Expert: Angela Donald - 11/2/2010

Question
I just got a 7-month-old boy boxer.  I had heard that boxers can be very hyper and a little hard to deal with and was expecting that when I got him.  Instead he is the most laid back, lazy little guy ever, he just wants to be in the same room with us lazing around.  My question is, if I do not neuter him, will he get hyper or become aggressive with us?

Answer
Hi Alexi,

It is wonderful to hear he is a normal boxer. Most people mis-label the boxer as hyper when in fact this behavior is more often a happy friendly dog, doing the kidney beaning gesture when people come over, the boxer over compensates friendly tail wagging in an attempt to communicate with his tail, with his docked tail he is most often misunderstood by other dogs and people so with this gesture he is over doing it to try to communicate good intentions. Neutering him will help in preventing a dominance issue in the future with him as this usually occurs during the first one-three years of age in non -neutered dogs. It is a natural instinct in dogs to mate so if you don't want to face issues it brings then its best to neuter him before one year of age. It will help him in many ways. It will reduce unwanted behavior particularly this is why many people neuter their dogs, wandering or trying to escape when a female in the neighborhood is in heat, it takes away the frustration of not being able to mate and reduces the risk of testicle cancer. Dogs that are not spayed or neutered and not allowed to breed do develop behavior problems more often in my experience because they aren't allowed the natural instinct to breed and become extremely frustrated. For the record most boxers will never become aggressive with their owners unless harsh treatment is given to them like hitting or lack of leadership is involved and this applies to canines in general. There are dogs that become aggressive out of fear too.

Your energy with any dog can also bring about behavior issues like hyperactive and aggression so I advise a calm and assertive approach right away, give your boxer a job in other words ask something of him before eating, petting, going outside, answering the door,etc...meaning ask him to sit before giving him his bowl, petting him or letting him outside,etc. I also recommend never playing dominance games like tug-o-war with him as this just encourages dominance issues. A nice game of fetch or frisbee instead. Your family should become the pack leaders right away showing the dog clearly what you expect of him. Boxers thrive in a family environment with clear leadership, you must be firm not harsh and be consistent with your commands.Training with treats also helps and gives the boxer a good reason to work as in training sessions, making it fun and rewarding will make your training him easy. Daily walks are also important to relieve any pent up energy and helps in bonding with the dog. Please visit my website for tons of information on the breed at http://www.hitowerboxers.com and good luck with your new boxer I hope he brings you years of joy !

Angela Donald
Canine Behavior Consultant
Hi-Tower Boxers