General Information

Click here for more Information for First Time Pedigree Boxer Owners (What you can expect for your money etc.) (Important information included for new owners of Female Boxers - Please check halfway down this page.) Boxers are wonderful companions, comical, clever and can be naughty. They require a great deal of patience when young and are not the type of dog you can put out in a run and keep as a kennel dog, they respond best to lots of human contact. Photo - Three Fortress Boys who are good friends - even now in adulthood. They are clean and easily trained if you don't allow them to be dominant. However when correcting you should only need to raise your voice - hitting is definitely not recommended. As a baby, puppies need 4 feeds of good quality food a day. Some recommend dried foods such as Eukanuba, etc. I, myself prefer to feed raw meat and natural foods but I guess sometimes it comes down to convenience. Photo - Fortress boxers aged from 11 years to 8 weeks enjoying a meal of raw meat, veges and herb mix. Bowls are always licked clean. Your puppy should have had its first inoculation and been regularly wormed, included in his documentation should be his vet card showing when his next inoculations are due. Worming should be done every 3 months or so. Check inside puppys ears every now & then to make sure that there isn't any gunky discharge that could indicate an ear infection. Keep toenails short, your vet can trim them or you could get some nail clippers and do it yourself being careful not to cut too close to the quick. We recommend that you take your new puppy to your vet to introduce yourself and to get puppy checked over for your peace of mind. It is a good idea to get a check through your own vet, and they will be able to tell you about any puppy pre-school classes that they might run etc. Photo - these two Fortress pups are 71/2 weeks old and have had their first innoculation and had a thorough vet check before leaving for their new homes in a few days. If you are considering purcasing a pedigree boxer and have never owned one before check out my First Time Owner page for further info You should receive a diet sheet with your puppy listing what your puppy has been fed before leaving home and the times of day that he is used to being fed. Some dogs seem to not do well on processed foods such as pet roll or nuts, for some reason they can't absorb the cooked fat so in this situation I would recommend that you try raw meat, chicken mince or beef mince with a little vitamin C powder and some veges and added calcium supplement. I also use a dried veg, fruit ,herbs and grains mix called Tukka Thyme. Do not feed dogs onions as they cause anaemia. Chocolate is also not good for dogs. Toilet training is an easy process as Boxers are clean dogs and learn very quickly. The best way to begin is to always take puppy outside as soon as he wakes from a sleep and straight after a meal. Praise him when he obliges and tell him how clever he is. You will have a few accidents until he gets used to his new environment and routine but this stage will pass very quickly. Photo - This young Fortress boy is out on a lead walk. Puppies should also start an exercise routine with just short walks when around 4 or 5 months old after they have had their last inoculation (this is very important). Exercise can then gradually increase as puppy grows and gets stronger. Don't push him though as his bones will remain soft for a while and his joints are easily damaged. You will require a property that is very well fenced and a quiet place where puppy can go to rest undisturbed e.g. a basket in a corner of the family room, particularly if there are small children in his family. Watch out for kids toys and anything that could be within reach of puppy that could be damaged or could harm puppy. Photo - this Fortress puppy has her own bed in the main living room where she can take a nap without being disturbed. A well-socialized boxer should be happy and outgoing and friendly, some of this is inherited from its parents and learnt from its littermates but as an owner it is important to keep your puppy socialized with other dogs and people. As an adult you may find that your boxer may not tolerate other dominant dogs and will respond if challenged but he should never be excessively aggressive to people (unless of course he is feeling threatened). It is normal to bark at a stranger at the door on his territory but he should settle as soon as he sees that there is no threat. Photo - this young Fortress dog greets his 'Man' very entusiastically every night when he comes home from work. (Or is it this man greets his dog enthusiastically every night???) IMPORTANT - FEMALE BOXERS If you have purchased a bitch puppy (or adult) you must be aware that your girl will come into season and you should be watching for signs from 6 months of age onwards. Your boxer's first season may be anywhere from 6 months to 18 months and you can expect for her to come into season regularly every 6 to 9 months. The Season (sometimes called heat) will last about 21 days. In a normal bitch the most likely and optimum time for mating and conceiving is between the 10th and 15th days, however it is not uncommon for bitches to conceive outside these days. Don't underestimate the ability of male dogs to seek out girls in season and they will go to extreme lengths to mate - so will the girls. They must be carefully protected, it is tragic when a bitch has been mismated (accidentally mated) particularly at a first season when she is hardly developed (it can be harmful for her to have puppies and will affect her own growth and development). The signs are swelling of the vulva (below her anus), little drops of blood gradually increasing as the season progresses - I wipe the area each day when I notice swelling and the first day that I notice blood is day 1 of her season. You may notice that your girl is becoming more affectionate just before a season, or if you have a male dog he may be taking more interest in your girl. If you are not going to show and don't want to breed then the simplest solution is to have her speyed. This is also said to be beneficial to her health. Be prepared to keep you girl well separated from all male dogs for the entire period of her season. Photo - These two girls are in season and are kept inside, well away from the boys in the kennels and also safe from any stray dogs that have picked up their scent and may be hanging around outside the property. If you are interested in showing your puppy or joining a local kennel club or a Boxer Club please contact me Chris Jones I can give you contact details for your nearest club. Boxers make great show, agility and obedience dogs as well as great pets. They thoroughly enjoy agility, perform well at obedience with a lot of work and patience, and, if they have the right look and attitude (and a lot of training for dog and handler), do well in the show ring. Some people do sledding with their boxers others take their boxers boating. Versatility is part of the Boxer personality and as long as he is with his people he will be happy anywhere. Photo - A very successful day at the show... Ch Fortress Stormbringer...Best In Show at an All Breeds Championship Show. Boxers can do well at dog shows as they are very elegant, graceful and eyecatching (when behaving). Adult dogs should be fed either once or twice a day. If you are feeding pet roll make sure that you cut the roll up into bite sized pieces as the Boxer is one of the deep chested breeds that are prone to getting a twisted stomach. This can be fatal and at the very least is very dangerous. This condition can be caused by gulping food so keep this in mind when preparing food, smaller pieces reduce the ability to gulp. As a Boxer ages he may become a little stiff or even suffer from arthritis. I have found that adding Glucosamine and Chondroitin powder (found at health food shops) to food is quite effective also feeding raw chicken carcasses provides natural glucosamine from the joint and neck tissue, they also clean teeth and provide natural calcium. Chicken carcasses must be fed raw and take care with chicken as you would for yourself. Young puppies shouldn't be fed chicken carcasses until they are older and able to chew the bones well. Photo - 3 Fortress generations in a basket. These girls love to curl up together in their basket by the fire. Good luck with your puppy and we hope that you have a long and very enjoyable relationship with your new boxer.

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