The Boxer dog is a very pleasant dog to own, and they love being in human families.
They’re smart, extremely athletic and strong, and they will protect their pack with fierce loyalty. They’re also very cuddly and loving, and very good-looking dogs. All this is rounded-off with lots of personality and a sense of humor.
Be sure to get started with all the obedience training, behavior training, and puppy socialization steps as soon as you bring your Boxer dog home. So long as you do, your Boxer truly will be the best friend you could ask for. Further down, I’ll talk about the specifics of Boxer dog training.
To keep a Boxer dog happy, you yourself will need a balanced lifestyle of social play, exercise, and relaxation – because a Boxer needs all these. They’ve got a great deal of energy that needs to be burned-off daily, as you’ll see when your Boxer leaps up from a nap to investigate any unfamiliar sound.
Breed History – Boxer Dog
The Boxer dog was bred to hunt huge creatures such as the Bison of Europe. In the late 1800s, the English Bulldog was crossed with the German Bullenbeisser to produce this big, popular breed of dog. The result was the determined, high-energy, impossible-to-deter creature we love today.
Appearance – Boxer Dog
One thing’s for sure – you can’t miss a Boxer dog. They’re big, and unmistakeable.
A healthy Boxer specimen will be strong and muscular, with graceful body lines, a big chest and neck, and a large, boxy-shaped head.
A Boxer dog’s hair is a short coat that is smooth and sleek for running. The colors come in many different shades of brown and white. Although unique and pretty, breeding all-white Boxer dogs can lead to equally unique health problems.
The breed typically has a short, docked tail. Sometimes their ears are cropped, sometimes not. An adult Boxer dog will weigh 55 to 70 lbs, and is about two feet tall at the shoulders.
Social Temperament – Boxer Dog
Boxers have a fantastic temperament. They remain youthful at heart their whole lives.
With any popular breed, including Boxers, you want to be careful who you buy from. There are puppy mills out there that treat the puppies rather selfishly, with little regard for health or well-being. On the other hand, a good Boxer breeder will keep medical records and breed-out any health problems, and will socialize the puppies for the best Boxer dog training experience you could ask for.
A Boxer that’s been bred right and treated with love will be faithful forever, playful and full of stamina, thoughtful and affectionate, and all-around one of the best dogs you could ask for.
A few important points about the Boxer temperament that you should know:
- A Boxer puppy can be trained to do all kinds of work.
- A Boxer will always be a puppy at heart. While fun, this does mean obedience training is key.
- Boxers can sometimes have a shy disposition early in life; if you send your Boxer puppy to a puppy kindergarten, this will help a great deal with their early socialization.
- Believe it or not, a Boxer likes to be an inside dog, and to be close to family at all times.
- Because of this, separation anxiety can be a problem with Boxers who spend time alone.
- Boxers will instinctively take the role of a guard dog, for which they’re well-suited.
- Did I mention that Boxers need tons and tons of exercise? It seems the energy never ends. Without that exercise, they can be prone to unwanted behaviors such as jumping up, chewing and digging.
Unique Health Problems – Boxer Dog
You could guess it by looking at one – Boxers are typically very healthy dogs, especially when bred well.
However, there are some unique health problems that Boxer owners should be aware of. Some of them are hereditary, some are related to lifestyle.
- There are a few different heart conditions that this large breed can contract.
- <strong, can usually be bred-out.
- Cases of cancer in Boxer dogs can be either hereditary or lifestyle-based.
- Hypothyroidism, a gland disease.
- A muscle disease called Degenerative Myelopathy is known to occur in some Boxers.
- Corneal Dystrophy, an eye disease.
- Bloating.
Aside from the medical ailments above that are general to the breed, there are some lifestyle issues and more-specific concerns to think about as well:
- Extreme cold and heat, or extreme dampness and dryness, don’t suit Boxer dogs very well.
- All-white Boxers have a higher risk of both skin conditions and deafness.
- Overweight Boxers have higher risk of several health problems, so good dog food, exercise, and proper diet are all important.
Boxer Dog Training
When you look at a Boxer, you might see a giant; but remember he’s a puppy at heart. Don’t use strong-arm training methods, don’t punish or scold your Boxer, and don’t leave him to be a forgotten outside dog. Instead, use the same humane methods I recommend for all dogs: positive reinforcement of the right behaviors, patient repetition in all dog training exercises, and plenty of love.
You will find Boxers, with their playful, high-energy tendencies, to be a little bit stubborn during training. This makes it all-the-more important to start training right away, and continue with consistent, firm, but forgiving lessons for the long run. Boxer dog training really isn’t much different, in any other respect, than training any other dog breed.
A boxer will learn what you teach him, and learn it well, if you do it right. Clicker training is especially effective for this breed, because it lets you avoid over-snacking while you reward his progress.
And with that said, let me not forget that it’s a lot of fun for both you and the dog. Boxers love to learn – they have a lot of brain power and they crave the chance to use it.
Boxers will learn all the basic obedience commands just as well as any other intelligent breed, so click through my section about obedience training for all the step-by-step tips for teaching your dog to come, heel, fetch, sit, and “go to your spot.” They also love to learn agility training and play sports.
A few more specific tips about Boxer dog training:
- Despite what you might have heard, it’s actually easier to house train a Boxer dog than most other breeds. I always suggest that you do potty training and crate training hand-in-hand, because the crate teaches self-restraint. There’s also a specific resource for crate training a boxer.
- Leash training can be slightly more challenging because of the Boxer’s size and energy. For extra help with this, take a look at a specific Boxer leash training resource.
- And thirdly, the puppy-like spirit, high energy level, high love for social encounters and the huge size will make any cases of jumping up on people, a problem. Once again, I’ve tracked down a specific resource to help you stop a Boxer from jumping up.
For every thing else, there’s my website, and the excellent, comprehensive resource, “Secrets to Dog Training.” Much of what I know, was learned from there, and I’ve hardly scratched the surface compared to what that resource covers. It’s an ideal guide for training a puppy at home.
Go to the main dog training page, or read about more dog breeds.