[LokiMonster]

Hello,
I have never been on a forum before, I read through the rules but if I make a mistake please let me know.
My name is Emily and my dog's name is Loki.  I got Loki last June (9 months ago) from an animal shelter in a nearby city.  I had been looking for a boxer or a boxer mix who was about a year old (requirement of my Landlord) and I have always had "pound puppies" so I liked the idea of getting a dog from a shelter.  After about two months of searching I saw Loki's picture and I just knew he was the one.  I drove down to see him and as my step-dad said "it was over from the second they opened the door."  I just adore him. He is my little sidekick and goes with me almost everywhere I can take him.  He is about a year and a half old now (they think he was between 6-8 months old when I adopted him), and everything is just great.

The reason I am on the forum is because I am not sure of his exact breed.  I think he definitely has a lot of boxer in him, the people at the shelter thought he might be a boxer/yellow lab mix, I have had people tell me that he is a pure boxer, and my sister thinks he is a boxer/pitbull mix.  It doesn't really matter to me what he is, I will love him just the same.  I just thought that if I knew which breed he is mixed with I could learn more about that breed, so that I am informed about potential health or behavioral problems in the future.  He is a great dog and I want to keep him as happy and healthy as I can.

I posted several pictures of him in the gallery (under "LokiMonster") and I was hoping that some of you might be able to clue me in to what you think he might be mixed with, short of doggie DNA, I am not sure how else to figure it out.  Thanks in advance! -Emily

 

[Guest]

if he is not full boxer, he is very close to full; like 90%!   He is very handsome.  I would say if he has anything, it might be lab, but honestly he looks very boxer to me and If I saw someone walking him, I would just assume he was a full boxer.  That is really great that you love rescuing those "pound puppies"

 

[dixie621]

Loki looks like 100% Boxer to me.  What is it about him that makes you think that he might be mixed?  He is adorable!  So glad you saved him from the pound!

 

[maplesfolks]

welcome to the forum! your puppy is very handsome, and looks like a pure boxer to me, but then again what do I know lol

 

[LokiMonster]

Thanks, I think he is handsome too, but of course, I am biased :wink:
The only reason I think he might be mixed is because the people at the shelter thought he was, and they are exposed to and have more experience with dogs than I do.  Also, my sister who works at a doggie daycare and is a huge source of canine knowledge also thinks he might be a mix.  The shelter didn't know any of his background, he was picked up on the street as a stray, so no one knows where he came from.  Like I said before, it doesn't matter to me what he is, because he is my baby and he is awesome.  I really only have one issue with his behavior, he is aggressive with other dogs his size.  This isn't a huge problem as we just walk other places and avoid the dog park.  Since he was a stray I have no idea of what his life was like before that, and those experiences might be what is causing this aggression.  He is great with kids and he loves to play with smaller dogs and is even afraid of my other sister's Yorkie (sharp barking).
I guess my main concern is that he might be dangerous at some level and if so I just want to know so we can work on it to avoid any issues.  
There was one incident with my brother's Dalmatian, Cassidy, where Loki got ahold of Cassidy's neck and locked his jaw up.  It was really difficult to get him off and I think it scared us all a bit.  That was the last time that happened but whenever we encounter other dogs about his size his hackels come up and he starts whining.  It doesn't help that my sister keeps telling me he is a pit mix.   Not that I have anything against Pitbulls, I have known many people who have had them and they were all kind and loving dogs.  Mainly I just want to be prepared, so that I never have to get in a situation where anyone gets seriously hurt.  I know my fear of this doesn't help (I am working on being calm and confident when we walk) and we have taken some obedience classes and he did great.  I guess it would help to know if this is a behavior other people have experienced with their boxers?  Thanks. - Emily

 

[JettaAndOscar]

There are no dogs that can actually "lock" their jaws.  Its really hard to say if your dog biting the dalmation says anything about what breed it is.  Boxers are not known for being aggressive in the least, but that doesn't mean there are no aggressive boxers.  My sweet little Jetta doesn't care for some unfixed females!

 

[LokiMonster]

Thanks for the info, my sister told me that Pitbulls can "lock their jaws" sometimes I think she just says things to irk me.  Although she has seen the agressiveness firsthand she doesn't give much advice as to what to do, rather she just tells me what I or Loki are doing wrong.  That's why I came to a forum because I don't know if I can believe what she tells me, which is unfortunate.  
He is rarely aggressive.  He does great with kids and even takes doggie treats from my niece who is 8 months old, he has such a soft mouth, never snatches.
But when we do encounter other dogs of his size ( I have never actually paid attention to their sex or if they are fixed ) it turns aggressive quickly.  There have been 2 times though when we met up with other dogs and he played well, he was still assertive but it didn't get out of hand.  There is a part of me that thinks that it is all possibly "lost in doggie translation."   As with most boxers, he plays with and comes at things with his front two feet.  So when we see other dogs he jumps kind of at/on them.  I think he really just wants to play, but it may be seen as agression to them and once they respond to him with agression, he responds back and that is when it gets out of hand.  My dad has a little Carin Terrier, and they love to play together, but the whole time Loki is jumping at and on him with his front paws, but my dad's dog isn't agressive at Loki and that is why I think they do well.  I am not sure if he is an agressive dog, the only time I see it is around other larger agressive dogs.  Most of the time when he sees a dog he whimpers at it the same way he does at his toys when he wants to play.  So part of me thinks that he just really wants to play but he is just too rough initially, am I being naive?

 

[maplesfolks]

Well the jumping on other dogs I believe is normal to boxers, that's just how they play they "box" hence the name ha ha.  our puppy was pouncing on small dogs at the beach today lol  so from my understanding (I'm a relatively new dog owner) the boxing is normal just watch out for other signs of aggression I guess, also our puppy whines when she wants to go play with other animals and I restrain her.   so maybe just watch him closely and see what it is that he wants or doesn't want.  sorry I'm not much help, but he sounds like a great dog

 

[TrixiesMama]

my puppy likes to "hit" other dogs with her front feet too, and tends to pounce on them also. other dog owners not familiar with the breed might not know that this is normal and think your dog is being aggressive. so that's the only thing that i would watch for.  mine tends to kind of snap at dogs that are bigger than her, but i think it's more because she's scared and gets cornered because she loves other dogs. i wouldn't worry too much if i were u.

 

[TrixiesMama]

[quote="myboxerbabyz\";p=\"98374":irgdm40h]if he is not full boxer, he is very close to full; like 90%!

 

[LokiMonster]

Thanks for all of your input and advice!  I will just keep doing what I am doing for now.  I have considered hiring a trainer just for this specific issue, but short of instigating an altercation with another dog, I don't know if I could explain or show it well enough.  I do know that the one time he got to play with another boxer they both loved it, they ran and chased eachother for hours until both of their tounges we hanging out. Unfortunately they live an hour away, maybe I will try to take him out to play with her again soon because my siblings dogs are all 10 or older and he just has too much energy for my dad's dog.  Regardless of what he actually "is" I know he is perfect for me, he's my Loki-Monster

 

[Zhanna]

Howdy from Texas and welcome!

Loki looks all boxer to me, but I'm no expert! :lol:
Not too sure about the aggression.  When ever Henry starts to "box" a stranger dog, the owner looks all concerned, so I tell him "no box" and to keep his feet on the ground.  Then I explain to the other person that it is normal boxer behavior, not aggressiveness.  But actually biting onto another dog is not something I'm at all familiar with.  Maybe that dog said something your dog didn't like?

I worry about Henry sometimes too.  He was a pound puppy.  He was 15 weeks (?) when we got him, so he didn't have as much opportunity for a bad experience, plus he was with his mom and littermates.  But some times I still wonder about what he experienced then, cause he just acts odd.  Ya know?

Well, Loki is just beautiful!  Good luck with him and keep us posted.

 

[Rocky07]

Hello Emily!  Loki looks like 100% boxer to me too.  He's very cute!

 

[Sadiesmomma]

Welcome to the forum! Loki is a beauty and he looks like he's 100% Boxer to me  

 

[Barbs2Ks]

Welcome to the forum, I agree he looks pretty much all Boxer and he is a cutie.  I think that talking to a behaviorist about his reaction to dogs his size is a good idea, it may be nothing or they may give you some ways to help him deal with other dogs.  You would not want him to hurt another dog or get hurt himself.

 

[msdiamonddawg]

Hi and welcome!!  A trainer might do you some good....more in a class situation.  I know when I took my Rottweiler to classes, there was a dog that was very aggressive towards other dogs, but let me tell you, by the end of the 8 weeks or whatever it was, that dog had changed sooooooooooo much, that he was actually able to get up close and personal after classes.  He was still kind of nervous of dogs jumping near him, but no snapping or anything.  It was a huge change and great to see!

 

[Starr05]

Pit Bulls CAN NOT lock their jaws it is a MYTH. Their jaws are  very powerfull making it hard to pry them apart but they do NOT lock them.

 

[JayJay]

Hello Emily!
Welcome to the forum.
I think, Loki is 100% Boxer!

And he is so handsome!

 

[Starr05]

He Looks pure boxer to me too.

 

[tankermomma]

looks all boxer to me,  loki is also cute as a button...