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Thinking about getting a boxer...


V8 Beast

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I go over to the Capital Area Humane Society a few times a month during the warmer month with my kids. While up there the other day my daughter fell in love with a 1 year old boxer. In the 2 hours we spent up there today I found that the dog knew 6 different commands, is definitely house broken, loves my daughter and my wife, and listens very well for a young dog. I did however noticed a scar on his hind leg which I found was some type of hip surgery.

 

I put him on hold to think it over. Any insight from the boxer community would be appreciated.

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My boxer was a great dog, incredibly loyal. They can be prone to lymphoma, that would make Lexi very sad.

 

My dog made it about a year longer than they said she would. It was really hard to have her put down.

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They like to bark a lot, get very hyper and will decide to run around the house at random times. I mean they run upstairs, then to the basement, then back upstairs, then around the living room.

 

Other than that great dogs. They grow out of the hyper stage and are just all around good dogs.

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They like to bark a lot, get very hyper and will decide to run around the house at random times. I mean they run upstairs, then to the basement, then back upstairs, then around the living room.

 

So they are like my kids lol!

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They bark a lot especially as a puppy.. all night, every night, it sucks. Also If I had kids like you I wouldn't want some 160lb slobberbox pouncing all over them in a few years.

 

I'm more worried about them jumping on the dog.

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If I was at home more I would have one in a heartbeat.

In my experiences Ive never heard one bark much as a puppy.

They listen very well too.

Brian you might as well go ahead and do it, at least least the kids will be entertained! :D

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I'm more worried about them jumping on the dog.

 

Like any dog, it will depend on the dog themselves. Boxers are great with kids. Our male will lay around like a log. kids jumping on him and me using him as a pillow as I lay and watch TV :D

 

Our older female was a little different. If the kids started to get rough, she would walk away as she didn't want to be jumped on. It did happen and she never, ever snapped or anything. She'd let out a bark/yelp as if to say WTF! but then would walk away. She was 6 when Nicholas was born so IMO she loved the kids, but would much rather have been our only child.

 

You're welcome to come over and visit. Our pup is now 5 months old and Ares is 9 going on 10. Just PM me. I work out of a home office.

 

If you want any contacts at either Boxer rescue group, let me know. I work with both.

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Don't you need insurance on one of these?

 

Not in terms of being a vicious dog.

 

The medical issues are what worries me. Already having hip surgery could point to improper breeding, but the dog and Lexi have got along so well over the last few days.

 

See if they know what the issues were. I've put a note out to some folks I know at the rescue groups who likely know about the dog. It's very likely an injury from a car or perhaps a person. It's rare to see Hip Displasia cripple a dog to the point of surgery being needed at only 1yr. A vet should be able to tell you about it with a good set of xrays.

 

Tumor wise, they will start to develop them regularly after age 6-7 or so. Most are typically benign. Just get some good pet insurance to be sure you won't end up in the poor house :) Unfortunately without knowing the lineage, you can't tell how things are going to fair in terms of cancer.

Edited by TTQ B4U
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In my experiences Ive never heard one bark much as a puppy. They listen very well too.

Brian you might as well go ahead and do it, at least least the kids will be entertained! :D

 

They don't necessarily bark much as a puppy. Like any dog, it depends on the individual dog, then training. They are pups their whole lives, but will calm after the first two years or so, then again, you'll see them settle down a bit more after age 5. They have been bread to be good watch dogs in terms of hearing too.

 

I'm biased on Boxers as both the wife and I have grown up with multiple pups, have them now and being involved with the rescue groups has really provided a warm spot for them with me.

 

They like activity and thrive on obedience training. Our pup is smart as hell and knows all the basic commands and walks on a leash like a pro. 15-20 minutes each day or ever other day is all it takes.

 

Pic Whore:

 

http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/108621075/medium.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/95875743/medium.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/38681469/medium.jpg

Edited by TTQ B4U
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Go for it!!! The dog needs to be rescued. Hell if you dont get it I might go get it. I've been wanting a male dog to play with my female.

 

My girl had a Boxer that died 2 years ago. The dog was 13 years old and loved life until his very last day. Super good around kids and an awesome protector.

 

Good luck...

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2 kids and a boxers woo you have your hands full!

 

Understatement of the year. Let's just say I wake up at 5:30 am to get the kids ready and dogs taken care so the wife can shuttle them out of the house and head off to work by 8am and that's cutting it close. Nights are just as bad. 6pm to about 9pm wife and I are working our second job it seems.

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Understatement of the year. Let's just say I wake up at 5:30 am to get the kids ready and dogs taken care so the wife can shuttle them out of the house and head off to work by 8am and that's cutting it close. Nights are just as bad. 6pm to about 9pm wife and I are working our second job it seems.

 

 

Dude....We had two Boxers and a kid on the way and it was too much. We had to give one dog away.

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i have a boxer that is 11-12 months old and has been a really good dog. He is very hyper at times, but really depends on your situation. If you have the time to let him get outside and run for awhile it'll help out. As far as barking goes, mine wont except when playing, he might let out a few barks.They are very prone to wanting to be a lapdog though so make sure you dont mind if he wants to lay on you all the time or be right next to you. We've got ours house trained but thats not to say we leave him out of his cage when we leave. He has gotten out of his cage a few times, and got into a few things by the time we got home. One other thing, is to make sure you limit the amount of water intake. Boxers will drink themselves stupid as Ive found out with mine before we started limiting him he would piss in his sleep and not know it from drinking too much water.
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Boxers will drink themselves stupid as Ive found out with mine before we started limiting him he would piss in his sleep and not know it from drinking too much water.

 

So true. We were BBQ'ing one day, and came in to find the water bowl empty and the two dogs nearly emptying the toilet in our powder room :eek:

Edited by TTQ B4U
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unless it's currently residing at a no-kill shelter, you should absolutely save this dog's life.

 

Fucker, I hate agreeing with people.

 

I think a lot of you guys missed the point of this thread. Brian really wanted everyone to just say that getting the dog would be an awesome idea.

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How about getting ANY dog would be an awesome idea.

 

If you and your family fell in love with it then guess what, it's the dog for you. I don't personally like Boxers, but I seem to be in the minority around here. Just damn well make sure you get pet health insurance, from what I have seem they tend to get sick more often that other breeds.

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boxers are the best breed i have ever owned period. i trained all of mine to not bark...not a hard task if you have time to dedicate to it. they are goofballs and yes they are hyper butts...but they are kickass dogs. highly recommended even though they have a lot of medical issues. All of mine have died form some form of cancer. Would still do it again no questions asked.
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