rooferman

iTrader: (6)

Anyone on here own a boxer dog.....We are looking for a family pet that will also guard the house and was wondering what they are like????

Would need to be a pup as we have an old cat and although he doesn,t spend much time with us we wouldn,t want to put him off with a dog.

Anything too look out for and where do we find one .....have searched locally for pups but there dont seem to be any.....Also price varies from as little as £250 and right up to £750......i suppose paying top dollar for a dog is a wise move????

Any help guys.....???

renny

iTrader: (2)

Hi fella.....

We have a Boxer and can only say do it...........

You won't be disappointed !

As a family pet they are absolutely superb,they have a fantastic nature and are excellent around children,young and old.Not sure about a guard dog as such though,they'll certainly make lots of noise to help protect the house but whether they would actually do anything it you were broken into is another matter.

I can only speak of our's of course and i suppose it's how you bring it up.We must have been too soft on our's as he's soft as **** - makes plenty of noise if needed but his bark is definately worse than his bite.

Personally,i wouldn't touch a £250 pup if it's a true breed you're after.If you want one from a good breed line you're looking at £500 - £750,we paid £500 for our's 5 years ago.

As for availability, i've found it seems to go through cycles - sometimes there are loads other times there quite thin on the ground.Have you decided if you want a particular colour.If you're after something a little cheaper then a white Boxer pup will fit the bill.

I assume you've Googled to see what's available,normally comes up with lot's of results - one website that might be worth trying is Uk Boxerdogs.

Hope this helps

zs_phil

iTrader: (1)

brilliant family dogs who are really like young children always being naughty but a minute later are very loving and always know if there is something up ,ours around our children is like another child playing with them but is also like a bodyguard they will protect them like no tomorrow (ours does anyways).
as a guard dog he actually can get up on the kitchen worktop when he stands up he is nearly bigger than me and the pizza guy stands out side of the gate and wont come near the front door .even though he is very soft and just wants to play .

i also dont know what he would do if someone broke into my house he might just lick them to death or go get his football but he has a bark that annoys the neighbours but if they threatened the children i think he would go for them ,he was also protective of my lass when she was pregnant

http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/pets4hom...reedinfo/boxer

have a look on here

shawn r

iTrader: (3)

we have one and have had him for 2 1/2 years, was 6 months when we got him. they are lovely dogs and always crave attention. if you go out for a while he acts like you have been gone all week. runs around like an idiot to find some toy or other to give you lol.
very alert on a night when all is quite but never goes on one unless he's sure someone is there.
as said they are great with kids as well.

rooferman

iTrader: (6)

Thanks guys....i think we are after a male boxer with the brindle/white markings.

The white boxers are a no go as the missus thinks they look a bit scary...lol

I dont mind paying top money for a good dog so suppose i just need to keep searching...

Will chect out the links.....Thanks.

zs_phil

iTrader: (1)

ours lenny and lolly an excuse to post a picture of our naughtiest children

WhatswiththeR

iTrader: (1)

awww dnt say that i've got a white one and hes cute and daft as anything but very loyal hes about 10 months old now you've made the right choice, theres a few threads on here about them actually

shawn r

iTrader: (3)

i personally think the white ones are nice, a lot dont like them as you dont get them that often.

ours is a full pedigree red with white patches.

The Rig

iTrader: (13)

dont have a boxer but have an American Bulldog, they are great with kids and very good at guarding,look mean as phook but soft as ****e really ! if you struggle to find a boxer pup,maybe siomething to think about ?

renny

iTrader: (2)

Just to add,they don't need expensive toys either.Just get them a few ***** and they'll love you forever!!

nixxon

Isn't that because some (even highly respected) breeders kill them off as pups, as they are supposedly riddled with genetic defects?

rooferman

iTrader: (6)

Our friends have an Aylestone bulldog which is huge....but soft as ****...lol

Doesn,t stop it trying too **** eeverything that moves though

Think the American bulldog may be too large for our needs.

All the boxer pups seem to be miles away from us....but we are in no rush so will keep searching...

Spoon

With many man hours training you can get this spec. PPD Boxer

It'll look after your house even if you live in Afghanistan.

delcbr

i only had one boxer brindle and white got her as a pub lived to 10 years was a bitch i recommend a bitch for a number of reasons.smaller and not as strong so easier to walk as a family pet not over bearing.
ive found owning a couple of different dogs in the past that once let of the lead they go wandering and can be hard to get back on the leash bitches are more loyal usually come back easy.have a better nature etc.

boxers are supposed to be intelligent but mines wasnt intelligent very playful right up until 8 i would say and always liked playing with young children very funny dog.if you eat in front of them expect bubles to come from their mouths and siliver to drool from their mouths mine didint until she was an adult.

was only destructive twice once i came home to find two remote controls destroyed one from my bedroom upstair and one from the tv downstair kinda strange the other time was slippers.

i got mine from broxburn kennels i think in auldhouse just outside east kilbride his name is mcclaren or macclaren very reputable supposed to be the oldest boxer breeder in britain.hes not easy to buy from as is aid a reputable breeder doesnt sell to just anyone asks you loads of questions first few times he didint sell to my family but then eventually he did i suppose its like people go through phases wanting things he looked sad to give her awaygave her a wee kisss on the nose!! hes definetly not the type you see on rogue traders the ones that get breed the life out of them in ireland then bring them over with already having the tails docked as its now ilegal in britain.mines had a docked tail before that law came in again.

i found mine was strong on the lead even when i called heel so once i bought a halti which goes round her oxsters over the back not the type which goes over the face i found to be very effective and she darent pull with it on phewwww so there you have it.

oh yea they are very wary of strangers out in the street very loyal that way.

also mine stood at the window all day and watched who went by and if it seen anyone it didint like it would growl then if they approached the door she would bark. even when everyone was in trhe house she would watch until you called her name then she would come to play or until you shut the blinds she felt it was her duty to protect the household was good that way!!!


oh yea they snore as well!!!!!!!!!!! which can be annoying a few times ive got out my bed to go out into the hall where she was sleeping to move her as it was bloody annoying lol!!!! its funny at first but can be irritating i would shout her name to stop her doing it lol

they are too lively for a cat imo would scare the **** out of it would prob want to play with the cat and the cat wouild freak out lol

The Rig

iTrader: (13)

yup,American bulldogs,daft as a brush

PG

I have 2 at the moment (total owned 5) and they are great.
But lets face it, everyone who owns a dog feels that way about their particular breed.
The breed meets your needs of 'family' and certainly have the look of a 'guard' (as a breed they are not known as big barkers) however would you fit the dogs needs? They need a fair bit exercise on a daily basis and need a lot of training in the first instance. As a breed they sit in the bottom 25 percentile of the obedience table (based on reacting to the call within the first 5 times of asking) however the personality of the dog plays a big part in that as is case with all breeds.
Breeder wise do your homework! You will get a white cheap enough as they do not conform to the breed standard and as such are not in such high demand. Brindle, red, flashy, plain....it depends on the fashion at the time and depends on what the main judges prefer in the ring.
One thing you may also wish to consider is tail or no tail?
'But docking is illegal' I hear you say! Yes, that is indeed the case however you have options there. You can import or you could go for a 'Bobtail Boxer.' My mate breeds them and we will be having one in the not too distant future.
One thing that is starting to happen is the breeding is becoming far too close and that in turn is throwing up a lot of genetic issues that were common within other breeds but the Boxer breed had been able to avoid. The dogs throwing these genetic problems are known and as such tend not to be in favour with serious breeder (despite them originating from the big players in the first place)
As for price, I can only talk for this area but £650 will get you a good quality, well bred pet. Nearer £800 will get you a 'Bob'

I could go on about them all day but I'll link to my mate site (it's a bit...bitsy) as there is a lot of good 'real' information there: Pictland Boxers Homepage

Here's my 2 in full guard dog mode:

At play:

At rest:

They will find any way possible not to lie on a hard surface!

Some of my mates last litter:

Chyna, 9yrs:

Ozzy, 5yrs:


Any more questions, ask away.

Cheers

Paul.

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

My favorite dog, one question though, do they all drool, my ex had one of these, smashing dog but I couldn't bear it near me for the drool.

rooferman

iTrader: (6)

Thanks for the info Paul......great pictures.

We are after a family pet but also a dog which will put off the little ****s around here who have been taking advantage of the empty houses and spate of burglarys when on school runs etc.But a dog that will be trustfull with our girls aged 4 and 9....The wife works from home and we have a large garden with wooded area at the rear so he will get plenty of exercise ..

Your two dogs pictured, which look gorgeous i must add......do they have there tails docked???

And when is your mate expecting boxer pups??

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

We had one and he was mental but brilliant. Had to be put down at 7 years old though, cancer a bit of an issue with pedigree dogs is all.

You won't regret it though but hey are daft and powerful. Ours was well trained at obedience classes and everything but still flattened visitors with attempts to lick them to death.

It was very protective though. Anyone had a go it would protect you and it couldn't half scrap. In fact if he got attacked by another dog it was about the only time i'd seen him be calm and calculated. Had a staffie hanging off his neck once... crounched down and shook like he'd got out of a river smashing it into the floor... it let go.

He'd also had his tail docked but i believe it is now illegal. There is also no reason to do it as most dogs are not working dogs anyway. They have quite a whippy tail if it is left to grow.

5t.

PG

Thanks.
They are great for family pets. Their playful nature appeals to kids but often their size and strength added to their boisterousness can lead to smaller kids being decked and a bit frightened. Boxers play quite roughly be it with other dogs or kids but training should be put in place to deal with that.

Be aware that those little ******* you speak of are probably aware of how much a Boxer puppy is worth.....if you know what I mean.

Both my dogs are docked as was the case for the vast majority of boxers up until the law change. As has been said most dogs are not working dogs so it could be said that there is no need to dock. However the tail a Boxer has coupled to the body it has when added to the fact they're not the brightest nor the most delicate does sometimes result in tail injury. For me a Boxer should have a docked tail so the bobtail makes sense despite it being a bit Frankenstein-esque.

Alan had one of his bitches covered a while back (it will be a bob litter) and iirc the pups should be March/April.
Where in the country are you?

re. the question on the drooling: The breed has evolved a little and the faces have been bred to be a little tighter so drooling isn't as prevalent as it used to be. Don't get me wrong, when running about or in a room full of food the dog will look like it has eaten a training shoe but it's one of the things you learn to live with. Let's just say you'll not live in a show home if you have Boxers.

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55...9/PC180923.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55...9/DSCF0201.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55...Picture019.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55...9/Dscf0148.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55...9/Dscf0123.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55...9/Dscf0110.jpg

Just to follow on what Paul has said they are great dogs but can be very demanding, Heres a few pictures of Ellie our currant Boxer and yes she has a tail, It can be like a whip The white one was Holly my beautiful girl we lost 5 years ago.
Cheers
Colin

renny

iTrader: (2)

PG - those are some stunning pictures,lovely looking dogs you have.


As for the drooling,my experience is....

1.Always have a towel to hand,especially after they've had some water

2.Have wipeable walls - ours is a messy sod but usually wipes off ok if kept on top of.Don't let it put you off though as cleaning up after them will be second nature to you.

rooferman

iTrader: (6)

You have p.m.....

Adam

rooferman

iTrader: (6)

Well here he is....aged 11 days.




And heres mum.....





Will be collecting him on the 2nd of May.

Found a litter from a respected breeder locally in the end so we can visit a couple of times before we pick him up.....He,s 5th generation pedigree.

Think we are gonna call him Boosh.....

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

Boosh what a great name
Cheers
Colin

rooferman

iTrader: (6)

Names on the list.....

Boosh
Bailey
Boomer
Bolo

Looks like its going to start with a "B"......lol

renny

iTrader: (2)

Nice one,looks a little belter.

I know of a couple that are called Bailey - suits them really well i think