The Bouncing Boxer (Boxer)

Member Name: Shar12

Product:	Boxer
Date:	12/09/09 (22 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun, loyal and great with children

Disadvantages: The slobber!

I never grew up with animals and was always a bit wary of dogs, but my husband grew up with a Boxer and really wanted us to have one. He convinced me one day to go and have a look at some puppies and I fell in love immediately... we went back the very next day to get one. Some people think the Boxer is ugly, but our puppy was so cute, with his floppy ears, sad looking eyes and all that spare skin flapping around his mouth.

The Boxer is a medium sized dog with short hair, they are very strong and muscular. We bought a pedigree brindle... he's 9 now and he's going a bit grey, but he still has a great personality and lots of energy.

From day one he became part of the family, he was very quick and easy to train.... people had warned us that Boxers tend to chew things if they were bored, but we've never had any problems... maybe because ours has always been spoilt... he's always had plenty of toys and chews and goes everywhere with us if possible.

Since we've had our Boxer, we've had 2 children and although I don't have experience of other breeds, I would say the Boxer is the ideal family dog. He was so gentle with the children when they were babies and as they grew up he put up with so much, from having his ears pulled, fingers up his nose and them trying to ride him, without any fuss.... I never felt they were in any danger around him and he's never shown any kind of agression.

The Boxer really is a loyal companion who will protect his family. Ours can be a bit timid at times and scared of strange noises etc, but there have been a couple of occasions where he has sensed danger and stood up to protect us. He also manages to scare off most salesmen who come to the door!

Most Boxers are classed as a medium sized dog, but some can grow quite large ... they have bags of energy, are very strong, lively, boisterous, excitable and bouncy, so they do need space to run around.... they love to play: ours loves his frisbee, play fighting and tug-of-war... he just wants to be involved in everything that's going on and loves being around people. When friends and family visit, he immediately bounds up to them, bouncing with excitement and, although he can look a bit scary, will do no more than lick them and wag tail and back end until he gets the attention he wants. On the other hand he's also the largest lap dog I've ever come across!... it's just like having another child.

Caring for your Boxer: as with most dogs, they need regular exercise, but be warned - they do have bags of energy and will play for hours so you need to have the time to spend with them. They have a healthy appetite - our likes a mixture of dried and tinned food. Their hair is short and smooth so a brush every couple of weeks is sufficient.

I suppose the one thing most people aren't keen on is the slobber... they are very messy eating and drinking and quite often have slobber hanging from their mouth..... which they'll then rest on your lap, or they will shake off!! I think its something you just get used to if you own a Boxer, but keep the wet wipes handy when friends visit.

I would strongly recommend the breed as a family pet.

Summary: Great family companion