How to Care for a Boxer

Boxers love to be around people, especially children. They also make excellent watchdogs. This breed does not do well in extremely cold or hot climates. If you keep your dog indoors, make sure she gets plenty of daily exercise.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Dental Kits (for Dogs)
• Dog Beds
• Dog Bones
• Dog Brushes
• Dog Collars
• Dog Crates
• Dog Dishes
• Dog Food
• Dog Leashes
• Dog Shampoo
• Dog Tags
• Dog Toys
• Nail Clippers For Dogs

1. Vaccinate your boxer when you first get her, then get her yearly booster shots. Consult your veterinarian about flea-control products and worming your dog.

2. Make sure meat is the first ingredient in your boxer's dog food. Crude protein should be no less than 30 percent and crude fat no less than 20 percent. The fiber content should be 4 percent or less.

3. Bathe your boxer infrequently. Because of her short-haired coat, she'll rarely get dirty.

4. Brush your boxer's coat occasionally with a firm brush. Trim her nails regularly.

5. Consider getting a crate for a new boxer puppy. It is helpful in house training and serves as a quiet place for the puppy. Crates are also good tools when you are training your puppy not to chew, and they help remedy separation anxiety.

6. Obedience-train your boxer when she's young. Boxers are highly intelligent and quick learners, but they can be mischievous if left untrained. They also love to jump up on people and need to be trained out of this behavior early.

7. Understand health problems that boxers are prone to, such as hip dysplasia (a malformed ball and socket in the hip joint), bloat, aortic stenosis (a heart condition), tumors and hypothyroidism (a condition that causes the body to slow down). When you adopt your dog or puppy, find out what type of screening has been done for these problems.

8. Be prepared to enjoy a fruitful 9 to 12 years with your boxer, as this is the boxer's average life expectancy.

Tips & Warnings

• This breed doesn't bark much - except with justifiable cause.

• Boxers are generally content to lie quietly with their owners for hours.

• Contact the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals to learn more about hip dysplasia in boxers.

• Keep your boxer indoors if you live in a climate that's hot and humid, or cold. A boxer should do well indoors as long as she has a backyard to play in or is taken on daily walks.

• Boxers are sometimes prone to snoring and gas.