Put me off getting a boxer puppy!

[Applestreet]

We have been waiting a long time for what we think is the right time for our family to get a dog (I’m a SAHM, my husband can WFH, kids are young but settled and used to being around dogs, we have a nice garden). DH grew up with dogs but I’ve never had one.

We’ve done a lot of research and think we’ve settled on a Boxer but are very keen to hear personal experiences from boxer owners, and any dog owners who are in a similar position to us. We want to make sure we can offer a dog a happy home and so would love to hear any disadvantages or worries dog-owners have had (as well as good stories ofc!)

I’ve never known a single boxer to be calm/well trained or be able to be let off the lead. They’ve got a lovely temperament, but they’re 100% batshit, all of the time 😬 Good luck!!

Bounciest most 'teenage' dogs I've ever met. Lovely, couldn't live with one!

Friend had two. Loved them to bits, they died of old age/cancer, she mourned.

Then got a boxer pup a couple of years later. Who is gorgeous but insane!

Lovely temperament but absolutely mental; same as PP - I know a few from experienced homes and they're just nuts - don't ever really calm down/no real solid distraction recall etc... You might consider size as well if you have small children.

Love boxers but would never have one. My parents had one and she was a lovely dog but really hard to train and totally nuts. Could never learn to walk nicely on a lead and would pull until her neck was rubbed raw. Absolutely loved footballs - or any type of ball really - but would burst them in under a minute. Including running onto the football pitch at the local park to grab the ball!
You need to give the a lot of time both for exercise and training. They never grow up.

As others have said, they’re definitely mad and very bouncy! I grew up with boxers though and we had two one after another who were both the opposite from the typical boxer type. They were very docile and just goofy really. We have another two boxers now though and they’re a different story! Both boys and both awful at meeting dogs on the lead, one has reached the stage (after every training class, 1-to-1 etc) that he can barely go a walk at all unless it’s somewhere completely remote, we live in the country so that’s okay. We have friends with a boxer (male) who is having the same problems now as well. They seem to be fine until they hit 1! Would you go for a boy or girl?

We've always had boxers and currently have two puppies (7months)

They are wonderful family dogs

Totally crazy and very high energy which suits our lifestyle

Highly recommend

But they are hard work!

Do be aware that depending on the age of your children, they may be completely unable to walk one which they’ll probably find upsetting. Me and my sister used to walk the local pub boxer, it took two of us clinging desperately onto the lead if it saw a cat or something, they pull like a train. They’re wonderfully playful but their strength is immense and they have no awareness so you need to be careful. They’re up there with vizslas for me. Seriously considered because they’re lovely and gorgeous. But I just couldn’t cope with the energy levels. I’d consider boxers even more of a handful tbh because at least some vizslas can learn recall and be calm in the house. Boxers have no off switch though

How old are your children. They are absolutely delightful dogs but insanely bouncy, and remain so for quite a while, and would easily knock a child over.

I know a few. All lovely but nuts. Until they die.

They are mad & hard work, but incredibly loving. This is my ‘nephew’ in his Jim jams (that he insists on wearing or won’t go to bed!)

A close relation has a boxer, she is one of the bounciest and most insane dogs I have ever met! She can literally throw her full body at you to try and lick your face. However, she does have a really sweet nature, is good with kids ( when she settles down) and is fairly well trained. I'm not sure If I would ever have one to be honest but she is a lovely dog.

Oh lord look at him. This pic makes me happy lol

Boxers are a great family pet but as you've been told here...they are mental lol. So long as you can deal with a high energy, sweet natured, crazy animal in your home then you'll be reet👍

Many years ago used to look after a friend's whilst they went on holiday. Exceedingly loving, loads and loads of energy, both pulled like trains, I don't remember recall being a problem. But both dropped dead at early age one literally in mid leap at 5, the other chasing something at 7, the vet told the owners that boxers are prone to some cardiac thing which causes them to just drop dead out the blue. Secondly both snored very badly which would drive me nuts they had to sleep downstairs when we stayed with them instead of upstairs on the landing it was sooo loud and they are also very food oriented causing them to slobber all the time when there was food around, personally I can't bear a slobbering dog.

Have you considered a Golden Retriever or Labrador? Show lines rather than working. They are a handful as pups and adolescents but calm down much quicker. Great family dogs too.

I've known a few who have been riddled with health issues from a young age. Someone I work with pays £95 per month pet insurance and the pup isnt 6 months old yet. The cost alone would put me off.

I forgot the slobbering. I love dogs but not their spittal.

Bouncy beautiful loyal and amazing with children - get one you won’t regret it!

Nor me. They mature a little at 14 years old.
Personally I wouldn’t have one with children, they’re too boisterous and overwhelming.
A friend has one that does vertical, my head height (5’6”) 4 legs off the ground jumps. He’s knocked me over several times 😵‍💫😡

Peter pans of the dog world.
ours didn’t stop being an overexcited puppy until she was too old and arthritic to bounce to head-height anymore.

surprisingly bright, incredibly friendly, boundless energy, very hard to train out of the bouncing behaviour, best if you have a large garden/land, prone to heart probs and skin cancer, although ours lived to 13, but wouldn’t have swapped her for anything.

Bonkers
Short live span
Quite a lot are reactive to other dogs
Hard word but really hard work for first time dog owners
I love every boxer I meet but really happy to hand it back to the owners

cardiac thing in boxers. As I said the one my friends had had jumped about 6 feet in the air and just dropped dead at 5 no signs of any health problems before this they were devastated.

Aww lovely dogs, but I couldn’t cope with such a high energy breed. My neighbour had one, he jumped straight through a glass door to get to the postman 😂