boxerdogessentials.com

Introduction

The boxer is a German breed which is characterized by stocky build, square muzzle and powerful jaws. The Boxer is a brachycephalic canine which means their skull is typically short and broad with the breadth being approximately 80% of the length. Boxers are bred from the English Bulldog and the Bullenbeisser and belong to the Molosser group. Brachycephalic dogs are more prone dehydration since they tend to be sensitive to high temperatures. This makes the choice of sleep crate extremely important. In the US, Boxers are the sixth most popular breed with around 34,000 new registrations every year. The boxer is renowned for its faithfulness and unconditional love to his master and the household. The boxer pup is friendly and bright when at play and equally brave and determined when provoked.

Traits to look for

People are generally advised to let a puppy choose you rather than you choosing you. This usually results in you picking the one that comes jumping to you at the pet store. These are bold and energetic ones while the gentle ones politely wait in back. Unfortunately, the hyper energetic puppies are the ones which are the most difficult to take care of. Sure they can be fun to be with for an hour or two at the breeder’s, but they will drive you insane if you have to live them 24/7. Take a good look at the litter as a whole, if two out of the three puppies are maddeningly running and woofing around then you can safely conclude that your visit is over.

Don’t let the breeder shrug off the timid nature of the puppies with an “Oh they just don’t have been handled much” assurance. If they haven’t been handled much then the breeder has been ignorant or plain lazy and you don’t want to take a puppy from an ignorant or lethargic breeder, chances are he might have messed up on more. Avoid boxer pups who shrink away from you and tuck their tails, no matter how hard you try they are not going to come out of their shells. Shy boxer pups grow up into shy dogs that have a tendency to snap defensively if anyone startles them. Normally boxer pups are a curious and trusty lot and mill around your legs, tugging at your shoelace and crawling into your lap. Look for a boxer pup which is neither bossy nor too timid, one which doesn’t growl nor bite but joins in and holds it’s own.

Looks

The boxer is basically a head breed and consequently the correctness of the skull is imperative to the dog’s look. The muzzle of the pup should be deep and broad; a bump above the nose is an indication of a good stop. A boxer with too shallow a stop will appear spoonfaced and unsymmetrical. The beauty of a boxer puppy is a fawn with the signature white marking not covering not more than one-third of the body. The full white boxer pups are more prone to deafness and blindness and are not allowed to be sold for breeding.

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