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Original poster

Anyone got a Chocolate Lab or a Boxer?

46 replies

SpringChicken · 22/09/2004 15:57

Have decided i am going to buy DP a dog for his birthday as we have been going on and on about getting one for ages. Now seems like the perfect time as i am off on maternity leave and will be around alot of the time.

I have narrowed it down to either a boxer or chocolate lab but would be interested to hear what people who have one think - i.e. not sure how they are around babies, how they will be when DD gets a bit older and starts pulling tails etc.

Any advise?

OP posts:
fairydust · 22/09/2004 16:40

boxers tend to trash the place more than labs do - they seem to have alot more energy and jump around alot - my friends got a boxer and when ever we visit she has to lock it away in a room as it goes mad jumping on everyone and her sofa is a right mess after it trashed it.

jnbsmum · 22/09/2004 16:47

I've looked after both. The boxer ate a huge hole through the door. Trashed the kitchen and ate the entire contents of the cereal cupboard including the boxes. She ate slippers, shoes and handbags and also ate the sofa.
On the other hand i had a choc lab and she was the most obedient animal i have ever known. She listened to every comand and also protected me once when a man came up to me in a very thretening manner. The man quickly dissapeared and she soon became the calm natured dog again. I am actually about to get a dog and my only choice is a labrador. I would recomend one to anyone. They are fantastic around kids

Angeliz · 22/09/2004 16:47

fairydust is right HOWEVER, my boxer is nearly 6 now and 'quite' calm, i've had him since he was 8 weeks and my dd is 3.6.
He is FANTASTIC with dd. My partner did all the research when we got him and we were not even thinking of having babies then. (He likes to be thorough! ).
I was obviously worried about him being boisterous and the weight of him but i kid you not, he is a gentle giant and very protective of dd. The first time we all went out together, the dog kept having a run then checking the pram

Angeliz · 22/09/2004 16:48

He DID trash the place as a pup
But he is So loving!

Aero · 22/09/2004 16:49

A friend has a choc lab and she (the dog) is just gorgeous. Very placid and friendly - that'd be my preference. Haven't any experience of boxers though.

funkydiva · 22/09/2004 20:14

We had a boxer dog as children, he was the most gorgeous thing, great character, very loyal and completely bonkers, I'm sure he did trash plenty of things, but that was all part of his charm! He was also brilliant with kids, I would love to have a boxer again at some stage!

eidsvold · 23/09/2004 00:32

my in laws have a choc lab and he is gorgeous although still in the rambunctious puppy stage - he was brilliant with dd when we stayed there earlier in the year. He can get very excitable - usually when people visit but he is great, placid and gentle, generally obedient.

Chandra · 23/09/2004 01:42

Well, even the kind of dog dictates much of the personality it depends mostly in the dog and how you educate it. Obviously, they also have teething phases when they will chew the house down and teenage periods when they like to pretend they run the house, it very much up to you how you deal with the subject, and you can end with a very well behaved dog or a nightmare one.

If it helps, don't choose the most beautiful puppy of the group, choose one that allows you to position him with the tummy up, normally those are the more docile.

CP3 · 23/09/2004 08:20

My sil has chocolate lab and is a very good, placid, loving dog but has been well trained. She is great with my kids and sil is expecting a baby in April and dont expect any problems.

hatter · 23/09/2004 09:29

tbh there's no competition here - to the extent that it seems like an odd pair to narrow it down to as they are such different types of dogs. Boxers can be very bouncy and boisterous and sometimes a bit nervous. Labs on the other hand are fantastically well-balanced, calm, easy to train (they are, after all, gun dogs and, of course, the most commonly used breed for guide-dogs - that's no accident). They are great with children. They grow up fast too - obviously all dogs have phases when they are younger of being excitable but with labs it really doesn't last as long. There was a thread on here a while ago about someone who was having problems with her sister/sil because she hada bouncy boisterous boxer that terrorised (unintentionally, of course) her dd.

Twiglett · 23/09/2004 10:17

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Twiglett · 23/09/2004 10:18

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miggy · 23/09/2004 10:21

you can get lovely boxers and you can get nasty labs but statistically the lab is more likely to be calmer and more trustworthy with children.
Our lab I could trust that the kids could stick their finger in his eye and he wouldnt snap (obv I dont let them).

Original poster
SpringChicken · 23/09/2004 10:22

Thanks - i do love the look of boxers and have wanted one for a long time. I am not scared of dogs but there are some dogs that i would cross the road to avoid, however, the boxer isn't one of these.
My condition to DP has always been that i don't want a dog people are going to be terrified of.

I have read up on both breeds on the internet and was just interested in realife experiences with them.

The reason i have narrowed it down to the 2 is because we would both love a boxer but have read that because they are so energetic they need running twice a day and are not the type of animals to just sit at your feet and sleep, which isn't necessarily what i want, but in all fairness, i know i am not going to be running a dog twice a day with a tiny baby in tow. Therefore, this is where the lab option came from, although i know they need alot of excercise i don't feel it would be such an effort for me to walk it twice a day as aposed to have a straining great big boxer!

Just going round in circles really - am buying this dog for DP for his birthday in Novemeber as a surprise and of course i want him to have the dog of his choice but if the dog is going to be my responsibility all day i feel i should learn more about them.

OP posts:
Angeliz · 23/09/2004 10:27

Springchicken, my boxer follows me around and lies at my feet.
He gets one walk a day but we have a big garden he goes out into.
People who are wary of dogs ARE VERY wary of my boxer. I personally think he looks like a big teddy .
If you're thinking of getting a red boxer, do do start looking in advance and get one from a reputable breeder. I think brindles are easier to get. Also make sure you get insurance from day one. My boxer has endless ear infections and skin problems.
ALL THAT ASIDE thjough, he is WONDERFUL and a huge part of our family life

Original poster
SpringChicken · 23/09/2004 10:35

Thanks Angeliz, you are being a big help!
We haven't got a big garden at the minute but are house hunting as we speak and a big garden is one of the main criteria.

Do u mind me asking where you got your boxer from? I also have this worry of the breeder not being reputable.

OP posts:
Angeliz · 23/09/2004 10:52

We got Charlie from a family in Winchester.
We were living in London at the time, we are now Up North. I had a chat with the lady from the Bristish Boxers Society OR association (Can't remember which, i will double check and get back to you on it). I just remember doing alot of digging at the time and being warned about puppy farms and the risks of unhealthy dogs with all sorts of problems.

This looks like a good place to start but have yet to find the one i used to look at (But will have been 7 years ago when i looked).

link{url\description }

Angeliz · 23/09/2004 10:53

have a look at this

Angeliz · 23/09/2004 10:54

first link useless!

Angeliz · 23/09/2004 10:57

have a look at this

This is a good place to look too, you could ring the club closest to you and they'll give you breeders info

secur · 23/09/2004 11:07

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MrsDoolittle · 23/09/2004 11:18

I have a chocolate lab. and although she is the most beautiful dog in the world, I have to endorse Twigletts comment on this one - they are the stupidest dog in the land. They were bred initially quite specifically for showing and they never seem to have got the knack of working like the others - not many have ever qualified in field trials, so we were told by a chap who works labs on the Sandringham estate. All labs are known to spend a long time in 'puppyhood'.However, I trust her 100% with my 6 month old.
Although I know labs I also wanted a boxer for a long time. Many boxers I have seen have been absolutely daft, which surprised me because initially they had a reputation for being dangerous. They were developed from Mastiff-type bull-baiting breeds. However, this has been bred out of them now resulting in a boisterous, playful dog thst takes ages to grow up.
SpringChicken, they are both beautiful dogs but very different otherwise. The labs are naturally more biddable than the boxer. Boxers, like dobermanns, are very intelligent dogs and need a very firm training. I think you may find a boxer more challenging.
Like you SpringChicken, I wanted another dog before my baby was born. I was advised against it simply because pupppies are very demanding. I disagreed but we never did get a puppy simply because I never got round to getting the dog I wanted. KC reg. dogs are very expensive. I hate to admit I was wrong but if I am honest, I am pleased I haven't had a playful puppy around my feet for the last 6 months.

Angeliz · 23/09/2004 11:28

OOH Springchicken what have you done?????

Have been browsing through boxer puppy pages and am now in love with pups again! Aren't they gorgeous???

scotlou · 23/09/2004 12:08

We had a boxer when we were small children - apparently he was great with us until he was left in kennels one time when we were on holiday. Came back a diferent dog and attacked my brother and was put down. However, when we were older my parents got another one(and a standard poodle at the same time - how's that for an "odd couple!"). She (the boxer) was a lovely dog but totally mad and never grew up. She would pull going for walks and also, unfortunately, would attack other dogs. She loved people and kids though. Unfortunately, she did also seem prone to health problems and had ligament operations on both legs. She also had skin complaints and later on urinary problems.
She was, though, a fantastic, affetionate pet and because of her I will always love boxers. (unfortunately dh doesn't, so don't think we'll ever get one). By the way - standard poodles are great! They don't cast (need clipped frequently - but you don't need to get the prissy clips!), Ours was friendly and affectionate and happy with as much or as little exercise as she got. She was also extremely intelligent and very easy to train. I don't particularly like labs - but as you can tell I'm a bit biased!

Original poster
SpringChicken · 23/09/2004 12:45

This is my problem, i hear one bad story about any breed of dog and it puts me off completely! I couldn't live with myself if the dog turned on DD - afterall, she is the most important thing in the world

Have now been looking into German Shepherds as my brother has one and she is absolutely beautiful although very daft and childlike - How do i go about finding what other dogs DP would like when this is all meant to be a surprise?
He isn't daft, he knows i have said no to a dog up until now, so if i suddenly start asking lots of questions he is going to get suspicious.
Angeliz, The puppies are gorgeous though, aren't they!!! Just want to give them a big cuddle

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