What is the Boxer's temperament really like?

The Boxer's temperament is best described as playful, exuberant, affectionate, devoted, and clownish, Boxers are fun-loving, high-spirited dogs full of energy, personality, and goofy charm, and they are famous for their comical antics and their deep devotion to their families. A defining feature of the breed is that Boxers are "perpetual puppies", they mature slowly (often not fully settling until around three years of age or more) and retain a playful, youthful, exuberant spirit well into adulthood and even old age, which many owners adore. Boxers are intensely people-oriented and bond deeply with their families; they love to be involved in everything, thrive on companionship and attention, and are typically very affectionate (many Boxers are enthusiastic cuddlers and lap dogs at heart, despite their size). They are usually friendly and sociable, and they have a particular reputation for being wonderful with children (see the children question). Boxers also have a watchful, protective side and can be good watchdogs, alert to their surroundings and protective of their family, though they are generally friendly rather than aggressive. On the training side, Boxers are intelligent but can be a little stubborn, silly, or easily distracted, they respond best to positive, patient, fun training. The main thing to understand about the temperament is the energy: Boxers are high-energy dogs, especially as young dogs, and their exuberance, combined with their strength and their tendency to be bouncy and mouthy, means they need substantial exercise, training, and engagement to be well-behaved, an under-exercised Boxer's energy and enthusiasm can be overwhelming. Overall, the Boxer temperament, joyful, loving, playful, devoted, and energetic, is a huge part of the breed's appeal, making Boxers wonderful, entertaining, affectionate companions for active people and families who enjoy a fun-loving, exuberant, forever-young dog and can meet its exercise and companionship needs.

Are Boxers good with children?

Yes, Boxers are famous for being excellent with children, and their affection and patience with kids are among the breed's most cherished qualities, Boxers are often devoted, gentle, playful, and protective with the children in their family, and they can make wonderful, loving family dogs and playmates for kids. Their fun-loving, energetic nature makes them great companions for active children, and many Boxers are notably tolerant and patient with the children they are raised with. However, as with any dog, there are important considerations for families with young children. The main one is the breed's energy and exuberance: Boxers, especially as young dogs, are bouncy, strong, and enthusiastic, and a big, exuberant young Boxer can easily accidentally knock over a small child in the course of play, not out of any aggression, but simply from sheer size, strength, and enthusiasm, so interactions between a young, energetic Boxer and small children should be supervised, and the dog should be trained and exercised to help manage the exuberance. Boxers can also be mouthy, especially when young (they naturally use their mouths and paws in play, "boxing" with their front paws is where the name partly comes from), so teaching appropriate play and bite inhibition, and supervising play with young children, matters. As always, children should be taught to interact gently and respectfully with the dog, and dog-child interactions supervised. With those sensible precautions, and provided the family can meet the breed's exercise and companionship needs, a Boxer is a devoted, patient, joyful family dog, and its bond with and protectiveness of children are wonderful. For a family adopting a Boxer, an adult dog past the wildest, bounciest puppy stage, with a known good temperament around children, can be an especially good, and often calmer, choice than a young puppy, so ask the rescue about the individual dog's history with kids.

How do I manage a Boxer's puppyish energy?

Managing a Boxer's exuberant, puppyish energy is one of the central parts of living with the breed, especially in the first few years, since Boxers stay puppyish and high-energy for a long time (often until around three or beyond). The key is to meet the dog's substantial exercise and mental-stimulation needs, because most of what makes a young Boxer's energy overwhelming, the bounciness, the mouthiness, the inability to settle, the destructive or attention-seeking behaviour, comes down to an under-exercised, under-stimulated dog, and a well-exercised, mentally-engaged Boxer is far calmer and better-behaved. Provide substantial daily physical exercise (at least an hour, more for a young dog), walks, running, active play, and fetch, while carefully managing heat in Montreal's summers given the breed's heat sensitivity (exercising in the cooler parts of the day). Provide mental stimulation too, through training, games, and puzzle toys, which tires the mind and helps take the edge off. Invest in training to channel the energy and teach manners, including impulse control, polite greetings (to counter the tendency to jump up on people in exuberant greeting, which a strong Boxer can do with force), and appropriate play (to manage the mouthiness). Provide plenty of companionship and engagement, as Boxers are people-oriented and do not do well left alone and under-stimulated, which worsens the energy problems. And be patient: Boxers do eventually mature and settle somewhat, though they retain their playful spirit, and understanding that the puppyish energy is normal for the breed (and a big part of its charm) helps set the right expectations. In short, meeting the exercise, mental, training, and companionship needs is the key to managing a young Boxer's energy, and doing so turns that exuberance from a challenge into the joyful, fun-loving companionship the breed is loved for. For a family or owner who would prefer to skip the wildest phase, adopting an older Boxer past the bounciest years is a great option.

How do I train a Boxer?

Training a Boxer is genuinely worthwhile and rewarding, and important for managing the breed's energy and strength, and while Boxers are intelligent and capable, training them well means working with their particular temperament. Boxers are intelligent but can be a little stubborn, silly, easily distracted, or slow to mature in their focus, so training requires patience, consistency, and, above all, a positive, fun, engaging approach; Boxers respond very well to positive, reward-based training (rewards, praise, play, and food motivation) and to short, upbeat, fun sessions, and they do not respond well to harsh or punitive methods, which can dampen their enthusiastic spirit and damage the relationship. Key training priorities for a Boxer include: teaching polite greetings and not jumping up on people (important because an exuberant, strong Boxer greeting people by jumping can knock them over, and this is a common Boxer behaviour to address); teaching impulse control and calm behaviour (to manage the exuberance); teaching appropriate play and managing mouthiness (Boxers are mouthy and use their paws, so redirect to appropriate outlets); teaching reliable basic obedience and leash manners (important for a strong dog); and providing ongoing mental engagement through training, which also helps meet the breed's mental-stimulation needs. Start training early and keep it up, be consistent (all household members using the same rules), and keep it fun and positive, and a Boxer's intelligence, food motivation, and desire to please will make it a willing, if sometimes goofy, student. Puppy and obedience classes are worthwhile, providing training and socialization, and are especially helpful for a young, energetic Boxer. For an adopted Boxer, invest in positive training to build your bond, establish manners (especially around greetings, jumping, and exuberance), provide mental engagement, and channel the breed's energy constructively, a well-trained Boxer is a joy, and training is a key part of enjoying the breed's wonderful, exuberant nature.

Do Boxers do well left alone, and are they good for apartments in Montreal?

Two practical considerations for Boxer owners, especially in a city like Montreal, are how the breed handles being alone and whether it suits apartment living. On being left alone: Boxers are intensely people-oriented, companion-loving dogs that do not do well left alone for long stretches, they thrive on companionship and involvement in family life, and a Boxer that is isolated and under-stimulated for long hours is prone to becoming bored, anxious, lonely, and destructive, and can develop separation-related problems. So Boxers are best suited to households where they are not left alone for very long periods, and where they get plenty of companionship and engagement; a household where someone is home much of the time, or that can arrange company and enrichment (a dog walker, doggy daycare, or a family member) to break up long days, suits the breed far better than one where the dog is alone all day. On apartment living: a Boxer can live in an apartment or condo (common in Montreal), and their size is manageable and they are relatively adaptable, but success depends heavily on meeting the breed's substantial exercise and companionship needs, an apartment Boxer has no yard, so all its considerable exercise must be actively provided by the owner through outings, and its need for companionship must be met, and a bored, under-exercised, lonely apartment Boxer will be destructive and unhappy. Additionally, the heat sensitivity means an apartment must be kept cool enough in Montreal's hot summers (air conditioning helps). So a Boxer can be a good apartment dog for a committed owner who provides ample daily exercise, plenty of companionship, and a comfortable (cool in summer) environment, but it is a poor choice for someone who is away long hours or cannot meet the exercise and companionship needs. In all living situations, the breed's need for exercise, engagement, and companionship is the central consideration, meet those, and a Boxer is a wonderful companion; fail to, and its energy and people-oriented nature will lead to problems.

The Boxer's Temperament, Family Life & Training in Montreal

The short answer

The Boxer is playful, exuberant, affectionate, and clownish, a “perpetual puppy” (slow to mature) that's famously wonderful with children and deeply devoted. It's high-energy, mouthy, and people-oriented. The keys to enjoying one: meet the substantial exercise and mental needs (most of a young Boxer's “difficult” energy is just under-exercise, and manage heat in Montreal summers), train with positive methods (especially polite greetings/no jumping, impulse control, and appropriate play for the mouthiness), supervise around small children (a bouncy young Boxer can knock a child over), and provide plenty of companionship (they don't do well left alone long).

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A Boxer playing with a family in Montreal — Meeting the exercise needs, training the bounce, and providing companionship turn the Boxer's exuberance into pure joy.

The Boxer is one of the most joyful, family-loving dogs there is, and one of the most exuberant. Living happily with one comes down to understanding its clownish, forever-young temperament, meeting its considerable energy needs, and training the bounce and mouthiness. Get those right and you have a devoted, hilarious, patient companion. Here is how, in Montreal.

The exuberant clown

Boxers are playful, exuberant, affectionate, devoted, and clownish, fun-loving, high-spirited dogs full of goofy charm, famous for their comical antics and deep devotion. A defining feature: they're “perpetual puppies” (slow to mature, often not settling until around three, retaining a playful spirit into old age). Intensely people-oriented and very affectionate (enthusiastic cuddlers despite their size), usually friendly and sociable, with a particular reputation for being wonderful with children, and a watchful, protective side.

Intelligent but a little stubborn or silly, they respond best to positive, patient, fun training. The main thing to understand is the energy: high-energy, bouncy, and mouthy, especially when young, so they need substantial exercise, training, and engagement to be well-behaved. Overall, the Boxer temperament, joyful, loving, playful, devoted, and energetic, makes them wonderful, entertaining companions for active people and families who enjoy a fun-loving, forever-young dog and can meet its needs.

Boxers and children

Boxers are famous for being excellent with children, often devoted, gentle, playful, and protective with their family's kids, and wonderful playmates for active children. The main consideration: the energy and exuberance, a big, bouncy young Boxer can easily knock over a small child in play (not aggression, just size and enthusiasm), so supervise interactions and train and exercise the dog to manage the exuberance. Boxers are also mouthy when young (they “box” with their paws and use their mouths in play), so teach appropriate play and bite inhibition.

As always, teach children to interact gently and respectfully, and supervise dog-child interactions. With those precautions, and provided the family can meet the exercise and companionship needs, a Boxer is a devoted, patient, joyful family dog, its bond with and protectiveness of children are wonderful. For a family adopting, an adult Boxer past the wildest, bounciest puppy stage, with a known good temperament around children, can be an especially good, calmer choice, ask the rescue about the dog's history with kids.

Managing the puppyish energy

Boxers stay puppyish and high-energy for years (often until around three or beyond). The key to managing it: meet the exercise and mental-stimulation needs, most of what makes a young Boxer overwhelming (bounciness, mouthiness, inability to settle, destructiveness) is an under-exercised, under-stimulated dog, and a well-exercised, engaged Boxer is far calmer.

Provide substantial daily physical exercise (at least an hour, more when young), while carefully managing heat in Montreal summers given the breed's heat sensitivity (exercise in the cool hours). Add mental stimulation (training, games, puzzle toys). Train to channel the energy and teach manners, impulse control, polite greetings (to counter jumping up, which a strong Boxer does with force), and appropriate play. Provide plenty of companionship (isolation worsens the energy problems). And be patient, Boxers do settle somewhat while keeping their playful spirit. Meeting the exercise, mental, training, and companionship needs turns the exuberance into joyful companionship. For those who'd skip the wildest phase, adopting an older Boxer is a great option.

Training a bouncy Boxer

Boxers are intelligent but can be a little stubborn, silly, or distracted, so training means a positive, fun, engaging approach. They respond very well to reward-based training (rewards, praise, play, food) and short, upbeat sessions, and poorly to harsh methods (which dampen their enthusiastic spirit). Key priorities: polite greetings and not jumping up (a strong Boxer greeting by jumping can knock people over, a common behaviour to address), impulse control and calm, appropriate play and managing mouthiness, and reliable obedience and leash manners (important for a strong dog).

Start early and keep it up, be consistent (everyone uses the same rules), and keep it fun, a Boxer's intelligence, food motivation, and desire to please make it a willing, if goofy, student. Puppy and obedience classes are worthwhile (training plus socialization), especially for a young, energetic Boxer. For an adopted Boxer, invest in positive training to build your bond, establish manners (especially greetings and jumping), provide mental engagement, and channel the energy, a well-trained Boxer is a joy. See our adoption guide.

Being left alone, and apartment living

Boxers are intensely people-oriented and don't do well left alone for long stretches, an isolated, under-stimulated Boxer becomes bored, anxious, lonely, and destructive, and can develop separation problems. They're best suited to households where they're not alone for very long and get plenty of companionship, or that can arrange company and enrichment (a dog walker, daycare, a family member) to break up long days.

On apartments: a Boxer can live in an apartment or condo (common in Montreal), their size is manageable and they're adaptable, but success depends on meeting the substantial exercise and companionship needs (no yard means all exercise is owner-provided), plus keeping the space cool enough in Montreal's hot summers (air conditioning helps, given the heat sensitivity). A Boxer can be a good apartment dog for a committed owner who provides ample exercise, companionship, and a comfortable environment, but a poor choice for someone away long hours. In all living situations, the breed's need for exercise, engagement, and companionship is the central consideration.

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Meet the exercise and companionship needs and a Boxer is a devoted, hilarious family companion. Refreshed regularly across Montreal-area organizations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the temperament really like?

Playful, exuberant, affectionate, devoted, and clownish, fun-loving “perpetual puppies” (slow to mature), intensely people-oriented and very affectionate, usually friendly, with a reputation for being wonderful with children and a watchful side. The main thing to understand is the high energy, they need substantial exercise, training, and engagement.

Are they good with children?

Yes, famously, often devoted, gentle, playful, and protective with their family's kids. Supervise around small children (a bouncy young Boxer can knock a child over in play), teach appropriate play for the mouthiness, and provide exercise and training. An adult past the bounciest stage is an especially good, calmer family choice.

How do I manage the puppyish energy?

Meet the exercise and mental needs, most of a young Boxer's overwhelming energy is under-exercise. Provide substantial daily exercise (managing heat in summer), mental stimulation, training (impulse control, greetings, appropriate play), and companionship, and be patient as they mature. Adopting an older Boxer skips the wildest phase.

How do I train one?

With a positive, fun, engaging approach, they respond well to reward-based training and poorly to harsh methods. Priorities: polite greetings/no jumping, impulse control, appropriate play (for mouthiness), and reliable obedience. Start early, be consistent, keep it fun. Puppy and obedience classes are worthwhile.

Do they do well alone, and suit apartments?

Boxers are people-oriented and don't do well left alone long (they get bored, anxious, and destructive), so they need companionship or arranged company. They can live in apartments if the owner provides ample exercise and companionship and keeps the space cool in summer (heat sensitivity). A poor choice for someone away long hours.

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The Boxer's Temperament, Family Life & Training