About the Boxer

How the AKC describes the Boxer:

The Boxer is a playful and fun-loving dog, who is also capable of communicating his feelings with his face. His twinkling black eyes show his intelligence and emotions. His face wrinkles up into expressions of curiosity, excitement, happiness, surprise, or sadness. Boxers particularly love children. They are playful and patient, but are also strong and defensive, so early obedience training is important.

How HO-BO Care describes the Boxer:

The Boxer's most notable characteristic is his desire for human affection. Though his cleanly muscled body suggests the well-conditioned middleweight athlete of the dog world, the Boxer is happiest when he is with people -- especially children. His desire for human affection makes him an unsuitable dog for someone who wants a dog who will hang around the backyard, alone, all day; a boxer can,and *will*, easily jump a 6 foot fence.

A Boxer needs attention from his family and a family who is willing to give them adequate exercise - just walking your boxer around the block once a week isn't nearly enough. A bored boxer can be a very destructive dog. With their short coat and snouts they don't adapt well to extremes in temperature that we experience in Colorado. The Boxer is an indoor dog who is not able to withstand extremes in temperatures. This is a dog who needs to sleep indoors; preferably with his family's children. Boxers can easily be crate trained to keep them safe while you are not home to supervise them, but any dog who is crated for long periods of time will need to burn off their excess energy on a daily basis.

A Boxer who gets little interaction with his owners, will lose all the qualities that make him such a wonderful family dog. The Boxer's high energy level requires daily play sessions along with consistent obedience and structure in his life. The Boxer likes to play and is very nosy -- if you aren't giving them something to do they can amuse themselves with activities like digging around in the bathroom trash, dragging the pillows of the sofa through the dog door into the backyard and chasing the cat around the house.

The Boxer's greatest wish is to be with his family, watching protectively over their lives. He is truly a "dog for all seasons," suiting the need for household guardian, attractive companion, and children's playmate and loyal friend.

Before you decide that the Boxer is for you, ask yourself these questions:

• Are you, and all those who live with you, committed to spend 12+ years providing health care, food, grooming, training and attention to a dog?
• Do the people who live with you also want a dog?
• Do you have the time and/or resources available . . . to take your dog for walks and to the vet? to bath, brush, clip, and, otherwise, groom your dog as often as necessary? . . . will you want to play and, perhaps, work on training daily, with your dog? . . . are you willing to take your dog to puppy socialization, kindergarten, and basic obedience classes?
• Are there lifestyle altering events that could occur in your foreseeable future? - a baby, caring for an elderly family member, a divorce, job uncertainty, etc. And, how would you deal with these changes as they impacted your ability to care for a dog?
• Is your personality conducive to dog ownership? -Do you often feel 'stressed out'? Do you like to have total control over your environment or 'space'? Are you a 'neat freak'? Are you flexible? Patient? Answer honesty - nobody but you will know AND, more importantly, nobody but you will have to live with the results of your trying to 'fit' your personality to a dog.
• Are you physically able to care for a dog? Are you economically able to provide care for a dog?
• Is your environment prepared to accommodate a dog and/or are you willing to make the investment of time and money necessary to insure that it does? Is there a yard or park like area for your dog to walk/relieve themselves? Is your yard fenced? If your dog will be outside for any period of time, will you provide a secure and comfortable shelter for your dog?And, although, you may have a secure and comfortable location for your dog while it is outdoors, dog should not be left outdoors, unattended, for extended periods of time. They can be taunted, released, stolen, or worse. Tethering can cause serious physical harm or death in the event of an entanglement or other such accident. Further, prolonged tethering can cause undesirable behavioral and personality traits to surface. Additionally, garages may contain chemicals, tools and other items that can be dangerous and/or harmful to your dog.
• Will your dog be alone for long periods of time, daily? Can you arrange for the dog to be let out for a romp, given water, medication, and playtime, as necessary, during the day? Or, will you become angered and frustrated by behavioral issues that may arise due to the fact that your dog is alone for long periods of time? (i.e., relieves him or herself indoors; chews up a blanket, your shoes, your favorite chair cushion; barks incessantly, causing your neighbors to become angry or, perhaps, even call animal control on you; etc. Do not plan to leave your dog outdoors or in a garage all day while you are away! If this is in your plans, I suggest you revisit the question "Why do I/We want a dog?"
• Do you travel frequently? Will it be difficult for you to find quality care for your dog when you are away?
• Do you really LOVE dogs? If you are truly motivated by your love of dogs, or a particular dog, you most likely don't need this page. You've done your homework and are ready for a lifelong commitment. You will train and play with your dog, provide appropriate veterinary care and nutrition, you will bath and groom him or her, happily, and the occasional behavioral problem won't throw you for a loop. If this is the case, please visit the other related sections of the library for helpful articles on breed or mix selection, puppy or adult?, adoption or breeder, finding a breeder, preparation for your dog, training care, and more.

  Questions above excerpted from: The Dog Infomat™ 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999© Sandi Dremel. The original content, concept, and design of the Dog Infomat are the property of Sandi Dremel.