Boxers are prone to skin and other allergies. Both Louie and Shasta suffer from this, especially Shasta. She is highly allergic to tree pollen in May. We have spent weeks giving her a bath everyday to treat her skin and she receives a allergy shot.
Louie is more easily treatable. All he has are shots and he can't have a collar on for any long length of time. It irritates his condition.
They are also prone to heartworm, and must be treated for prevention once a month from May to October.
Boxers are also prone to cancer, very much so. Shasta has already had one tumor removed from her hip. Luckily, there hasn't been anymore.
There can be hip problems too. If you think your boxer may have a problem, have the hips x-rayed at 24 months to determine this. Don't breed a boxer with a hip problem because it will be passed on.
An exciteable and high spirited dog, the boxer needs a great deal of human companionship. If you are getting a dog to leave on a chain, the boxer is not cut out for this. They need your love and attention.
Boxers can't survive winter without adaquate warmth and shelter. Short coated, they are basically a house dog. We do keep ours in a kennel, but they have a nice warm room to go into. They will freeze to death in a regular dog house. So don't do it!!
Boxers are very loving and loyal friends and their special needs must be treated.
A healthy boxer is a wonderful boxer.
They are very intelligent and are harder to train then most other dogs due to their independence. The first day I walked into Dog Obedience with Louie, I got the "Oh great, a boxer" look from the instructor. He more or less told me to give it up now. Well we didn't give it up, it just takes alittle patience and alot of love. Don't give up. Like I said, they are highly intelligent.
Believe me, if Louie could be trained, it can be done!
Male or female? From the two sexes, they can act one way or another. With our two boxers, we find the male more calmer, willing to hold still for those hugs and gets along with other dogs. The female is hyper and more agressive, especially toward other females. As she has gotten older, her agression has increased. Sometimes the personality is vice versa with other boxers, but it is always one or another. Boxers also have a sense of humor, they are the only dog I have ever seen this in. Our's can be hilarious. It is safe to say there is never a dull moment around here. And in boxers, agression is the rule as they age. Louie is now more assertive and protective then he was early in life.
Also the decision to spay and neuter.
Let's face it, unless you have a showdog, have it done. Still want to breed anyway? Don't have your female pushing out a litter twice a year, give her a year or two break. It is hard on them and they need to recuperate.
Plus spaying and neutering does settle them down abit, decreases their chances for certain cancers and prolongs their lives.
Remember a normal boxers life span expectency is 8 to 10 years. Give them all the added years they deserve. Spay and neuter them!
Shots? I have come to believe this is a personal preference. I once owned two cats, ( I hope dogs didn't hear that,) one of them had shots every year, the other only had them it's first year of life. Well, the cat that had the shots every year was sick all the time. The other one that only had them once was never sick. Go figure.
I now only take the boxers for their rabbi shots and only because it is a law to have this each year. I don't think they should be given the same booster shot over and over when they already have it in their system. We only have vaccinations as children, why must animals have them their entire lifes? Everytime the animal goes to the vet when it is sick and they have not had their vaccinations, the vets wants to give them the shots right then. Why? If the animal is sick and they are giving it a shot of a virus, (which is what a vaccination is,) how is this going to help them get well?
This is only my opinion. I choose not to give my boxers vaccinations after the second year. I feel they are adequately protected by then and they live just as, if not more, a healthier life with the regular yearly checkups and no shots.
Cropping the ears is a personal choice. It depends on the look you want your boxer to have. The cropped ears make the dog appear meaner I think, even if he is a big baby, people that take one look at him won't come near him. The natural ears give them that loveable look.
If you do decide to crop, be sure the vet is qualified to do this. Don't take chances with your babies ears. The surgery can not be undone.
Boxers do fight with each other, and I mean snarling, snapping ones, the female usually starts them also. And around here, she usually ends up at the vet to have an ear stitched. Females tend to "nag" the male to the point when he is fed up, he's fed up and snaps. Which brings me to the point of cropped ears. Shasta has natural ones and they get in the way and get bit by Louie during their fights. She's been to the vet twice over it. Louie has never had his ears bit and his are cropped.
Thinking about getting a Boxer, there isn't a better friend to have either.
Keep in mind the health problems that could occur. This doesn't mean that all boxers have these conditions. Just be willing to take care of your friend if something happens.
He will reward to a thousand times over for your love and care.
