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jeffpas
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Location: Springfield, IL
Joined: Apr 2017
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03-10-2017, 05:04 PM

A word to potential Boxer owners

Having had my first Boxer after having other kinds for years upon years, I want to give these thoughts from my experiences.
IMO this is a very challenging breed to raise. Here is what I think are their characteristics.

CUTE- The short nose and floppy ears make for great expressions, and the puppies are adorable. Expect lots of photo opportunities.

INTELLIGENT- This is the smartest breed of dog I've ever owned. They are amazingly quick to learn tricks and can easily become escape artists.
But with that intelligence comes a price. They get bored fast, and that boredom can turn to destruction. This dog needs a lot of time.
Give them lots of toys and rotate them regularly.... or your walls, furniture stuff and yard will pay the price.

HIGH ENERGY- Very high energy, on par with a lab. This is a strong dog that can be a bull in a China shop, so give it room to run.

DISCIPLINE- Not a mean breed, but one that doesn't like "no". Hard to get results with any kind of punishment. You may even find this dog barking back at you.

FRIENDLY- Not much of a protector, but also not apt to bite the neighbor or postman. Greets practically everyone with equal enthusiasm, unlike German Shepherds which imo tend to be more selective and suspicious of strangers.

I'd be happy to hear anybody else's opinions, to see how much of this holds with other owners. Personally I'm not giving up on mine, but I think this one is my last lol!
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Bulldogs4Life
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Location: Pittsville, USA
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06-10-2017, 09:56 PM
Have owned two Boxers.

Yes cute pups.

They are fast learners and biddable. Didn't have escape artists. Never had a destruction issue. Yes, like most pups they did like toys and chewing thats normal with the majority of the breeds. Especially when teething. Never had any part of my home or items damaged.
Never experienced barking back with my Boxers, with my Cane Corso I did when she was younger.
They do have a higher energy level than some other breeds and zoomies are a favorite.
Fairly social, but my female developed fear aggression, my male was am alert dog, but stable and friendly in general.
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Besoeker
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Location: Dunstable UK
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06-10-2017, 10:57 PM
For intelligence, the collie is top dog............
But, like all active dogs/breeds, you have to make that commitment to their needs. Or don't get one.
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jeffpas
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Location: Springfield, IL
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08-10-2017, 03:42 AM
Well, all I can say is I'm the same person and raised other dogs, and this one is tough and very different.
I had two German Shepherds for around 16 years apiece. One, never chewed on anything. The other chewed a table leg when she was a puppy, and a shovel handle, and that was about it. I left them in the house while I was at work all day for years on end, and no damage whatsoever. Never a wall, that's for sure.

And right up into old age where I dealt with one who had daily incontinence for over a year until she died of breathing issues (due to heart failure), and the other I was carrying and feeding baby food with a turkey baster, because her teeth were bad and she could no longer walk. Enough commitment for you?

I was never a real believer in breeds, but my father definitely is. They have had 3 golden retrievers (pedigree) in a row and paid top dollar for them.
And, by gosh, they've all turned out virtually the same. They claim its the breed. At this point, I'm starting to wonder, lol.
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Jackie
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08-10-2017, 08:37 AM
Am I missing something , what happened to your GSDmix puppy ?
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Trouble
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08-10-2017, 10:59 AM
I think he described it previously as a Boxer/ GSD. I owned a Boxer for 13 years and honestly he had his quirks all dogs do but he was never a problem, definitely not cleverer than my Dobermanns. Different dogs show their intelligence in different ways. My Boxer was clever but not in the way the Dobermanns were. Both breeds are high energy, I've never had an issue getting a dog, any dog to do as I want. My Boxer was very much a protector and not overly friendly, pretty much like the Dobermanns. I'm not sure you can take a mixed breed and pick out traits pertaining to a particular breed.
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Chris
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Location: Lincolnshire
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08-10-2017, 11:07 PM
I've never owned a Boxer, but worked with a lot.

The ones I've met were all different - each had their own little quirks - but were all similar if that makes sense.

What you have described in your opening post sums up their overall character. They are quick, bright, high-energy dogs. As such they love exercise both physical and mental and will find their own entertainment (and some of this can be destructive) if they don't get enough of both.

They are what I affectionately think of as goofy dogs, but never let that description fool you. They are quick thinking so the best way to train them is to let them think it is all their own idea
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