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!

If you are looking for a canine that will be loyal and true with a friendly disposition, you need to look no further than the boxer dog breed. If you have the time, the patience and the stamina to match this clever canine, then you can enjoy a lifetime of companionship. Once the animal makes a connection, it is for life.

Due to their highly intelligent and overexcited nature and demeanor, they can become bored very easily. Thus, it is important to give them some sort of obedience training while they are still young. Use this intelligence to your advantage but to not let them use it for their own agendas, which some tend to try and do.

Boxer dogs may seem aggressive. For this reason, they make wonderful guard dogs. Their stature and looks can be very deceiving to those who do not know about the boxer breed. If trained correctly, the boxer dog is quite playful and friendly. If the boxer is not trained, he can do plenty of harm.

While their intelligence is helpful for training, boxers can be quite stubborn too. If you give them a command and he or she does not follow it, they are testing your boundaries (as well as your nerves) and their limits. Try to remain calm. If you own your canine boxer from an early age, then beginning training them at six weeks of age. Starting early ensures he or she will grow up to become socializing and playful. Make sure the training keeps his or her attention.

You want to be to train your dog so that they become socializing. With training and guidance, they can be friendly towards other animals and people. This is the goal you, as the owner, should aim for.

When your boxer is older, get into the more serious training to stave off any unacceptable behavior such as biting, nipping and even scratching. Boxer dogs that do these sorts of things are trying to dominate you. As a boxer own, you need to show him or her that you are in control and will not stand for their bad manners.

So long as you are willing to take the time and train, a boxer dog can be a wonderful addition to your family. If you want a canine that prefers your company to anything else, then get your loving friend the obedience training it needs. Once you get past that hurdle, you and your canine pal can enjoy a lifetime of love and trust.

When a person decides they want to have a pet, it’s important to find out about their diet. A boxer dog is no different in this aspect. When an owner decides to feed their boxer dog an all-natural, raw diet, they have the power to control what kind of food their beloved pet will get. This diet is called BARF (biologically Appropriate Raw Food). BARF allows them to give or take away appendages as they see fit. It consists mainly bones and raw meat.

What kind of raw foods make up the BARF diet? Listed below are some of the foods a boxer dog can intake easily.

- Raw meat
- Raw meaty bones
- Muscle Meats
- Raw processed vegetables
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Fish
- Offal
- Fruits

Though it may not seem like it, this diet is very balanced. Some boxer owners will leave out the dairy or the grains, maybe even both. There have been situations where boxer dog owners have given yogurt treats to their dog to keep up their healthy lifestyle.

Why is it important for boxer dogs to have a healthy diet?

These kinds of dogs have plenty of food allergies. Using the BARF diet can help owners to avoid some of those foods that cause problems for their canine.

Foods such as grapes or raisins are very unhealthy for boxer dogs. It seems these foods can lead to acute kidney failure. Yet, this is new information and is still being investigated by the United States Animal Poison Control Center

There are three questions, which need to be answered, that concern boxer owners have regarding grapes and raisins. They are:

- How much of the two foods could be toxic for their dog?

- What, in these foods, is (are) toxic to the animals?

- How does the toxin affect the kidney?

If an owner is concerned about the amount of raisins or grapes their dog has ingested, then it is advised to send that pet’s veterinarian right away. The vet can run test to be sure the kidney is not suffering or what kind of damage it is suffering.

If you own a boxer, you may already know the importance of training boxer puppies. Although they are bred to be a very loving and friendly dog, they need the obedience training to keep that wonderful demeanor.

- Training boxer puppies takes a person who is willing to stay calm and be assertive when giving directions. You need to understand that boxers are very brilliant puppies do not respond to training methods that include yelling, screaming or hitting. While you need to be firm, you can still be loving. To help out, use treats.

- Until your puppy has reached 21 days old, it’s likely he/she won’t do much other sleep, eat and slight playtime. They will also find places to use the restroom away from play and rest areas. Take this time to introduce crate training.

- Eventually you can teach your boxer about the word “sit”. Every dog can learn this command. Your boxer may be ready to learn the command word “come” at this age. No matter the age of your dog, they love to learn. While it is a great experience for him/her, it should be for you as well.

- Set some training guidelines. Doing this keeps your puppy from getting confused. Make sure the entire household understands the guidelines too. When formal training is done, lessons are still being taught.

- Be consistent when training boxer puppies. When you are consistent in commands and actions, they end up learning quicker. Always use the same word for the same command. Make sure they follow your command so you know they are learning it.

- Punishing a boxer puppy doesn’t work. Instead use praise and treats. Punishments only backtrack the training.

- When training boxer puppies, keep sessions short. As they get older, then increase the sessions. Look for signs your puppy is no longer interested in learning.

- Remember to stay patient with your puppy because he/she will learn from that.

- Another guideline to follow is to use commands alone and not with sentences. Boxer puppies can be easily confused and are likely not to respond to what you are telling them.

- Your puppy should always respond right away to your commands. There should be no reason for you to repeat it more than once.

Training boxer puppies does take time but it is a very rewarding and wonderful experience for the both of you. Remember if you are calm when training and never get angry, you’ll see your boxer trying to please you.

Don’t forget to chech out the ‘Essential Boxer Dog Training Manual’ for more great tips and info on training your boxer puppy!

Jason

If you plan on getting a boxer dog as a pet, then you need to know about boxer dog behavior. Some people who first meet this breed think they are skittish but they would be wrong. Boxer dogs can be and usually are overly friendly. These dogs can become skittish if they are not greatly loved and shown love each and every day. If you think you want a boxer pet for your family, then there are some things about the boxer dog’s behavior you need to know before and after you purchase your canine friend.

- First, do some research about your individual boxer. Learn about the puppy’s parentage and if you can, see the parents in person. Knowing how the parents behave will give you some idea on how your puppy will behave.

- Second, when you are ready to purchase your new friend, find a breeder that is doing it for the love of the breed, not for business. Boxer dogs who have this sort of breeder are usually loved more and are more gregarious than those bred for making money.

- Third, like a cat or kitten, boxer dogs are not too keen on water. When it is time to give them a bath, you’re likely to get wet as well but the time will be fun.

- Fourth, try not to leave your boxer pup alone for too long. When this breed gets bored, they can become destructive. They love to get attention, so try showing them as often as you can.

- Fifth, give your boxer space to move and run around. Boxers should have a backyard to play in so they can run off their energy. Get them some toys to play with as well.

- Sixth, begin any type of obedience training while the boxer is still young. If you train early in the boxer’s life, they are more receptive to training. Try positive reinforcement training to keep the dog’s attention.  Don’t expect too much in the beginning and try to train in seclusion away from other breeds.

If you want a boxer, make sure your lifestyle matches his/her. Learning about the boxer dog behavior is essential to knowing if your lifestyle and his/her attitude will mesh together. If not, then it is likely the boxer is not the best pet for you.

Talk soon!

Jason