How long do boxers live and what are they like in old age?

[Alisa KM]

Hey all, haven't been on here in awhile and I missed it a bit!

My hubby and I are proud parents of a beautiful, fawn boxer boy Bucky (just turned 7 in December). He is still pretty energetic, healthy for now thank God, and sweet as always.

I was just curious what the average lifespan of the boxer was? Does it depend on bloodline and the way you take care of them? Or does it depend on where you got them from (breeder)? Some places I read as young as 8 or 9, other sites say 10-12 or even up to age 14. Do females usually live longer? I also heard that the heavier the dog (ours is about 75 to 80 lbs, fluctuates) the younger the age they can pass.

How old are your boxers, or in your experience, how old were your previous boxers when they passed? Also, what are they like in old age? Still playful and energetic? I hear they only get super senile in extreme old age whatever that means.

I love my boy and can't bear to think of anything happening to him :( So far, so good though, thank goodness, he is still very upbeat and playful!

Thanks in advance for your answers! Curious to hear from you all

 

[Bathel]

Really can vary depending on the health of the dog. Boxers are prone to cancers and heart issues that can shorten their life span.

With our girl, we went into ownership hoping for 8 years and if we get more, then we'll be blessed.

Having said that, I don't want to scare you either... I know of boxers that live well past 14 years too. I think as they age it's important to keep an eye on their health and have regular checkups at the vet. If you notice something out of the normal, get it checked out. Early detection heart issues can be maintained with medication along with finding and removing any pre-cancer lumps....

Enjoy your boxer for as long as you have him and just be thankful for that time.

 

[Tuff Love]

Enjoy your boxer for as long as you have him and just be thankful for that time.

Couldn't agree more.

Lifespan of a boxer... that's a million dollar question right there. And yes it can depend a lot on the things you've mentioned, but sometimes it's just the luck of the draw. There's boxers on here who have lived into their teens and there's some of us who were unfortunate enough to lose them before middle age... and some of these came from health screened parents. The truth is they are prone to some awful things that can creep up out of nowhere, which is why I think the average is listed as 8-10 years, but really it's a crapshoot. Nasty cancers, DM, heart issues, and other problems tend to occur after middle age. Of course there's also boxers who live a fairly healthy and long life (were it not for the seniors on here though I would have my doubts! ). If your boy has had a fairly healthy life then you're truly blessed and I hope he lives to a ripe old age. No matter how long they live... it's never enough. They're amazing dogs.

 

[x19er]

We lost our first boy at 10, our first girl at 12, Dino currently is 9 and still acts the same as he did when he was 9 months old.

Thinking back I don't think our first boy slowed down much although the volume of his snoring increased considerably :D. Sophie did mostly in her last year although she still retained her boxer spirit and had the odd bit of madness & mayhem although at a slightly slower speed and for not as long.

They just stayed the same as they always were, young at heart, fun & loving, what really kept them fit & on the go was having a younger dog to harass them into playing everyday & to keep up with.

 

[Kisaq]

We've had five.
They passed at 8, 11, 12, 10.5 ... and our one now is 2 and doing well.

They seem to calm down (a little bit) around age 5 or 6, but still act like puppies at heart. It is a crap shoot as to how long they'll bless us with their presence. Lizzy, the one who passed at 8 was the healthiest, most rambunctious little tug boat I've ever seen. But she was the youngest to go. And Daisy was the most sickly, allergy ridden, accident prone dog we've ever had, and she passed at 12.

I'd agree with Bathel in that once they get older to keep a close eye on any new issues arising and have them checked out sooner rather than later. A good vet with boxer experience helps because breed is prone to certain things. A vet who knows boxers will usually jump right to the correct test - someone who doesn't know boxers may have to run through the gambit a bit to hit on the right thing.

Plus... we also go into it knowing that anything after 8 years is a bonus and a blessing. I just love the seniors.

 

[Gatorblu]

The first boxer I feel in love with belonged to the guy I was dating. I think Prill made it 5 yrs when he developed multiple brain tumors. I got rid of the boyfriend, but kept my love for the breed. I have had 3 of them. Star lived to be 10 years, and Thor was 12. Each had their health issues. Star had them almost from the moment I got her. Thor was healthy up to the age of 8, then it seemed like something new popped up every year. Most could be managed with medicine.

My third is Arabella. She, too turned 7 in Dec. She has been healthy most of her life with just a hiccup here or there. Since my first two had heart issues I had her screened this past year so if there is something I can be on top of it. Luckily she had a good check up.

I know I have been fortunate to have my pups live as long as they have, and I hope I continue with that lucky streak. My heart breaks with each loss, but somehow I still want another boxer.

 

[whiskers]

Prior to Juno I have only had one boxer. I think we were super lucky with her. We got her from a shelter when she was 7 months old, so I have no idea where she came from before that. But she lived to be 12, ultimately she ended up getting bone cancer, but she was active and running laps around the backyard until the day she died. Yeah, she couldn't run as many laps. And yeah, she wouldn't play fetch for as long. But she still did those things.

She was always healthy until the end though. Only other issue she had was hypothyroidism which to me is pretty insignificant.

Unfortunately working at a vet clinic I don't see many boxers passing the 10 year mark. The ones that do, often aren't without health issues. You can stack the odds in your favor by going to a reputable breeder that has longevity in their lines, but ultimately genetics will do what they want, so you can never guarantee anything.

 

[Gunther]

Prior to Juno I have only had one boxer. I think we were super lucky with her. We got her from a shelter when she was 7 months old, so I have no idea where she came from before that. But she lived to be 12, ultimately she ended up getting bone cancer, but she was active and running laps around the backyard until the day she died. Yeah, she couldn't run as many laps. And yeah, she wouldn't play fetch for as long. But she still did those things.

She was always healthy until the end though. Only other issue she had was hypothyroidism which to me is pretty insignificant.

Unfortunately working at a vet clinic I don't see many boxers passing the 10 year mark. The ones that do, often aren't without health issues. You can stack the odds in your favor by going to a reputable breeder that has longevity in their lines, but ultimately genetics will do what they want, so you can never guarantee anything.

Yeah I'll agree with this one whole. Our Struddell made it to 10 but had DM so she was really cheated out of the last 18 months of her life.

The ones that make it pass 10 seem to be fairly uncommon. Stru had no issues her whole life and then this and she was from a BYB. I'd go so far as to say the whole 10 year life span is a result of BYB impact on the Boxers as a whole?

 

[Sablegirl]

Our girl is 11yrs old and has no health issues other than a UTI and bronchitis one time. She has some arthritis in her right hip but other than all her silver she is still her wiggly boxer self. BTW she is a rescue from a puppy mill. The first 3 years of her life she spent in a cage and used for breeding. We have been lucky with how health she is.

 

[Jan]

I think the average boxer lifespan is 8-12 years. My first boxer, Markus lived until 11.5. He came from a good breeder that showed, but I have no idea what kind of health testing they did. Terramoto was my second boxer. I wanted another healthy boxer that would live a long life, so I made sure that his parents had all the necessary healthy testing. He died a couple of days after his 5th birthday or a suspected heart attack. :( I am now on boxers 3 and 4. I hope that Allie and Dante live long lives.