[SARAHC]

Hi there,

I am looking for some advice and hope you can help me out. I have my name on a waiting list for a boxer puppy, which I am over the moon about. I have recently bought a book to learn more about boxers and my Husband is a bit concerned it would not be the right dog for us. The book says no boxer thrives whilst being alone for long periods and that the devil makes use for idle paws. It also said if you are houseproud, this may not be the right dog for you because they drool and will think nothing of shaking their heads and sending it everywhere.

We both work full time, I work 9-5 and my Husband works 7-3. The dog will be on its own from 8.50-12.10 in a morning and from 12.50-4.00 in an afternoon. I can come home in my lunchbreak and let the dog out and check its water etc. Do you think this is acceptable? My Husband feels it may be mean, but I feel like I could give a boxer a reallly good home. I am prepared to take it on long walks morning and night come rain and shine and I am convinced this kind of dog will make the ideal companion for us.

Also he is worried about the drool thing, how severe is this and does drool wipe off easily?

I look forward to your responses, thanks

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

i think it sounds fine...a boxer is the most loving dog..as for the drool..its not like a saint bernard or bloodhound..they DO drool but its not that bad...and its not all the time...

they are excellant dogs !!!!  

you will get alot of answers from everyone on here..watch

 

[SARAHC]

Thanks for that super speedy response, it's much appreciated!  :wink:

 

[Barbs2Ks]

I leave the house at 7:00 but come home for lunch to let Kiah out and play with her for awhile, then come home at 5:00.  We go to the dog park 3 to 4 times a week plus walks so she gets plenty of exercise. She is a great dog and I will never have another breed of dog.  Kiah only drools when I am eating something and she she wants some

One thing to remember is that with puppies you should be careful of the amount of  forced exercise (walks, not running and playing off leash); the rule is 5 minutes forced exercise for each month of age.

 

[jjtac]

I would say yes.I like to try to get a new puppy on a friday evening or saturday morning.This gives you a little more time with the puppy,instead of getting him and having to leave him for several hours at a time right off the bat in an unfamiliar place.........................................just my opinion.

 

[mylittledeers]

I've had several breeds of dogs and 2 boxers and can honestly say I hope to never be without one!! There are alternatives to being home with your baby, maybe a dog walker or doggy day care (after immunizations) As far as the drool, some are worse than others. Our last boxer never drooled unless her tummy was upset, Donner is a terrible water slob!!!! We just put a boot tray under the dishes and let him have at it!! Welcome to the forum!! Good Luck with your decision, they are lots of work and worth every second of it!

 

[Mizorie]

You woud have to set up a long term confinement area at first until your pup gets older. You know just a plce to pooty and play with toys a little. The four hours might be to long in the begining.  But I feel it can definitely be done.  As for the drool, I don't think you will have anything to worry about. The boxers aren't like the dog in the movie Turner & Hooch. Tere is usually a bit of drool after eating or vigorous play. It cleans up easily if it get on anything besides your face and arms  Boxers are truly endearing dogs that can fit into any type of family. They do need love, playtime and training. So as long as you can commit to that then you should be a-okay

 

[Mastray]

I think boxers are great!! Of course you are on a boxer forum! LOL I think that tidy house comment from the book is a little unfair... OUR house is clean and Odin really doesn't drool... I've had him 7 months or so and seen drool ONCE and we were in the backyard. Of course every dog is different! Now if you have a glass door or easy access windows... you might be cleaning them weekly, they love to rub their noses on your wonderfully clean glass!!

I think the time you get with your boxer is VERY IMPORTANT! There are plenty of people with boxers that have that exact same schedule and even less hrs at home... that have boxers that thrive! I'm a stay at home mom and that was a huge reason we went ahead to get a boxer pup but I still think you can work and have one!!

You just have to realize the personality of a puppy... that hit us by surprise a little... and we did MAJOR research before getting a boxer/puppy. For example, him destroying the $50 crate bed we bought him in the first 2 nights of being at home... don't do that!! LOL

 

[southerngirls]

I have 2 boxers and i work ten hours a day 4 days a week. My bf though doesnt work until about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. So i walk them when i wake up, they stay kenneled until he wakes up ('bout 10:30-11) then are out and playing til 2:30-3:30. Just depends on what time he had to be at work.  He comes home on his lunch break to let them out for a little bit, then I come home at 7 and they are out til about 10 p.m. The system works well for us. We have a fenced in practice soccer field behind our home so they go out there and play roughly 3 times a week.  As for the drool, I have seen our 2 yr old drool one time...she almost bombed my bf in the face!! It was great Other than that the only thing they do is when they drink water it usually leaves a little trail when they walk around for the first few seconds. I think boxers are the best....of course i do own two and have only owned boxers in the past so i may be just a bit biased

 

[SARAHC]

Thanks for all your responses that's really helpful.

I was reading that you can't really exercise your puppy till it's 6 months old, which is a bit of a bummer since I have cancelled my gym membership! Im sure this will be fine though, I have a big back garden, she can play in.

I am going to take 2 weeks off work so I can help her settle in.

I think my Hubby was totally imagining the dog would be like Hooch, and he would be finding gallons of slobber in his shoes every morning, but it sounds like it shouldnt be too bad. So far he feels much more convinced-thanks!!!

 

[southerngirls]

Not a problem Be sure to ask any questions, we are all pretty open here. BTW Boxers are GREAT family pets as well, so if you plan on adding to your family in the future your boxer will be protective over him/her.

 

[BoxerOwned83]

It's not the slobber that's bad it's all the water running out of their flaps after a drink.  I have been trying to get them to keep their head over the bowl for 5 seconds but no luck.

 

[mylittledeers]

I sooo agree with the "personality" part of a puppy. I too read alot about puppies and somewhere read that you should spend some time with the  litter and mom.The same article also said not to pick the most or least aggressive of the babies, but chose the one who picked his time to play and stop. I confess, I thought this is a little too "new age" for me- I'm an old school country girl and I just wanted a cute boxer baby! But, hubby and I agreed to try it. We spent all afternoon with the breeder, puppies and their mom and dad with no preconceived notions as to color, markings, sex etc. There was a beautiful little guy, but he just wouldn't leave ANYBODY alone for a minute. We observed one little guy who played for awhile, snuggled with mom for a while and then came and fell asleep on my feet!!! Donner came home that day!! He has been an unbelievably "easy keeper" very mellow and happy. Sorry this is so long but found it interesting that dog personality is not just something that evolves with age, but some traits they're born with.
PS I DO think it's a good idea to spend time with the pups parents if possible, both Donners were HUGE easy-going well mannered adults, kinda gave me an idea of the future.

 

[JeepKuntry]

I work a 8-5 job.  I come home at lunch (noon) and let them out to potty and let them play for a bit.  They are crate trained.

 

[Kate]

I can tell you that a few months before we got our first boxer, we bought a house full of new furniture.  Something I had waited a lifetime to do.  I knew what I wanted, my children were grown and no one was home to ruin anything.  That said, we got Kane and he has never done anything to ruin, scuff or chew on anything, and neither has Sophie (who we got at 6 weeks of age).  We do give them tons of toys to play with and watch them very carefully, but as long as you are willing to put in the time with them or confine them when you can't be there, your household is safe.  Kane is the only one who drools and it's really more like he just had a drink of water and sometimes he splashes a few drops.  It wipes up really easily and it's really been no big deal.  He mostly does it when he wants something we're eating or if he's playing hard outside and panting heavily he'll drool a little.  Someone jokingly dubed their drool as snail trails and that's about as bad as it gets, just a little water mark on the furniture sometimes which wipes right up.  

They are truly companion dogs and love to be with their people.  Many people on the site work full time jobs and still have happy well adjusted dogs.  I'm sure they can tell you much more about that as we are retired and are with our two just about 99.5% of the time.

Anyway, welcome to the forum and good luck in your search for the right dog for you.

 

[CrazieKC]

I'm probably the worst...Kaci and Milo are in there kennels from 7am until 4:45pm when the hubby is in town or 6pm if he's not. The dogs seem to be okay all day and don't mess. They play all evening and don't sleep in their kennels at night. I feel horrible about it, but unfortunately my hubby works 7-4 and I work 8-5 and we both work 45 minutes away from work. Needless to say, your boxer will be able to handle a few hours alone in their kennel each day.

 

[Suchagirl]

Ok first off, GET A BOXER you will love it.  My husband and I work the same shift and we left our boxer all day in his crate.  I have said this before I have heard that dogs dont know time, so If this is true then thats a good thing.  Also you must start you puppy in a crate I am a firm believer in that.  Boxers do at times get into things, one day I decided to go out for an hour thinking oh he will be alright by himself, when I came back home he got into toliet paper and hand lotion he flung the hand lotion all over the place lol....As far as the slobbering my dog never did uless he ate or was watching you eat.  Not that big of a deal.  Boxers are loving dogs they are gentle, protective and fun, they are very good pets.

 

[MannysMommy]

You should definitely get a boxer! Patience is the key!

 

[Sadiesmomma]

Welcome to the forum!

It's not the slobber that's bad it's all the water running out of their flaps after a drink.  I have been trying to get them to keep their head over the bowl for 5 seconds but no luck.

:lol: So true!!

Both BF and I work FT jobs and having a boxer has worked out perfectly for us. We come home at lunch to play a bit and feed her, take her out etc. Then either one of us are home in the evening. It takes a bit of juggling sometimes, but let me tell you it is so worth it!! I have never felt so loved by an animal as I do from Sadie. She is playful, snuggly, and cute. She is very active and so are we so it works out. It sounds to me like you and your husband are quite active, so it would work out. Boxers are amazing!!! I think you should go for it!  :wink:

PS. BF is from York and I lived there for a couple of yrs. Beautiful place!!

 

[sully]

It's really a personal choice.  If you are going to be a loving, caring owner, it's really silly for you not to have a dog when there are so many homeless ones out there in the world.  But personally I would not choose a boxer if it was going to be alone for most of the day, 5 days a week.  I would feel very guilty. If I didn't work from home, I would have selected a breed that requires less exercise and isn't as much of a seeker of human companionship.  All dogs need some exercise and companionship, but I do think boxers are more extreme in that department.   But that's just me.   There are always ways of making it work.