Boxer

Grooming Tips

The Boxer is an easy-care dog. His short, smooth coat benefits from weekly brushing with a firm bristle brush or rubber curry brush to keep it shiny and healthy and to remove dead hairs that would otherwise find their way to your clothes and furniture.Frequent baths are not necessary unless he gets dirty, but with the gentle dog shampoos available now, you can bathe a Boxer weekly if you want without harming his coat.Clean the ears as needed with a solution recommended by your veterinarian. Don’t use cotton swabs inside the ear; they can push gunk further down into it. Wipe out the ear with a cotton ball, never going deeper than the first knuckle of your finger.Trim the nails every couple of weeks or as needed. Don’t let them get so long that you can hear them clicking on the floor.

Exercise Tips

Boxers are very playful, high-energy dogs. They need ampleexerciseevery day, on a leash or in a securely fenced area.The Boxer must never be allowed to run loose. 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.

Feeding Tips

Monitor your Boxer’s diet as the breed suffers from allergies and metabolic problems. You may find that giving your Boxer several smaller feedings throughout the day works best.

Health Tips

The average life span of the Boxer is 11 to 14 years. They are not particularly well-suited to living in climates with temperature extremes.Breed health concerns may includeallergies,bloat, Boxer cardiomyopathy, sick sinus syndrome, pododermatitis (especially on the front feet), canine follicular dysplasia, brachycephalic syndrome, ear infections, epilepsy,hip dysplasia,hypothyroidism, insulinoma, pyloric stenosis, histiocytic colitis, congenital elbow luxation,melanoma, cutaneous histiocytoma, sensory neuropathy of Boxers,entropion,ectropion,“cherry eye”,corneal ulceration, cryptorchidism,sarcomasand subaortic stenosis.Boxers are particularly predisposed to having adverse drug reactions to even small doses of Acepromazine and other phenothiazines.

Trainability

Since Boxers are always in motion, sometimes training can be difficult. Like other large dog breeds, Boxers need to be trained using consistently and patiently, as this dog doesn’t respond well to harsh treatment. To make things easier in the beginning stages of the training process, try to make it simple for your Boxer – this will help build the dog’s confidence in order to move onto difficult challenges.It’s a good idea to use rewards, as they are effective to use when training your boxer. One aspect you’ll find easy, in regards to training, is housebreaking. Because the Boxer’s natural inclination to be clean, housebreaking tends to be the easiest process of training.

The Boxers were developed by a small group of German breeders during the very late 19th century. The breeds that make a Boxer are said to have been a mastiff called the Bullenbeiser (aka the "bull biter," which is now extinct) and a variety of Bulldogs from England. The Boxer was produced to be a faster hunting dog meant to bring down the same large game as its ancestors: bears, wild boar, etc.The first club, the Deutscher Boxer Club, was responsible for the first Boxer breed standard. The standard had been first drafted in 1902 and faced fierce competition from competing Boxer breeders. Nevertheless, the American Kennel Club (AKC) adopted the Deutscher's breed standard the same year it was published in 1904.During WWI, Boxers were used for a great many tasks by the German military. Had they been left behind in Europe after the war, Boxer history may well have ended there too. After the war, Ally soldiers took rescued Boxers home to the United States, where the breed's popularity grew quickly. The dog's first AKC Championship was taken in 1915, and in 1935 the American Boxer Club was established.