There are many reasons why mixed breeds like the Boxer Pitbull mix are becoming so popular. For some people, it’s the hope of getting a dog that will exhibit the best characteristics of both breeds.
There’s also the hope that hybrid dogs will have fewer health problems.
A Boxer Pitbull mix can certainly be a dog to be proud of, and a real charmer as a family member. On the downside, hybrids are less predictable than purebreds, at least, in their appearance.
Even purebred dogs don’t always have the “breed personality” one reads about. So, bearing in mind that we can only generalize, read on to find out more about this mixed breed.
Boxer Pitbull Mix Family History
Pitbull
The first thing to know about Boxer Pitbull mixtures is that “Pitbulls” can actually be from several breeds and not just the American Pitbull.
To keep things simple, we’re going to talk about a hybrid dog that has an American Pitbull as one of its parents.
If you’re getting one, however, you should ask what kind of Pitbull Mom or Dad dog is. It could be an American Staffordshire Terrier, an American Bully, or any dog with some Pitbull somewhere in its lineage.
Pitbulls aren’t as dangerous as some people think they are. In fact, for every story about a vicious Pitbull, you’ll find a hundred or more people saying that their Pitbull is an absolute angel.
Let’s be honest. Any dog can become vicious if it isn’t given the right training and attention.
The vast majority of people who keep Pitbulls will tell you that all the fuss about Pitbulls is overblown. The facts seem to bear this out. Following blanket bans on Pitbulls in certain areas, there was no real reduction in dog attacks.
Prominent animal welfare organizations have noted that the real problem is not dogs in general or even Pitbulls in particular, but the way people train and keep them.
With this contention out of the way, we can confidently say that a well-brought-up Pitbull is energetic, playful, very affectionate, intelligent, and reasonably trainable.
Boxers
Boxers are super-goofy, fun dogs. They are very playful indeed, and they need lots of exercise, attention, and stimulation. They’re protective, and they’re pretty patient and good with children too.
If they have one vice to look out for, it’s that they’re inclined to jump up and get over excited during play.
But with training and a little maturity, a Boxer learns to conduct itself with greater dignity and is less likely to knock people over because of its enthusiastic ways.
Boxers and Pitbulls are both very popular breeds in the United States, so your chances of getting a Boxer Pitbull mix are pretty good.
What Happens When You Mix Pitbulls and Boxers?
Mixed breed dogs may show more of the physical characteristics of either parent, or they could be something between the two. The one big disadvantage of Boxers is that they have “squashed-in” or brachycephalic faces.
This makes them prone to respiratory problems. Adding Pitbull to the genes should mean that the resulting puppies won’t share this problem.
Size
Boxers are somewhat larger than Pitbulls, so the Boxer Pitbull mix is likely to result in a dog that’s slightly smaller than a boxer and slightly larger than a Pitbull.
But since the size differences between the two parent breeds are relatively slight, we can settle on a size range that isn’t too broad.
You can expect a Boxer Pitbull mix to be 17 to 20 inches at the shoulder for males, with females reaching 16 to 19 inches. Males will weigh between 60 and 80 pounds, and the slightly smaller females weigh in at 50 to 70 pounds.
General Appearance
Quite frequently, Boxer Pitbull mixes have a broad head that reminds one of the Pitbull in its heritage. The face will be on the short side but won’t usually be brachycephalic.
The coat will be short and smooth. As long as no other breed has crept into the mix, both parents have this type of coat, and so will their offspring.
They shed. All dogs do. But because the fur is short and there’s no undercoat, it shouldn’t result in great drifts of fluff and fur settling on every available surface and in every corner of your house.
However, there’s a wider range of colors among Pitbulls than there is among Boxers, and that means that the mixture between the two breeds can result in just about any color or combination of colors you can imagine a dog to be.
Overall, your Boxer Pitbull mix should turn into a medium-sized dog with relatively long legs and an athletic build.
Health
As we’ve noted, combining Pitbulls and Boxers reduces the chances of respiratory problems for which Boxers are well-known.
When choosing a puppy, you may prefer to avoid any that seem to have particularly rounded faces and short noses to boost your chances of avoiding this problem.
On the whole, hybrids are usually pretty healthy, but hip dysplasia is one of the big issues that both Pitbulls and Boxers can develop.
During growth and development, the bones of the thigh and hip may not develop equally, resulting in a poor fit. Although there are still no symptoms, the joint wears down and the dog eventually develops osteoarthritis.
If you’ve ever seen a dog that seems fine from the front but who seems to have weak hips and back legs that don’t quite cooperate, that’s probably hip dysplasia. It’s painful for the dog, and it can lead to a serious disability. Regretfully, there’s no real cure.
In medium to large breeds, hip dysplasia is pretty common, but in certain purebred breeds the chances of a dog getting it are as high as 70 percent.
Thanks to the Boxer Pitbull mix being a crossbreed, there should be a substantially lower chance of it. If you want to check this out, you can have a puppy screened for hip dysplasia.
The best thing you can do to prevent this is to feed your puppy correctly and prevent overeating.
Skin problems are quite likely in a Pitbull Boxer mix. Their short coats may mean that you need to keep your dog from spending too much time in the blazing sun where sunburn is a possibility.
You should also watch out for skin abnormalities that could mean an infection or be the symptom of an allergy.
Of course, like all dogs, it’s important to keep inoculations up to date. During these visits to the veterinarian, he or she will also do a general health checkup.
You can prevent a lot of general health issues by feeding your dog a healthy diet and ensuring that it gets enough exercise.
What Type Of Owner Suits A Boxer Pitbull Mix?
Will a Boxer Pitbull Mix be the ideal dog for you? You may want to give this some thought since having a happy relationship with your pet means meeting its needs.
As you may have guessed, the most important things you need are time, space, and energy.
Like their parents, Boxer Pitbull Mixes aren’t happy when left on their own for any length of time. Other dog breeds aren’t either, but when it’s an energetic dog like the result you get from this mix, it won’t just be your dog that’s unhappy.
Anxiety and boredom, while you’re away, will lead your dog to get into all sorts of trouble. You’re quite likely to arrive home to a trail of destruction.
But just being there isn’t enough. Your Boxer Pitbull mix needs play, exercise, and your company.
You, on the other hand, need a well-trained dog that you can trust to be obedient – and that won’t terrorize your friends and family when they drop by to visit. More on this shortly.
Since keeping a Pitbull Boxer mix is quite a big commitment, you should discuss it with your family. When you aren’t there, you’ll need them to take over your doggie duties, and sharing certainly lightens the load.
Bear in mind that small children and energetic young dogs could be a bad combination, especially during the first 18 months or so of your dog’s life.
It will still be learning to be a good citizen, so it might be best to choose this dog if you have bigger children who have reached an age when they can be trusted to be fairly sensible – and steady on their feet!
Last but not least, your super-active dog will need lots of space. So owning a home with a large, well-fenced yard will be among the things you need to succeed with this pet.
Play And Exercise Are Important For A Boxer Pitbull Mix
Exercise
As we’ve noted, meeting your dog’s needs also serves your requirement for a manageable family pet. At first, these demands won’t be too heavy.
Young puppies shouldn’t get strenuous runs or walks or even play ball too much. Their bones are still developing, and overtaxing them can lead to permanent damage.
You can stick to fairly gentle forms of play or even indoor play, and since puppies sleep a lot, the demands on your time won’t be too great except when Puppy is awake and wants attention.
Leash training is worth starting early, and gentle daily walks will help with socialization training as your dog will encounter other animals and people in the process.
But as your dog develops into a healthy, active adult, the Boxer Pitbull mix he is going to need a lot of exercise and play. Are you a runner?
Ask your veterinarian for guidance on when your dog is ready to run with you. Boxer Pitbull mixes make great mates for runners.
If you do plan to run with your dog, leash training will be extra important. Your dog should run without pulling on the leash, allowing you to set the pace. Start with short distances and work your way up.
If you aren’t up to running, the duration of walks will simply increase over the course of time until you’re doing at least one hour of walking together every day.
It’s usually best to divide this into two outings before your dog eats breakfast and before supper. Never give a dog that has just eaten heavy exercise.
On returning from your walks, try to fit in half an hour of playtime with your dog to help take the edge off that energy. You can use part of that time to fit in a little obedience training practice.
In total, your dog will need about two hours of exercise and play daily. Follow that with meals, and chances are, your dog will take a nap after all the fun, giving you time to step out on necessary errands.
Solo play with puzzle toys can help to keep your dog entertained while you’re doing other things.
But do remember that puppies should never be left alone for much longer than an hour, and leaving an adult Boxer Pitbull mix alone for longer than four hours is not ideal.
Training a Boxer Pitbull Mix
Obedience And Breaking Bad Habits
As a mixture of two working dog breeds, your Boxer PItbull mix is very trainable, but don’t expect the process to be without challenges.
Both types of dog become fearful if subjected to “punishments,” and fearful dogs are more likely to bite. Keep it light, fun and rewarding for your pet.
Reprimands should be limited to a sharp “No.” If you’re using a crate, never use it as a “punishment cell.” See it as a den or safe place for your dog.
Puppies love to chew, so be sure there are lots of chewy toys around, and don’t encourage your Boxer Pitbull mix puppy to be “mouthy” with people.
From the Boxer side, there’s going to be a tendency to jump up. Again, you will need patience and consistency to break this habit gently.
If you aren’t sure how to keep the lessons positive, or if you haven’t really trained a dog before, do your homework carefully. Puppy schools are always a good idea. Even if you know how to train your dog, they can become part of his socialization training.
Basic obedience training is a must, and weekly sessions with a trainer aren’t enough to make obedience a habit. Practice obedience lessons as part of your daily “doggy” time.
Treats, loves, and verbal praise will help to teach your dog to associate obedience with the good things in life! It’s also intellectually stimulating for your dog and combats boredom, so training will help it to be a happy family member.
Socialization
Socialization training means that your dog can be trusted to behave itself around other people and, to a certain extent, other animals.
As a simple explanation, it helps your dog not to feel overly excited or threatened when it sees other people or animals or when it is not in its familiar home environment.
That necessitates taking your dog out and about with you, getting friends, family and children to visit frequently, introducing it to other animals, and supervising your Boxer Pitbull mix carefully throughout.
It’s an entire topic on its own, so do some extra reading and look for opportunities for practice.
Proper Nutrition
Active, playful Boxer Pitbull mixes will need the right nutrition to support their lifestyle. Although homemade diets are in the vogue, it’s costly and difficult to balance the diet.
Most dogs are perfectly healthy when fed commercial dry dog foods, but you should opt for a nutrient dense formula.
You can judge this by looking at the feeding recommendations and ingredients. The top nutrient should be protein. Look at the suggested serving size.
Many of the cheaper-looking dog foods are bulked up with less nutritious ingredients, and that’s reflected in a larger serving size. It looks cheaper, but since you have to feed your dog more, it isn’t really!
Whatever you do, don’t try to turn your dog into a vegetarian or vegan! We’re seeing an increasing number of questions on this topic, and it’s important to know that it simply isn’t natural for dogs and will result in health problems!
Begin by using your dog’s weight and the pet food manufacturer’s recommended serving sizes. Monitor your mixed-breed dog’s physical condition and adjust serving sizes if he or she appears to be under or overweight.
A Boxer Pitbull mix should have a distinct “waist” when viewed from above, and you should be able to feel, but not see, the ribs under your dog’s skin.
Both Boxers and Pitbulls are among the many dogs who can have food allergies. These will usually show up as upset tummies or, more frequently, as skin problems. Work with your veterinarian to develop a healthy, allergen-free diet.
You can try hypo-allergenic dog foods, but you may have to resort to an exclusion diet. This means feeding your dog a diet with limited ingredients, adding ingredients until you can pinpoint what triggers the allergy.
Grooming For Boxer Pitbull Mixes
Although your Boxer Pitbull mix is high maintenance in some ways, grooming isn’t one of them.
To a large extent, your dog’s coat is self-cleaning – and bathing your pet too often can wreck the natural balance between skin and coat. If your dog never seems to really need a bath, that’s good!
Experts say that bathing dogs is mainly for the sake of their owners rather than for the health of the dog. So, if your dog is smelly, go ahead and bath them using a shampoo that’s specially formulated for dogs and won’t dry the skin out too much.
Boxer Pitbull mixes aren’t heavy shredders, but you may notice an increase in shedding as seasons change.
In general, a good brushing once a week will help to remove loose fur and minimize shedding, but you may want to increase that in the spring and autumn shedding seasons.
Once again, you’re doing this more for yourself than for the dog. If you don’t mind a bit of loose hair, you aren’t being neglectful if you fail to groom.
Do watch the claws though! Regular exercise on hard surfaces often keeps them in check, but long claws can be uncomfortable for your dog and can be hard on you and your furniture.
Don’t just cut claws if you don’t know what you’re doing. Get dog groomers or your veterinarian to do the job or ask them to teach you how.
The “live” part of the nail will bleed heavily if you accidentally cut into it – traumatic for you, and painful for your pet.
The Boxer Pitbull Mix Is A Winner – If You Have Time, Space, And Energy
The Boxer Pitbull mix is a truly beautiful dog with potential to develop into a good companion and family pet.
However, it’s not for people who don’t have the necessary time, no matter how good their intentions are.
Think things through before choosing one, and enjoy an affectionate “best friend” if you’re ready to make the commitment!