All about Boxer’s
About the breed
They are Loyalty, affection, intelligence, work ethic, and good looks: Boxers are the whole doggy package. Bright and alert, sometimes silly, but always courageous, the Boxer has been among America's most popular dog breeds for a very long time. A well-made Boxer in peak condition is an awesome sight. A male can stand as high as 25 inches at the shoulder; females run smaller. Their muscles ripple beneath a short, tight-fitting coat. The dark brown eyes and wrinkled forehead give the face an alert, curious look. The coat can be fawn or brindle, with white markings. Boxers move like the athletes they are named for: smooth and graceful, with a powerful forward thrust. Boxers are upbeat and playful. Their patience and protective nature have earned them a reputation as a great dog with children. They take the jobs of watchdog and family guardian seriously and will meet threats fearlessly. Boxers do best when exposed to a lot of people and other animals in early puppyhood.
The Boxer does not have a high tolerance for either extreme heat or cold, and he should always be kept inside the house as a beloved member of the family. Responsible breeders screen their stock for health conditions such as hip dysplasia, heart conditions such as aortic stenosis and cardiomyopathy, thyroid deficiency, degenerative myelopathy, and certain cancers. The website of the breed's national parent club, the American Boxer Club, provides in-depth details about the breed's health and care. The Boxer's short, shiny coat requires very little grooming. A good once-over with a rubber curry-brush or a hound glove once or twice a week should keep him looking his best. The Boxer tends to be a clean dog, needing a bath only occasionally. His nails should be trimmed at least once a month unless naturally worn down on a hard surface, and to prevent tartar buildup his teeth should be brushed often if possible.
Boxers are very playful, high-energy dogs. They need ample exercise every day, on leash or in a securely fenced area. The Boxer must never be allowed to run loose. The breed's heritage as a chaser of wild game means that they spend a good deal of time jumping and leaping about as young dogs, they are constantly in need of reminders to teach them to stay 'down.' Because the Boxer is a powerful, active, and playful dog, he may not be the best choice for a very frail adult, nor for a small child who could be overwhelmed by a well-meaning but bouncy puppy. Early socialization and puppy training classes are vital in channeling the breed's energy and exuberance in a positive way. Boxers are highly intelligent, but can become bored with repetition. They tend to have a mind of their own and are excellent problem solvers. Not always tolerant of other dogs of the same sex, most Boxers of opposite sexes enjoy each other's company. Boxers excel in a wide range of canine sports, including obedience, agility, and herding, and they perform brilliantly as service, assistance, and therapy dogs, and in roles such as drug detection and search-and-rescue.The Boxer should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian's supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog's calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog's weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.
The Boxer does not have a high tolerance for either extreme heat or cold, and he should always be kept inside the house as a beloved member of the family. Responsible breeders screen their stock for health conditions such as hip dysplasia, heart conditions such as aortic stenosis and cardiomyopathy, thyroid deficiency, degenerative myelopathy, and certain cancers. The website of the breed's national parent club, the American Boxer Club, provides in-depth details about the breed's health and care. The Boxer's short, shiny coat requires very little grooming. A good once-over with a rubber curry-brush or a hound glove once or twice a week should keep him looking his best. The Boxer tends to be a clean dog, needing a bath only occasionally. His nails should be trimmed at least once a month unless naturally worn down on a hard surface, and to prevent tartar buildup his teeth should be brushed often if possible.
Boxers are very playful, high-energy dogs. They need ample exercise every day, on leash or in a securely fenced area. The Boxer must never be allowed to run loose. The breed's heritage as a chaser of wild game means that they spend a good deal of time jumping and leaping about as young dogs, they are constantly in need of reminders to teach them to stay 'down.' Because the Boxer is a powerful, active, and playful dog, he may not be the best choice for a very frail adult, nor for a small child who could be overwhelmed by a well-meaning but bouncy puppy. Early socialization and puppy training classes are vital in channeling the breed's energy and exuberance in a positive way. Boxers are highly intelligent, but can become bored with repetition. They tend to have a mind of their own and are excellent problem solvers. Not always tolerant of other dogs of the same sex, most Boxers of opposite sexes enjoy each other's company. Boxers excel in a wide range of canine sports, including obedience, agility, and herding, and they perform brilliantly as service, assistance, and therapy dogs, and in roles such as drug detection and search-and-rescue.The Boxer should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian's supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog's calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog's weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.
Potty/Create training
Boxers are high-energy dogs, which can make potty training difficult. Boxer owners can benefit from crate training to exercise more control over their Boxer puppy during the potty training phase. Crate training is neither a harsh, nor unusual method of potty training your Boxer puppy. Crate training works because you are using your Boxer puppies natural instincts to not want to soil their sleeping space.
1. Purchase a crate that allows your puppy to stand up and walk around inside. However, avoid selecting a crate large enough for your Boxer puppy to have room for a separate toilet area.
2. Place the training crate in a common area in your home. Place a towel or blanket, toys and treats inside the crate so your Boxer puppy will be comfortable. This provides an incentive for your puppy to go into the crate and stay inside it.
3. Take your puppy out of the crate every 45 minutes to one hour for bathroom breaks. Guide your puppy through the same door to the same location outside, or to a potty pad and use the same command such as “go potty” for each bathroom break. This engages your puppies instincts and trains your boxer to potty where you want at certain times. Praise your puppy with treats and kisses every time your Puppy follows this procedure correctly. Boxer puppies just love praise!
4. Slowly begin to let your Boxer puppy outside of their crate for playtime. Observe your boxer puppies body language and mannerisms whenever outside of their crate to gage when your puppy has to relieve itself. Watch out for when your puppy circles and sniffs. This typically indicates a puppy that is anxious to go potty. Let your puppy relieve itself as soon as it wakes up in the morning, or from naps, after meals and play sessions.
5. Do not let your Puppy out of your sight during the crate training phase; any moment could lead to an accident. Boxers are rambunctious dogs and even a couple of minutes of unsupervised time outside their training crate could leave you with a huge mess.
6. Place your boxer puppy in an exercise pen or a child’s playpen during extended periods of time when you are away. Cover the floor with newspaper inside the pen and leave food, water, blankets and toys to make your Boxer puppy comfortable. Your puppy will have no other option than to go potty on the newspaper (boxers won’t go potty on their bedding) when you are gone. After a week or so, slowly start reducing the amount of newspaper sheets you place on the floor and your puppy will learn to only potty on the newspaper. During the hours you are home carry on with the crate potty training method.
1. Purchase a crate that allows your puppy to stand up and walk around inside. However, avoid selecting a crate large enough for your Boxer puppy to have room for a separate toilet area.
2. Place the training crate in a common area in your home. Place a towel or blanket, toys and treats inside the crate so your Boxer puppy will be comfortable. This provides an incentive for your puppy to go into the crate and stay inside it.
3. Take your puppy out of the crate every 45 minutes to one hour for bathroom breaks. Guide your puppy through the same door to the same location outside, or to a potty pad and use the same command such as “go potty” for each bathroom break. This engages your puppies instincts and trains your boxer to potty where you want at certain times. Praise your puppy with treats and kisses every time your Puppy follows this procedure correctly. Boxer puppies just love praise!
4. Slowly begin to let your Boxer puppy outside of their crate for playtime. Observe your boxer puppies body language and mannerisms whenever outside of their crate to gage when your puppy has to relieve itself. Watch out for when your puppy circles and sniffs. This typically indicates a puppy that is anxious to go potty. Let your puppy relieve itself as soon as it wakes up in the morning, or from naps, after meals and play sessions.
5. Do not let your Puppy out of your sight during the crate training phase; any moment could lead to an accident. Boxers are rambunctious dogs and even a couple of minutes of unsupervised time outside their training crate could leave you with a huge mess.
6. Place your boxer puppy in an exercise pen or a child’s playpen during extended periods of time when you are away. Cover the floor with newspaper inside the pen and leave food, water, blankets and toys to make your Boxer puppy comfortable. Your puppy will have no other option than to go potty on the newspaper (boxers won’t go potty on their bedding) when you are gone. After a week or so, slowly start reducing the amount of newspaper sheets you place on the floor and your puppy will learn to only potty on the newspaper. During the hours you are home carry on with the crate potty training method.
Spay/Neutering
Spaying (ovario-hysterectomy) is the surgical removal of the reproductive organs (ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes) of the female animal. Neutering (orchectomy or castration) is the surgical removal of the reproductive glands (testes) of the male animal.
The outer skin (scrotum) is left, only the testes are removed. Appearance depends upon the dog’s age at the time of the surgery. Females and males should be spayed or neutered at 6 months or older. Currently some clinics are performing surgeries on animals as young as 8 weeks of age, but I would never recommend such a procedure so early. As this procedure becomes more common, it will be available in all areas. Older animals can be done as long as they are in good health. All sterilization surgery is performed under general anesthesia by a licensed veterinarian. It is recommended to ALWAYS have a blood panel done before all surgeries. Female dogs and cats can be spayed when in heat or pregnant. This can usually be done up until a few days before delivery. These surgeries can take longer, and can therefore cost more. Spaying before having a first litter or heat cycle is usually a simpler procedure. The heat cycle for dogs is once or twice a year starting as early as 6 months of age. Duration is 3 weeks. Heat cycles in cats start as early as 6 months and occur every 3-4 weeks during spring through early fall. The gestation period for both dogs and cats is 63 days. Female cats can become pregnant again as soon as 10 days after giving birth (while still nursing the first litter).
Health Benefits of Spaying and Neutering
Spayed animals no longer feel the need to roam to look for a mate. The result is that they stay home and have less chance of being involved in traumatic accidents such as being hit by a car. They also have a much lower incidence of contracting contagious diseases, and get into fewer fights.
In males, neutering decreases the chances of developing prostatic disease and hernias, and eliminates the chances of developing testicular cancer. It also reduces problems with territorial and sexual aggression, inappropriate urination (spraying) and other undesirable male behaviors.
In females, spaying decreases the incidence of breast cancer (the rate goes down to almost zero if the spaying is done before the first heat cycle!). It eliminates the chance of developing a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus experienced by many mature unspayed animals (pyometra). Spay surgery also eliminates the heat cycle and associated mood swings and undesirable behaviors, messy spotting (in dogs) and the attraction of all available males to your yard.
The simple fact is that spaying and neutering greatly increases the lifespan of your pet and increases quality of life as well!
The outer skin (scrotum) is left, only the testes are removed. Appearance depends upon the dog’s age at the time of the surgery. Females and males should be spayed or neutered at 6 months or older. Currently some clinics are performing surgeries on animals as young as 8 weeks of age, but I would never recommend such a procedure so early. As this procedure becomes more common, it will be available in all areas. Older animals can be done as long as they are in good health. All sterilization surgery is performed under general anesthesia by a licensed veterinarian. It is recommended to ALWAYS have a blood panel done before all surgeries. Female dogs and cats can be spayed when in heat or pregnant. This can usually be done up until a few days before delivery. These surgeries can take longer, and can therefore cost more. Spaying before having a first litter or heat cycle is usually a simpler procedure. The heat cycle for dogs is once or twice a year starting as early as 6 months of age. Duration is 3 weeks. Heat cycles in cats start as early as 6 months and occur every 3-4 weeks during spring through early fall. The gestation period for both dogs and cats is 63 days. Female cats can become pregnant again as soon as 10 days after giving birth (while still nursing the first litter).
Health Benefits of Spaying and Neutering
Spayed animals no longer feel the need to roam to look for a mate. The result is that they stay home and have less chance of being involved in traumatic accidents such as being hit by a car. They also have a much lower incidence of contracting contagious diseases, and get into fewer fights.
In males, neutering decreases the chances of developing prostatic disease and hernias, and eliminates the chances of developing testicular cancer. It also reduces problems with territorial and sexual aggression, inappropriate urination (spraying) and other undesirable male behaviors.
In females, spaying decreases the incidence of breast cancer (the rate goes down to almost zero if the spaying is done before the first heat cycle!). It eliminates the chance of developing a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus experienced by many mature unspayed animals (pyometra). Spay surgery also eliminates the heat cycle and associated mood swings and undesirable behaviors, messy spotting (in dogs) and the attraction of all available males to your yard.
The simple fact is that spaying and neutering greatly increases the lifespan of your pet and increases quality of life as well!
Puppy-proof your home
Raising a puppy is a lot like raising small children — they get into everything! Some of what they get into can be hazardous to their health or to your possessions. You can make life safer for the puppy and your furniture by getting rid of hazards and temptations ahead of time.
To a puppy, the world is brand new and fascinating! He’s seeing it all for the very first time and absolutely everything must be thoroughly investigated. Puppies do most of their investigating with their mouths — “Look at this! What is it? Something to eat? Something to play with?” Murphy’s Law says that a puppy will be most attracted to the things he should least have — electrical cords, the fringe on your expensive oriental rug, your brand new running shoes, etc.
Preventing destructive and dangerous chewing is easier than trying to correct the puppy every second. Look around your home. What objects could be put up out of the way of a curious puppy? Bitter Apple spray can be applied to furniture legs, woodwork and other immovable items. Are there rooms your puppy should be restricted from entering until he’s better trained and more reliable? Install a baby gate or keep the doors to those rooms closed.
Take a walk around your yard looking for potential hazards. If your yard is fenced, check the boundaries and gates for openings that could be potential escape routes. Puppies can get through smaller places than an adult dog. If your yard’s not fenced, make a resolution right now that your puppy will never be allowed to run off lead without close supervision. He won’t ever know enough to look both ways before crossing the street to chase a squirrel. Keep him safe by keeping him on leash!
To a puppy, the world is brand new and fascinating! He’s seeing it all for the very first time and absolutely everything must be thoroughly investigated. Puppies do most of their investigating with their mouths — “Look at this! What is it? Something to eat? Something to play with?” Murphy’s Law says that a puppy will be most attracted to the things he should least have — electrical cords, the fringe on your expensive oriental rug, your brand new running shoes, etc.
Preventing destructive and dangerous chewing is easier than trying to correct the puppy every second. Look around your home. What objects could be put up out of the way of a curious puppy? Bitter Apple spray can be applied to furniture legs, woodwork and other immovable items. Are there rooms your puppy should be restricted from entering until he’s better trained and more reliable? Install a baby gate or keep the doors to those rooms closed.
Take a walk around your yard looking for potential hazards. If your yard is fenced, check the boundaries and gates for openings that could be potential escape routes. Puppies can get through smaller places than an adult dog. If your yard’s not fenced, make a resolution right now that your puppy will never be allowed to run off lead without close supervision. He won’t ever know enough to look both ways before crossing the street to chase a squirrel. Keep him safe by keeping him on leash!