Teach me Boxers

Yes, the dogs.

The wife and I are very strongly considering getting a pooch, and a Boxer is on the short list of dogs we like. We know they are very active and need lots of stimulation so they don't become destructive (also would need to be crated during the day because of the same reason)........

Tell me what else I should I know, consider, etc.

Please don't buy a dog from a breeder; adopt from a shelter or a breed-specific rescue group.

(Sorry I don't have any boxer-specific insight.)

You don't need to crate a boxer you need to run a boxer. at least in my experience if you run him/her 2 miles in the morning and 2 miles at night you wont need to crate them. Also get him/ her a knog. If you cant or don't want to do these things you don't need to get a boxer. that is why their are so many boxers and boxer mixes in shelters. I also am totally against crating dogs in any way. I own a "boxer mix" because she was "destructive" and "aggressive". She is not. She just needs to be run or walked a minimum of 4 miles a day and not ignored.

When you say crating what do you mean? We have a crate for our dog but we don't lock her in it. . . . The crate is in the laundry room with the door open and there is a orthopedic mattress in it (yes I kid you not there are orthopedic mattresses for dogs). My dog sleeps there and goes there when ever she wants to. She likes it in threre. It is her space where she is not bothered. We don't use it is punishment. In fact it is a place when things get crazy in the house she goes to get away from all the ruckas.

The other day I found one of our living room pillows from the couch in her crate. I took it out and put it back. A couple days later it was back in her crate. Skip forward a couple days and I was sitting on the couch and she came up and took the pillow off the couch and put it back in her crate. . . . It is now her pillow. LOL

Dogs are great but it is in may ways like having another child. Get one to make part of your family. To include in everything you do. Futhermore walks are what dogs like best. . . .Well eating bacon may be there favorite then going for walks. You have to play with your dog every day and when you are not around make sure that it has something to do to keep it occupied. Otherwise you will find things like this.

Ohya and the best bit of advise I can give you is that when you get a dog and it does something bad get out a news paper and roll it up and then whack your self over the head for being a bad owner. 99.9% of the time dog behavior is a direct response to how there master interacts with them.

I look at it this way. I have 5 kids. One just happens to have some special needs, has four legs, will eat anything, is always happy to see me, always wants to go for a walk with me or ride in the car.

I've had 5 boxers growing up, since I was very very young. The only things I can tell you are that: - they are awesome with kids, very protective. - they can chew and damage all the pool table balls in 1 afternoon. - in my experience, they are not long lived dogs. - they are cool, I want one but my oldest son is allergic to dogs.

My parents never crated them. They did do some damage as pups, but they were not too bad after they got older.

I thought this was about the engine an I was going to post a picture of the dog as sarcasm. Boy was I disappoint.

Slippery wrote: I've had 5 boxers growing up, since I was very very young. The only things I can tell you are that: - they are awesome with kids, very protective. - they can chew and damage all the pool table balls in 1 afternoon. - in my experience, they are not long lived dogs. - they are cool, I want one but my oldest son is allergic to dogs. My parents never crated them. They did do some damage as pups, but they were not too bad after they got older.

This...and none of my 4 were real chewers either. They love to run and play outside...and are as good a dog with kids as i know. If I could have another dog (none allowed in apt), a boxer would absolutely be my first choice.

FSP_ZX2 wrote: ...and are as good a dog with kids as i know.

Yep, I was thinking of some of the stuff I did to my dogs as a kid, any other breed and I would not be here, lol

Awesome dogs!

Friends of mine have had two. The first was a breeder reject because her coat was white. She was over 60lbs of love and couch company. The second was a rescue and she went to school before anyone was allowed to meet her. It worked because she was another bundle of muscled, disciplined affection.

If you have the temperament and energy, you will be rewarded.

I had a boxer with the ex. We kinda inherited her when her mom bought/adopted/forget for her niece as a present then the niece got one herself first.

Pretty anxious and wired 99% of the time, but she was a cool dog. Our older Lab put up with her hyperness, and the boxer even seriously snapped at some yappy ankle biter my neighbor couldn't/wouldn't control when it came charging into my yard, while they were both out doing their business, and she was protecting the old Lab.

Yes, needs worked. Did I mention they're really hyper??

I know they have lots of energy and we definitely want to rescue one. The only trouble will be finding one that is OK with cats (we have 2). From what I've read most have have a strong "prey drive" or however you'd word it.

I also agree most bad dog behavior is because of the owner.

When I referred to crating, I've read many boxers have "separation anxiety" and can be destructive during the day.

All my boxers, but 1 shared the house with a cat. Never a problem, maybe it was because the cat was there before them.

Usually really nice dogs. You may be paying for your local veterinarians college fund though, and most don't live past age 10. Heart disease, cancer at much higher rates than other breeds. coupled with all the breathing problems brachycephalic dogs like pugs get.

Edit: here's tomorrow's hour-long lecture on this topic actually.

We also had 2 cats at the time, if I remember. She was fine with the cats, even slightly fearful I'd say.

My Boxers best friend in the wife's 4 lbs Teacup. You can get past the separation anxiety by taking the dog with you a lot like on hikes or weekend adventures. My dog had it bad, but the knog took care of it. Just get variety of them and change it everyday. Also butcher bones are wonderful for boxers entertainment. Also please don't get that cheap food. In my mind it is the cause for a lot of problems #1 being weight which causes hip problems. Dogs are not meant to eat flower they are meat eaters meaning fillers in their food is a no no. My dog in on pure buffalo food right now which she really likes and when you figure out that they eat less of the good food the price is negligible. Also I started mine on Rejuvenate with Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM and Hyaluronic Acid at my vets request at 1 year old to help her joints when she is older. You will also need a furinator

We always had boxers growing up. Never crated, but never completely alone for a whole workday, either. They do like some exercise. We always had cats - including newborn kittens - and she never had a problem with them.

They are not long-lived, as others have mentioned, though our last one did last well into her teens. She was mostly blind, mostly deaf, and pretty arthritic, but seemed happy enough until the end.

They are fiercely loyal and, if they are socialized at all, are great with kids. They will want to go with you everywhere you go. Ours loved to ride in the car, and if it was in the driveway with the door open (even up on jackstands with the wheels off) she would climb in and sit there waiting to be taken someplace.

We are on our 3rd Boxer, Enzo. We adopted him last year(newlifeboxerrescue.com) right around September. He's a bit older (just turned 6), so he's wayyyyy more mellow than a puppy or younger Boxer, but I can tell you that he still gets hyper, still gets into trouble, but is also one of the most loyal, loving, chill dogs that I have ever had. My parents were always Lab people, they had 4 labs over the time I grew up. Ever since we got Enzo they have been swayed into Boxer consideration.

On that note, let me tell you about Enzo. He was rescued from a dude in MA who kept him either locked in a crate almost all of the time, or tied to a tree all the time when the weather permitted. As a result, he took a LOT of work to re-socialize, work out some bad behavior, etc that was caused by years of not getting the interaction he needed. Boxers are family dogs, they need to be with you all the time. They will be attached to your hip or your SO's hip, or the hips of the kids, or if they could, laying in your lap. You will have a very unhappy dog if they are alone all of the time.

My advice is adopt one if you aren't around enough. Boxers remain puppy-ish until they are almost 3 years old. So basically, it's like you have a giant, strong, stubborn puppy. Also, crates... they don't always hold. Our last boxer broke out of his great on several occasions via strength and determination.

As far as their personality, they seems goofy (and they are) but they are also extremely smart. All of ours have been almost too easy to train, but they also learn things on their own for better or worse. Enzo has taught himself how to open doors, specific cabinets where we keep things, how to open the fridge, etc. Also, this will sound weird, but they seem way more tuned in to the way you're feeling, and almost hold grudges or act sad if you yell at them. If you've had Boxers, you'll know what I mean.

Anyway, shoot me a PM if you want. We've had enough of them to answer most questions. As health goes, they do have their issues (usual hip issues like other medium dogs, bloat is a serious concern and something you should read up on if it should happen, the white boxers have MUCH more tendency to go dead and/or blind as the lack of pigmentation is a genetic flaw - even though they're still handsome dogs).

If you adopt, there are plenty of Boxer-specific (link to ours is above, they were great), and they will match you to the perfect dog and if it doesn't work out, they will certainly take the dog back. Same cant be said for a breeder).

If you do go for a puppy, just know that Boxer puppies need A LOT of exercise. They can't be crated all day and exercised for 20 minutes when you get home. They need to be run, played with, trained, or they will definitely develop behavioral issues. Also, whether adopted or a puppy, make sure you really socialize them to everything - kids, dogs (large and small), family and friends. The only boxers I knew with less desirable temperaments were the ones that were poorly socialized. By nature, they look a little intimidating, but they are big clowns with big hearts. I never think twice about leaving Enzo with my sister and all of her kids. My nephew was terrified of dogs and since we got Enzo, they're best friends.

Let me know if I can answer anything else. I think most of the folks here have said similar advice.

EDIT: Oh and someone mentioned higher rates of cancer. This is true from our experience. Enzo actuall lost half of his back right paw and some toes right when we adopted him due to a cancerous growth that would only be stopped via amputation. He's had no further issues or developments (knocking on lots of wood).

Thanks for all the good information and suggestions!

We are frequently out walking/jogging and have a nice big backyard for a dog to play in.

First thing we have to do is replace the privacy fence on oneside of the house that is falling down.