Jiffer
Boxer Booster
Hi guys,
My husband and I are seriously considering getting a Boxer and I'd like your input as to whether this is a good choice for us. We have 2 kids, 7 & 9, a female cat and an aging female Chow (11 yrs). We thought it might be nice to have a "transition" pet before the Chow passes on. Both cat and dog are indoor pets, as would the Boxer be. We have a fairly large home with a descent size backyard. The kids and I are home quite a lot because we homeschool.
The reason I am drawn to the boxer is because of its playful temperment. However, I have had visions of coming home to my leather couch being torn to shreds and the Boxer trying to eat the cat! Also, I wonder how our current dog would take to a new dog, Boxer or otherwise. She is pretty domineering to our cat (chases her out of the kitchen all the time, which cracks me up) and I'm guessing she would definitely try to dominate the new dog. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing since it is quite normal for one dog to dominate the other, but I guess I worry they may not get along at all if the Boxer is equally domineering.
Also, would you recommend a male or female in this case? I'm guessing a male may get along better with my female Chow. However, my husband leans toward female because female animals are generally less hyper, but I don't know if that's true with Boxers. I read some of the posts on male and female Boxers and it looks like it really just depends on the specific dog, not the sex. However, does anyone know if one sex is "typically" more hyper than the other?
I don't know if we'll end up with a puppy or possibly a young adult from an animal rescue (which opens up a whole new can of worms!). Either way, I am prepared to work with him or her on obedience training, etc. We used to have a rottweiler/shepherd mix, so we are experienced in big silly dogs who like to play all the time, however, that was an outdoor dog. I can't even imagine having a dog like that inside my house most of the time. Chows are so mellow and come pre-potty trained!
So, that's pretty much it. I know it was a lot! Sorry! Just looking for input before making a big decision like this.
Thanks,
Jen
My husband and I are seriously considering getting a Boxer and I'd like your input as to whether this is a good choice for us. We have 2 kids, 7 & 9, a female cat and an aging female Chow (11 yrs). We thought it might be nice to have a "transition" pet before the Chow passes on. Both cat and dog are indoor pets, as would the Boxer be. We have a fairly large home with a descent size backyard. The kids and I are home quite a lot because we homeschool.
The reason I am drawn to the boxer is because of its playful temperment. However, I have had visions of coming home to my leather couch being torn to shreds and the Boxer trying to eat the cat! Also, I wonder how our current dog would take to a new dog, Boxer or otherwise. She is pretty domineering to our cat (chases her out of the kitchen all the time, which cracks me up) and I'm guessing she would definitely try to dominate the new dog. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing since it is quite normal for one dog to dominate the other, but I guess I worry they may not get along at all if the Boxer is equally domineering.
Also, would you recommend a male or female in this case? I'm guessing a male may get along better with my female Chow. However, my husband leans toward female because female animals are generally less hyper, but I don't know if that's true with Boxers. I read some of the posts on male and female Boxers and it looks like it really just depends on the specific dog, not the sex. However, does anyone know if one sex is "typically" more hyper than the other?
I don't know if we'll end up with a puppy or possibly a young adult from an animal rescue (which opens up a whole new can of worms!). Either way, I am prepared to work with him or her on obedience training, etc. We used to have a rottweiler/shepherd mix, so we are experienced in big silly dogs who like to play all the time, however, that was an outdoor dog. I can't even imagine having a dog like that inside my house most of the time. Chows are so mellow and come pre-potty trained!
So, that's pretty much it. I know it was a lot! Sorry! Just looking for input before making a big decision like this.
Thanks,
Jen
They wrestle, and play around. I have a leather couch, and Frank snuggles with mommy all the time..no worries, leather is tougher than you think. 
Here is a website that might help you out a little bit. You probably already know all this stuff, sounds like you did the research, but I found this right after I got Frank, (and this site too, which is my FAVORITE site) it helped me understand him more.