Eight key facts about the Boxerdoodle

Boxerdoodles, as the name suggests, are a designer crossbreed between the ever-popular Poodle and the guarded Boxer. And while seeing doodle crossbreeds is quite common because of their hypoallergenic coats, the cross of a Poodle with a Boxer can be a bit puzzling. Why breed two dogs that are so different? Just for the coat? For the heck of it? Or does the combination of these two different temperaments actually quite good? Let’s find out by looking at what are the 8 important things to know about the Boxerdoodle.

8 keys for raising a great Boxerdoodle

Living with a mastiff dog such as the Boxer is all about the proper upbringing, training, and socialization. Is this negated by crossing the Boxer with a Poodle? Or do you just get a 50/50 chance of having a more Boxer-like or a more Poodle-like dog?

A little bit of both. The fact of the matter is that the Boxerdoodle is a pretty good merger of these two very different breeds but there is still going to be quite a lot of chance and variability in the dog you get.

1. Boxerdoodles are fairly large and athletic

Needless to say, a Boxerdoodle is never going to be a small dog. That is, unless the breeder has decided to cross a Boxer with a Toy Poodle but that should never be the case. Instead, a mix between a Standard Poodle and a Boxer will typically range in size somewhere between 10 and 25 inches (26 to 63.5 cm) at the shoulder and 40 to 70 pounds (18 to 32 kg) of weight.

This isn’t a small dog by any means, although it can be lighter and more athletic than a purebred Boxer. All in all, a Boxerdoodle will always need a fairly large and spacious home so you should keep that in mind.

2. These dogs have energy to spare so you should spare none of their recommended time in the dog park

Another huge point about the Boxerdoodle is that the cross needs to run around, play, and exercise a lot. This means two long trips to the dog park a day, preferably amounting to at least an hour and a half or two hours. Some yard time should also be given as long as you have a large and well-fenced yard at home. If you do not, it’s important to compensate by giving your dog even more outdoor time with you, both in the dog park and with some jogging around the block.

Long weekend hikes to new places are also important. And, if you happen to pass a nearby lake, don’t skip the chance to give your dog a quick swim. In short – Boxerdoodles need to spend all their excess energy and aren’t an indoorsy apartment breed in any way. If this doesn’t feel suitable for you, it’s best not to get such a dog.

3. The coat of the Boxerdoodle can vary a lot but will always need relatively moderate care

Boxers and Poodles have two very different coats. Boxers have a short and dense double coat that tends to shed a lot. Poodles, on the other hand, have very curly medium-length hair that doesn’t have an undercoat. What surprises a lot of first-time owners is that the Poodle looks like it sheds a lot but it actually doesn’t. In fact, the Poodle is considered the closest a dog breed can be to being “hypoallergenic”, making it a great choice for people with allergies.

What does this mean for the Boxerdoodle, however?

Well, it means that your mixed dog can either have a Poodle’s coat, a Boxer’s coat, or some weird combination of the two. Fortunately, you can usually tell what type of dog the puppy is going to have by the 8th week which is when dogs get adopted or bought anyway. Color-wise, the Boxerdoodle can also vary but will typically be a bi-color combination of its parents’ colors such as bronze, black, grey, white, cream, or others. Generally, we’d recommend going with a more curly Boxerdoodle as that’s why other dog breeds are usually crossed with Poodles for.

Whatever type of coat you pick, however, keep in mind that regular brushing and grooming will still be required. Even purebred Poodles need daily brushing even though they don’t shed – for them, it’s important to prevent hair entangling and matting, as well as to promote good skin health.

4. More importantly, the Boxerdoodle’s personality can also vary a lot

The much bigger factor isn’t the dog’s hair but its expected personality. Boxers are guard dogs whereas Poodles are hunting and family companion dogs. So, while the latter is friendly and outgoing, the former tends to be pretty guarded and loyal mostly just to its immediate family.

Both dogs can be fantastic pets, of course, but their cross can go either way so you should be prepared for both extremes.

5. These dogs will always be very smart and trainable

Fortunately, one constant is that a Boxerdoodle should always be highly intelligent. If the dog leans more toward a Boxer, it can have somewhat of a stubborn streak but that’s something you can take care of with obedience training early on. And if that sounds like extra work – it isn’t. Your dog will need obedience training whether you want to make use of its high intelligence or not. Boxers have a strong dominance streak so it’s always crucial to go through extensive obedience training when they are young.

Once that’s done, your Boxerdoodle should be pretty easy to train regardless of whether it’s more Poodle-like or Boxer-like.

6. Socialization is an absolute must with any Boxer cross

The next extremely important behavioral note about this breed is that socialization is vital. This, once again, is because of the Boxer in your Boxerdoodle but, even in a purebred Poodle, some socialization is still important.

Why is this such a big deal?

Socialization is the act of getting your puppy to interact with and have fun with people, kids, dogs, and other pets early in its life. This should be done both outdoors and at home in order to teach your pup that other folks aren’t to be feared. You need to make these interactions frequent and fun for your dog, and you should be especially diligent with this process if you have a Boxerdoodle or any other Boxer cross.

7. When raised properly, these dogs can live very well with kids and other pets

If you’ve gone through the above steps adequately, your dog should be social and well-behaved enough to get along perfectly with everyone, including kids, dogs, and other non-canine pets. A proper introduction between the two will always be key, and supervision will always matter, especially at first. However, an adequately raised, trained, and socialized Boxerdoodle should be perfectly loyal, loving, affectionate, and gentle with any family member, be it a kid, a pug, or a cat.

Do keep an eye on your dog when it’s around your kid’s friends, however. If your Boxerdoodle isn’t socialized as well as you think, it might perceive the other children as a potential threat to your kid and that can lead to accidents. So, supervision is always important.

8. These dogs are pretty healthy too, provided that they come from healthy parents

Both Poodles and Boxers are considered to be fairly healthy breeds. They do have some inherent health risks such as Brachycephalic Syndrome, Addison’s Disease, Bloating (Gastric Dilatation Volvulus), Heart problems, and Hip and Elbow Dysplasia, but those can be avoided or mitigated with proper care.

Of course, genetics also matter. That’s why we always recommend that you avoid pet stores and puppy mills. Instead, it’s vital to either adopt and get detailed medical information for your dog, or to shop from a reputable breeder who offers health certificates for their dogs.

Do this, follow up with quality food, regular exercise, good care, and routine vet visits, and there should be no reason why your dog doesn’t live well beyond the breed’s average lifespan of 10 to 12 years.

Almost like a Disney-like romance, the Boxerdoodle combines two very different worlds. On the one hand, Poodles are curly, social, and outgoing hunting and family companion dogs. On the other, Boxers are a powerful working and guard-duty mastiff breed. Can this combination work? It certainly can. But it can also produce widely varying outcomes and it will often require the training and socialization you’d expect for a purebred Boxer.

So, as long as you’re aware of all that and you’re ready to give your dog the upbringing and training it needs, the Boxerdoodle can be a fantastic companion. If not, you may want to look for a different breed.