Although Boxers are considered to be medium sized dogs, they have the strength of a big dog. A young, healthy Boxer is all muscle and energy and weighs in at fifty to eighty pounds. These dogs have a broad chest, a wide skull and a face similar to that of a Bulldog. Their big brown eyes are very expressive and these dogs are not above using a pitiful ‘poor me’ look to get their own way.

Boxers should be fawn or brindle with black mask like markings on their face. A dog with white markings is considered to be flashy. However, if a Boxer has more than one third of its body covered in white or is completely white, it will be unable to compete in the show ring. Also, white Boxers are prone to deafness, as well as other health problems.

If you live in an apartment, a Boxer may not be the right breed for you. These dogs are high energy animals and really need to be able to exercise frequently. A home with a securely fenced yard is ideal for a Boxer. You will need to be sure the fence is high enough and secure enough to prevent your dog from escaping, since a Boxer can easily jump over lower fences.

Although most Boxers get along well with other dogs, you may not want to buy a Boxer if you have a small dog or cat. If you do have other dogs, consider neutering your Boxer at six months to keep aggression toward other dogs in check. Small children and Boxers get along quite nicely, although your Boxer may be too energetic to play with toddlers until he matures. After all, a young, exuberant Boxer can easily knock an adult flat with an overly enthusiastic greeting.

Since Boxers are so high energy and so powerful, these dogs need to be enrolled in obedience training while they are still easy to control. Puppy classes can also help you socialize your Boxer and will teach him to play nicely with other dogs. These dogs are eager to please and should pick up basic obedience commands quickly. You may want to consider advanced obedience and agility training for your Boxer, as well.

Boxers require very little grooming. Simply brush through your dog’s sleek coat once a week to remove loose hair so you don’t have to vacuum it off of your floor. You should also clean your dog’s teeth and check his nails to see if they need to be trimmed.

Boxers are hearty eaters. You should consider feeding your dog a food formulated for large dogs, since Boxers are prone to hip dysplasia. These dogs have relatively few other serious health problems. You may want to check for a history of heart or thyroid disease before buying a puppy.

So, if you want a dog who will be a devoted friend and companion, then a Boxer may be the perfect choice for you.

Photo by Jose Assenco

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Boxers are very friendly and make an exceptional family pet. They are very alert, intelligent and strong dogs. But these dogs need good socialization skills as puppies in order to tolerate other dogs later on in their lives. The boxer, by nature, is not an aggressive or vicious dog.  However, he can become over-protective and dominating, if socialization has not been developed in his young years. So, a major part of Boxer puppy care is socialization. Bringing another puppy or an older dog into his environment at an early age will help him socialize within the dog kingdom.

Training

Since Boxers have such long puppy lives, it is very important in Boxer puppy care to bring training into their lives as soon as possible. After food, exercise and boundaries have been established, your puppy needs to start training.  The housebreaking of your Boxer puppy can be done very simply. Using the crate method is very successful with Boxers.

Actually, most housebreaking methods are successful with Boxers because of their intelligence. Your local pet store will have many books on the different ways to housebreak puppies. But your Boxer puppy care will become more successful if you use the ‘clicker’ method. It is proven that Boxers respond better to clickers than they do to voice commands.  Again, your pet store will help you in finding a good clicker training class or book.

Start very young with your Boxer puppy care training and the both of you will be much happier together. Learning all of the various commands at a young age can only be a winning combination. Boxers love to be obedient and they love to have respect from their owners. They are often used for service dogs, guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs and police dogs in K9 units. The military use these dogs as messenger dogs, pack carriers, and attack and guard dogs.

After watching the versatility of these dogs in their later years, it is no wonder that Boxer puppy care is very important. The love and affection they give to their owners and their socialization with the world begins in their early puppy years. It seems obvious that Boxer puppy care, of the Peter Pan of dogs, is very important to our civilization.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.