I was raised with Boxers
and obviously think there is no better breed of dog for me. But whenever I speak with
people interested in Boxers as a family pet, I give them all the negatives about the
breed. And there are more than a few. People read all the literature on the breed and it
gives a lot of good information. But most literature on any breed does not give you the
whole picture. I encourage people to be aware of the kinds of things puppies and dogs do
that are not so appealing.
The Boxer is
not the type of dog for everyone. First they are a guard breed. And, having been bred to
work alone they are very intelligent but also free thinkers. In other words they
don’t always see things the way we do.
Breeds that were bred to work
without instruction from man had to be intelligent, quick, and independent.. This breed
also added stubborn, strong and tough. Again, because of the kind of work they did. Breeds
like retrievers and the herding breeds and many others were bred to take instruction from
man. And they do this very well. As family pets, they are usually more cooperative.
The Boxer learns fast.. And he
quickly figures out what’s in the job for him. Then he makes choices based on that
information. Often times it is not the same choice the owner would have liked him to make.
The boxer does not take his owner’s judgment as the bottom line. He always asks
questions like, "Are you sure you want me to do that?" and "Do you really
mean now?"
Characteristics: The
Boxer is a very high-energy dog. He will play all his life even when old. Boxers never
really grow out of their desire to play. They love their people and insist on being in the
center of the family. The Boxer is not an outside dog. He does not like extremes in
weather, does not do well in severe heat or cold, and hates the rain. If left outside
alone he will turn destructive. He will bark, dig, chew, and make a general nuisance of
himself. Or worse, find an escape route and go to visit someone who will give him
attention. Sometimes he is not a welcome visitor. The Boxer’s over-exuberant
playfulness gets him in a lot of trouble. He likes to chase farm animals. He likes to
playfully pounce on some animals and children. It is not usually malicious -- just a case
of wanting to play and not knowing or having been taught appropriate play behavior. Or in
the case of farm animals, not having been taught that they are a huge "NO!"
Boxers and small children are wonderful together after the boxer has been trained and the
children have been trained. But until the time he is an adult he will not always behave
appropriately around small children. During the time he is growing up and the children are
small, there must always be knowledgeable adult supervision.
And when I say trained, I mean
a concentrated effort for several months preferably with a professional instructor who is
familiar with the breed. Not all of them are.
Boxers are comedians. But they
have maintained the ability to do many kinds of work, including work as search and rescue,
hearing, Seeing Eye and therapy dogs. I feel a neutered male makes the best family pet.
Please take your time to meet
the breed and talk to reputable breeders. Please do not buy from a pet store. If buying
out of the newspaper, meet the parents, know the right questions to ask, and be
discriminating.
Most reputable breeders will
want to maintain ties to the puppies they produce. They will question the buyers about
many different aspects of their life and their home. They will be happy to answer
questions and offer any help they can. They will give some sort of health guarantee. Most
offer care instructions, including recommended food and a sample, registration papers,
health record, and a contract.
Many of us who love the breed
do have a litter of puppies occasionally. We are usually breeding for ourselves because we
want another show or competition dog. In an average litter of five to seven, there will
only be (if you are really lucky) two show prospects. The rest go to families we feel will
give them a loving, permanent, safe home.
I feel it is mandatory to
start training your puppy as soon as he is comfortable in your home. Usually around ten
weeks if you got him as an eight-week-old puppy. We train young puppies with lots of
praise and rewards and yes even food. It is a good idea to find a trainer in your area and
start going to a puppy class. If no puppy class is available, there are many good books
and tapes available on puppy training.
Boxers are wonderful
family pets -- loyal, protective, affectionate and playful. If they are properly trained,
that is. But training any dog is work. It demands consistency, lots of repetition,
patience and praise. If you cannot commit to giving a puppy or new dog a lot of attention
and training, then wait till a time in your life when you can. Adding a dog to your family
is just like adopting a child. |
