dog health care

08 Mar 2010

8 Mar, 2010 General

Boxer Dogs: Clowns Not Guard Dogs
by: Dana Goldberg

Boxers have been traced to exist for over a hundred years now. They are said to have originated from Germany as the crossbreed between the Brabanter Bullenbesser (from Belgium) and the English Bulldog. Boxer dogs are known for their intelligence, hardiness, loyalty and its being family-oriented which makes it a great family pet. It is often commented that a family with a boxer is one that is filled with laughter and joy.

Boxer dogs have the natural tendency for learning new things and mental stimulation. It is widely recognized that bored boxer dogs make bad dogs. They need to be constantly trained, just like with other dogs.

Contrary to popular beliefs, boxer dogs are not guard dogs, they can be excellent watchdogs though as they will bark at any strangers if need be. However, they don’t like isolation and are not naturally aggressive or viscous. Actually, the majority of boxers are known to not stand a time separated from their owners. They need continuous interaction with the family and are very affectionate to their owners. In fact, one of the most difficult training exercise for this breed is not to attack their own owners.

Because of their sturdiness and other “strong” physical features, they are mostly trained to become guard dogs. Sadly, many are left into abandonment due to their owner’s dissatisfactions. In actuality, they cannot be easily trained for attack and they are abused for such.

Boxer dogs are overwhelmingly playful. On a poll survey conducted, dog owners described boxers as clowns, contradicting the aggressive portrayal widely accepted today. They are exuberant from day one to their senior years. Boxer dogs is an entertaining breed and always have the knack for making unique tricks like the “kidney beaning” and the “woo-woo”. These two are often manifested when they are excited or overly happy (which is true in most cases).

Kidney beaning is a dance, which is characterized with a semi-circle turn then a turn for a full circle. On the other hand, “woo-woo” is a distinct sound they made which appeals like a bark but is actually not.

Boxer dogs have the personality that is unique in their breed, but this does not apply with all dog owners. They need to be constantly fed with physical and mental exercises to spend their high resource of body energies and add to it the attention they require. Boxer dogs are not known of sleeping the whole day away or go off 0on their own. If they are not sufficiently exercised, they may be very destructive, this they do to amuse themselves. For at least twice a day, they must be exercised or jogged.

One good way of providing worthwhile activities for boxer dogs is the obedience training. In fact, it is a must for all owners of this breed but to be sure, obedience training is both a win-win situation for both the owner and the dogs.

During training, it is not unusual to see stubborn boxers. Due to their intelligence, they tend not to listen to commands given to them. But above this, they are quick to learn and are eager for further learning.

A Boxer dog is an outdoor pet, nor can it tolerate extreme weather conditions. They have short coat and a short nasal cavity; both are not apt for cold weather and hot weather respectively. Additionally, these are lap dogs however large they get.

About The Author

Dana Goldberg is the owner of Dog Plaza. Her website offers a vast selection of dog resource. Including dog information, dog training ideas, and dog care. http://www.dogplaza.co.uk.

Simply purchasing the first pet health insurance scheme that is flung (or advertised under your nose, diplomatically or temptingly) is not the best option for ensuring your dog’s best health in the long-term; for this you, as the aware pet owner, must also ensure that there is a clause for proper treatment coverage offered in the plan for your pet’s eye health.

Many a time, the health insurance companies offering discounted or attractive insurance policy prices for their plans fail to outline that their health plans are limited in the coverage they offer for dogs and so it turns out in the end that the eyes were not insured after all. This news may register only too late for the pet owner hoping to cover cost of treatment for visual disorders and accidents through the pet health insurance policy and getting a rude shock when they get to know that if their belongs to a breed that is categorically known for its tendency towards chronic eye problems, he may be out of the running for getting an eye health coverage included!

So, this is why it is important for potential dog owners to purchase a pup from a registered and recognized agency like the CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) or from professional dog-breeders that have a good reputation for being above-board in their dealings so they are assured of getting a healthy puppy, with no known medical problems. Some breeders are certified by CERF and these are the guys to consult and buy your pets from; choose with care at this stage and you will have lesser hassles when you pick that pet health insurance policy, advice experts.

However, it is also a known fact that pet health insurance companies are increasingly raising the bar for the kind of pets they will insure even at premium costs and some even ask of the owners to undertake genetic screening for their pups before the next stage of policy processing can be done.

Among the most harrowing experience for a dog owner who is hoping to get an adequate pet health insurance policy out is to find out that his dog has been diagnosed with Glaucoma, a common enough eye condition that typically starts with signs like dilated pupils that don’t react very well to light and redness in the eyes, poor vision etc.

The dog’s cornea may also get cloudy due to the above condition and though some California pet doctors may say the symptoms of Glaucoma are subtle, it is still necessary that as caring pet owners, you bring in your dog for immediate attention and medical examination at the very signs of any of these.

This is because in a pet, Glaucoma left unattended for more than 2 days can lead to increased pressure in the eyeball that has a strong possibility of turning into a case of permanent blindness, which is so avoidable and so sad for both pet and owner – so why not stay alert and prevent the neglect with timely care?

If you are the owner of a ’squinting dog’ – who sheds too many tears or seems to have a persistent eye irritation, it could well be the beginning of a cancer or a condition called Blastomyosis; besides, other conditions related to dog eye health disorder that can begin with even a scratch to the cornea are Dermoidis, which is a type of benign corneal neoplasam – much like having a third eyelid or cause a sticky discharge and ulcer to appear within the eye.

Whether it is teary-eyes or even dry eyes, these are conditions of eye health that a pet owner needs to watch out for and get medical attention for their pet immediately to control it from growing in intensity; from cataract disorders (where the opacity of the lens is affected) to bloody eyes, swollen eyelids and permanently dilated pupils, there are lots of related problems that owners need to be alert about in order to ensure their dog’s best health at all times.

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Dog Health Care