Search and see photos of adoptable pets in the Aurora, Illinois area Our Featured Aurora, IL Partner:Thinking about adopting a Boxer puppy? Here are three reasons to adopt an adult instead: Like most people, you’ve probably heard time and again that if you have kids, you should adopt a Boxer puppy (or, gasp! find a Boxer puppy for sale). The rationale is that an adult shelter dog is an unknown quantity, so buying or adopting a Boxer puppy is safer. Actually, the opposite is closer to the truth. Puppies are not usually a great choice with kids; they have very limited control over their biting/mouthing impulses, and when you mix that with lots of energy and unbelievably sharp little teeth, it’s a recipe for your small fry to be in tears.  Puppies are tiny chewing machines and can destroy a favorite stuffed animal or security blanket in short order.  Adult dogs, on the other hand, are generally calmer, and their personalities are already fully developed and on display.  

When you meet an adult dog, you can see how they are with kids and with other animals.  This takes the guesswork out of wondering how a puppy will turn out as a full-grown dog.They have a biological need to chew, they want to play constantly, and they can’t discriminate between appropriate chew toys and, say, your favorite pair of Manolos.  Puppies eventually can be trained out of this behavior, of course, and there are exceptions to every rule, but generally speaking, an adult Boxer (or any adult dog) is much less likely to shred your drapes like coleslaw or function as a “helpful” canine document shredder. Pop quiz: how often does a two-month-old puppy need to be taken out to do his business during the day?  A) every six hours; B) every eight hours; or C) every two hours? If you answered B, or even A, you’re an eternal optimist! The correct answer, though, is C: every two hours. When you’re housetraining a puppy, the general rule of thumb is that they can hold their bladder one hour for each month they’ve been alive (up to a max of about eight to ten hours).  

So a three-month-old Boxer puppy needs to go outside every three hours, a four-month-old needs to go every four hours, and so on.  Deer Head Chihuahua Puppies For Sale In FloridaIf you’re retired, or you work from home, or you’re taking the puppy to work with you or to a doggy daycare (make sure your puppy is up-to-date on all vaccines before considering that last option), great! Buy Morton'S Steak KnivesBut if you’re planning on leaving your dog alone during your workday, you’ll definitely want to adopt a full-grown dog, ideally from a Boxer rescue that can help you find the right dog for your lifestyle.Manny Pacquiao Boxing Boots For Sale Uk Let’s bust these myths about adopting a Boxer Time to get real: when we ask people what reservations they have about Boxer adoption, we hear the same things over and over again.  

If you’re operating under any of these mistaken beliefs, you just might be missing out on meeting the best friend you’ll ever have.   So it’s time for us to set the record straight: You CAN find purebred Boxers for adoption in an animal shelter or rescue group. Boxers and Boxer puppies for adoption are NOT in any way inferior to or different from those for sale. The dogs in the shelter are NOT there because they’re bad dogs. If you want a puppy, you DON’T have to buy a Boxer puppy.  Boxer puppies ARE available for adoption. If you have children, adopting a dog is likely the SAFEST option. Here’s the truth: you absolutely can find a Boxer, even a Boxer puppy, for adoption in an animal shelter or rescue group.  And they don’t end up there because they’re bad dogs.  In fact, often the only difference between the dog in the shelter and the one on your couch is a bit of bad luck.  Think about it: let’s say you buy a Boxer puppy for sale by a breeder.

Your new dog is great; you immediately enroll the two of you in obedience classes, and soon your best pal is housebroken and well trained. But what would happen to your wonderful Boxer if, tragically, something happened to you? What if he escaped from your home and ran away? Your best pal would very likely end up in an animal shelter.  The lucky person who adopts your Boxer would be getting a great dog!  Animal shelters are filled with wonderful, healthy, well-behaved dogs who have been in homes before, but whose owners have fallen on hard times.  Many of them are housebroken and trained.  Boxer rescue organizations often care for their adoptable dogs in foster homes, which means their foster families will be able to tell you if the Boxer you want to adopt is good with other animals or kids, and if he or she is housebroken and knows any basic commands. As you can see, adopting from a rescue organization is likely the very safest way for people with children to add a new Boxer to their family!

Picture: Kent and Donna Dannen Family:livestock dog, mastiff (bulldog) Average size of male:Ht: 22.5-25, Wt: 65-80 Average size of female:Ht: 21-23.5, Wt: 50-65 Friendliness towards other pets Boxer Dogs Available on Petfinder Right Now See more available on Petfinder Watch Video About Boxer Dogs The boxer is playful, exuberant, inquisitive, attentive, demonstrative, devoted and outgoing; he is a perfect companion for an active family. He can be stubborn, but he is sensitive and responsive to commands. He is generally good with other household dogs and pets. The boxer needs daily mental and physical exertion. He likes to run, but his exercise needs can also be met with a good jog or a long walk on leash. He does not do well in hot weather and is generally unsuited to living outdoors. He does best when allowed to divide his time between a house and yard. His coat needs only occasional brushing to remove dead hair. Major concerns: cardiomyopathy, SAS, CHD

Minor concerns: gastric torsion, tumors, intervertebral disc degeneration, corneal erosion, colitis Suggested tests: cardiac, hip Life span: 8-10 years Note: sensitive to heat and anesthesia; white boxers may be deaf. Dogs Related to the Boxer Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Interested in the history of the Boxer dog breed? The boxer derives from two central European breeds of dog that no longer exist: the larger Danziger bullenbaiser and the smaller Brabenter bullenbaiser. Bullenbaiser means "bull biter," and these dogs were used to grab large game (wild boars, deer and small bears) after it was at bay, hanging onto it until the hunter arrived to kill it. This required a strong but agile dog with a broad powerful jaw and a recessed nose to enable the dog to breathe while his jaws were clamped onto an animal. Similar attributes were required of dogs used in bull-baiting, a popular sport in many European countries. In England, the bulldog was the favored breed for the sport, whereas in Germany large mastiff-type dogs were used.

Around the 1830s, German hunters began a concerted effort to create a new breed, crossing their bullenbaisers with mastiff-type dogs for size, terriers for tenacity and, finally, bulldogs. The result was a tough agile dog with a streamlined body and strong grip. When bull-baiting was outlawed, the dogs were mostly used as butcher's dogs in Germany, controlling cattle in slaughter yards. By 1895, an entirely new breed, the boxer, had been established. Although the exact origin of the name boxer is obscure, he may have been derived from the German boxl, as they were called in the slaughterhouses. The boxer was one of the first breeds to be employed as a police and military dog in Germany. By 1900, the breed had become established as a general utility dog, a family pet and even a show dog. The AKC recognized the breed soon after, but only in the 1940s did the breed begin his steady rise to the top of the popularity charts, eventually peaking as the fourth-most popular breed in America. Shelters with Boxer Dogs