Boxer Puppy? - Menifee,CA

Updated on October 16, 2011
R.M. asks from Evanston, IL
15 answers

Considering a boxer pup as a pet for our family and wondering if anyone else has one? Are they good family dogs? Any reason to choose another breed? We have no other animals.

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L.M.

answers from Houston on

My cousin has a boxer and he is super sweet, BUT--she brought him to my house one day and he shook his head/body (you know how dogs do) well, massive amounts of slobber gobs flew all over my house!! It was so disgusting!! I had to get out the Lysol wipes and literally PICK UP the gigantic slugs he slung all over my living room! YUCK!! So there, you are warned! Lol!

2 moms found this helpful

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B.K.

answers from Chicago on

My neighbor has boxers and they are sweet dogs. Any dog can be a good fit for a family if it is properly trained. If you are going to get a puppy, please make sure to commit to attending training classes with it from the very start. And please don't buy a puppy. There are plenty available through rescue groups. Even puppies!
http://www.petfinder.com/index.html

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L.P.

answers from Pittsfield on

My husband grew up with boxers, and they are great family dogs. They are on the top 10 list of Animal Planet's Top 10 Family Dogs.

I'd say just make sure you know what you are getting into, and make sure it's a good fit for your family. Boxers are pretty high energy and pretty much never grow up. Here's a link to an Animal Planet video about boxers.
http://animal.discovery.com/videos/top-10-family-dogs/
Hope it helps :)

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R..

answers from Chattanooga on

I LOVE boxers... they are great family pets. BUT you want to make sure you have a lot of space for them to play. They are a very high-energy breed. They are pretty easily trained, but for the most part they don't have much common sense. (compared to other breeds I have trained...)

Example... the dogs came home one day after getting into a porcupine. (We lived in the mountains, and the dogs had about 3 acres around the house where they could roam.) My Labrador/dalmatian (Lucky) mix came home with about 10 quills in his face. The two Boxers though, wound up with hundreds of quills each. Lucky got hit, decided that he would get hurt if he messed with the porcupine any more, and came home. The boxers on the other hand, got the attitude of "OH you SOB!!! I'm gonna get you for that! OUCH! That hurt! Now I'm really going to get you!!!" We had to call them off the porcupine, or they would have kept going after it until the thing was bald of quills! Poor Hercules wasn't even able to pull his tongue inside his mouth, he had so many quills. It took the vet almost 3 days to clean them up. :(

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S.F.

answers from Utica on

I know that these are one of the cutest breeds out there but they are really dumb dogs LOL
They are a larger breed so they require lots of space and exercise and they have short hair so they dont shed as bad as some but otherwise they are a good breed IMO - just dumb =)

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J.✰.

answers from San Antonio on

Very good family dog. Puppy's going to have a LOT of energy though. Are you okay with drool for the next 10-15 years? (See my profile pic to see my boxer at age 8). He was still QUITE the 'puppy' at even 11 yrs old before I had to put him down this past August. He could barely walk, but would still "jump" with a puppy type of excitement each morning when he saw us.

How old are your kids? My 2/3 yr old was always at perfect height with being face-to-face with the boxer. He got licked a lot.
My boxer was very quiet. He'd only bark two instances: a 'bad guy' and 'I'm hungry." Both very distinct barks. I have met one other boxer that barked at strangers. Annoying. I am not sure what the norm is on barking. Maybe I lucked out with a quiet dog. Mine whined more than barked.

@ comment about them being dumb: My husband would agree. But he met my dog when my dog was 8. My dog knew how to sit, shake, go to his kenel, stay, and that's about it. He was very gentle. Never aggressive. I have read that boxers were originally bred for companionship for military. I would agree that they make great companions. Not super-obedient or amazingly intelligent, but not the dumbest dogs I've ever met!

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K.G.

answers from Boca Raton on

Boxers are great! They are DEFINITELY high energy dogs and require long walks to burn off some of that energy... They can be jumpy, (like springs) so training them at a young age is a must if you have children... Great with children...

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D.K.

answers from Columbus on

They are great dogs, but of course can have some health issues and can be rambunctious. I have not owned one, but they are a breed I would be willing to own. If you are looking to get one from a breeder, make sure the parents have had health checks. American Boxer Club of America should be able to recommend all of the health checks that should have been done on the parents, including heath, eye and hip checks. Cancer tends to run in some lines, so you may also want to ask about that.

http://americanboxerclub.org

Boxers are wonderful though and have lots of energy and want to play. They are also one of the cutest puppies with that wrinkle face! There will be lots of shedding and slobber. If it is your first dog I would also recommend taking at least a puppy class for not only training, but also socialization. Good luck and hope you find the perfect one!

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M.E.

answers from Jacksonville on

Boxers are GREAT dogs!! You have already gotten lots of great advice. Definitely check health history. My first boxer died from Cancer. :( It was worth the pain though because he was the best dog I've ever owned. I prefer purebred Boxers. (My husband got me a Boxer for my birthday a few years ago and it turned out he was crossed with Pittbull. He was very sweet most of the time, but would snap and try to bite out of nowhere. :/ I found out I was pregnant shortly after getting him and found him a new home. I did not want to deal with an unpredictable dog around a newborn.) That said, if you do not mind slobber, gas (yes, they are gassy! lol), and high energy, a Boxer is the way to go! They are so playful, loving, loyal and funny. One of the best breeds ever!

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A.G.

answers from Boston on

I grew up with a friend who's family owned like 3 boxers. Her dogs were very sweet and didnt seem to get upset or aggressive. But all dogs have different temperments. Her dogs seemed like good family dogs, but someone else could have a different story :) GL

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

I have a Boxer/Pit Bull mix - wonderful breed!!! Loving pets and very smart!!

Boxers do have heart problems - so please get that checked before you go too far.

Boxers are HIGH ENERGY. Alpha dog MUST be established from the get go - which means - hold the puppy down and look in the eye every day multiple times until he or she stops struggling. Once the struggling stops, you have established Alpha.

GOOD LUCK!!!

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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

boxers are GREAT family pets. We have had quite a few in our circle of friends/family. No regrets for any of them!

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R.D.

answers from Richmond on

I absolutely ADORE boxers!! We have a German Plott Hound named River, but his best friend is Buzzy the Boxer... if and when we get another dog, it's going to be a boxer.

Buzzy is so awesome. He never strays far from home (his 'dad' lives across the street from us)... is very obedient, and plays well with every dog and kid I've ever seen him with. He sometime's sits with my girls when they're waiting at the bus stop, LOL!! He often comes over to 'visit'... we let him in our house and he will just lay next to the baby and let him climb all over him. It's flipping precious. That dog is a TANK... but he's soooo sweet. He just wants some loving :) I don't think I've ever heard Buzz bark!!

Great choice :)

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Before you commit, please go buy a book specific to the breed and read everything. Twice. I don't say that because I am negative against Boxers, (I have no idea about them really), but I would say that about ANY breed. You cannot commit to providing what a pup/dog will need for the duration of their life if you do not know what that requires. Different breeds have different needs and problems. Please read FIRST so you don't end up with a poor choice for your family.
Good luck. Boxers are beautiful. :)

S.R.

answers from Kansas City on

Boxers are amazing dogs. They are very high strung and hyper, and ours was a chewer. But he was amazing with our small children. We had to put him down last Winter. When our youngest is old enough we will get another one, hopefully within 4 years. We miss him dearly.

Do your research when you are choosing a breeder, we thought we had a good one. Our puppy had health problems from the begining, and we ended up having to put him down due to stomach cancer at only 1.5 years old.

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