Boxers are a great family dog due to their friendly nature and robust energy that stays with them their whole lives. Ever true to their masters, they are cautious of strangers and also alert, agile and strong which makes them great guard dogs; something to consider if you have little ones at home. Their not just great people pleasers, they are quite bright as well! They are intelligent pups that have served as service dogs, guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs, police dogs in K9 units and occasionally as herders of cattle and sheep. That’s quite a varied resume.
Being such a busy breed means they need to spend their energy so keep them active – it will prevent them from getting into those nasty boredom habits such as biting, chewing and licking. As all you athletes out there know, a voracious physical lifestyle is going to require an energy supply so keep those calories coming in the form of lean animal protein such as chicken, turkey, lamb and fish.
Now, the most important things to know about a breed before you buy and fall madly in love is the diseases they are prone to. I know, love is unconditional for better or for worse, but you may want to find out what you are in for in case you can’t handle the heartbreak. So here’s the down and dirty. Boxers actually have a few diseases named after them. Starting with the eyes, a condition called indolent corneal ulcers, also called Boxer eye ulcers which are recurrent epithelial erosions on the corneal surface. Moving towards the heart, they are prone to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, or Boxer cardiomyopathy which means part of the heart which is usually made up of muscle is made up of fat or scar tissue instead. Moving our way down the body to the gut, hystiocytic ulcerative colitis (Boxer colitis) which is an invasive E.coli infection is also high on the list of Boxer specific maladies. Aside from these, they may develop other ailments as most dogs do such as cancers, hip dysplasia, bloat and degenerative myelopathy.
