AKC Gazette April 1997

Not Just Shadow Boxing

Boxers are not milquetoasts. Tolerating other dogs is not their strong, suit and they often want to be the "alpha" dog in the household. Disputes can quickly escalate to full-blown serious fights, with potentially serious consequences, unless the combatants are separated. Although bitches are somewhat smaller and somewhat easier to pull apart, some of the worst Boxer fights involve the so-called gentler sex.

Usually, but not always, two Boxers of different sexes can live in harmony in the home. If you're very lucky, you may have an unusually docile Boxer that, regardless of gender, will always remain tolerant of its more dominant canine companion.

We had three males who lived together contentedly in our house. They slept in a happy pile on the rug and ate side by side in the kitchen. They were all actively used at stud and never seemed to have a cross "bark" among them. But within two weeks of the death of the eldest Boxer the two younger ones would have killed each other, and they remained that way until the end of their days. Clearly, the senior dog exerted a quiet dominance When he died, the others never settled the alpha issue.

Because of the breed's strong assertiveness in a multiple-dog household, you should never get two Boxers or a Boxer and another breed unless you have a good knowledge of dog psychology and a well-thought-out plan of what to do if your Boxer is ultimately incompatible with the other dog. If you think you'll train your Boxer to be tolerant once it actively dislikes the other dog, good luck! I've never been able to accomplish this, and I daresay few can. Neither time nor distance nor enforced separation will convince your Boxer to like a dog it knows it passionately hates.

This insistence on dominance. this "me first" attitude, is a challenge to the breed's human guardians. At the same time, it makes the Boxer the happy, exuberant, bold dog it is. If your Boxer thinks it comes first in your world, it will reward you with the utmost loyalty and affection. No one who has looked into those sweet, expressive eyes would doubt they were looking at love itself.

Stephanie Abraham
P. O. Box 346
Scotland, CT 06264