At this time now, almost every family has a dog pet. They can have it just because they love dogs or because they need them as guard dogs. A very known breed for a guard dog has been the boxer dog. When it comes to their family, boxer dogs can be the sweetest and goofiest. But, when it comes to complete strangers, they can be very intimidating and wary. Those are some of the many characteristics that people love about them.
History of Boxer dog
At first, the boxers were made as breeding dogs in the 19th century in Germany. Until the 1940s and 1950s, the boxer wasn’t as famous a breed in America. His family consists of bull breeds. They are a bulldog, bull terrier, and a few more. What the purpose of boxers was to hunt, fight and bait.
Why this dog is called a boxer is because they are known for their “boxing” characteristic. What this means is that they like to “box” with their front paws. This breed was one of the first ones to be used in Germany as police dogs. If you want to know more about their history, follow this link https://americanboxerclub.org/boxer_history.html.
About this breed
When you look at them, they look sad. But, no, they’re actually very happy dogs. This breed is very joyful, very close with its human family, but can be very alert with strangers. If you train a boxer correctly and consistently, it can grow up to be the perfect family dog. They’re not fighters, but they stand down if another dog starts to attack them.
It’s the type of dog with high energy 24/7, and it’s best to keep it occupied because if you leave it to be bored, it can cause a lot of damage. When you look at it, it can seem very intimidating at first. It’s a big dog, usually weighing around 70 pounds or more. The females are smaller than the males most of the time. Unlike many other dogs, its coat is very short that sheds, of course. But, taking care of it can be pretty straightforward.
Boxers can be in different colors, such as shades of tan, white. Some questions are going around about the white boxers. People like to think that white boxers are albinos, which is not valid. It’s actually just a color.
Health issues
When we’re talking about boxers, we can say that they are actually very prone to health problems. Like any other dog owner, these ones care so much about boxers because they know their history of diseases.
The most common diseases that occur with boxers are dental disease, infections, obesity, parasites. The most common one is dental disease. It appears in around 80% of dogs, but boxers are the ones who catch this one above any other breed. If this isn’t prevented, they can lose all their teeth. This can cause problems with their kidneys, heart, and liver. That’s why taking care of your dogs’ dental issues is essential.
Another widespread issue for boxers is infections. They can get rabies, distemper which are the ones that probably all dogs get. These infections can be prevented if you get your dog vaccinated.
Even if we don’t like to agree, dogs are supposed to eat dog food and not human food. It can be very easy for your dog to gain weight, but that way, it can cause serious health problems. Those being metabolic problems, digestive ones as well, joint issues heart disease. Instead of giving them more food, it’s better to take them on a walk.
Sometimes even walking your dog somewhere can cause them to get bugs in their body or on it. Ticks and fleas can infest their skin. Many other things like drinking dirty water or getting a bite from a mosquito can get hookworms, heartworms, and many other in their system. They can cause severe pain and sometimes even death. So regular checks can prevent any of these things.
Boxers have some predispositions based on their genetics. One of them is heart disease, which can occur at any point in their life. If they detect it early on, then giving them medication for it can help them a lot.
Another one is bloating. This usually happens with dogs who have deep chests, and boxers are one of them. When this happens, the stomach fills itself with gas, which cuts the blood circulation to the stomach. This issue can be very fatal, and it can occur in a matter of minutes. The best solution for this is surgery.
Bone and joint problems have been reported more in boxers than in any other breed. These can be treated with medication for pain and can be prevented as well. Check this page out to find out more.
Every dog is different and has characteristics that separate them from another. Sometimes to fully understand them, you need a conversation about who has the type of breed that you want, but you are not sure if they’re the right choice for you.
Maybe you have some specific things that you are not so sure about. Especially if you want to have a boxer dog, it can be very challenging to know what boxer health problems are and how to get rid of them.
But, you don’t have to worry too much. If you love them, then you’ll find a way to help them out. It’s worth taking care of a dog like a boxer one.
