boxer dogs
22 March 2009, 12:09 AM
#32
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I usually chip in where "Boxer" ownership is concerned. I see most of the other scoobynet boxer owners already have as well 
.
I am extremely biased as they are the only breed I have owned since meeting my wife. Prior to that family dogs were GSD's (5 of) and Heinz 57 (2 of).
Anyway, the first thing I will say is DO NOT be put off getting a white boxer. You will hear all sorts of crap banded around about genetic problems and unfortunately 99% is b*ll*cks
.
There have been very few studies / research conducted relating to genetic / health related issues in white boxers......... the only one that was of any real value actually showed that white boxers were less prone to health issues than their coloured brothers and sisters.
The ONLY increased defect is deafness and to put into perspective the increase it is widely acknowledged that the increase is in the region of 5-15% greater than in coloured boxers where it is less than 5% of all boxers
.
Link to research / study of white boxers......
THE WHITE MARKING PATTERNS OF BOXERS.
click on the links on the left handside of the page and it will start a "power point" slide show.............. read away and make your own decision.
As to whites being put down it has little or nothing to do with health and as Paul pointed out to do with the KC breed standard and breeders not wanting to be seen as producing "poor" stock
that said it would seem that in the last decade the number of white put to sleep / killed by breeders has declined rapidly.
The KC (Kennel club) now recognises whites although whilst you can enter one for a dog show it would not be ranked.
Apologies for going on, I have worked with Boxer rescues for the past 10 years so have done my homework as to what is fact and what is fiction. I have also seen the horrors of back street breeders and owners that take on the breed ill prepared.
Right all the above out of the way, here are some pic's of mine and thoughts regarding ownership.
Pic's - Molly the brindle is 9 yrs old now and Tash the white is 8 yrs old
Picture overload
As has been said, prepare yourself for getting fit - a boxer that does not get exercised is a bored boxer and they don't like being bored. The result is that more likely than not you won't enjoy the after effects either, chewed furniture etc........... I have both heard and have first hand experience of damage that has made a grown man almost cry.
They don't like being left for long periods of time either - this was the issue with ours initially but we managed to sort it and I work from home now so it's not an issue.
Training - an absolute must from the age of 12 weeks. You need to be consistant with them otherwise they will walk all over you
Temprament - don't let the outward "guard dog" exterior fool you, Boxers are big softies inside. They react well to praise but will not react well to an over zealous owner who punishes them mentally or especially physically (I'm not saying you would but many people do).
As you can see from the last pic they are great with kids but both need to have boundaries - the kids need to know when they can play with the dog and what is acceptable in terms of how they treat the pup / dog and when they should leave them alone.
The pup / dog needs to know what level of play is acceptable as well - the line needs to be drawn when the dog is young, by the time they are an adult over zealous play on the part of the dog could easily lead to unintentional knocks and scrapes to your kids. Boxers are generally very, very playful and very strong so it's all to easy for them to accidentally be a little too rough.
Guarding / prey instinct - the guarding instinct is very strong in the breed, they will generally be very untrusting of strangers especially if the "stranger" is entering their home / garden. They have great presence, especially if it is a larger male..... that said the females are no shrinking violets.
Vocally, they will only bark if the door is knocked or someone walks past and they are sat on their perch looking out of the window they have a commanding deep bark generally.
I have read all sorts of stories about boxers protecting their family, especially children - things like one boxer lying across the top of the stairs to stop a toddler falling off the edge, another waking it's owners because of a fire and one that gave its life to protect it's owner from a pack of dogs.
As for my two - they are very protective of my wife and 3 kids, if push came to shove I have no doubt they would and could defend them without a second thought for their own safety.
They are very wary of strangers to our house and I have yet to have a person unknown to them have the confidence to just start stroking them - ultimately they bark like hell and fix the newbie with a stare and growl at them. Most of this is just show and what we call "talking" or also known as the boxer "woo woo" song.......... ask a boxer owner what I am on about and they will smile knowingly. If you don't know boxers though it can be very off putting.
On the whole though I cannot think of a breed I would rather have as a member of my family and believe me that is exactly what they will become, it's like having 5 kids.
Generally they love cuddling up to you, love being walked, getting mucky, playing, eating, sleeping................ and basically if you give them 100% they will repay you a 1000 times over.
Cat wise they either love em or hate em, my two cannot stand cats although I know many boxer owners that do have cats and they get on great.
Whatever you decide be prepared for some hardwork and a full time commitment. If you can give them the time, they are not going to be left home alone all day and you train they properly you will have a great dog that will fit into your family and also put of any chancers who may be watching your house.
Sorry for the massive post but afterall you did ask
Good luck whatever you decide
GB
.I am extremely biased as they are the only breed I have owned since meeting my wife. Prior to that family dogs were GSD's (5 of) and Heinz 57 (2 of).
Anyway, the first thing I will say is DO NOT be put off getting a white boxer. You will hear all sorts of crap banded around about genetic problems and unfortunately 99% is b*ll*cks
.There have been very few studies / research conducted relating to genetic / health related issues in white boxers......... the only one that was of any real value actually showed that white boxers were less prone to health issues than their coloured brothers and sisters.
The ONLY increased defect is deafness and to put into perspective the increase it is widely acknowledged that the increase is in the region of 5-15% greater than in coloured boxers where it is less than 5% of all boxers
.Link to research / study of white boxers......
THE WHITE MARKING PATTERNS OF BOXERS.
click on the links on the left handside of the page and it will start a "power point" slide show.............. read away and make your own decision.
As to whites being put down it has little or nothing to do with health and as Paul pointed out to do with the KC breed standard and breeders not wanting to be seen as producing "poor" stock
that said it would seem that in the last decade the number of white put to sleep / killed by breeders has declined rapidly.The KC (Kennel club) now recognises whites although whilst you can enter one for a dog show it would not be ranked.
Apologies for going on, I have worked with Boxer rescues for the past 10 years so have done my homework as to what is fact and what is fiction. I have also seen the horrors of back street breeders and owners that take on the breed ill prepared.
Right all the above out of the way, here are some pic's of mine and thoughts regarding ownership.
Pic's - Molly the brindle is 9 yrs old now and Tash the white is 8 yrs old
Picture overload
As has been said, prepare yourself for getting fit - a boxer that does not get exercised is a bored boxer and they don't like being bored. The result is that more likely than not you won't enjoy the after effects either, chewed furniture etc........... I have both heard and have first hand experience of damage that has made a grown man almost cry
.They don't like being left for long periods of time either - this was the issue with ours initially but we managed to sort it and I work from home now so it's not an issue.
Training - an absolute must from the age of 12 weeks. You need to be consistant with them otherwise they will walk all over you
Temprament - don't let the outward "guard dog" exterior fool you, Boxers are big softies inside. They react well to praise but will not react well to an over zealous owner who punishes them mentally or especially physically (I'm not saying you would but many people do).
As you can see from the last pic they are great with kids but both need to have boundaries - the kids need to know when they can play with the dog and what is acceptable in terms of how they treat the pup / dog and when they should leave them alone.
The pup / dog needs to know what level of play is acceptable as well - the line needs to be drawn when the dog is young, by the time they are an adult over zealous play on the part of the dog could easily lead to unintentional knocks and scrapes to your kids. Boxers are generally very, very playful and very strong so it's all to easy for them to accidentally be a little too rough.
Guarding / prey instinct - the guarding instinct is very strong in the breed, they will generally be very untrusting of strangers especially if the "stranger" is entering their home / garden. They have great presence, especially if it is a larger male..... that said the females are no shrinking violets.
Vocally, they will only bark if the door is knocked or someone walks past and they are sat on their perch looking out of the window
they have a commanding deep bark generally.I have read all sorts of stories about boxers protecting their family, especially children - things like one boxer lying across the top of the stairs to stop a toddler falling off the edge, another waking it's owners because of a fire and one that gave its life to protect it's owner from a pack of dogs.
As for my two - they are very protective of my wife and 3 kids, if push came to shove I have no doubt they would and could defend them without a second thought for their own safety.
They are very wary of strangers to our house and I have yet to have a person unknown to them have the confidence to just start stroking them - ultimately they bark like hell and fix the newbie with a stare and growl at them. Most of this is just show and what we call "talking" or also known as the boxer "woo woo" song.......... ask a boxer owner what I am on about and they will smile knowingly
. If you don't know boxers though it can be very off putting.On the whole though I cannot think of a breed I would rather have as a member of my family and believe me that is exactly what they will become, it's like having 5 kids
.Generally they love cuddling up to you, love being walked, getting mucky, playing, eating, sleeping................ and basically if you give them 100% they will repay you a 1000 times over.
Cat wise they either love em or hate em, my two cannot stand cats although I know many boxer owners that do have cats and they get on great.
Whatever you decide be prepared for some hardwork and a full time commitment. If you can give them the time, they are not going to be left home alone all day and you train they properly you will have a great dog that will fit into your family and also put of any chancers who may be watching your house.
Sorry for the massive post but afterall you did ask
Good luck whatever you decide
GB
22 March 2009, 06:01 AM
#33
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Well where do you start with Boxer ownership, I have two and think they are great, they are not the dog for you if you
a. Do not want to exercise them properly
b. Want a dog that will not interact with you and leave you alone
These are fantastic dogs who, like has been said NEED exercise and stimulation, they do get bored easily and like has been said, you will know when you dog was bored because they WILL find something to alleviate the boredom, anything will be fair game to them, and I mean anything!
They have boundless energy at all times unless sleeping
They are as loyal as they come, and if you give them an inch, they will take a country mile.
You need to be quite robust with them as well as a result of the last statement but they will not let you down at anytime.
While they are puppies, everything is food and at all ages just love a bit of attention, once given though you will need to tell them when enough is enough as they will not leave you alone unless told to - you can't play all day like they can and will given the chance.
They burp, fart, and snore like your fav Gran can at her best, and I find it quite funny at times when you see/hear them do it, although they do stink when they fart, well mine do anyhow - a LOT! lol
They are very inquisitive by nature and do have a hunting instinct, they were bred by ze Germans as hunting dogs in the pat and were quite good at it apparently, docked tails are now illegal and I have one of each with my dogs, one docked and one with a tail.
The tails are mental, there is seemingly no feeling to them as they have no idea what it does apart from whip everyone who gets in range, it make quite a noise as well when she is happy and it is being slapped on the floor, most irritating at midnight when she is dreaming of rabbits etc
They can be clumsy and delicate at the same time, difficult to describe but own one and you will see what I mean.
Fearless in some instances, mine will run through woods etc at 1000mph with out care, thought or hinderance but are scared of the hoover and love the lawnmower 
They love water, well mine do anyhow, puddles, rivers and lakes they do not seem phased by them, all is an adventure for them and they don't mind getting their feet wet.
They are great with my 2 boys, now 12 and 10 but we have had the bitch for 3 years now since a pup and the boy since Sept last year when we rescued him from a family who lived in a flat and didn't exercise him!
I take mine to work and they love it, they are very social dogs and respond well to a pack environment, we take them with us everywhere we can, but you will need to be able to let them know their place in the pack so to speak, if you let them be the boss you will have a nightmare of a dog!!!
Mine walk very well off the lead when out, the boy is still in training with us as we have not had him for long and got him when he was 18 months old so had picked up several bad habits due to not being trained at all, he is a labour of love...
They are usually very good with other dogs but with mine, He is not overly good, if he detects the slightest bit of aggression in the other dogs, he instantly puts up his defences but doesn't see that the way he approaches other dogs sometimes puts them ill at ease, he will go to say hello flat out at 100 mph as he gets so excited to see another dog and lots don't like this approach, he sometimes thinks the little ones are his personal playthings as well
The bitch is as placid as anything you could imagine and bearly lets me out of her sight when out walking, never more than 20 feet away.
Even at home, if I go upstairs, the dogs follow, if I go to the toilet, the dogs sit outside the door until I have finished
If we do leave them when we have to go out, they greet you like you have been away for a year - even if you just pop out for 5 mins to the shops, they don't seem to have any concept of time and are so excited to see you again.
Bitches have a more placid temperament in general, Dogs can be quite a bit more boisterous and tend to have a more dominant streak as well I have found so what you chose is up to you, for a first family dog, a bitch may be better but don't forget they do "leak" when on season and will look to mate if possible/get the chance
As for being a guard dog, well mine will bark if they hear anything they are not happy with this is at any time of day or night! but usually shut up when they are placated by me that there is nothing wrong.
I have no doubts that if there was something wrong going on in what they consider to be their territory they would let me know and if I let them, protect as required.
some pics of mine
http://
a. Do not want to exercise them properly
b. Want a dog that will not interact with you and leave you alone
These are fantastic dogs who, like has been said NEED exercise and stimulation, they do get bored easily and like has been said, you will know when you dog was bored because they WILL find something to alleviate the boredom, anything will be fair game to them, and I mean anything!
They have boundless energy at all times unless sleeping
They are as loyal as they come, and if you give them an inch, they will take a country mile.
You need to be quite robust with them as well as a result of the last statement but they will not let you down at anytime.
While they are puppies, everything is food and at all ages just love a bit of attention, once given though you will need to tell them when enough is enough as they will not leave you alone unless told to - you can't play all day like they can and will given the chance.
They burp, fart, and snore like your fav Gran can at her best, and I find it quite funny at times when you see/hear them do it, although they do stink when they fart, well mine do anyhow - a LOT! lol
They are very inquisitive by nature and do have a hunting instinct, they were bred by ze Germans as hunting dogs in the pat and were quite good at it apparently, docked tails are now illegal and I have one of each with my dogs, one docked and one with a tail.
The tails are mental, there is seemingly no feeling to them as they have no idea what it does apart from whip everyone who gets in range, it make quite a noise as well when she is happy and it is being slapped on the floor, most irritating at midnight when she is dreaming of rabbits etc
They can be clumsy and delicate at the same time, difficult to describe but own one and you will see what I mean.
Fearless in some instances, mine will run through woods etc at 1000mph with out care, thought or hinderance but are scared of the hoover
and love the lawnmower They love water, well mine do anyhow, puddles, rivers and lakes they do not seem phased by them, all is an adventure for them and they don't mind getting their feet wet.
They are great with my 2 boys, now 12 and 10 but we have had the bitch for 3 years now since a pup and the boy since Sept last year when we rescued him from a family who lived in a flat and didn't exercise him!
I take mine to work and they love it, they are very social dogs and respond well to a pack environment, we take them with us everywhere we can, but you will need to be able to let them know their place in the pack so to speak, if you let them be the boss you will have a nightmare of a dog!!!
Mine walk very well off the lead when out, the boy is still in training with us as we have not had him for long and got him when he was 18 months old so had picked up several bad habits due to not being trained at all, he is a labour of love...
They are usually very good with other dogs but with mine, He is not overly good, if he detects the slightest bit of aggression in the other dogs, he instantly puts up his defences but doesn't see that the way he approaches other dogs sometimes puts them ill at ease, he will go to say hello flat out at 100 mph as he gets so excited to see another dog and lots don't like this approach, he sometimes thinks the little ones are his personal playthings as well
The bitch is as placid as anything you could imagine and bearly lets me out of her sight when out walking, never more than 20 feet away.
Even at home, if I go upstairs, the dogs follow, if I go to the toilet, the dogs sit outside the door until I have finished
If we do leave them when we have to go out, they greet you like you have been away for a year - even if you just pop out for 5 mins to the shops, they don't seem to have any concept of time and are so excited to see you again.
Bitches have a more placid temperament in general, Dogs can be quite a bit more boisterous and tend to have a more dominant streak as well I have found so what you chose is up to you, for a first family dog, a bitch may be better but don't forget they do "leak" when on season and will look to mate if possible/get the chance
As for being a guard dog, well mine will bark if they hear anything they are not happy with this is at any time of day or night! but usually shut up when they are placated by me that there is nothing wrong.
I have no doubts that if there was something wrong going on in what they consider to be their territory they would let me know and if I let them, protect as required.
some pics of mine
http://
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