Expert: Lindsey - 2/10/2009

Question
Right now we have 3 ferrets but when they die I would like to get a dog. I live in a pretty big apartment with a park right behind us. I'm just curious as to how hard boxer puppies are to train and how to know to find one that won't get entirely huge. I hear they are normally big dogs but some I have seen are smaller. Also, are they good with kids, or in other words non-aggressive dogs? How long do they usually live for? And also, are there any serious conditions they could suffer from rather than any other dog? I know certain dogs have their own specific issues. Thanks for your time in helping me!

Answer
Boxers are wonderful animals and great family pets. They have an amazing temperament and are good with other animals and even children. They are very friendly dogs yet protective of the family.  They are no harder to train than any other large breed.  It really is not the dog, it is the trainer that makes the difference.  If you are prepared for the time and energy it will take to train a dog, especially a puppy than you can be successful.  But you must stick to the training, even an adorable puppy can grow up to be an uncontrollable dog if an owner is irresponsible.

However, there is really no way to find a dog that will not get large.  Boxers are large breed animals, the majority of them range from 50-80 pounds.  If you go through a breeder, you have the option of knowing the weight of the mother and father and thus giving you a better idea of the adult size, but you will not find a a breeder who specifically breeds for a small size boxer.

Boxers do not have the longest life expectancy, about 9-12 years, the larger the breed the shorter the lifespan generally is.  They are prone to cancers, but that is no reason now to welcome one into your home.  Certain dogs do have certain issues but i would not generalize that to a specific breed.  The owner makes the dog, regardless of what breed it is.