[Bogie]

I am currently doing research on dogs......I'm at the "decide on breed" stage and have a short-list of possible candidates:
Boxer
German Shephard
Golden Retriever

I live in a fairly large house with a decent size yard, so I can accomodate a good size animal.  I have 2 kids, a 2 y-o and a 6 y-o.
I'm looking for a dog that will be a good companion for me and my whole family, so he has to be very gentle/tolerable with children.  I like to walk, so exercise will be plentiful.  I want a dog that I can train to heel, sit, stay, etc (nothing special....just the basics).  I dont like dogs that jump on people when they come in the house or are too wild to control outside or dogs that have a tendency to run off.  I want a dog that will offer some level of warning if there were to be a break-in in the middle of the night.....barking is enough, I'm not looking for an attack dog.  On the same token, I dont want a dog that I have to worry about biting people if I have guests or repairmen in the house and I dont want to make guests feel uncomfortable.
On the most basic level, I want a dog with the following traits:

good with small kids
trainable on basic commands
will bark when strangers enter property/ ring doorbell, etc. (but I dont want to worry about attacks or bites)

Please tell me your opinion on my requirements and living situation and if you think a Boxer (or any of the dogs on my list for that matter) is a good choice.

Thank you for your opinion.

 

[CrazieKC]

Most boxers I know are fairly jumpy, but any dog will jump without training and any dog can not jump with proper training. Boxers are great with kids and very good protectors. I've heard some amazing stories on this board of people and their boxers warning them about dangerous situations.

 

[kris]

I am so glad that you are researching the breed before getting one. A boxer is a high energy dog that loves their people. They are great with kids. I have a 6 year old also, and Harley lets him do just about anything to him. They are very loyal to their "people"  and will protect them. They do not look for trouble, but if trouble finds them, they will stand up to it. That's good that you like to excersise, because they need lots of running and playing. They will alert you when someone comes to the door, or when something isn't just right. They are VERY intellegent animals, and are easily trained.  As far as the dogs on your list, I would have to say Boxer, just because I am very partial to them. A Golden is a very good dog also, so is the Shepard. I hope this helps. Good luck and welcome to Boxer Forums!

 

[sumyasmom]

i agree with what they^^^^ said. any dog will most likely jump if not trained properly.i have  a 3 year old daughter and my boxer is incredibly gentle, tolerant, and patient with her.like kris said they pretty much let the kids do anything to them. i have been amazed on many occasions on what my boxer puts up with! :roll: as far as alerting you. if someone  who is up to no good tries to come in your house or near your family,you can pretty much know your boxer will do anything to protect you,they are very intellgent and i do not think you would  have  to worry about your boxer going after grandma or the comcast guy . so if you want another family member and friend for life, i say get a boxer!( i think you'll probably get  a lot of that here!) please let us know what you decide.

 

[sully]

A boxer sounds perfect for you.  As others said, the most difficult thing will be to curb the jumping.  Their natural instinct is to jump when they greet people or other dogs.  With consistency, you can train this out of them.  I'm actually amazed at how smart my boy is, if I really get in the zone, I can teach him new commands in 10 minutes.  They catch on real quick if you are consistent and patient.

 

[Taymickey]

I think a boxer sounds perfect for you too, as long as you train it not to jump since they are like any other animal and love to jump.  A boxer will melt your heart literally.  They think they are like any other human lol.  They are excellent with kids and I mean EXCELLENT.  Michaela the one day (no we don't let her do this) ran from one end of the room to the other and jumped right on Maggie while Maggie was sleeping.  Maggie sat her head up, looked at Michaela, kissed her and went back to sleep... she did this in front of company who now wants a boxer because of Maggie lol.

 

[Barbs2Ks]

All three are great dogs but as others on here I am partial to boxers.  Boxers are very smart and learn quickly, so if you work with them to train properly, you will have a great companion for you and your family.

 

[48Dodge]

I also have a 2yo (son, Hunter) just 4 months shy of being 3.  Cooper is extremely tolerant of my son, more tolerant that I would be if I were a dog.    Cooper can play fairly rough and has knocked my son around, especially when we first got him, but I think Cooper is starting to learn to play a little more gently with Hunter and vice versa.  They both do a great job of wearing each other out, but they're like 2 peas in a pod when it comes to getting in trouble...

 

[Kate]

It's a good thing to do the research on what breed will best fit into your family.  All three of the breeds you have listed can make wonderful family pets.  With that said, however, I think the advice I can give you is that once you have decided on the breed you want, find a reputable breeder that that will provide you with an animal that's parents have had all of the recommended health certifications/tests.  Every breed has genetic problems to look out for and finding a reputable breeder to work with can save you money and grief in the long run.  Let us know what you decide.

 

[ReekosMom]

Boxers are awesome dogs I have a 3 year old and an 8 month old and both my dogs are great with them!! My female is 2 1/2 years and my male is 8 months! Yeah they have knocked my 3 yr old down a few times but it was an accident. Boxer do have a tendency to jump and you have to put alot of training into it! I had a big problem with my girl and jumping but now shes fine and only jumps when shes "invited" too. I got my boy when he was 6 months and he wouldnt even jump when invited lol

All your choiced seem to be great ones!!

My husbands uncle has a Golden pup, I think shes 8 months old and shes absolutely TERRIBLE lmao Talking about jumping. So its all in the way you raise them. This girl I believe has 0 training!

 

[Bogie]

Thank you all for your responses.



I did post the same question on a Golden forum and of course they were biased as well,    and basically stated the same things as everyone here.  That both breeds seemed like a great fit for my family and that any bad behavior, like jumping up, could be trained away.

I think that the GSD seems like a more aggressive breed than Goldens or Boxers, and to be honest, are my 3rd choice.  If I didnt have kids, and were focused more on a watch dog, it might be different.

I think Goldens and Boxers are what I'll be concentrating on the most.



I do have a couple questions now.....



What price range can I typically expect to pay for a pure Boxer puppy from a reputable dealer?



What are the typical genetic traits to look for (good and bad) in a Boxer puppy?





Thank you for your knowledge!

 

[sully]

We are certainly biased of course.  Although I am not one for convincing people to get a boxer just because I have one.  I definitely recognize they are not a breed for everybody.  I often tell people on here not to get one.....because it doesn't sound like they know what they are in for.  I would say they are a high maintenance breed in many respects, although the rewards are well worth it.  Yes I do think they are one of the best breeds of dogs and I am pretty picky about dogs myself.  Personally I do believe that boxers tend to be jumpers more than most other breeds.   Proper training can solve it, it just may take some time (especially with puppies).

A couple of things:  you are absolutely correct in doing your research and checking different boards.  All prospective dog owners should do the same!

I don't necessarily agree that german shepards are more aggressive.  I think boxers can be just as aggressive or more aggressive.  Both are strong breeds so both have the potential to be aggressive.  Both are generally weary of strangers.  They are both similiar in that they are strong breeds who can intimidate, but they can also be softies, and have quite a few differences.  I mean I know the standard answer is that all dogs are different, even within breeds, but there are inherent instinctive and genetic traits within all breeds.  It's probably safe to assume the basic traits of breed when you're a prospective owner, because more than likely you'll be closer to the truth than if you are just guessing/hoping they are going to be a certain way.

I am surprised the golden retriever is on your list, I would say that one is the most different from the other two.  If you want a watchdog, I wouldn't get a retriever.  Sure they may bark at the doorbell, but I think labs and retrievers are more apt to bark at anything or even nothing.  Boxers generally don't bark a lot unless theres a reason.  German shepards may fall into the needless barking behavior as well, but they are more alert to what's around than labs and retrievers.  A golden is definitely a great family dog but have very little in common with boxers.  I would consider a golden to be a lower maintenance breed.  Boxers are hyper compared to most breeds, if you're not ready for an animal that may be bouncing off the walls at any given moment, it can be a bit much to handle.  A lot of people think they want a high energy dog, but what they really want is an animal that will catch a frisbee every Sunday afternoon.  They don't think about how the dog is going to be bouncing off the walls during that Monday-Friday routine when the family spends 5 hours watching tv.  A high energy dog can certainly be annoying if you're not ready for it.  But having a big house and yard will certainly help them work off the energy, as well as kids who will undoubtedly want to play with the dog non-stop.    

Just from what you've stated here, I think a boxer or german shepard would be a great addition to your family.  While it may sound silly, for me the biggest knock against germans is the shedding and the sheer size!  They are big dogs who can easily knock over stuff by accident (including kids) and their hair gets everywhere.  Boxers look big but really are a medium sized breed, and even when shedding occurs, the short-hair doesn't appear as bad on the furniture/clothing.  With early proper supervision, both would be great with your kids and be very loyal/protective of your entire family and property.  If you want a big teddy bear who always looks approachable (even if they aren't), go for a golden retriever.

 

[HannaBanana]

To start your search check out this site from Jennifer Walker - Newcastle Boxers -its a great starting point to helping a buyer start in the right direction to finding their perfect, healthy boxer puppy -

Good Luck

http://www.newcastleboxers.com/breederquestions.shtml

 

[samsonsmom]

You've been given a ton of great advice and I would definitely have a look at Jennifer's website, she is very knowledgeable...Goldens are great, but I don't feel they are as alert as Boxers, course I have just been around one, My sisters Jake and he is a huge wuss actually.... :lol: Boxers, in my opinion ar ethe best, but I also realize they are not for everyone...Talk to local breeders, or better still, see if you have a local branch of ABC( american boxer club) go see boxers, go to meetups, etc. watch how Boxers interact and play, that's the best way to see if a Boxer is best for you or not

http://www.americanboxerclub.org/

 

[Taymickey]

I was just reading someone's response and how Boxers are such high energy dog.  I don't nessecarily think so.  I know Maggie can get hyper but when she's told the word "Enough" she stops immeidiately and settles down... this is at 6 mos of age, so it's obvious they can be trained well.  Also I find Boxers can be quite lazy too lol.  Expect to carry them sometimes so you need someone with muscles in the family.  But they are most definately loyal family dogs.  They will protect if needed but I do find they can be sociable.