Boxers can sometimes make good apartment dogs, but it is not advisable.
The top 2 excuses people give a shelter or rescue when they abandon their dogs are:

1. Dog grew too large for my apartment/condo.
2. Dog required too much time and needs a home where they can have more attention.

#3 is usually the dog became distruction because they were bored and left alone too long. That usually lumps back into #2 with needing a home where people will spend more time with them. So if you do have a Boxer in an apartment, you would simply to know the demands a healthy Boxer has :)

There are many good brands of dog food. But not all are available in every area. You start with the breeder you buy the pup from. Talk to them about nutrition and what they are currently feeding the puppies. Do some of your ow research and perhaps talk with other Boxer owners. Then go from there.

Thankfully, cropping is a choice left up to each Boxer owner in the US. The choice is purely your own.

Brindle, Fawn and White are the Boxer colors. Neither is harder to find than the other. Finding a truly quality breeder is the hard thing. Far too many con artists are breeding and selling Boxers. Breeding without health clearances and trying to dupe the innocent public.

The best place to meet quality breeders is to attend some dog shows. You can meet people face to face. The internet is good for introductions, but never buy a puppy strictly from a breeder on the internet. Far too many con artists afoot. Waiting lists vary by breeder. NEVER pay money to be put on a waiting list. NEVER.

I would suggest waiting until you graduate school and have your life a bit more settled. Sounds like you have a bit on your plate at the moment :)

Hi & welcome,,and a BIG thank you for doing your research & asking questions BEFORE getting a puppy. So many people ask questions later, then realize a boxer is not for them for reasons Christina stated. Boxers will do ok in an apartment as long as they get plenty of exercise & training. A puppy takes alot of work, time, and a sense of humor. Boxers are very much a people dog, they love being with their human, feelings are easily hurt, very smart , quick to learn. They will grow up to be very strong dogs & need OB training.

Most apartment complexs have a weight limit for dogs, Boxers can easily get up to 80 lbs, depending on the dog. The smaller female between 50 to 65 lbs.

Where to find a puppy..... Please do not buy from news papers, pet shops or the internet. These people are out of the money, not to better the breed. They do not health test their dogs. Vet checked is different that health testing. Contact you local boxer club, they will help you with breeders names. Go to local shows, watch the handlers, ask questions, after the boxers has shown.

As for the ears, Christina is right, it's a personal choice, no one should make that choice for you. If you plan to crop, the puppy should be between 8 to 10 weeks old. And be sure to find a good cropping vet. Not all vets crop. Again, contact your local boxer club, they will help you find a good cropping. Then there's the after care, taping & retaping weeks, months, to get the ears to stand. If your not in it for the long haul, I would not crop.


Boxers are a wonderful breed, but it takes time, training, love, and lots of attention. Please keep asking questions, we will do our best to help.

Thank you so much for the info!  I wrote a reply back a bit ago, but I forgot to log in first... so forgive me if what I write now is later repeated when my "anonymous" reply is posted!

So I realized after my post that it may have sounded like I was busy doing research for a different aspect of my life, but the truth of the matter is, the research that I mentioned is actually Boxer research! That along with general dog ownership research... I will most definitely wait until I graduate to get a dog - especially a puppy!  I like to really prepare before I jump into commitments of this magnitude though, so the saving, research, and preparation has begun!

Luckily, my apartment complex is very animal friendly and the only restrictions it enforces are against aggressive dogs and breeds known to be aggressive (and of course, Boxers are not on the list of restricted breeds!)  The complex is outside of town and has a nice park area on the grounds. 

I am fairly certain that I could provide enough exercise for a Boxer but I would hate to underestimate their energy levels! I grew up with Labs... are they somewhat comparable in energy levels?  I mentioned that I am allowed to use the facilities at work for my dog, but I forgot to state that he/she would not be in a room alone all day... individuals who work in the office are allowed to keep their dogs with them while they work... it is a very puppy-proof area with lots of attention opportunities from all the staff! (I have the best job ever! :D)

That you for the information on how to find breeders also! I had not even thought about going to shows, but that would be a blast!  Rest assured that I would never buy from a pet store or "backyard breeder."  Though I do wish I could rescue every little sad face in the pet store window, I realize that would only encourage the continuation of practices harmful to the individual dogs and breeds in general! 

Oh! Another newbie question... Are dog shows usually breed specific, or like the Eukanuba National Championship where you can find every breed under the sun? :)  The only shows I have been to were my 4-H shows in high school!

I am still laughing at myself for the ear cropping question, but I found info on the American Boxer Club website that made me wonder... it said that "ear cropping is appropriate for the well-being of the breed."  While I realize that any dog with drooping ears will have more issues with infections, I wasn't sure if there was anything specific about boxers with uncropped ears!

Ok last question for now... would it be more beneficial for a boxer to be on a leash with a training collar or a harness or something else entirely?  Many of the boxers I have seen tend to pull on the leash a lot when they are excited, and I know that in many dogs this causes real concerns as to the damage they could do to their tracheas...  While I plan on working very hard to train any furry addition to the family in obedience, I know you can't always rely on the training to be foremost in their minds - especially in the beginning!

Thanks again for the info and for taking the time to read and respond to my extremely long posts!

LOL now that you mention it, many of the Boxers that I have come in contact with seem much more... vigorous.. in their play!  "I MUST shake this ball until it flies apart!"  heheh  I also heard that Boxers need more intellectual type play... is there any truth to that?  lol nothing like my mom's lab... "duh... I know you threw the ball... where is it...? There's no way you were just pretending AGAIN!"  ;)

Just wait until you see and hear two Boxers play...If you don't know the breed, you would swear they are fighting. Alot of other dogs and their owners misunderstand that as being agressive....which it is not. At a dog park, the boxers seem to stick together.

If an older puppy is an option for you you might consider rescue. I got Gwen from rescue and they picked me out a more mellow/less bossy boxer since we are first time boxer boxer owners. Rescue is great because you can specify some things like color, size, cat friendly, kid friendly, and some personality traits. There is a down side to rescue like you may not know the health history or past of your doggie, But I think it is worth looking into. Another great thing about rescue is for a minimal price they are usually spayed/nutered, up to date on thier shots, and have some basic training.

Just something to consider.

Do a google or some sort of search. Just search for boxer rescue oregon