Guard dogs?
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Matt S
Boxer Insane
Amongst other things boxers are bred to be instinctively protective & loyal.
Check out the following link to the breed standard, in particular the Character and Temperament section.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/boxer.cfm
Also if you use the Boxerworld search engine, (top right of screen), & run some searches on things such as "guard" & "protective" you'll find a heap of previous relevant threads on this topic.
Check out the following link to the breed standard, in particular the Character and Temperament section.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/boxer.cfm
Also if you use the Boxerworld search engine, (top right of screen), & run some searches on things such as "guard" & "protective" you'll find a heap of previous relevant threads on this topic.
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Thomas Liggin
Boxer Insane
It depends on what you want from a guard dog.
Boxers will commonly make a commotion when someone arrives. Their barking and actions appear very threatening when if fact they are only "greeting" the stranger/visitor. This is enought to deter most unwanted "guests".
It can also scare off wanted "guests" as well.
They can be very protective and may attack an individual who appears to be threatening one of his family.
Do you want a dog that will alert you when someone arrives, or a dog that will "threaten" or take action should someone walk into your home unannounced?
It is quite typical for a Boxer to alert you to arrivals, or someone walking by your property. If you want more than that, I recommend you get a qualified trainer lest you end up with a vicious dog.
Tom
Boxers will commonly make a commotion when someone arrives. Their barking and actions appear very threatening when if fact they are only "greeting" the stranger/visitor. This is enought to deter most unwanted "guests".
It can also scare off wanted "guests" as well.
They can be very protective and may attack an individual who appears to be threatening one of his family.
Do you want a dog that will alert you when someone arrives, or a dog that will "threaten" or take action should someone walk into your home unannounced?
It is quite typical for a Boxer to alert you to arrivals, or someone walking by your property. If you want more than that, I recommend you get a qualified trainer lest you end up with a vicious dog.
Tom
Thank you both so much. You have been a great help. See I'm new to Boxers and Boxer World. I am the proud owner of a 9 month old flashy brindle male Boxer. I was just wondering about Boxers being guard dogs because when Rocky (my boxer) hears someone passing by he starts barking and being protective, but when a stranger starts walking towards him he gets scared! Could that be because he is only 9 months? Don't get me wrong, I do not want a viscious dog, but in case someone would brake into my house I wouldn't want my dog to be scared.
Thanks again for all the help.
Thanks again for all the help.
Thomas Liggin
Boxer Insane
Being timid is not a typical Boxer trait, so it's probably a "puppy thing", unless some stranger had abused him. When Indy was younger, he'd literally panic when a loud truck passed us while we were walking.
He outgrew that.
Does he get scared on your property or when you're away from your home. A dog will normally be more assertive on their own territory, but may "respect" the territory of someone else by backing down.
As he matures, you may have a problem with Rocky being overly enthusiastic about meeting people. Some people get nervous when a dog rushes at them.
Tom
He outgrew that.
Does he get scared on your property or when you're away from your home. A dog will normally be more assertive on their own territory, but may "respect" the territory of someone else by backing down.
As he matures, you may have a problem with Rocky being overly enthusiastic about meeting people. Some people get nervous when a dog rushes at them.
Tom
Barb_IA
Boxer Insane
I've seen my boxers leery and skittish of strangers. They are a good judge of character. There will be people your dog feels comfortable around and others he may never like. Mine never liked my father in law and some others. Then a total stranger could come to the house and they were just fine. The boxer look can be very intimidating to people. If anyone was to cause you or your children harm I'm sure your boxer would be there to protect you.
I've chased my neighbors boxer home a couple of times (she was running lose in the nieghborhood) and she was skittish of me but, the minute I turned my back she was after me. I thought I was going to have to walk backwards all the way back home.
I've chased my neighbors boxer home a couple of times (she was running lose in the nieghborhood) and she was skittish of me but, the minute I turned my back she was after me. I thought I was going to have to walk backwards all the way back home.
mygirlmollie
Boxer Insane
It has always been my understanding that Boxers can be 'wary of strangers' which I have seen in a few of mine and others I've known. Some people often mistake that for fear or weakness. It's not, it's just simply being cautious/wary as they are sometimes said to be.
My Boxer's always bark to alert me of visitors, would they bite someone that was jumping the fence in the middle of the night? I'm not sure....but I know they would go to great lengths to protect their family.
Wanda, Hannah & Jed.
Harley was the same way as a pup. He could care less who came in or near the house. Well now that he is 2 he is very protective of the house. If someone tries to open the door without ringing the bell or knocking he gets very deffensive and starts growling but if I let them in he is as playfull as a 3 mo old pup. He will also sleep between my wife and the door to our bedroom. If I am out late and come home and he is not sure it is me there is no way he will let me through that door. I can hear him on the other side growling but as soon as I say his name he starts wimpering like a little baby. He is actually what I would call a great guard dog. Like you said there is no way that I wan't an aggressive dog and he is by no means aggressive.(he LOVES people) but in the same token he will guard the house and protect my family. The only thing is, is that he never ever barks. This is one reason that boxers were used as guard dogs in WWII. The germans didn't wan't a dog that would bark as soon as they saw an intruder and notify them that they had been spotted. They wanted a "silent" guard dog that would attack without warning. Now granted, this has been bred out of the boxer and he is by no means the same type of boxer that was used as guards in WWII. But some of those traits have been passed down such as the protective nature and the reluctance to bark. This brings up a good question. I'm just curious but how many people have boxers that do bark alot because I know very few
Monica156
Boxer Booster
I wondered the same thing, especially since I consider Jingo to be "silliness covered in fur". Well one night I was sitting on the couch with my foot on the edge of the coffee table. My foot slipped and my shoe made a thud noise on the coffee table.
Jingo who had been asleep, was up instantly, hackles raised and making those quiet 'woof' barks that floof out her lips. Naturally once she started, Milo did too (only he's a noisy barker). I was surprised and pleased at the same time.
When we first brought Milo home we had some door to door people stop by. I was home alone at the time. Both dogs went ape (person rang the doorbell). When I got to the door the dogs are jumping up on the door, Milo is barking, Jingo is jumping at my head level (5'6"), Milo is standing on his hind legs w/his claws pushing on the screen.
Well, the two people at the door just stood there, a little stunned and backed away. I didn't make any attempt to control the dogs and mentioned something about it being hard to control them. The people went away.
Jingo who had been asleep, was up instantly, hackles raised and making those quiet 'woof' barks that floof out her lips. Naturally once she started, Milo did too (only he's a noisy barker). I was surprised and pleased at the same time.
When we first brought Milo home we had some door to door people stop by. I was home alone at the time. Both dogs went ape (person rang the doorbell). When I got to the door the dogs are jumping up on the door, Milo is barking, Jingo is jumping at my head level (5'6"), Milo is standing on his hind legs w/his claws pushing on the screen.
Well, the two people at the door just stood there, a little stunned and backed away. I didn't make any attempt to control the dogs and mentioned something about it being hard to control them. The people went away.
zandz
Super Boxer
Zack barks a couple of times when someone comes to the door, but at the same time his tail is wagging, he's doing the kidney bean dance and licking the front door. So he lets us know someone is here but I wouldn't say he's any kind of a guard dog. However, he has a huge, loud, very intimidating bark that does make some people back slowly away from the front door :D
He's never been wary with strangers, and our last boxer wasn't either. He always wants to greet everyone, but there are some people he seems to really, really like.
Our first boxer hardly ever barked. He only barked when he was outside playing with the dogs next door and when he saw a UPS delivery truck. Zack barks a little more than that, but still not a lot.
He's never been wary with strangers, and our last boxer wasn't either. He always wants to greet everyone, but there are some people he seems to really, really like.
Our first boxer hardly ever barked. He only barked when he was outside playing with the dogs next door and when he saw a UPS delivery truck. Zack barks a little more than that, but still not a lot.
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