Thinking of possibly adopting a boxer mix...any reservations from the hive?

[4kids4me]

I haven't heard much about boxers...I guess I haven't looked into them much. We're considering adopting one, and I'd really like the good, the bad, and the ugly!

[simka2]

First off I love boxers! That said, my luck adopting them has not been good :(

 

They are great family dogs...in fact my user name is the name of my childhood boxer! The are very bouncy, playful, they can be runners. Be ready for energy!!!! They can be very protective of their family, and in England I think they are the fire dog (I might be wrong on that). Mine would actually push any coal that jumped out of our fireplace back into the fireplace! If I didn't have a great dane and a pug right now I would love another one. But I would get it as a puppy!

[hornblower]

Boxers tend to be wonderful with children & their family.

Playful, goofy, and cuddlebugs. They can be quite sensitive. They NEED to be with people & in the middle of the family activities.

 

Their one big flaw is significant rates of dog aggression within the breed. Of course not all will have it but it's something to consider depending on your lifestyle. Many will be ok with a few of their special doggy friends but may not be candidates for the dog park.

 

Tons of wonderful ones in rescue - many with absolutely no dog aggression issues at all.

[dm379]

you're so lucky! I loooove boxers!! I can't wait to get out of this tiny apartment so we can have another one. Pp was right, they're very playful and love to run. They're great exercise and will wear you out. The one we had was very gentle with the kids. Other than the high energy, I can't think of any downsides to them. I'm very biased though.

[SailorMom]

Very sweet dogs - but the ones I've known are eternal puppies :) Meaning - they are very active, busy, energetic pups. But they have all been sweethearts and great with kids.

[MUJLBE]

Pros:

 

Joyful, high energy dogs that love people

 

Cons:

 

Higher dog aggression than other breeds-may not be safe to take to the dog park, may not be a good breed to have your children walking on a leash near other dogs.

 

Higher than average rates of cancer-in general not known for longevity, a 10 year old Boxer is an old Boxer

 

Because yours is a mix, these traits may be diluted out and, of course, there are always exceptions within any breed. I would see how the dog interacts with you and your kids and go from there. I know families with kids that love their Boxer and would never consider any other breed.

 

Susan

[m0mmaBuck]

We have a boxer, a rescue dog... She's our 3rd. All 3 have been eternal puppies. Bouncy, energetic, great with kids, want to be in the mix all the time and hate to be alone.... chewing, fence-jumping, digging, running puppies.

[Sparkle]

My sister has owned a couple of boxers and they have been very sweet, playful, friendly dogs. Not necessarily the smartest, but just big lovable hunks. They always seem to want to sleep on my feet :)

[Granny_Weatherwax]

We had a boxer mix, Adobe. She was the best dog, both well behaved and well tempered. She was a brindle and had the most beautiful coat.

 

What I would want to know is what dog constitutes the 'mix' part. Many people breed boxers in hopes to further the pit bull line. (I'm NOT saying anything bad about pit bulls, so let's not go there). We knew of someone who bred boxers with bull dogs trying to get a unique pit bull.

 

Our dog was a boxer/doberman mix. Both parents were registered dogs but they 'happened' to get together.

[4kids4me]

Thanks for the answers....will keep you posted...stay tuned! :)

[Laurie4b]

Con::drool5::drool5::drool5::drool5::drool5:

[mom4him]

I haven't heard much about boxers...I guess I haven't looked into them much. We're considering adopting one, and I'd really like the good, the bad, and the ugly!

When I was about 13 we had a boxer wander into our home. She was amazing. I am not sure why we have never owned another.

One thing I would be sure of is what the mix is. We had a Lab mix, had a policeman friend tell us that he thought the mix was pit bull but of course wasn't sure. That dog was totally weird. We finally had him put down in fear that he would really hurt someone. He was simply unstable.

[newbie]

Great family dogs and very protective of family.

[hillfarm]

Our boxer was a great dog. We had him in a typical suburban situation and with frequent walks, he was fine in terms of energy level. He was rather destructive as a puppy when we had to be away from home and his dog crate looked like Superman had tried to escape through the bars. He took top honors in the local obedience competition, first against over a hundred other dogs. But a pp was right, while he was the most sincere, eager to please dog I have ever owned, he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. Big, sweet, lovable, but kind of dumb. And yet gave the impression of thinking many deep, profound thoughts in that magnificent head of his. Another oddity about him, he couldn't swim. Our vet said about 1% of all dogs can't and he was one of them. He would sink to the bottom of the pool, and then stand there on the bottom under the water, looking up at us waiting for us to rescue him.

 

The main down sides I know of are 1)if kept indoors, you have to go around periodically and scrub the dried slobber bits off the walls, and 2)they do tend to die young. Ours lasted until he was 13, but it still broke our hearts to eventually have to lose such a great dog.

[Melinda S in TX]

My sister does permanent boxer rescue. I have heard of boxers being more aggressive with other dogs, but I have not seen it. My sister usually has 8-10 dogs and a cat or two in the house, and she has never had problems with the boxers. That neurotic poodle is another matter.

 

Boxers are very high energy, playful, bouncy dogs. They need to be with the family and not in the backyard, or they will get in so much trouble. They are smart and want to make you happy. My sisters boxers do not know a stranger. They are friendly with everyone.

 

Melinda

[anissa]

We have a boxer/golden ret. mix. She is great with us but way too protective. Frankly, she makes me nervous. It may get to the point that we will have to put her down. My friend had a neighbor's boxer ( full bred) attack her daughter. This girl was in her own yard minding her own business. Just my two cents. Good luck!