Q. Are Boxers mean dogs?

A. Not at all, or at least no more than any other dog. Boxers are wonderfully loving and playful dogs. Boxers are of the bull breed, and have that look about them that people have come to relate with as a "Bad Dog", but like I said, they are anything but a mean dog. However, a boxer just like any breed, if mistreated or neglected, has the potential to be a difficult dog to handle.

Q. I'm not sure, I have small children, and how are Boxers with kids?

A. The AKC has rated Boxers as one of the top five breeds for children for years. All my boxers have been raised with my two children since they were born. Boxers are protectors by nature, but have a keen sense about children and look after them in particular. Q. Are boxers hard to train?

A. Boxers are an intelligent breed but can be stubborn without established rules that are followed consistently. Another thing to mention about boxers and training, it has been my experience that all my boxers seem to learn new commands quickly when young. Then around two and a half years of age, they hit their teen years and absolutely forget everything you have taught them for about six months. Then they finally mature and return your world to Doggy Bliss.

Q. Are boxers hard to house train?

A. Ok, two part answer. It has been my experience that house training or potty training without the use of a crate is absolutely head banging. However, with consistency and the use of a crate, house breaking is made easy. I would also like to note that, for me, females have traditionally been easier or quicker to house train.

Q. What are the colors of Boxers?

A. Boxers actually come in two main colors. Variations of these colors are what, at times, can be confusing. The two main colors are fawn and brindle. Fawn is a light tan/red color and brindle is a coat with a fawn base and black stripes. In addition to these two colors you can have white added to either color, but should not exceed 30% of the overall color. Along with the brindle you can also have what is called a reverse brindle, which is a coat that has black as a base color with tan stripes.

A. Why are your Boxers priced so high?

A. We do not consider our boxers priced high in the least. As with any responsible breeder, there is very little, if any, money made in actually breeding dogs. All of our boxers are certified beyond their AKC registrations. They are Pennhip and blood certified, always up-to-date with vaccinations, and when getting ready to breed have other tests done to make sure they are of solid breeding material. After that, add in the x-rays and surprise visits to the vet that happen during the gestation and soon you will see where the money goes. We are very proud of our boxers and have chosen or matched them to ensure the highest quality and standard of a family boxer. In addition we go out of our way to ensure that you receive the best possible boxer to add to your family. Our pups are fully adjusted to humans and introduced and exposed to just about any situation they will be faced with once they go home with you, which I promise, you will be thankful for.

Q. What should I feed my Boxer?

A. That always seems like a loaded question to me since there are so many experts out there that want to tell you the "One and Only" way to feed your pet! I cannot make that claim myself, but what I can do is tell you what I do and why I do it and perhaps that will help you in making what you feel is the right decision for your boxer pup.

I feed Eukanuba to all my dogs, from large dog puppy kibble, to large dog adult kibble, to senior adult kibble. I feed them this for no other reason then all my dogs do terrific on it. They have great pH balanced skin, they smell good, they have fantastic coats year round, have healthy eyes, ears, hearts, stomaches, bones and have appropriate stools in proportion and consistency. I know that last one is kind of gross but it's important to note.

I usually do not deviate from just the dry puppy kibble for the first year, but after that I like to add or change up my dogs diets. Not drastically, but a little, and here is why. I'm sure you've heard that changing your dog's diet is dangerous and makes them sick. This is true, but not completely. We love to travel and take vacations, visit relatives, friends and just generally get out and do stuff. Our dogs being such big parts of our lives and parts of our family that they love to partake in these activities also. Because of that, "always on the move" life style we live, sometimes we do not plan accordingly and run out of our brand of dog food, or it is not possible to find our brand or for whatever reason, we just do not have our brand to feed our dogs. So then what? If we feed them something else they are going to be sick... I do not think that has to be the case.

The reason dogs get upset stomaches is because they are not used to other options. So, I regularly add to my dogs meals other things, like different brands of kibble, safe raw foods, and safe cooked foods. Because of this my dogs can eat just about anything and not get sick or upset stomachs. I even feed my dogs plenty of table scraps and in my opinion they are the better for it. It's people food right and not ALL people food is safe for dogs, but pretty much most of what you eat is as good for them as it is for you! Of course excess in just about anything can lead to issues, but I'm sure you get my point.

The issues you fall into with treats and scraps, comes down unhealthy fatty foods and to obedience and training. Generally if it's a food where too much of it is going to make you fat, it's going to make your dog fat and obesity in dogs is a huge problem and very prevalent in the U.S. Obedience and training, if you already do these things and have a well behaved dog, then you do not have any issues in the first place. By only giving treats as rewards for following commands and feeding in appropriate dog eating areas, you can avoid it ever being an issue as well.

Now, there are lots of other brands of dog food out there from dry kibble to moist kibble to cooked and raw meat. If you want to try something other then what I do, just read up on it a little bit and soon you will be more then submersed in dog feed education then you ever wished to be. I will say this, if you are going to go with the raw meat diet, make sure you understand it fully before diving in. Top name brand companies spend lots of time, money and resources developing the proper balance in their dogs foods and if you're going to make your own you need to do the same.

Just remember a good balanced diet, lots of exercise and training followed with tons of love, will give you the best companion you could ever hope for.

Q. Why can't I show my white Boxer?

A. Showing is not some sort of beauty contest, and it's not for showing off your pet. The single, solitary purpose of the show ring is selection of specimens who are close enough representatives of the breed standard to be used for breeding. This is why you cannot show a spayed or neutered animal also. They cannot be used for breeding; therefore it is pointless to show them. An un-pigmented (white) boxer is a disqualification under the breed standard according to all breed standard descriptions from all major kennel clubs. The discussion really should end right there - if an animal has some physical feature that is excluded by the standard, then it is impossible that they could possibly be judged close enough to it to be a specimen suitable for breeding. But you should bear in mind WHY white boxers are excluded. It's not because at one point someone decided they did not like the color white in a Boxer - it is because they cannot be used for breeding: they have a double dose of a pigment-diluting gene that would cause ALL of their offspring and subsequent generations to have their pigment diluted. That would mean, amongst other things like blindness and sensitive skin, that the incidence of deafness within the breed would rise. With whites excluded from breeding, deafness in this breed is small - less than 2%. Within the white population it's 20%. Deliberately breeding a known defect into a dog breed would be irresponsible in the extreme (what would you say about someone deliberately breeding a heart defect, or epilepsy? It's no different). The above percentages only relate to bilateral deafness, btw - very likely the figure is doubling for unilateral. And it does not require that a white dog be affected for his offspring to be. THAT is why the color is excluded from the standard. And that is why they cannot enter a contest for selection of breeding stock. It is not unfair, discriminatory or any other emotive label that could be attached to it. It is just being a responsible breeder. There are plenty of other competitions - those that don't exist for selection of breeding animals - which whites and neutered pets are perfectly welcome to be entered in. You can always get involved in some form of dog sport? It's a fair bet that Rover or Princes would have a lot more fun with it as you might also.

Q. What does it mean when someone is marketing a white Boxer as a "rare" white Boxer?

A. It means they are being sneaky and untruthful and should not be trusted. Just like what is written in the "Why can't I show my white Boxer" answer, white is only rare because it is a defect. The same can be said for someone who is marketing a "rare" all black or "seal" Boxer, only in the reverse form. Standards are developed for the safety of any specific breed. This being said, in any blood line of Boxer, from time to time a breed standard Sire and Dame, can throw or produce an all-white or mostly white pup. In turn this pup could grow into a perfectly healthy happy Boxer and live a wonderful life with you. Still this is not the standard but the exception.

Q. Are Boxers hyper or over energetic?

A. Boxers are of the working breed and so have a higher energy level then say a herding breed. Like with any breed of dog, proper exercise and training is required to ensure a perfect balance between physical health and mental health. Boxers do need a certain amount of exercise and stimulation, complimented with confident training and handling to ensure a calm relaxed companion in and out of the house. If you are a quiet, to yourself homebody who does not like the outdoors or to be bothered with a constant companion, then a Boxer is probably not for you. We have had many Boxers over the years and we have never had an issue with any of our Boxers being hyper or overly energetic.