Boxer

[NalaCleo]

Can anyone tell if something would/could be wrong with it? Had dogs all my life but this is the first one i'd be buying myself so want to be sure i get a good one. The breeder seems very nice but there can be some dodgy people that act nice out there. Thank you.

Gorgeous puppy !

Looks as though that pic was taken when it was younger than 8 weeks so eyes should be brown by now

How did you go ?

[boxmeupboxer]

Hello fellow Boxer lovers, I'm new here and would love some advice regarding my boxer please.

She is my very first Boxer and I am really in love with the breed, seems to be the breed that I like the most, although we seem to be having some problems. She is 18months old and HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE, she is home with me through the day, played with and walked regularly, we also have 4 kids so she gets lots of attention and stimulation within the family and well socialized with other dogs, but no matter what we do she seems to love eating my plants and digging holes. I really don't want to hear "pups and gardens don't go", because there are many families out there with pups and gardens and they don't get destroyed so there HAS to be a solution, I just need to discover what it is

I'm also wondering at what age did you find your boxer "grew up", is it true they stay "puppy like" for about 4yrs??? I have been advised to either get her into pup OR desex her and that may help, but they are extreme measures for the possibility that it wont make any difference.

We love her to bits, she's great with the kids and great guard dog and very much apart of our family but we just can't put up with this behavior much longer as its slowly putting a strain on the relationship we have with her.

Thanks for listening and some useful, constructive advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks again.

[boxagirl]

Join us in the Boxer breed sub forum- lots of knowledgeable boxer people there ;)

I've never really had a problem with my older boxer digging or chewing things, but now have a pup and he is keen on chewing plants. Best thing I think is to channel the chewing behaviour onto toys/bones. Have you tried leaving your Boxer with a nice juicy bone when you go out?

I'm also wondering at what age did you find your boxer "grew up", is it true they stay "puppy like" for about 4yrs???

More like 9 years! My girl is nearly 9, and she is finally starting to grow up now!

Letting her have puppies will not help this situation, and I doubt desexing will either (though it is a good idea anyway)

Definately get her into obedience if you havn't already- Boxers are smart dogs and need to exercise their minds too ;)

[boxmeupboxer]

Boxagirl - Thanks so much for your reply, I have also posted in the breed subforum, wasn't sure where to post, so posted in both, thanks again for your reply, its much appreciated and helpful.

[cheekygal]

Hello boxmeupboxer - how's the wayward doggie been going? Have been thinking about you and just found this thread again. Patience is a great reward but sometimes it just seems to go on and on and on and on........ Sincerest wishes for a quick calm dog.

[Aussie Boxer]

Sincerest wishes for a quick calm dog

rofl, is that even possible? that energy is half of what makes them such a great dog imo.

As for the chewing, Mine have always been pretty good and havent chewed stuff, (ie, furniture, plants etc,) they do however go through a LARGE amount of chew toys and balls, in all the years I have only found one toy that stands up to the chewing for anything longer than a day/week, mine did havea big habit of destroying gardens (not by pulling plants) but from sitting in them, making beds in them and just hiding there, some little fences helped.

[Andreww]

Hi everyone,

I love the boxer breed and would love to have one. i have two questions though. as they don't like the extremes of weather, how cold would too cold be? is it a case of negative degrees or below 10 degrees? also, their playful nature is something i love about them. are boxers always boisterous or can they be trained to be calm when you want them to be (e.g. inside or when they're taken for a walk)?

[flame ryder]

Hi everyone,

I love the boxer breed and would love to have one. i have two questions though. as they don't like the extremes of weather, how cold would too cold be? is it a case of negative degrees or below 10 degrees? also, their playful nature is something i love about them. are boxers always boisterous or can they be trained to be calm when you want them to be (e.g. inside or when they're taken for a walk)?

Hello....I have a boxer, he is my first boxer. He is 7 months old. He is very calm and well behaved inside. He excels in dog obedience and is very smart. He sleeps outside in a kennel/run on his bed with our female German Shepard. It gets pretty cold here at night but the big dogs have always slept outdoors, he doesn't seem to mind. He loves to play and can get very boisterous but calms down easily when he knows we've finished playing. Unfortunately he loves to dig and our once lovely lawn is not the same. Hopefully he'll grow out of that habit. Come over and join us in the boxer thread in the breed subforums. More info and discussions on boxers in there and we are a friendly bunch.

[booge]

My boxer boy is 6 and is still quite boisterous. It's just the way they are, can be frustrating at times when you want them to behave in a social situation! I'm still coming to terms with it myself. Don't do what I did, for some unknown reason i thought picking the loudest rowdiest one of the litter was a good idea.....guess what? I got a rowdy dominant boy as an adult. He's just a big who sook who LOVES kids and playing. He's ready for a play anytime of day. Just go for a puppy thats middle of the road temperament. The dog whisperer has four clips on youtube where he picks puppies from four different breeds. I found those very interesting, as the breeders told him which pups they think he should have (the loud active ones). He picks the relaxed ones. Good viewing. If you can't find them on youtube I can post the links.

[flame ryder]

My boxer boy is 6 and is still quite boisterous. It's just the way they are, can be frustrating at times when you want them to behave in a social situation! I'm still coming to terms with it myself. Don't do what I did, for some unknown reason i thought picking the loudest rowdiest one of the litter was a good idea.....guess what? I got a rowdy dominant boy as an adult. He's just a big who sook who LOVES kids and playing. He's ready for a play anytime of day. Just go for a puppy thats middle of the road temperament. The dog whisperer has four clips on youtube where he picks puppies from four different breeds. I found those very interesting, as the breeders told him which pups they think he should have (the loud active ones). He picks the relaxed ones. Good viewing. If you can't find them on youtube I can post the links.

Actually you could be right there. My boxer puppy was the quiet one who sat in the back of the box and watched. He was also the runt.

[Andreww]

thankyou very much teela and booge. you have been very helpful! i will definitely read more on the boxer sub forum and have a look at those youtube clips. thanks again :D

[Jed]

It doesn't matter whether your dog was the alpha or the pusher in the litter, what matters is that you begin training on the 2nd day after he arrives at your house. And you never never razz the boxer, or stir him up, until you have given him an "off" button, and he will reliably obey you.

When he is obedient, you can razz him up all you like, and then you can say "stop" and he will.

And socialise him. This is a serious guard dog - he has a nice nature, but he is a guard, he has been a very good war dog (for the wrong side, LOL) and he is well able to see off any perceived threats, so make sure he goes out and meets other dogs when he is a little bloke. Make sure he understands he is to be friendly.

Some big grown up boys can be seriously scary with other dogs, make sure yours isn't one of them. Train, train, train, socialise, socialise, socialise.

And don't razz him.

I wrote this years ago - it is in the breed sub forum - and boxers havent changed ...

Boxers are not hyper. They are happy, enthusiastic, exuberant, affectionate, devoted to their owners, happy to please, love to be trained, do not always do 100% what you ask, because sometimes they know a better way, but they understand, and they like you to spend time with them. They can be as silly or as serious as you wish. This is a dog which spends his whole life trying to please you, and care for you and yours in the best way he can.

They do not need heaps of exercise - a run or a walk or a bit of ball or frisbee chasing is enough for your average boxer. However, if you are a jogging or biking maniac, the dog will keep up with you.

To make your boxer hyper, start when you first get him.

Flap your hands in front of his face a lot, jump up and down, make funny noises, encourage him to jump up on you and then whack him when he jumps on your Sunday-go-to-Meeting dress, let the kids tease him, and encourage him to chase them around and jump on them. Rough house him a bit, wrestle with him, he'll growl and carry on and behave like a two bob watch, but he sure is having a good time. Don't bother socialising him with other dogs either, boxers like other dogs, and there's really no need to train him much, he's pretty bright, he likes you, he'll get it.

Leave him in the yard a lot too, and don't point out the error of his ways to him, so he is not sure how to behave.

That will make him even more hyper, because you always laugh when he does that, so when he is not sure what he ought to do, he'll be hyper trying to please you.

Remember too, that he is soon going to weight around 30 kg, most of it solid muscle, encapsulated in a very agile and athletic body, but until he is about 2, he will have the mind of a baby, and will behave like one, so when he jumps through the window, knocks the village preacher to the ground, slobbers all over him and eats his hymn book, he's only doing what he believes is right. What pleases you.

Start walking him when he is 9 months old, and he'll be so enthusiastic about all those new sights sounds and smells, he'll pull like a train. You wont be able to hold him.

so, you'll have a 30kg hyper boxer that is a complete pain in the neck, the kids wont play with him, he'll have to be tied up when visitors come, and he'll jump all over you and just about scratch you to death. Because he thinks that is how he should do it.

and - he'll spend the rest of his life in the backyard, alone, sad, mournful, scratching his head, wondering why you don't like him any more, or he'll end up at the pound, or attacking other dogs, or untrainable, or pts. Or, he'll be so bored, he'll simply jump your fence every day until he gets run over.

Recipe for a nice boxer and happy ownership

Make sure you are smarter than the dog

Treat him gently.

Discourage him from jumping up

Teach him to sit from the second day you have him

Make sure you are smarter than the dog

Give him lots of love and attention - gentle, quiet affection - don't slap him on the ribs or the head, stroke him, look into his eyes, tell him what a good dog he is.

Teach him that he follows you through doors, that he doesn't knock you or the kids over.

Make sure you are smarter than the dog

to wait to be invited into the car

Let him meet other dogs when he is a baby

Let him meet cats, chooks and birds when he is a baby

Discourage him from chasing other animals or people

Call him off when his behaviour is over the top, sit him, and praise him.

Don't play rough games with him.

Lead train him at home, without distractions. Praise him lavishly.

Chastise him gently when he has done wrong.

Be consistent.

Don't treat him like a fool, or he will be one.

Remember he is a gentle, loving soul, who thrives on praise and attention, and is only happy in the company of his family.

Then - when he hits two, you can rough-house him all you like, coz you will have an "off" button -

Boxers love contact games. We have a couple here - one is the one where you lie on the floor with a towel over the head, and the boxer tries to get it off - with realistic growling and snarling noises. this game is made better if you rip aside the towel from time to time and says "boo", which makes any boxer totally frenzied. Hiding is the second game. YOU hide and the boxer finds. When the boxer has found, jumping up and behaving like a two bob watch is encouraged. Chasing is a good one - you can chase the boxer, or the boxer will chase you! Over the bed, into the bath, into the yard - anywhere you like!!

When your face is red, you are lying in a pool of sweat with your eyeballs hanging down your cheeks from exhaustion, and the boxer is jumping up and down, tongue hanging around his knees, waiting for you to move so he can jump on you again, you can say

"Enough"

and he will settle.

This breed is a companion guard dog - that is what he was bred for, and that is what he does best - he is not a herder, a retriever, a pointer or a sled dog. His only interest in life is you. He is bold, he is brave, he looks you in the eye with sincerity and friendship. He does take some understanding. He probably wont start any quarrels, but he's happy to finish them!!

Character and temperament are as important in the Boxer standard as conformation.

If you want to own a boxer, keep that in the forefront of your mind. You are the sun in his universe, you hold his behaviour in your hand, he will behave exactly as you want him to - no matter what that is. He's not obedient like a border collie, he was made to make his own decisions, and he will sometimes think you are a bit of an idiot, and do it his way. Mostly there is method in his madness, if you will only see it.

If you want a 100% obedient dog, don't get a boxer. He will be obedient in all the important ways. Boxers don't do well in obedience, because once they have done it, they can't see much point in it, and are just as likely to trot beside the cones, off lead, as through them - "see, quicker this way mum, you come too."

He is not a dog for everyone. He is called the "clown of the dog world" and he is a clown in his friendly, happy, funny outlook, as he tries to please you, but once the chips are down, you couldn't wish for a better guardian of you, your family, or your home. He rarely bites without good cause, and he does not bark much, he is a quiet achiever.

Buy him from a proper and reputable registered breeder, and see the parents.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Jed

[Andreww]

wow! lots of help there. thanks jed! i especially like that idea of training for the off button. have you had a lot of success with this?

[Melbomb]

I can't speak for Jed andreww but my boy definitely knows that "finish" means play time is over and to give it a rest :laugh:

As always great advice Jed!

[Jed]

wow! lots of help there. thanks jed! i especially like that idea of training for the off button. have you had a lot of success with this?

Every single time!! YOu need a word ' settle " - "gently " - something, so they know to stop. If you dont stir them until they are obedient, you have no trouble with them. They love to do what you want, you just need to explain.

[boxmeupboxer]

Jed thank you very much for your post, it makes so much sense, especially as most things you said I did end up discovering and implemented with my girl. See below for update. Wonderful. Very wise words.

Hello fellow Boxer lovers, I'm new here and would love some advice regarding my boxer please.

She is my very first Boxer and I am really in love with the breed, seems to be the breed that I like the most, although we seem to be having some problems. She is 18months old and HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE, she is home with me through the day, played with and walked regularly, we also have 4 kids so she gets lots of attention and stimulation within the family and well socialized with other dogs, but no matter what we do she seems to love eating my plants and digging holes. I really don't want to hear "pups and gardens don't go", because there are many families out there with pups and gardens and they don't get destroyed so there HAS to be a solution, I just need to discover what it is :)

I'm also wondering at what age did you find your boxer "grew up", is it true they stay "puppy like" for about 4yrs??? I have been advised to either get her into pup OR desex her and that may help, but they are extreme measures for the possibility that it won’t make any difference.

We love her to bits, she's great with the kids and great guard dog and very much a part of our family but we just can't put up with this behaviour much longer as it’s slowly putting a strain on the relationship we have with her.

Thanks for listening and some useful, constructive advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks again.

So it’s been 8 months since I posted about my very destructive girl, so thought I would update.

Since then she has now hit the 2yr mark and has become, let's say, a joy to live with.

She is a lot less destructive, has ceased eating, chewing and ripping out my plants. (Yet I am still very scared to re-plant things, just in case.)

She is obedient now, very much a pleaser, affectionate and an even better guard dog than before. We have truly discovered the boxer breed more in depth now and fully appreciate the nature of the boxer.

She has learnt when it’s time for "play" and when it's "quiet" time, she loves going for runs down the river and can in most cases be controlled by command. She is an absolute beauty to have around now and I am so happy that we perceived with her.

We are currently working on controlling her over protectiveness of me and my son at the moment and it seems to be working well. We aren’t sure if it's jealousy or being protective, but whenever my husband’s dog comes near my son or myself, in the last 3 weeks, she jumps on her, snarls, growls and depending on how my hubbys dog reacts to her, they "can" get into a scruff. If it even looks like either one of us is going to show my hubbys dog attention and not her, she pushes in front, stands guarded and "can" at times, growl at her. If I am wrestling with my son outside, she shows signs of wanting to protect me also. (My other 3 kids and hubby do not phase her one bit) We have been very stern with her that, that behaviour is unacceptable and give them both attention and she seems to be responding well. We are very aware of these "going-ons" and hope if we continue to discourage this behaviour is will cease very soon, as it's started to diminish already, which is great.

The only other issue I'd LOVE to resolve with her would be her weight.

I have had this issue with her since we got her, I have had her to 3 different vets for different opinions, spoken to her breeder, tried many different types of foods/diets and still nothing seems to help. She will generally eat anything you give her, just in small amounts. She currently weighs 23kgs, seems happy and healthy but looks terrible.

We can see her ribs and backbone and I really don’t like it, people comment and think that it’s the owners fault but I am more than open to suggestions as to how to try and beef her up a bit, if anyone can help that'd be wonderful.

Anyway thanks for listening.

Have a great day.

[Jed]

Thanks boxmeupboxer, I wish everyone getting a boxer was told that, or given it in written form before they go home with the pup.

The issue with the other dog is jealousy, perhaps. I don't believe in dog-beating (although I sometimes feel like it!!), but I do verbally correct, and I would try to watch when husband's dog came close, and put her into sit and stay - or hold her - every single time. I think once they realise they are in the tin, they will stop, even if it is something they really like to do. Just need to make her understand.

Not only do boxers love gardening, moving the irrigation, doing drainage projects, and a little wood-turning, but they love helping with the housework too, which I why I came home last night to find all the washing had been taken off the line!! I actually think some of this is punishment for us for leaving them. Some are more into punishment than others. No positive training for them!!

Boxers generally mature about 2, and once they have physically finished growing, they put on weight and musce. Some mature earlier.

You can probably fatten her with stuff like mutton flaps, bone in chicken mince, a sheep heart a week, a bit of liver once a fortnight. Dry food often doesn't work with a lot of boxers, they do better on raw food with lots of meat. You could also give her the fat (from when you cook steak or a roast). You need 40% fat in the food to be any good.

[boxmeupboxer]

Hi Jed. Yes, I tend to agree with you in regards to her being a tad jealous, it seems to be getting better on a daily basis, which is great.

I’m so glad I never had to deal with her wanting to help with the washing, so in hindsight she properly wasn’t as bad as some boxers can be. lol.

This may sound a bit daft but what is "bone in chicken mince"?

Both dogs get table scraps, dry food and plenty of meat. My boxer does tend to get more of the fat off the meat, than my hubbys dog, simply just because she needs it more. This morning they got beef topside roast diced up and fried in butter, nice and warm in their tummies on such a freezing cold morning.

Is their any supplements that I could possibly add to her tucker that'll fatten her up?

The vet gave me some paste stuff last time and she hated it, made things worse, so I stopped it.

Will def try the mutton flaps and sheep’s heart. I've tried the liver before but she doesn’t like it raw, will only eat it cooked.

Thanks very much for your help, look forward to chatting again soon.

[ari.g]

This may sound a bit daft but what is "bone in chicken mince"?

Both dogs get table scraps, dry food and plenty of meat. My boxer does tend to get more of the fat off the meat, than my hubbys dog, simply just because she needs it more. This morning they got beef topside roast diced up and fried in butter, nice and warm in their tummies on such a freezing cold morning.

Is their any supplements that I could possibly add to her tucker that'll fatten her up?

The vet gave me some paste stuff last time and she hated it, made things worse, so I stopped it.

Will def try the mutton flaps and sheep’s heart. I've tried the liver before but she doesn’t like it raw, will only eat it cooked.

Thanks very much for your help, look forward to chatting again soon.

Hi boxmeupboxer

I think Jed means something along the lines of minced chicken frames? Do you have a Lenards near you? They usually sell it reasonably priced.

My boy Nelsson was skinny for years, just didn't eat much but was happy and healthy. He didnt put on weight until he was 7 and got desexed :laugh:

this site Happy Paws sell a sprinkle that is supposed to make food more appetizing? May help.

Good to hear you can appreciate the nature of a boxer more now :D

[Jed]

Yes, ari.g, minced frames. The Lenard ones are sometimes a bit "off", but other butchers do them too.

Is the boxer eating as much as she wants? About 1/2kg a day is about right, but some eat more, some less. If the dog is not fat, I would let her eat as much as she wants.

Chicken has a reasonable amount of fat on it. More than some of the beef varieties.

boxmeupboxer, I had one girl who, if left inside, got up on the dressing table, pushed everything onto the floor, and then stripped the bed to the mattress, balled up the bedding in the middle of the floor and lay on top of it.

Needless to say, she was only left inside a couple of times.

I could write a book on the evil things they have done. Conversely, I have had a couple who didn't ever do anything wrong as pups and teenagers. The one I have now was very good, but has found the dark side recently.