Boxer Buddies Home

All who care about the Boxer breed will quickly notice an abundance of Boxer rescue organizations. Why are there so many rescues for this breed? As with most breeds, it has nothing to do with the dog and everything thing to due with individuals around the dogs. Many reasons can be attributed to the population of Boxers up for adoption as outlined below.

Irresponsible Breeders
Most breeders conduct breeding as a matter of making money, as opposed to bettering the breed and love of the breed. The Boxer is a popular target for this practice because potential owners desire them. These breeders typically do not screen potential owners and have no concern about the well being of the puppies. Irresponsible breeders will sell a Boxer pup to anyone that has the money.

This practice leads to the fact that the breeder has not educated the owner to the work and training involved in owning this breed. In many cases the new owner is overwhelmed by their new family member and thus the pup is abandoned.

Wrong Breed for the job
The Boxer is a very strong, muscular breed that gives an outward appearance of a good attack dog. The reality is that the Boxer will protect, but its personality is one of friendship and play first. When discovered the Boxer is not a natural or easily trainable to be an attack dog the Boxer is often discarded or abused.

Lack of Owner Intelligence
Too many people look at how cute the new puppy is and don't take the time to understand that they need to be a parent to the new Boxer. These individuals typically do not spend the time to properly train the Boxer or learn about the breed and its needs.

Best way to prevent this from happening is by breeders being more responsible in what homes they place their Boxers in. Good breeders will talk with potental new owners and see they are capable of such a responsibility. Anyone not willing to study and learn about a breed is not going to be willing to care for and train it. Legislation should require breeders to pass certain requirements before being able to breed Boxers.

Health Issues
The Boxer does have health concerns. Many Boxer owners have not done research into what problems the breed is prone to and thus have no plan for paying for a potential illness. Illness is common in many breeds and this is no difference for the Boxer. Because of the popularity and the number of unethical breeders that sell Boxers, many common problems have been magnified. Boxers are prone to mast cell tumors, some are cancerous but most are not. They all have moles, usually not causing a problem. They usually have respiratory problems due to their short snouts. Boxers generally have short life spans averaging 10 years. Many white Boxers are deaf and require special care.

Final Thought
The Boxer breed itself is not the reason there are so many for adoption. The cause of this is ignorance, greed and misunderstanding. As true Boxer owners, we all look forward to a day when each and every Boxer is placed in an educated and loving home.