhaps a dog is not an ideal pet for you. It would be much cheaper and less time consuming and stressful if you just went with a regular security system -- extra locks, automatic lights, alarm (maybe one of those dog bark alarms that goes off when someone is at the door), etc. Unfortunatly dogs are very give and take with their uses. They don't do what you want without expecting something in return. For a high energy breed such as a boxer, alot of training and exercise is a must. An outside dog needs twice as much training and exercise as one that lives indoors and recieves all sorts of stimulation.