Boxer Dog

Boxer At-a-glance

Boxers are attractive dogs that originated in Germany. They are playful, loving, and gentle with their families and especially excellent with children.

Boxers are strong, muscular, and protective of family members, which makes them excellent watchdogs. They are very intelligent and energetic, with silly and comical personalities. You’ll never be bored when you own a Boxer!

Weight (pounds)
Male: 65-80
Female: 50-65
Height (inches)
Male: 23-25
Female: 21-23
Lifespan (years)
10-12

Dog Breed Group
Working
breed

Characteristics Ratings

We rate 19 characteristics for each breed, divided into three categories:
Highest Rated – Characteristics for which this breed is rated 4 or 5 stars (on a 5 star scale).
Neutral Rated – Characteristics that rated 3 stars.
Lowest Rated – Characteristics that rated only 1 or 2 stars.


Highest Rated

  • Good Family Dog
  • Kid Friendly
  • Low Shedding
  • Friendly to Strangers
  • Likes to Play
  • Protective Nature
  • Easy to Train
  • High Energy Level
  • Suitable for Small Yards/Apartments
  • High Intelligence

Neutral Rated

  • Good With Other Dogs
  • Low Drooling
  • Handles Change Easily
  • Low Amount of Barking
  • Good for Novice Owners

Lowest Rated

  • Tolerates Being Left Alone
  • Tolerates Cold Climate
  • Tolerates Hot Climate
  • Good General Health

General Overview

As we said, Boxers rate high as family dogs and for being kid friendly. They seem to naturally know to be gentle with both children and elderly people, who they treat with respect.

They are friendly to strangers, but will you let you know when a stranger is around, which means they are excellent watchdogs.

However, they are not particularly aggressive and as a result, are not excellent guard dogs. They are simply too good-natured and friendly to attack, as a rule. But their muscular and intimidating appearance is enough to make anyone with bad intentions think again.

The calm and laid-back boxer will much prefer to sit on your lap and lick your face!

With short coats, Boxers are easy to take care of from a grooming standpoint. A weekly brushing is sufficient to keep their coat looking good.

But at the same time, we need to tell you that Boxers are known for their loud and smelly gas!

They are moderate droolers and moderate barkers, but can easily develop separation anxiety. They love their humans and get bored and lonely when left alone. This can lead to unwanted behaviors such as chewing, digging, and barking. Boxers do best with families that can spend a lot of time with them.

Being highly active dogs with tons of energy, Boxers need plenty of daily exercise and mental stimulation. They particularly enjoy playing games such as tug of war and frisbee.

Boxers can be a good choice for first-time owners who love to spend time with their dogs and will do so regularly. Because this need for constant exercise and play is the biggest reason Boxers are given up to shelters, please be certain you’re ready for this type of commitment if you’re considering a Boxer.

Boxers can also be a bit stubborn, so owners must take a strong lead in training and let them know who is the boss. Fortunately, they are highly intelligent and easy to train when it’s done properly.

Overall, Boxers are reasonably healthy. They are prone to the health issues of all large dogs, with lymphatic cancer being most common in this breed.

Boxers are also sensitive to extremes in temperature, so they don’t do well in very cold or very hot climates.

Scroll to Top