Shazzapug Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Boxer sounds like it would suit 30 mins a day excercise would be fine for most of them As long as they are with the family they are happy. Mine, although she wasn't raised with cats, is perfectly fine with them- and has gone to stay at a friend who has 6 cats house many times They are great with kids, and thrive with obedience training (which they take to well, and aren't too challenging) They aren't stubborn or headstrong like many of the bullbreeds- and I got my Boxer as my "first own dog" as my 13th birthday present, I did all her training, walking, etc. So I think they are fine as a first dog. They can be boisterous- and never grow up! Mine is 8 and has just started to slow down now! My girl never chewed things or dug holes, and was a very good pup, easy to housetrain- but that said I spent alot of time with her. Some have issues with other dogs- but it seems to be 50/50 in the breed. I think a Boxer would cope better than a Lab and Vizla with being left home alone, they aren't as clingy as Labs and Vizlas, although if you are around they will want to be with you (most think they are lap dogs!) ETA- If you are 5 mins from an offleash park a Boxer would love that. Most can be trained to have a very reliable recall, and I know my girl doesn't wander away from me on her offlead walks. Some Boxers can be fence jumpers though- although our front gate is generally always open and my dog could pretty much walk out of our fences if she wanted too- so they aren't really wanderers (like huskies are lol) They dont grow up...my 11 yr old was still crab crawling...I too would have one in a snap if they still had docked tails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2psinapod Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I would say a Greyhound, for every reason that everyone else has given or a Pointer A Pointer would be happy to go for the exercise time you have allotted and they are real lounge lizards the rest of the time, they do not suffer with separation anxiety like most of the other pointing breeds can (Viszla, GSP, Weims etc.) they're fantastic with kids and if they're brought up with cats, there's no problem there either, in fact as I was reading your post, Pointers ticked every box You can have a look at my website if you're not familiar with the breed, on there you will also find links back to here on discussions etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I must admit I am yet to meet a viszla that was calm enough for a family and that a couple of short runs a day would satisfy it. I also agree some boxers can be hard to train compared to many other breeds, not all of them are able to switch off in either breed. Its another thing that comes down to the right lines and relying on the breeder to find the right pup for you. Find decent Viszla/Boxer breeders with good trainable and sane dogs you will be on the right track. Mmm. German shepherd? Leonberger? Doberman? german shepherds and dobermanns dont grow to 50+kg. But it all depends if you and your wife don't mind something like a dobermann. Some lines would be no more difficult to train then your average pedigree boxer and they are very fit dogs without the brachycephalic problems (squished in face) and they adore their families. One owner on here got herself a Belgian Shepherd Groenendael I think it came from Midniara down in Tassie? I myself have the short hair Belgian Malinois but there is no way I would recommend that to you at all. There is difference between the varieties you would want the Groenendael (black) or the Tervuren (black and tan long hair) I still wouldnt discount something like a cattle dog, even a low drive border collie if you want the smaller end of the dog scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Boxers and labs are great fun! Are you after a "fun" dog or a more serious/laid back dog? They generally love kids if brought up with them and make great family pets. I don't think its as hard to train these two breeds as some people make out. Labs are generally very food motivated and both labs and boxers are eager to please. Keep your dog busy and well exercised and trained and you'll have no trouble. But if you can't manage to do this- if you can't keep consistent rules and be firm about enforcing them, if you can't commit to at least 1 hr of exercise (for an adult dog) and 15 mins of training a day, then the labrador and Boxer may not be right for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I'd second Megz's suggestion of a Pointer. Beautiful, lovely natured dogs that deserve to be far more popular as family dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Some medium sized dogs you might like - English and welsh springers. Middle sized, both breeds very trainable and biddable. The Welsh is the more active of the two breeds, but I think either breed would suit you pretty well. They will be your best friend. What I was going to suggest. Nice and cuddly for your daughter, she already likes the 'look' of a golden retreiver, so the Welsh or English SS will have a nice soft coat. Will love getting 'girly' hairbrushing sessions. Enough get up and go to play with your son, especially if you keep him/her fit with the running. Cat friendly too. Another thought, a spaniel will be manageable for your kids as they grow, and they are so amenable that you wont need to spend all your time curbing behaviours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Another thought, a spaniel will be manageable for your kids as they grow, and they are so amenable that you wont need to spend all your time curbing behaviours. They need boundaries just like other dogs do. Spaniel pups, like most pups can be mouthy and jumpy. Some can be pretty hard headed about certain behaviours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Another thought, a spaniel will be manageable for your kids as they grow, and they are so amenable that you wont need to spend all your time curbing behaviours. They need boundaries just like other dogs do. Spaniel pups, like most pups can be mouthy and jumpy. Some can be pretty hard headed about certain behaviours. True, I just had boxers in mind when I made that comment. Should have clarified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Another thought, a spaniel will be manageable for your kids as they grow, and they are so amenable that you wont need to spend all your time curbing behaviours. They need boundaries just like other dogs do. Spaniel pups, like most pups can be mouthy and jumpy. Some can be pretty hard headed about certain behaviours. True, I just had boxers in mind when I made that comment. Should have clarified. I'd agree that most spaniels would be softer dogs than Boxers!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zug Zug Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Funny isn't it? We're all still contemplating different breeds and the original poster appears to be long gone. Happens every time. So much for the OP apologising for boring us with this request - we all love picking out puppies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 LOL its cos deep down we would all have many more breeds than we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxagirl Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 True, I just had boxers in mind when I made that comment. Should have clarified. It would just be different behaviours that need curbing... Springers/gundogs it would be being mouthy, stealing food, chewing things they shouldn't, jumping up etc. Boxers it would be just being hyper, not liking other dogs.. some jump up- mine never have. Most of the Boxers i've met have been softer than most of the labs I've met- but it depends what lines you get I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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