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·So, I'm thinking about getting a boxer, but I've heard they have a lot of health problems. Is it certain that my dog will have problems?
New to Boxers, maybe
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I would do some research on the breeders in your area. Some red flags I came across when looking for Boxer pups in the past were breeders charging more for white and black Boxers.
White Boxers are prone to more congenital diseases due to the fact that breeders haven't bread the problems out of the white Boxer yet. They can't be shown and used to be killed upon birth. Some breeders still do this.
As for the "black" Boxer, there is no such thing. They should call the coloring of the pup reverse brindle. I still don't understand why breeders charge more for these pups.
Also check the line for champions and how far back these champs are in the line.
This just scratches the surface, but should be a good starting point. I'm sure others here will have more to offer. A Boxer Rescue may be able to find a dog that fits into your life too.
White Boxers are prone to more congenital diseases due to the fact that breeders haven't bread the problems out of the white Boxer yet. They can't be shown and used to be killed upon birth. Some breeders still do this.
As for the "black" Boxer, there is no such thing. They should call the coloring of the pup reverse brindle. I still don't understand why breeders charge more for these pups.
Also check the line for champions and how far back these champs are in the line.
This just scratches the surface, but should be a good starting point. I'm sure others here will have more to offer. A Boxer Rescue may be able to find a dog that fits into your life too.
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1,236 Posts
I have a reverse brindle pup right now. When I met her dad he was sitting at the end of a barn that didn't have very good lighting. All I could see was a silhouette and eyes. He was pretty intimidating until he heard my wife squeal when she saw the pups and he came wiggling over.
You should do some on-line research of the Boxer Breed as that will give you a broad understanding of what possible health problems MIGHT be! Yes our wonderful Boxers that we adore are prone to certain diseases but that doesn't mean necessarily that the particular Boxer you choose will be plagued by those illnesses. BoxerForums gave you good advice as well, if your choosing to get a Boxer from a Breeder you want to ask questions about the lines & see what type of health exams do they run on the parents of the litter. I'm by far not an expert but those are some starting points. :lol:
I have had two Boxer dogs, my first Boxer, lived a healthy and complete life for about 10 years, until she got a tumor in her throat and passed away. I have a Boxer now that is about 3 years old, she has not has any health problems, yet. Boxers are proned to tumors and do have short life spans. A ten year life span is normal for Boxers. There life span maybe a little short but the joy they bring you is well worth it.
Hi there, have just joined this web site after someone left a link on mine!
I have had boxers for 11 years - we have had two litters of puppies (19 in total).
My eldest dog had heart problems which caused her to faint from about the age of 8 and half but this was easily fixed with tablets which didnt cost much each month. She had to be put to sleep when she was 10 due to a large liver tumour and other complications - i decided it wasnt right to keep her alive and in constant medical care just for my benefit and put her welfare and happiness first.
my other dog is 9 and at the same time that the one above had problems, she too had a mammory tumour which was removed and she was spayed - hormones was seen to be the problem here!
apart from that, no major problems, and i certainly wouldnt let it put me off getting a boxer - am hoping to get another one this year!
hope this helps.
I have had boxers for 11 years - we have had two litters of puppies (19 in total).
My eldest dog had heart problems which caused her to faint from about the age of 8 and half but this was easily fixed with tablets which didnt cost much each month. She had to be put to sleep when she was 10 due to a large liver tumour and other complications - i decided it wasnt right to keep her alive and in constant medical care just for my benefit and put her welfare and happiness first.
my other dog is 9 and at the same time that the one above had problems, she too had a mammory tumour which was removed and she was spayed - hormones was seen to be the problem here!
apart from that, no major problems, and i certainly wouldnt let it put me off getting a boxer - am hoping to get another one this year!
hope this helps.
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60 Posts
There is no guarantee of a healthy puppy/dog, regardless of whether you buy from a reputable breeder, BYB, pet store, or rescue. Sadly, with living things no one person has total control - however - REPUTABLE breeders are usually involved in the breed for many years, and from that, can learn about longevity and health in various lines, ALONG with different testing, and aim to breed from, and for the healthiest dogs.
As well, when you are involved for many years - people often can keep 'track' so-to-speak of what you do, basically, you are there to answer for your mistakes, and should be taking responsibility for them as a breeder.
I personally have a hard time with bad ethics. While wins are nice, and breeding champions is of course wonderful, and the goal is improving the breed - I PERSONALLY put a higher priority on temperament along WITH conformation. I have seen many questionable temperaments in the past several years - in well-bred lines along with poorly bred ones.
I would recommend you talk to different breeders, meet their dogs - and understand sometimes meeting the stud is not possible - but no one should make excuses for bad temperament. (LOL Notice I dont say good temperament - Im always apologizing for my dogs trying to plant themselves in visitors laps!)
I also would say to be sure you buy from a breeder who sells on contracts - I personally sell on spay/neuter contracts with a mandatory return clause. This means that at ANY time in the dogs life it cannot be kept, it MUST come back to me. If a breeder sells a dog with no contracts regarding its well being - what makes you think they care about the safety of that dog, or anything else about that dog? A good breeder allows no pets to be bred, and doesnt try and place EVERY puppy in a show home either.
(I have found I prefer placing pups in pet homes than many show homes... so I rarely do.) I keep what I want to show, and place the others in homes where I know they will be loved unconditionally...
AND as for black Boxers... a personal pet peeve. They are incorrect, and technically, not desirable. NO ONE should be breeding FOR them. (I personally find reverse brindles incorrect when fawn is not showing through as described in the standard!) I cannot stand when profit breeders make up a new marketing scheme to con the general public. First it was white boxers, now black boxers.
Oh well... just my um..... 7 cents. LMAO
As well, when you are involved for many years - people often can keep 'track' so-to-speak of what you do, basically, you are there to answer for your mistakes, and should be taking responsibility for them as a breeder.
I personally have a hard time with bad ethics. While wins are nice, and breeding champions is of course wonderful, and the goal is improving the breed - I PERSONALLY put a higher priority on temperament along WITH conformation. I have seen many questionable temperaments in the past several years - in well-bred lines along with poorly bred ones.
I would recommend you talk to different breeders, meet their dogs - and understand sometimes meeting the stud is not possible - but no one should make excuses for bad temperament. (LOL Notice I dont say good temperament - Im always apologizing for my dogs trying to plant themselves in visitors laps!)
I also would say to be sure you buy from a breeder who sells on contracts - I personally sell on spay/neuter contracts with a mandatory return clause. This means that at ANY time in the dogs life it cannot be kept, it MUST come back to me. If a breeder sells a dog with no contracts regarding its well being - what makes you think they care about the safety of that dog, or anything else about that dog? A good breeder allows no pets to be bred, and doesnt try and place EVERY puppy in a show home either.
(I have found I prefer placing pups in pet homes than many show homes... so I rarely do.) I keep what I want to show, and place the others in homes where I know they will be loved unconditionally...
AND as for black Boxers... a personal pet peeve. They are incorrect, and technically, not desirable. NO ONE should be breeding FOR them. (I personally find reverse brindles incorrect when fawn is not showing through as described in the standard!) I cannot stand when profit breeders make up a new marketing scheme to con the general public. First it was white boxers, now black boxers.
Oh well... just my um..... 7 cents. LMAO
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60 Posts
I also wanted to follow up and specifically mention how Rescue dogs are wonderful options, and alternatives to a boxer puppy.
With an adult Rescue dog - what you see is what you get. No 'cute puppy' who grows up to be not so cute in some cases! You also get a great idea of the dogs general activity level and strength... keep in mind, that almost all boxers are uber-happy when you meet them, so ignore that greeting phase! Rescues also have a general idea often of the dogs health, and a fantastic grasp on the dogs temperament. Rescues do not adopt out dogs with issues that would prevent them from succeeding in a normal home situation... so much of the 'adopting someone elses problem' is a myth. I would honestly say in my STRONG opinion is that the reason most Boxers end up in rescue is that the buyer did NOT research the breed and bought before thinking it over or knowing what Boxers are all about.
Tons of perfectly wonderful, normal, trainable, companions are sitting in rescue needing homes right now. And who wants to go through housebreaking a little one, and all the chewing barking and the not-fun puppy stuff when you can adopt an older dog whos been there, done that already, and is perfectly happy to learn and settle in to their new home!
With an adult Rescue dog - what you see is what you get. No 'cute puppy' who grows up to be not so cute in some cases! You also get a great idea of the dogs general activity level and strength... keep in mind, that almost all boxers are uber-happy when you meet them, so ignore that greeting phase! Rescues also have a general idea often of the dogs health, and a fantastic grasp on the dogs temperament. Rescues do not adopt out dogs with issues that would prevent them from succeeding in a normal home situation... so much of the 'adopting someone elses problem' is a myth. I would honestly say in my STRONG opinion is that the reason most Boxers end up in rescue is that the buyer did NOT research the breed and bought before thinking it over or knowing what Boxers are all about.
Tons of perfectly wonderful, normal, trainable, companions are sitting in rescue needing homes right now. And who wants to go through housebreaking a little one, and all the chewing barking and the not-fun puppy stuff when you can adopt an older dog whos been there, done that already, and is perfectly happy to learn and settle in to their new home!
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35 Posts
I have to agree with cinema on this one.
Rescue is a great way to go. And you know what you are getting from the start, problems or not. A boxer is not the dog for everyone, and a boxer puppy is NOT for the faint of heart. You must posess a VERY good laugh reflex...and learn that everything is fair game for happy puppy mouths! LOL
As for your question, Is it certain my boxer will have health problems?...No
But to err on the side of caution and go about this responsibly, please research all the health problems that afflict this breed. Research, temperment, energy level, size....all the things that will help you decide which breed is better for you. Boxers are not for everyone. If you decide on boxers being the right breed for you, GREAT! Now do your research, and take your time. Find a reputable breeder. Ask TONS of questions! Find SEVERAL different breeders and meet them if they are close enough, talk to them on the phone. With all the research you did about the breed, form questions for the breeder. If the breeder is NOT willing to answer questions, or doesn't have an answer...be weary. Ask them how long they have been in the breed, what do they feel they have contributed to the betterment of the breed. It is a long process, and sometimes a very intense one. But it will be WORTH the time and effort when you bring home your bouncy...and yes it will be bouncy, lil boxer.
Again, check out rescue, it is one of the greatest options for finding a boxer. Older boxers need homes as well. And just think NO housetraining! LOL
Hope we have all helped you in your quest for a boxer baby.
Sarah
Rescue is a great way to go. And you know what you are getting from the start, problems or not. A boxer is not the dog for everyone, and a boxer puppy is NOT for the faint of heart. You must posess a VERY good laugh reflex...and learn that everything is fair game for happy puppy mouths! LOL
As for your question, Is it certain my boxer will have health problems?...No
But to err on the side of caution and go about this responsibly, please research all the health problems that afflict this breed. Research, temperment, energy level, size....all the things that will help you decide which breed is better for you. Boxers are not for everyone. If you decide on boxers being the right breed for you, GREAT! Now do your research, and take your time. Find a reputable breeder. Ask TONS of questions! Find SEVERAL different breeders and meet them if they are close enough, talk to them on the phone. With all the research you did about the breed, form questions for the breeder. If the breeder is NOT willing to answer questions, or doesn't have an answer...be weary. Ask them how long they have been in the breed, what do they feel they have contributed to the betterment of the breed. It is a long process, and sometimes a very intense one. But it will be WORTH the time and effort when you bring home your bouncy...and yes it will be bouncy, lil boxer.
Again, check out rescue, it is one of the greatest options for finding a boxer. Older boxers need homes as well. And just think NO housetraining! LOL
Hope we have all helped you in your quest for a boxer baby.
Sarah
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5 Posts
Hi I am a second generation boxer owner. My first boxer had no health problems at all. My second boxer lived to be 12 years old which is rare for a boxer. Their life span is only about 8yrs. We had to put our boxer down because he had cancer. We did two surgeries on him. The first time the vet was able to remove the tumor in his hock. He went a year before the tumor came back. Had another surgery but due to his age he did not recover and the cancer came back worse and faster. We made the decision to put him down because he was suffering. But now we have our third boxer who is 14wks old and wondeerful. Not all boxers will get cancer but they are prone to it. Getting a boxer will be the best dog you will ever own.
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18,306 Posts
Amen to the rescue boxers!! Having rescued 2 of my 3 boxers, I cannot begin to say how great a feeling it is. Any breed you choose has health issues, no different than us humans. Samson, my current rescue boxer will be 10 in Jan, his hips give him problems occasionally, but other than that he's very healthy. I guess the key to me, is knowing going in that you may or may not have health problems & are you willing to deal with it? My advice to any one that say's "no"..do not get a pet..I hope you decide on a boxer,,they are such joyful friends, companions & comediens...
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