Dogs : Boxers

Boxers are great dogs. They're very loving and sweet, but they're also energetic and athletic. They are intelligent, but can be a little stubborn. Just like a person, a Boxer can know what you want, but not be all that interested in doing it. This can sometimes add to their charm. Sometimes.

Boxers love kids and are often very gentle. Curiosity can get the better of them sometimes, but it's rare to met a outright violent or aggressive Boxer. They might look mean to some people, but inside that smushed-up face and tough looking body is pure gold.

Natural Ears

According to the AKC breed standard, boxers should have cropped ears. Over in the UK, there's no such requirement. In fact, it's against the law.

You might notice that both my dogs have their ears. It wasn't my decision for Pearl, but I definitely knew I didn't want Maggie's ears cropped. The reasons:

It's like a person cutting off their bottom lip. Not really all that attractive, severely limits communication, and serves no meaningful purpose. Feel free to cut off your lip if you like, but we will be keeping our ears, thanks.

The Woo-Woo Song

When the girls get excited, they sing "The Woo-Woo Song", a term I discovered in the forums at BoxerWorld. This isn't really howling; it's more like a doggie "Yeehaw!"

Here's a nice picture of Pearl in mid-Woo.

Pearl singing The Woo-Woo Song

I also have a wonderful movie of Pearl singing The Woo-Woo Song. I took this 5 second MPG movie with my digital camera, so the production values aren't that stellar. It does capture the spirit of the Woo, though.

Here's the movie. It's 478K, which will take a while on a modem.

Actually, this is really only one Woo. There are often a lot of shorter Woos right in a row. If I happen to catch that, I'll put it here instead.

Some observations: Note that her tags are behind her head. This happens with her a lot; I think it's the thick neck. Also, that's Maggie sneaking by during the Wooing. Finally, check out that silly face at the end.

Enjoy!