Advice - Boxer puppies

ShawWellPete

ShawWellPete

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I'm thinking about getting a Boxer puppy for my family for Christmas. I think my wife said that she would prefer a female and would prefer a red and white one.

I have a choice between and brindle and white female (smallest in the litter) or a red and white male.

I've never had a dog, any idea why a female would be better? I don't want to ask her as I'd like it to be a surprise.

Anything else I should consider?

I have looked at pet insurance and Kennel fees for when we're away. :eek:
 
boys are alot more hyper than girls i found i have a girl boxer thou i have a brindle coloured one

they can be a handful for alot of years my dogs now 4 and shes only stopped bouncing around now but they are great dogs

but they do have bad hearts
 
I've never owned a dog either, but I remember a guy I used to work with years ago who had boxers and he said they were fairly prone to developing arthritis. I don't know whether it was male or female. They are lovely dogs, I must admit.
 
Get the girl - seriously we had a beautiful boxer girl called Dana for a doggy lifetime and she was the most wonderful, gentle and special family dog ever.

Have had a few boys in the family and they are all absolutely mental, properly round the twist! I couldnt handle it frankly!

Dana was amazing though, rest her soul - such a perfect doggy :)

We found see was much more chilled on a balanced diet like Eukenuba or something like that, on sundays we would mix it with gravy for a special treat

Well done for getting a boxer puppy, cant wait to see photos :) :)
 
You're going to have your work cut out Pete as Boxers are generally pretty hyper and have boundless energy. As others have said the males are usually more of a handful but if you get a bitch be prepared for all the local mutts at your door when she comes into season :D.

They are great characters and I would love one but Mrs G has said no. :)
 
Boxers are livewires for longer than many other breeds. The current size of the pup is irrelevant if it is healthy so do not worry about a pup being small as they usually catch up and often overtake their larger siblings.

Have both parents been tested for DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) and hip scored with good scores. Have other close relations been tested, what are their results, are the grandparents still alive and if not what did they die of.

As to dog or bitch this is down to personal preference and the individual dog.

If you have found a good breeder who offers lifetime back up advice, health tests all their breeding stock and is not breeding their bitch at every opportunity or under two years of age then why not take your wife to see the pups and let her choose? It can still be a surprise if she does not know where you are taking her.

If you are getting a pup for Christmas then try and pick it up either after or a couple of weeks before if it is old enough as the excitement of Christmas on top of everything else can be very overwhelming for a pup that has just left its canine family.
A responsible breeder will recommend this anyway.

I bred Dobermanns (and was the breed genealogist/health collater for some years) so responsible dog breeding is one of my "things"
 
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Thanks for the advice everybody, I was thinking of picking up the puppy a week or so before Christmas but getting my father in law to look after him/her until Christmas day when he would surprise the family by bringing the puppy.

I wonder now if it would be better to involve the whole family and get the puppy before Christmas.

Thanks Christine, I'll look into DCM, until now I thought that was Digital Camera Magazine!
 
I've only had springers but I'd definately choose a female over a male every time. Boxers like most popular breeds have their own health problems and being a pedigree is no garauntee of a healthy dog. Make sure that the breeders have had both parents health checked before mating if possible the pups in question too (as far as pups can be checked anyway). If the breeders are anything other than responsible breeders or you have doubts about them walk away. As much as you might feel sorry for the dogs you leave behind, buying dogs from irresponsible breeders only encourages them to do it more.

Good luck.:thumbs:
 
about boxers being crazy

Dana really really wasnt, she had an uber gentle temprement and was really chilled and gentle all the time, she would try and bend herself in half when you first walked through the door but after that she would be quite content to sit next to you and get a cuddle or a stroke, they really are loving dogs and i think if trained well they can be incredibly chilled and well behaved
 
I have 3 Boxers, 2 boys and a girl. The most crazy bunch there is. Its like having 3 Tiggers on the go allday every day.

They are gentle and loving, but need need human company most of the day.

I am part of a Boxer Rescue and at all times we have at least 25-30 boxers in at one time. Not because they are bad dogs, merely because well meaning folks get a puppy without realising how much work is involved.

I cant stress how much they need human company each and every day.

andy
 
I would definitely advise taking the pup straight home yourself rather than it having two upheavals within a couple of weeks. Either leave pup with breeder and give the family some photos and dog bed/bedding/toys on Christmas Day so they have something to look forward to or get the puppy as long as possible before so it has time to settle in, to know where its bed is so it can take itself off to sleep or eat or pee before the excitement of the day.

I don't know how old your children are but many young children do not actually like puppies once they have them - they jump up, bite and scratch until they have been taught not to which of course takes time and effort.

Sorry to spoil your plans but I do try and "think dog" in some situations as I have been so involved with them over the years :D
 
How about a rescue dog Pete? Just think of all the hassle it will save with house breaking!
 
have you researched the breeder?

are both sire and dam KC registered and have they had the appropriate health tests for a boxer?

what lines is the pup from?
show, pet?


i know a lot of people wait until after xmas to get the pup as they feel it is less stressful!


boxers are rather hyper dogs especially if they aren't given th appropriate stimulation and exersize!
they would probably become distructive if not given the above!

good luck in your search!

oh just incase here are some boxer rescues - you never know they might have puppies in - usually after xmas they are filled with unwanted puppies.
as the saying goes - dogs are for life, not just for christmas :)

BOXERS
Boxer Dog Rescue: North Of England: http://www.boxerdogrescue.co.uk Based in the North of England, helping homeless boxers find new loving forever homes.
Boxer Dog and Mastiff Breed Rescue: South Wales/Northern England: http://boxerdogandmastiffbreedrescue.co.uk: Rescue mainly for Boxer Dogs but will take any Mastiff Breeds that need help from other Rescues. Based in South Wales but work all over the UK. Volunteers are based up and down the country so nowhere is too far away to offer help where needed.
Boxer Rescue www.boxer-rescue.org.uk List of contacts throughout the UK for rehoming Boxers.
Boxer Rescue Merseyside: http://www.merseysideboxerrescue.webs.com Dedicated to helping boxers in need. A small boxer rescue based in the merseyside area only
boxer welfare scotland: cover all scotland: http://www.boxerwelfarescotland.co.uk: we aim to help anyone who can no longer care for their boxer we are there to offer any advise needed
Home Counties Boxer Welfare: hertfordshire: http://www.hcbw.org.uk Homing unwanted and abandoned Boxer Dogs in London and the South of England. Also help an advice freely
Boxers website.lineone.net/~david.baggley/ukboxlnk.html UK Boxer website links to lots of other Boxer sites.
Boxer Rescue Ireland: http://www.freewebs.com/boxerrescueireland: A small independent voluntary organisation dedicated to helping irish Boxers in need, if you can offer a home to a boxer please visit the website
Lincs & Essex Boxer Rescue www.boxerrescue.co.uk Rescue contacts, education & training
Northern Ireland Boxer Rescue http://niboxerrescue.co.uk Maintains a list of people prepared to take rescue dogs
North West Counties Boxer Welfare: North West England: http://www.nwboxerwelfare.org.uk: Boxer dog welfare. Kennel Club listed registered charity based in the North West UK for the rescue, assistance and rehoming of boxer dogs.
Tyne & Wear Boxer Rescue http://www.boxer-rescue.org.uk Promotes the welfare of Boxers in the North East.
UK Boxer Dogs: http://www.ukbd.piczo.com List of breed rescues, information on adopting a boxer, Plus a Forum for all boxer lovers
Brittany club of GB.: http://www.brittanyclub.co.uk: section of the Brittany club uk, coordinating the transport, fostering and rehoming of rescue Brittanys. Owners will be visited.Behaviour advice freely available.
 
Reading some of the above re rescues - I have a rescue male Dobe of just a year old and he is HARD work, VERY destructive and noisy and all because his first owners did nothing with him except leave him in a cage all day while they went out to work so he had no manners and minimal training. I often wish I had just stuck to my one bitch after I lost my other Dobermanns earlier in the year
 
Kerioak said:
Sorry to spoil your plans but I do try and "think dog" in some situations as I have been so involved with them over the years :D
Click to expand...

I asked because I wanted advice and yours is very welcome. Thanks for your help :thumbs:


Kev M said:
How about a rescue dog Pete? Just think of all the hassle it will save with house breaking!
Click to expand...

That's something to consider
 
Kev M said:
How about a rescue dog Pete? Just think of all the hassle it will save with house breaking!
Click to expand...

Yip however, one of ours was 3 when we gave him a home. He had been stamped on and had a broken pelvis which had healed without any medical intervention. He had never been out of the house so everything was nw to him.... sky, birds, traffic, other dogs....

Also he wasnt house trained so would pee on everything including us!

2 Years down the line? The best boy ever, lovely lovely lad but still has some food issues.
 
By the way, I have got kids, Henry and Christian, who are 6 and 9. the dog will be very well loved and rarely left. My wife doesn'ty work and we have a good sized garden.
 
ShawWellPete said:
By the way, I have got kids, Henry and Christian, who are 6 and 9. the dog will be very well loved and rarely left. My wife doesn'ty work and we have a good sized garden.
Click to expand...

Pefect, as long as you dont have any worries about your grass... so to be paddy field.

The kids will love a boxer boy or girl, they will dress it up and play all day long. Only downside is that the toys will get pinched:lol:

Where in the uk are you?
 
be careful with rescues, we got a big male rescue boxer to keep dana company and he hadnt had enough human contact so he attacked my brother and he had to have sixteen stiches in his head... If you do get a rescue boxer make sure it has come from a similar environment to your own, so if you have a young family, try and find a doggy that has grown up with a young family :)

maybe we were the exception but better safe than sorry really :)
 
alpina said:
Pefect, as long as you dont have any worries about your grass... so to be paddy field.

The kids will love a boxer boy or girl, they will dress it up and play all day long. Only downside is that the toys will get pinched:lol:

Where in the uk are you?
Click to expand...

Sevenoaks, Kent

feeb said:
be careful with rescues, we got a big male rescue boxer to keep dana company and he hadnt had enough human contact so he attacked my brother and he had to have sixteen stiches in his head... If you do get a rescue boxer make sure it has come from a similar environment to your own, so if you have a young family, try and find a doggy that has grown up with a young family :)

maybe we were the exception but better safe than sorry really :)
Click to expand...

That's really sad, it's amazing how some people treat animals. :(
 
feeb said:
be careful with rescues, we got a big male rescue boxer to keep dana company and he hadnt had enough human contact so he attacked my brother and he had to have sixteen stiches in his head... If you do get a rescue boxer make sure it has come from a similar environment to your own, so if you have a young family, try and find a doggy that has grown up with a young family :)

maybe we were the exception but better safe than sorry really :)
Click to expand...

Wow thats bad. Never known a Boxer to attack, even after all thats happened to our Charlie he never bore a grudge.
 
with regards to rescue i got a German shepherd rescue bitch - but i got her privalty rather than froma rescue centre. the day i go ther her previous owner was chasing her with a brush stick trying to hit her with it - because she wouldn't go to her!! grrrr.

she was an 11 month old puppy and was basically left in maggot infested kennels just like all of the other dogs!

to cut a long story short i reported them to the SSPCA and eventually all 20+ dog were took of them adn they got a year bann of animals. sadly not enough!

my rescue girl Zara - the image was taken with a basic digital camera! :)

zarainsnowsig.jpg
 
GSDlover4ever said:
have you researched the breeder?

are both sire and dam KC registered and have they had the appropriate health tests for a boxer?

what lines is the pup from?
show, pet?


i know a lot of people wait until after xmas to get the pup as they feel it is less stressful!


boxers are rather hyper dogs especially if they aren't given th appropriate stimulation and exersize!
they would probably become distructive if not given the above!

good luck in your search!

oh just incase here are some boxer rescues - you never know they might have puppies in - usually after xmas they are filled with unwanted puppies.
as the saying goes - dogs are for life, not just for christmas :)

BOXERS
Boxer Dog Rescue: North Of England: http://www.boxerdogrescue.co.uk Based in the North of England, helping homeless boxers find new loving forever homes.
Boxer Dog and Mastiff Breed Rescue: South Wales/Northern England: http://boxerdogandmastiffbreedrescue.co.uk: Rescue mainly for Boxer Dogs but will take any Mastiff Breeds that need help from other Rescues. Based in South Wales but work all over the UK. Volunteers are based up and down the country so nowhere is too far away to offer help where needed.
Boxer Rescue www.boxer-rescue.org.uk List of contacts throughout the UK for rehoming Boxers.
Boxer Rescue Merseyside: http://www.merseysideboxerrescue.webs.com Dedicated to helping boxers in need. A small boxer rescue based in the merseyside area only
boxer welfare scotland: cover all scotland: http://www.boxerwelfarescotland.co.uk: we aim to help anyone who can no longer care for their boxer we are there to offer any advise needed
Home Counties Boxer Welfare: hertfordshire: http://www.hcbw.org.uk Homing unwanted and abandoned Boxer Dogs in London and the South of England. Also help an advice freely
Boxers website.lineone.net/~david.baggley/ukboxlnk.html UK Boxer website links to lots of other Boxer sites.
Boxer Rescue Ireland: http://www.freewebs.com/boxerrescueireland: A small independent voluntary organisation dedicated to helping irish Boxers in need, if you can offer a home to a boxer please visit the website
Lincs & Essex Boxer Rescue www.boxerrescue.co.uk Rescue contacts, education & training
Northern Ireland Boxer Rescue http://niboxerrescue.co.uk Maintains a list of people prepared to take rescue dogs
North West Counties Boxer Welfare: North West England: http://www.nwboxerwelfare.org.uk: Boxer dog welfare. Kennel Club listed registered charity based in the North West UK for the rescue, assistance and rehoming of boxer dogs.
Tyne & Wear Boxer Rescue http://www.boxer-rescue.org.uk Promotes the welfare of Boxers in the North East.
UK Boxer Dogs: http://www.ukbd.piczo.com List of breed rescues, information on adopting a boxer, Plus a Forum for all boxer lovers
Brittany club of GB.: http://www.brittanyclub.co.uk: section of the Brittany club uk, coordinating the transport, fostering and rehoming of rescue Brittanys. Owners will be visited.Behaviour advice freely available.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all those links and the long response, I'll look into them.

:thumbs:
 
no decent rescue would ever give you a dangerous dog, they should fully assess it first especially if you have young children.

also they don't all have older dogs - some will have puppies :)

i would be surprised if they would give any dogs away just before and after xmas though.
 
here is some more rescues - incase i missed any out :)

Boxer

Boxer Rescue
Mrs C E McGrath, Hoylake, Wirral. Tel :07789 870117
Mrs G Steer, Isle of Man. Tel: 01624 627718
Email: bxarsq@aol.com
www.boxer-rescue.co.uk

Boxer Rescue
Mrs B Hoad, East Sussex. Tel: 01273 870776

Cotswolds Boxer Rescue
Miss J Brown, Berkeley, Gloucester. Tel: 01453 511303

Home Counties Boxer Welfare
Miss Ann Podmore (Co-ordinator/Secretary), Leighton Buzzard, Beds.
Tel: 01525 240288. Email: dallgerrypodmore@tiscali.co.uk
Mrs Rita Clarke (Membership secretary), Welwyn Garden City, Herts Tel: 01707 330438 www.hcbw.org.uk

Lincolnshire Boxer Rescue
Mrs D Barnes (Sec & Co-ordinator), Holbeach, Lincs. Tel: 01406 490350 Fax: 01406 426159
Mrs J Tree, Boston, Lincs. Tel: 01205 357001
Mr & Mrs D Blinko, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. Tel: 01442 393153
www.boxerrescue.co.uk

Norfolk Boxer Rescue
Mrs S Fox (Co-ord & Sec), Hainford, Norfolk. Tel: 01603 890655
Mrs H Harvey (Treasurer), Hellesdon, Norwich. Tel: 01603 415448
Email: enquiries@norfolkboxerrescue.co.uk
www.norfolkboxerrescue.co.uk

South Wales Boxer Club Rescue
Mrs Gill Greenway, Llanelli.
Tel: 01269 870960 E-mail: rescue@southwalesboxerclub.co.uk

South Western Boxer Club Rescue
Mrs S Cowell, Nr Exeter, Devon. Tel: 01626 865016
Miss J Grover, Taunton, Somerset. Tel: 01460 281202

Thames Valley Boxer Rescue
Mrs J Drew, Nr Swindon, Wilts . Tel: 01793 726868
www.thamesv-boxer-rescue.org.uk

Trent Boxer Club Rescue
Mr B Alton (Co-ordinator), Selston, Notts. Tel: 01773 810630

Tyne, Wear & Tees Boxer Rescue
Mrs S Oddy, Northumberland 01830 540270
Email sue.o@breathemail.net
www.boxer-rescue.org.uk/
http://users.breathemail.net/sue.o/twthome.htm

Wessex Boxer Rescue
Mrs B Groves, Nr Melksham, Wiltshire. Tel: 01380 828158

White Boxer Rescue
Mrs S Dawson, Preston, Lancs. 01772 690458
(Also contact for training of deaf Boxers)
 
I'm going to throw a spanner into the works here...

Firstly I apologise for the lengthy post.

Firstly, is you heart set 100% on this breed?
I've spent most of life with dogs, my mother used to breed kings Charles Cavalier Spaniels.
I also owned a very good pedigree German shepherd.
While I have nothing against pedigree dogs, when my GSD was put to sleep, it got me thinking about owning another dog.
I realised that for a long time I had a snobby attitude and thought that a Pedigree breed was the only dog to own.
When we were ready for a new dog I started visiting rescue centres and saw plenty of pedigree dogs amongst the crossbreds.
It made me feel to think that people would pay lots of money for a puppy only to give it up.
I was not stranger to this, I ran my own pet business for a few years and one of the things I used to do was to take dogs to rescues when the owners couldn’t keep them.
I also discovered that there are lots of genetic issues with various breeds due to over breeding.
So I decided that for me, a crossbred dog that needs a home is the best thing I can do.
Sadly we lost one of ours earlier this year (Sly was a border collies / staffie cross) but Mel (cocker spaniel / retriever cross), who we acquired last year; is probably my favourite of all the dogs I've owned / lived with.
Don't get me wrong, I've always bonded well with my dogs and my GSD was an amazing dog and she helped me through some bad phases in my life.
I can't explain the bonding I have with Mel but it’s different to what I have experienced before.
Although she wasn’t abused her back story is a bit sad and perhaps that has something to do with her bonding with me.
I've always preferred bitches over dogs because I believe they are more affectionate.

I admire breeders who do it because they are passionate about a particular breed, but there are plenty who just look at it from a business point of view and this really annoys me.
I’m not trying to preach to you or anyone but I think a crossbred dog is a worthy consideration.

Just my tuppence worth :)
 
GSDlover4ever said:
with regards to rescue i got a German shepherd rescue bitch - but i got her privalty rather than froma rescue centre. the day i go ther her previous owner was chasing her with a brush stick trying to hit her with it - because she wouldn't go to her!! grrrr.

she was an 11 month old puppy and was basically left in maggot infested kennels just like all of the other dogs!

to cut a long story short i reported them to the SSPCA and eventually all 20+ dog were took of them adn they got a year bann of animals. sadly not enough!

my rescue girl Zara - the image was taken with a basic digital camera! :)

zarainsnowsig.jpg
Click to expand...


A beautiful dog and a beautiful, highly intelligent breed.
My hat is off to you and many others who give these dogs a second chance.
I could tell you a very sad story about a GSD breeder who helped to get sent to prison but that's not for this thread.
 
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I never knew there were so many Boxer rescues!
I thought I was surprised by how many GSD rescues there are in the UK.
Again, full respect to the people who rescue them and to those who give them a good home.
 
hashcake said:
I'm going to throw a spanner into the works here...

Firstly I apologise for the lengthy post.

Firstly, is you heart set 100% on this breed?
I've spent most of life with dogs, my mother used to breed kings Charles Cavalier Spaniels.
I also owned a very good pedigree German shepherd.
While I have nothing against pedigree dogs, when my GSD was put to sleep, it got me thinking about owning another dog.
I realised that for a long time I had a snobby attitude and thought that a Pedigree breed was the only dog to own.
When we were ready for a new dog I started visiting rescue centres and saw plenty of pedigree dogs amongst the crossbreds.
It made me feel to think that people would pay lots of money for a puppy only to give it up.
I was not stranger to this, I ran my own pet business for a few years and one of the things I used to do was to take dogs to rescues when the owners couldn’t keep them.
I also discovered that there are lots of genetic issues with various breeds due to over breeding.
So I decided that for me, a crossbred dog that needs a home is the best thing I can do.
Sadly we lost one of ours earlier this year (Sly was a border collies / staffie cross) but Mel (cocker spaniel / retriever cross), who we acquired last year; is probably my favourite of all the dogs I've owned / lived with.
Don't get me wrong, I've always bonded well with my dogs and my GSD was an amazing dog and she helped me through some bad phases in my life.
I can't explain the bonding I have with Mel but it’s different to what I have experienced before.
Although she wasn’t abused her back story is a bit sad and perhaps that has something to do with her bonding with me.
I've always preferred bitches over dogs because I believe they are more affectionate.

I admire breeders who do it because they are passionate about a particular breed, but there are plenty who just look at it from a business point of view and this really annoys me.
I’m not trying to preach to you or anyone but I think a crossbred dog is a worthy consideration.

Just my tuppence worth :)
Click to expand...

I appreciate your comments and would probably agree with you. However my wife's family have always had boxers and she loves them, so that is a battle I'm not going to win!
 
Have you considered any other breed Pete? I can heartily recommend Border Terriers, obviously smaller than a boxer and no real breed problems. They are great with kids, intelligent, lively (in a good way), great company and easy to train - both of ours were house trained within three days using the cat flap :D. The reason I have suggested an 'easier' breed is because many people do not realise how much of a commitment it is to take on a dog, particularly one that is boisterous.

Here is a link to our two although they are very scruffy as we rarely have them stripped.
 
Oops, just saw your post at 14:17.
 
hashcake said:
A beautiful dog and a beautiful, highly intelligent breed.
My hat is off to you and many others who give these dogs a second chance.
I could tell you a very sad story about a GSD breeder who helped to get sent to prison but that's not for this thread.
Click to expand...

thanks she is my pride and joy :)

you can PM me if you want :)
 
I've had dogs all my life. I havent had a boxer but I think from what others have told me,that bitches are generally quieter and better with kids. Although I have had one adult rescue dog I think I would go for a puppy if your wife is home to look after it. It would be easier for your children to bond with it. They may be scared of a full size adult boxer.

I agree what others have said that I would bring the puppy straight home and even let the children see the puppy in its old home if its not old enough to leave its Mum yet. They will get lots of pleasure from looking forward to it coming to you and buying it its bed, toys, bowls etc.

I would recommend getting a large wire cage ( about 6ftx4ft) that you could have indoors to put it in at night and if you have to go out.It can prevent a lot of damage and can act as its own place where it can go to to sleep. I found my labrador actually liked hers. I dont like crates except for the car.

I am sure she/or he will give you years of joy
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. I decided to tell my wife yesterday so we can choose the puppy together. It also means we can choose the right dog as opposed to the puppy who is 8 weeks old 1 week before Christmas.

As for rescue dogs, we may get a puppy first and once she is 1 or 2 and well trained we could get another rescue one. Apparently it was always her plan!
 
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