gravitate to the child in a room full of people of all ages. I will always remem- ber our aging Boxer in her yard, sleep- ing soundly, when the neighbor’s toddler poured a cup of sand in her ear. Startled, she leapt to her feet, but when she realized who had done the deed, she simply shook herself and moved o ff . Th ere was never an aggressive moment. Th e Boxer will treasure a favorite toy from puppyhood into old age. Not a natu- rally destructive breed, he may carry this toy around for months or even years with- out harming it signi fi cantly. He trains eas- ily for Obedience and Rally, but a Boxer is not content to perform repetitious exer- cises without a reason—he bores easily. He needs to know “why.” Years ago we had a Boxer who learned to jump hurdles in the backyard in a nanosecond. However, after the third time my father told her to jump, she simply sat down and wagged her tail. Clearly she had “been there and done that.” Typical Boxer! Often labeled ‘stubborn,’ a self respecting Boxer is anything but. He just needs a job he likes and understands. Many Boxers are great crowd pleasures at Obedience trials. If the spirit moves them, they may wander over to greet the gallery instead of heeling at their owner’s side. Just when both owner and judge are at their most frustrated, the Boxer may rush to fi n- ish the exercise fl awlessly. In his own time. Th ose trainers who learn to be one with the Boxer’s “wavelength” often achieve great distinction in the Obedience ring. And Agility was made for the Boxer. He has great speed, and the shifting from one Agility apparatus to another is just what the Boxer ordered—not boring at all! Th e Boxer is known as a ‘hearing guard dog.’ His courage is one of his great vir- tues. But he does not preach about it— one of his great attributes is his relative silence. If you attend a Boxer specialty show, you will be struck by how quiet it is. Th at does not imply that the Boxer is mute— indeed, he has the ability to approximate a roar if the situation calls for it. But unless he is protecting you or your property, he will have little to say. He is an extremely e ff ective watchdog, with the good sense to know when a situation is tense, or when his protective insights are not needed.
!"#$%&'()&*%+#,-&.%'/01&'()&2%304%&*#5%/3
S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J UNE 2014 • 195
Powered by FlippingBook