Expert: Nancy Perry - 6/25/2006

Question
My husband and I are going back & forth between adopting a standard poodle puppy and a boxer puppy.  Do you have any opinions, negative or positive about your particular experience with either breed?  In your training experience, how common are weeping eyes among the Standard Poodles?  Is it like more than 1 in 2 have chronic weepy eyes?  What can you say about temperament on either breed?

We are looking for a dog that is good with small children, though we do not have children yet.
-not jumpy
-good guard dog
-calm if given daily walks
-not barky

Thanks!

Answer
Hi,
Boxers are smart, they can be barkers though, they are wonderful with children and they are hyper and fun, but old age for a boxer is 10 years old.  They are also having problems with cancer in boxers recently.  They can die as young as a year old with it.  If you get one make sure you know the breeder has been having longevity with her dogs.
Poodles are very highly intellegence, they live til about 14, they also can be barkers but are more easily trained.  They are very good with children.  They are much calmer than boxers although you won't think so the first year or two.  I would go with the poodle.  The only down side on a standard is the hair cutting matenence.  If money is not a problem then go with the poodle.  If money is a problem, then learn how to clip them yourself or choose the boxer.  They don't shed.  Boxers shed.  Most of the time the standard poodles have very little weepy eyes.  It's the smaller ones whose eyes run because of small tear ducts. If you get a boxer you get drool. I happen to have a friend who raises boxers and just got her first standard poodle.  She says there is no contest between the two.  The poodle is like a human in dog form.  They actually reason things out.  I have groomed many and have worked with boxers and I, too, like the poodle.  I hope this is your choice.  If it's your husband who is looking at the boxer because of the masculinity in the dog, tell him to get a male standard poodle, keep him in a straight no nonsense cut and he will be very happy.  There is nothing wimpy about a standard male poodle.  In Germany they are used for hunting and guard dogs.
Good luck
nancy