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thinking of adopting a boxer

dragonpuppy Mar 13, 2005 11:28 AM

i was thinking of adopting a boxer this summer and i have a few questions.

1. i heard they drool. i was wondering if you could tell me on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least and 10 being the worst how much they drool.

2. do they have a high prey drive? i have a cat and i dont want her to get hurt.

3. do they respond well to obedience training or do they tend to be more difficult.

4. do they instinctively guard or will they have to be trained?

5. do they have any genetic problems i should be aware of?

thats all the questions i have for now. i don't want you to think i'm jumping in to this to fast, i have done research. i just wanted to ask somebody who has owned a boxer. thanks.

Replies (5)

LeahC Mar 13, 2005 02:00 PM

1. i heard they drool. i was wondering if you could tell me on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least and 10 being the worst how much they drool.

2. do they have a high prey drive? i have a cat and i dont want her to get hurt.

3. do they respond well to obedience training or do they tend to be more difficult.

4. do they instinctively guard or will they have to be trained?

5. do they have any genetic problems i should be aware of?

I've never owned one myself but my roommate did have one.. I think the drooling varies from dog to dog, but Wilson was about an 8.5 or 9.. It was really disgusting, I could never again live with a dog that drools like that..

He was fine with our cat and my Senegal parrot but he was 7 years old at the time and the cat hid a lot, and the parrot took a good piece out of his ear the one and only time he got too close for comfort.. He ignored the budgies completely and when the cat wasn't around he seemed indifferent.. But again, I stress, he was 7 years old, far from puppyhood, and had been raised with 2 very small dogs.

He was extremely obedient and my roommate says he was very easy to work with.

I've never met a dog (I used to work at petsmart, I've met tons of dogs) that wasn't instinctively protective. Remember you don't want to really encourage protectiveness too much or you'll end up with an aggressive dog. We adopted a dog a few weeks ago and he is already so protective of me he tries to lunge at anyone that takes a step in my direction. You don't want that, it's proving very difficult to train his over-protectiveness out of him..

I don't know much about boxer genetics, but Wilson had to be put down at almost 9 years old because he had gone blind, deaf, and could barely walk because of his hips.. They also think he may have been diabetic..

Hope this helps, sorry I can't give you more general info, but that's what one boxer was like, anyway..

joce Mar 13, 2005 03:03 PM

I don't have one but I know a lot of people that do.

1. i heard they drool. i was wondering if you could tell me on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least and 10 being the worst how much they drool. * My bfs uncles doesn't drool at all. My friends drools at a ten. All the other ones are probally at a five. It is something you would just have to observe around that individual dog.

2. do they have a high prey drive? i have a cat and i dont want her to get hurt. *Just as much as any other dog i think. My friends has killed a bunny but I really have no clue about the other ones. Most of the ones I know live with kitties and other smaller animals.

3. do they respond well to obedience training or do they tend to be more difficult. *My bfs uncles dog is great! Whatever you tellt hat dog to do, it does. But it is older and I' not sure how long that training took. My friends listens but not perfect. I don't think they put a ton of effort into it though.

4. do they instinctively guard or will they have to be trained?
*I've actually never seen a protectivve boxer. I know one that was down right mean but he wasn't a good example of the breed. I would think that them being biggr should be enough.

5. do they have any genetic problems i should be aware of?
*My friends dog used to circle and for some reason the vet thought something was wrong with its liver but it corrected itself. I'm not sure if that was genetic or not. Her dog also had to have a few lumps removed and I think fatty deposits are sometimes common in them. My bfs uncles dog is getting cataracts but he is around ten so someone else will have to say if that is normal or not. I think there is some type of anethesia they tell you not to use on boxers too(but I could be thinking of another breed).
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phborzoi Mar 13, 2005 04:27 PM

some links of interest
http://www.boxerworld.com/
http://americanboxerclub.org/

They have problems with their hips & heart, and are also one of those breeds who suffer from bloat/torsion
-----
PHBorzoi

Mielikki's Hunt Borzoi
http://www.mielikkishunt.com

Treasure the past, don't mourn it.
A balanced dog has a title on both ends.

KDiamondDavis Mar 13, 2005 10:11 PM

>>some links of interest
>>http://www.boxerworld.com/
>>http://americanboxerclub.org/
>>
>>They have problems with their hips & heart, and are also one of those breeds who suffer from bloat/torsion
>>-----
>>PHBorzoi
>>
>>Mielikki's Hunt Borzoi
>>http://www.mielikkishunt.com
>>
>>Treasure the past, don't mourn it.
>>A balanced dog has a title on both ends.

>>>>>>>>>>>

And cancer
-----
Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

rbenson Mar 16, 2005 10:35 AM

I am new to the boxer ownership world butpersonally I can not think of a better dog to adopt.You might also think of looking for a boxer rescue organization for two reasons. The first is you will be saving a Boxers life and the second is you can find the dog that fits your personal needs. My boxer drools very little so I would say on a 1 to 10 scale it would be a 1. As in all pure breed dogs they do have inherant health problems that you need to research.They do pardon my expression "fart" alot.They are very loyal and protective of their family. My Boxer wouldnt dream of hurting another animal,I also have a Yorkie.Good luck in your search and I dont think you will be disapointed with a Boxer!

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