Boxer right for our family?

[jessicamae]

We have been thinking about getting a dog for awhile and have been doing alot of reasearch. From what I've read I think a boxer may be a good fit. We live in a town house with a medium sized yard. I am a stay at home mom and we have a 16 month old daughter. We are looking for a house dog that is good with kids. We are planning on taking whatever dog we decide on to obedience classes. We enjoy going for walks and like to spend a lot of time outdoor so the dog would get pleanty of exercise. Anyone have any imput on weather or not a boxer is right for us?

[JulieJay]

I think the boxer is a great breed. They are excellent dogs with children and are very affectionate.
Caine is just over 5 months old and since he is not around children much he likes to barrell them over (he thinks they are dogs) and licks them to death!! but he is getting better.
They are extremely smart and learn fast..
They don't fully mature until later on, they say about 3 years of age.

Good luck with whatever you choose.. and I think that the boxer would be a great dog.

[HurricaneBox]

Boxers truly are a wonderful breed, and well worth the time and effort of raising them, in my opinion. They are so full of life and love, and most members here would agree that they are half human most of the time.

They are, however, a lot of work. They have so much energy that MUST be given a proper outlet, and can become destructive if not given enough exercise and entertainment. You mentioned you can provide a lot of exercise, that is good. It is really not an option for a boxer, and they don't slow down much until they are 9-10 years old, sometimes not even then. Obedience training is also a must, they are large powerful dogs and can hurt people if not taught proper manners just trying to be friendly and playful.

They do tend to be fantastic with children, although of course there are always exceptions and some boxers are not good in homes with children. They must be taught how to behave around children most of the time, it is not preprogrammed in all boxers (although it is in a lot of them!) so you must be willing to work with them as they learn. Also, you must be willing to teach your daughter how to behave with the dog, most dog/children issues are due to the child teasing/threatening/otherwise not behaving correctly around the dog. You must be willing to never leave your child alone with your dog, not matter how well behaved both of them are. Until your child is old enough to understand the gravity of their actions toward the dog and possible consequences, leaving them alone with a dog could have sad results.

Also, before you make this decision, ask yourself if you are willing to make the commitment to stick with this dog for the next 10-12 years (possibly longer, if you are one of the lucky ones) no matter what, willing to work through any issues the dog may have or acquire during their time with you. Ask yourself if you are willing to pay the vet bills that may pile up, due to illness or injury (God bless their little hearts, seems like they get hurt alot sometimes lol). Keep in mind a dog is not a piece of furniture you can just throw away or replace when you are bored with it or it gets a little worn.

Boxers are not outside dogs. If you aren't willing to make them an inside dog to live with you and your family and be a part of your "pack" please adopt a cat.

Lastly, please be sure to research a reputable breeder who does all of the necessary health testing on their breeding stock, and who show their dogs and breed to improve the breed, not a puppy mill or back yard breeder that thought it would be fun to have puppies. Or, consider rescuing one of many boxer in shelters and rescues around this country. They are wonderful dogs that suffer only from humans not willing to live up to their end of the bargain...

Sorry, I realize that is kind of a lecture, and I don't mean it to be at all. Just please be very sure you have done every bit of research and are willing to commit to a boxer. We see too many of them abandoned because people aren't willing to put out the time and effort it takes to have them. If you are willing to do all of these things, congratulations! You will never know love or loyalty like a boxer gives from any other breed (I may be slightly biased with that statement). Happy hunting for your new family member, and know that all of us here on BW are more than happy to offer advice, support, or just a listening ear if you ever need it.

[StormiesMom]

I'm not sure if there is any more to add, hurricanebox may have said it all, LOL.

I can only share from my personal exerience and my husbands as well. My hubby grew up with boxers, had one at every stage of life as far as he can remember. My MIL constantly tells me stories (sometimes the same ones over and over) of how protective and gentle their dogs were with her kids and her grandkids.

When trained correctly, with love and patience, they in return are patient, gentle, loyal and extremely loving dogs. Should you decide on one, it will quickly become a "fur child".

We got our boxer when my son was already a teenager, so she didn't experience having small children in her own home. However, we constantly have friends with children in our home, ranging from babies to teens and Stormie loves them all.

Please consider all that hurricanebox said about the care, time and dedication it takes to add one of these special kiddos to your life.

Best of luck, please keep us posted.

[jessicamae]

Any dog that we decide to get will definatly be a part of the family for life. Both my husband and I grew up with dogs and would love for our daughter to have the same great expierences. She has spent time around family and friends dogs and is very well behaved with them. Her and my brother's black lab are the best of friends, she has learned to pet nicely and not to pull on ears and tails. We would of course always supervise he when she was around any pet.

Thanks so much for the feed back you all make great points about things to consider.

[bigboychief]

I have a 6 year old and 1 year old, and our boxer is WONDERFUL with both children. He plays and rough houses with the 6 year old, but knows he has to be soft and gentle with the 1 year old.

He will lay there and let the baby crawl all over him, grab his cheeks, put his fist in his mouth, pull his ears...and Chief never moves! It's so cute!

We didn't do any professional obedience training for Chief. I read all the books and Internet and thought "hmm..I can do this myself!" Probably not very smart, but It turned out really well; however, you have to spend 24/7 with the dog for the first several months to make it work.

So, to make a long story short...YES! I think a Boxer is a great dog to have! As long as you can handle all of their energy...they come with a lot of energy! More than a 6 year old boy!

[jessicamae]

Thank you all so much for your helpful advice. We are going on Saturday to meet with a breeder. Wish us luck!

[elindave]

OMG! I don't know where to begin! My Dh and I get really choked up when we think how much Nikita has enriched our lives. We have 3 skinkids (11, 9, 3) and Nikita is very good with them although she loves to wrestle with my 3 yr old. I do notice that she tones down around young kids or people that she senses don't 'like' dogs. And I have to stress that she LOVES people (not necessarily other dogs!). When we got her she was dominance aggressive so we worked very hard to train her and in a strange way I'm glad we went through the experience because it brought us closer together. You definitely have to have a sense of humour, I know that we can't stop laughing all day and making fun of her (I know it's not very nice). Poor thing just looks at us like we're all weirdos and she's the sane one of the family! I say it 100 times, but I'm so glad we got a boxer because of her loyalty to us and unconditional love. Oh and in case nobody mentioned.....watch out for the bad gas!!!

Eli
Nikita (Aug 28 07) fawn, floppy, docked

[GDOGS1]

well there is not much that i can add to this that all the others haven't said already but a boxer does make a very good all around dog as GDOGS is very good with all my grandkids they range in age from 1yr to 10 yrs and soon to have another,but i also had a very good rottweiler(i hope i dont get booed at) too when my kids were little and he was like GDOGS they could pull on his ears,tail whatever and never do anything,but let a stranger come to the door/gate watch out they better not go anywhere near them,cause he would protect them till his last breath.good luck with which ever dog you choose but make sure its going to be that dogs forever home.


MoM & DaD of GDOGS 8/18/05 Brindle,Docked,Floppy and full of Zest

[SweetCody]

I knew nothing about this breed 18 mths ago. We had seen two beautiful boxers at a park in Ohio, I knew that I was ready for another dog, I really wanted my son to have a dog.(All little boys need a dog). My husband worked at that time with a guy whose family has been breeding boxers for the last 25 yrs. When DH mentioned that he had a litter I thought of the two I had seen in OH. We went and picked one out (3 weeks old, sooooo cute).
It was after he came home that I realized what active crazy dogs they really are. It has been a trial at times to get him to behave like a respectable young man, but worth every moment. He is one of the great joys of my life. What other 70+ lb dog thinks he is just the right size for a lap.
I guess through my ramble what I am trying to say is they are a lot of work, a very active breed, need tons of exercise to burn off their huge amount of energy, but they will bring an immeasurable amount of joy, (they are such clowns) to any family that is willing to put in the time.
Hope you find a baby that just sinks right into your heart.