One of the best ways to determine if a particular breed of dog is right for you and your family is to look at that breed’s temperament. Understanding this will tell you whether the dog breed will fit in with your family or not. Of course, there are other factors you should evaluate—such as the breed’s size, for example—however, temperament is really one of the most important factors.
If you are considering a boxer, then, you need to understand boxer temperament. Boxers may not be the right dogs for everyone, so while reading about boxer temperament below, think carefully about whether or not this sort of dog would be a good fit in your family.
Boxer Personality
While each boxer will have its own temperament to some degree, all boxer dogs do share some personality characteristics:
• Boxers are boisterous and playful. They are animated and excited when playing, and they love to run around and be active. A large part of boxer temperament is that they are, as many boxer owners describe, ‘full of life.’ Boxer dogs can be feisty and mischievous and love to tease.
• Boxers mature rather slowly. In other words, they tend to stay puppy-like for several years, unlike many dog breeds. They do start to settle down more once they reach age 3 or 4; however, they still tend to act rather playful and lively for pretty much all of their lives.
• A very important factor to know about boxer temperament is that these dogs are people dogs. Boxers need to be around people—they are happiest when they are with their human ‘family.’ When a boxer doesn’t get enough attention and affection, he can start to develop behavior problems. Boxers must have human companionship for a good part of every day in order to be content.
• Boxer dogs need to be house dogs—they do not thrive as yard dogs or dog house dogs. This is because of their constant need for attention and companionship.
• Boxers are quite protective of their ‘family,’ and will guard the home. However, purchasing a boxer with the intention of training it as a guard dog is not a good idea, as boxers are more suited as pets. Boxers will get aggressive when they feel threatened, though.
Boxer Characteristics
Along with boxer temperament, it is also important to know about a few key boxer characteristics. These are attributes that some dog owners may find charming, but that other dog owners may find bothersome.
• Boxers drool. Some drool only a little, others may drool a great deal. This varies from dog to dog.
• Many boxer dogs also snore. This will vary from boxer to boxer—some dogs may snore sporadically and lightly, in a way that is hardly noticeable; other dogs might snore every time they sleep, and loudly.
• Boxers are typically strong-willed. They can be well-trained; however, owners must be willing to put in time and effort. Obedience classes are often quite helpful with this. Owners must be firm and fair with boxers—otherwise, boxer independence will take over.
Don’t forget to check out www.boxerdogessentials.com to claim a copy of my FREE report – ‘Boxer Training Essentials’ that will give you practical training tips that you can use to start training your boxer today!