Are Boxers Best Dogs for Kids?
My family and I have been owned by this awesome breed since 1987 – YUP, we’re addicted! Through the years while bragging about Boxers, I’ve often been approached by people asking me the same question over and over, “We’re thinking about getting a dog, and want to know whether Boxers are good with kids.” So begins one of my favorite topics – sharing my own story of why I know, first-hand, that Boxers ARE the best dogs for kids!
Back in the day, another lifetime if you ask me, before my first son was born, I was introduced to Boxers. We had just moved into our first home, and being the wife of a police officer who worked shift work, I was anxiously preparing myself for spending the first night alone in a new house, new neighborhood, new noises, new everything! So what did my husband do? He borrowed Rosie, a beautiful brindle female Boxer owned by a dear friend and fellow colleague, to spend the night with me!
I was NEVER afraid to be alone again after my night with Rosie. I even got to ‘keep’ her the entire next day too and enjoyed every silly moment with my new friend. I fell hard in love with her and the breed, and knew from this day forward, I would never be afraid to be alone again. It took no convincing on my husband’s part for us to visit a well-known and well-respected breeder of champion Boxers, only to fall in love all over again with a beautiful fawn baby male we named Sport. Two weeks later when we went back to breeder to have Sport’s ears done, we fell in love with a scrawny little 9-week-old brindle girl who still had her ‘head gear’ intact (that’s a whole story in itself…lol)! We named her Missy and brought both our new fur babies home to start our new life together!
After my son was born, family and friends who knew nothing about the Boxer breed, were extremely fearful and concerned that one of my Boxers would hurt him. Their anxieties were the furthest from the truth, and until someone is ever owned by the breed, they will never know the pure joy, love, gentleness, silliness, companionship, loyalty and protection this beautiful breed possesses and offers unconditionally, every moment of every single day.
So when people ask me whether Boxers are good with children, there is NO hesitation when I say, “Boxers ARE the best dog breed with children.” The best story I share with those who need a little mind-nudge is that when my son wasn’t crawling yet, but was in quite the ‘wiggle worm’ state, Sport would lay right next to him on his blankie on the floor and the two of them would nap together like old friends. When my son would wake, he would inch his way around his blankie so he could start grabbing and pulling on whatever Boxer body parts were available to him…and I mean ALL Boxer body parts too (use your imagination). With each tug of a body part, Sport would raise his head, look to see what was going on, and then put this head back down on the blanket and close his eyes again! Not one whimper, growl, snarl, nothing…just pure peacefulness knowing it was just the baby!
My children grew up with Boxers, and all my Boxer babies grew up with my children. Never once, is all these years, did I ever have one moment where I was hesitant about leaving one of my children alone in a room with any of my Boxers. I defend this breed with my entire being, as I know their nature first-hand. I am totally obsessed with Boxers and will never be owned by any other breed. Believe what you read about Boxers and children…it’s all true! So if you ask me whether Boxers are the best dogs for kids, I will say YES, without hesitation! But please do your homework, Boxers aren’t for everyone! But if you do decide on a Boxer, you’ll be hooked for life!
