We are getting a Boxer puppy for X-mas!!

dmd

dmd

Cathlete
A big thank you to all of you who chimed in about a dog for my daughter!
We found a 4 week old Boxer who will be ready to come home by X-mas...and I have never had a puppy in my home before, so here we go!! We fell in love with his parents as well...what affectionate doggies they are. I only hope I do the right things with our new puppy. If anyone has any input about Boxer puppies PLEASE chime in!! Deb
 
Congratulations!

I highly recommend puppy class for the entire family. Here is a good place to find answers to your questions.
http://boxerworld.com/

I'm a boxer mom myself. I have two:)
My girl, Mercedes who is 6 years old, and my boy, Maximus who is 5.

They are huge love bugs, bed hogs, and the masters of manipulation. That's just for starters! They have more human like qualities than any other dog I know of. You will soon find out that even though they can weigh up to 75lbs, they are an in your face and lap dog.
 
OH HOW I LOVE ME A BOXER PUPPY!!!

Now the advice...GET A CRATE & KEEP HIM CRATE TRAINED! There are people that think its cruel but Ihave to tell you that our little (50 lb) girl sleeps in her crate even when we are home (with the door open).

Boxers can be either very stubborn or very teach-able (we've had one of each). I pray for "teach-able" for you. Either way, we have had 4 dogs -- 2 of which were (are) Boxers. They are the best danged dog you could ask for.
 
congrats on your new puppy!! I second the crate thing. This is a potty training tool also. He will not soil his living space, and the crate keeps him from tearing up your house when you are not home. Since he/she is a puppy, never let him have full run of the house,until he is trained . Have lots of treats handy for a reward when you take him/her out to potty!! Also have lots of chew toys handy too!! After you get him, he may whine for a few nights, because he is not used to being without his mommy. Don't forget to ask your vet about heart worm prevention, and something like frontline to keep he fleas away.. Dogs can add so much more to your life than you can ever realize. They love you unconditionally!!

I wish you lots of luck!!!
 
Another Boxer mom here! We got ours from a rescue when he was a little over a year and would someday love to get a pup! They are the absolute most loveable dogs. Good luck!:)
 
Now, don't spoil him too bad now.... My daughters dog is so spoiled. If you put a collar on him or crate him he will sh*t everywhere. He is so cute, but spoiled . Terrier shitsu mix and he rules. The lab is afraid of him. The lab was suppiosed to be a chiauwou??? they rescued. Biggest one i ever saw!!!LOL...
Your kids will love it...
Once the lab, (Tobe)peed in the house and cookie( little fat dog) had him cornered biting his butt, because he knew they would both be punished. It is too funny...
Congrats and have fun...
Fleas , yes... treat them. We had them at the vet . Thought they had mange this summer.... They were allergic to flea bites.
Had to change to frontline and bomb the house..Poor puppies were chewing their hair off. Advantage wasn't working on them..
Good luck on your new kid.....
Anne
Aka( Storm)

http://www.picturetrail.com/acatalina
 
boxer puppies are just TOOOOOOO cute! have fun with him!!!


-------------
cute work out clothes are good for AT LEAST an additional 10-15 calories burned!
 
YEAH!!! I am so glad to hear that you went with a boxer!! They are incredible love bugs and you will have so much fun watching the personality of your puppy develop and adapt to those of your family members. They are so intelligent...so training is a must!!!

I agree with the other posters here, crate training is a great way to go. Some people think it is mean, but dogs actually prefer if they have their own "space" away from everyone else. Do some searches on the internet for crate training specifics.

Also, obedience school is great. My boxers had trouble with jumping up on people (they just wanted to play!!!), and I found this troublesome because Tyson is over 90lbs and he can accidently hurt someone by jumping. Obedience training did the trick and you will be amazed at just how quickly they pick up on the commands.

Also keep in mind that Boxers are especially social dogs. Some dogs may be content to be on their own accord as long as they have toys to keep them occupied. In my experience, my boxers could care less about toys and cared more about being with their mom!!! They are cuddlers and bedhogs (another poster mentioned this and is SO right!. They always want to be where the family is and this can help with keeping them out of trouble (chewing your shoes!).
 
Oh Boy,so tell me...are the totally indoor dogs? Do you leave them alone much during the day? When you say masters of manipulation...what exactly do you mean???:eek: deb
 
Hi Rose,
About the crate...how long would we keep him in the crate? AND, how old would you suggest dog obeience shcool? Do you leave you Boxer alone much? When you do...do you simply crate him or put him outside for a while?

Oh, boy....I am so nervous. Deb:eek:
 
Okay, Ann YOu must elaborate on the Crate/collar incidents. When you said sh*t everywhere...do you mean because he does not like to be in the crate? deb
 
Congratulations!!!! I HIGHLY recommend renting the first season of The Dog Whisperer on DVD. It would be sooooooooo worth it for you and your daughter. I thought I was the best dog mom in the world but I learned so much watching that show.

Sounds like he'll be an inside dog. Good! Dogs are pack animals and are not meant to be alone. Obviously when you work you don't have a choice but to leave them alone, but when you're home they want to be with their pack, their people, their family. I may get flamed for this comment (of course I hope not), but I never understand why people have dogs if they simply leave them outside in the backyard 24/7. I understand working dogs are a different story, but for pets, I just don't get it. If they see you, all they want is to be with you. It's SO OBVIOUS!

Anyway, enjoy your new puppy.

Suz

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France

http://www.picturetrail.com/dogs2birds
 
I have always wondered this myself. Yes, Cassius will be an indoor dog, primarily and we hope to be able to let him out for a couple of hours at a time when he is older. But, he will sleep indoors and be part of the family activity. I am definitely going to check out the Dog Whisperer..Thank You for suggesting it! :D Deb
 
> I may get flamed for this comment (of course I
>hope not), but I never understand why people have dogs if they
>simply leave them outside in the backyard 24/7. I understand
>working dogs are a different story, but for pets, I just don't
>get it. If they see you, all they want is to be with you. It's
>SO OBVIOUS!
>
>Anyway, enjoy your new puppy.
>
>Suz
>
>


Suz,

I am with you 100%, I think of my dogs as my children, except they can stay home alone. But mine spend most of their time in the house, one of my labs won't go outside if it is wet or raining!!!
 
>Hi Rose,
>About the crate...how long would we keep him in the crate?
>AND, how old would you suggest dog obeience shcool? Do you
>leave you Boxer alone much? When you do...do you simply crate
>him or put him outside for a while?
>
> Oh, boy....I am so nervous. Deb:eek:



When I crate trained my puppies, I was fortunate because at the time I was in college (what was I thinking with 2 dogs as a full-time student, I know!). Because I was only gone for a few hours at a time in class, those were the lengths of time I kept them in the crate (each in their own). The biggest thing about crate training is to take them outside AS SOON as you remove them from the crate. Typically, they will NOT use the bathroom in their crate (this is their area) and will quickly learn that they need to "wait" until you take them out. Eventually, you can do away with the crate completely as they will learn to wait to use the bathroom until they are taken outside. My suggestion would be to read more specifics about crate training, here is a website:

http://www.perfectpaws.com/crt.html

You should really wait to start training until after your dog has had their rabies shot (about 4 months). Some people may disagree with that and for an exact age, you may want to consult your vet. But this was the age that I waited for because I didn't want to risk socializing my puppies until them were properly vaccinated. Again, check with your vet for specifics.

Lastly, I was very fortunate that I didn't have to leave my boxers alone much. I really would only be away from the house for a few hours at a time. And there were 2 of them. For only one puppy, I would certainly NOT recommend keeping them alone for LONG periods of time because that is when they get distructive and may reak havoc on your shoe collection!!!! :) Just remember, boxers are VERY social. They consider their human family their "pack" and love to be around doing what you are doing. But while you are away, toys are good and if you have a private backyard, you can always keep him outside (in accordance to the weather of course!).

I am so excited for you, you will not regret your decision to go with this wonderful breed! I would love to see pictures posted here when you finally get your puppy!!! Oh...and sorry for being so long winded here...but if you have any more questions, I would love to help if I can!
 
Rose,
I can't thank you enough for your input! I will take heed. You spoke about letting them out if the weather permitted. What do you think about Boxers and their tolerance for hot/cold weather? I have read that they cannot stand very warm weather. This is a concern for me because we live in California's Central Valley and the Summers can be HOT...up to 110 degrees. Certainly, I would not take my boxer out in such weather, but could I take him for a walk in 80-90 degree weather ( it can be this hot in the early morning hours) and for cold weather walks in 40 degree weather? I really can't learn enough about the puppy stage...I know how cruicial this stage is. Thanks again~deb
 
>you think about Boxers and their tolerance for hot/cold
>weather? I have read that they cannot stand very warm weather.
>This is a concern for me because we live in California's
>Central Valley and the Summers can be HOT...up to 110 degrees.
>Certainly, I would not take my boxer out in such weather, but
>could I take him for a walk in 80-90 degree weather ( it can
>be this hot in the early morning hours) and for cold weather
>walks in 40 degree weather?

Hi Deb!

Boxers are more sensitive to hot weather over the cold. This is because in extreme heat, coupled with high levels of excertion, their breathing becomes labored. Boxers have short nasal passages (the same with bulldogs, pugs, etc.) and you have to watch that they do not over do it. I don't think a walk will hurt in 80-90 degree weather at all, but I wouldn't go to the park and play fetch with them for hours at a time in warm weather. I haven't really read or experienced any diffculties that they have in cold weather. Only that they probably shouldn't be left outside in the extreme cold, but this would be true for any breed. I live in San Diego, so, we really don't experience much of an extreme in either direction so I guess I am fortunate in that respect!

Also....I am not sure what color your boxer is (brindle or fawn or white), but white boxers are particularly VERY sensitive to heat because of their fair skin. They can actually develop heat rashes. I know this all too well because I originally wanted a white boxer and did MASSIVE amounts of research on them.
 
>
>Also keep in mind that Boxers are especially social dogs.
>Some dogs may be content to be on their own accord as long as
>they have toys to keep them occupied. In my experience, my
>boxers could care less about toys and cared more about being
>with their mom!!! They are cuddlers and bedhogs (another
>poster mentioned this and is SO right!. They always want to
>be where the family is and this can help with keeping them out
>of trouble (chewing your shoes!).

WELL SAID! They are ALL about their humans and if they are not part of the family, they become EXTREMELY destructive. Ask anyone on the boxer forum. I've seen pictures of whole couches torn to pieces(not to scare you, but true).
I think this is one of the top ten reasons boxers end up in rescue. Many people think because they are a large dog that they can sit in a backyard guarding. NOPE, they have to be inside the house with their family. They are working dogs(although I have yet to see mine work:)) and were bred to be free thinkers.
They are funny as all get out, and like I said earlier.....MASTERS of manipulation. My boxers can make me feel guilty beyond any guilt by a mother- HA! I'm not kidding!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top