Are Boxer Dogs Aggressive? 3 Reliable Causes for Aggression in Boxer Dogs

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Are Boxer Dogs Aggressive?

Are Boxer dogs aggressive? According to published data on dog bites and dog attacks, the Boxer dog breed ranks in the top 10 of the most aggressive dogs.

So, how can the energetic, fun-loving, loyal family Boxer dog that is on or near the top 10 of most popular dog breeds be considered so aggressive? There are 3 factors that play a significant role in determining the aggression profile of a dog.

Are Boxer Dogs Aggressive? 3 Factors Affecting Fear and Aggressive Behavior

1. Breed of the Dog
2. The individual temperament of the dog
3. Socialization & Training

These factors were outlined in a research study Fear and Aggression in German Shepard, Boxer, and Rottweiler dogs, Uzunova, et al, Animal Science & Biotechnologies, 2015.

This study points out that fear and aggression are two emotional states that are closely related. They state, “Aggression is an emotional behavioral response to the dog having a feeling of Fear“.

Therefore, when a dog is put into a situation that causes fear, it can act out with aggression against the stimulus that is causing them fear.

For example, your Boxer dog is on a leash, and a stranger approaches and quickly reaches down to pet your Boxer. They may feel threatened and fearful and lash out against the perceived aggressor.

While these are three significant factors, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. these include

• Sex of the Dog
• Reproductive status – intact or neutered/spade
• Chaining and Tethering
• Selective Breeding
• Raising Dogs for elevated aggression – protection, dog, fighting, etc.
• Abuse and neglect
• Inadequate obedience training and supervision

Reference: ASPCA – Position Statement on Breed-Specific Legislation

Let’s take a more detailed look at the 3 factors that play a significant role in the fear/aggression response to provide additional perspective.

Are Boxer Dogs Aggressive? Breed of the Dog

In order to understand the potential aggressive behavior of a dog breed it is important to understand its breeding heritage.

Boxer dogs have a long storied breeding history. Over the course of time, they were bred to serve many different roles.

The roots of Boxer dogs can be traced back to the German Bullenbeiser (translated to mean bull-biting dogs).

The Bullenbeiser breed was initially bred as a hunting dog to help hunters in pursuit of big game animals, typically, deer and wild boar. They were trained to chase down prey and attack and hold the prey animal until the hunter arrived to shoot the animal. As part of this role, they displayed many of the instinctive roles seen in the Boxer dog today

• Jumping
• Chasing
• Tugging and pulling

As time passed, the Bullenbeiser was bred with other dog breeds including Mastiffs and Bulldogs. According to an article Know Your Pet – Dog Breeds – Boxers published by VCA Animal Hospitals.com, this breeding “resulted in a strong agile dog with strong jaws and a recessed nose enabling it to breathe while hanging on to prey”.

After breeding with Mastiffs and Bulldogs, the new breed served many roles

• Slaughterhouse dogs
• Guard Dogs
• Military dogs serving in World War I
• Police dogs
• Service/Therapy Dogs

While the Boxer served many roles during its breeding history, its original breeding as a hunting dog may play a role in why Boxers are listed in the Top 10 of aggressive dogs.

Are Boxers Aggressive? Dog Attack Statistics Data Analysis

There is a multitude of published statistics on dog attacks available online. Based on this published data, We decided to do an analysis to determine the frequency and extent of Boxer dog attacks leading to injury or death.

We want to use this data to provide perspective on how prevalent attacks by Boxer dogs are over time. This will provide better detail on the aggressive behavior of the Boxer dog breed.

According to Dog Attack Statistics by Breed published on Petolog.com, “An estimated 850,000 people require medical attention each year due to dog bites”. Their data table showed there were 64 Boxer breed attacks from September -December 2021 across the US & Canada.

In a study, The Changing Epidemiology of Dog Bite Injuries in the United States 2005 -2018, Tuckel and Milczarski, Injury Epidemiology, 2020 provide the following statistics

• In the Year 2000, there were 68 million dogs owned as pets in the US. By 2017 it increased to 89.7 million
• In the Years 2001 – 2003, there were 4.5 million dog bite attacks reported, 19% of which required medical attention.
• In the years 2005 – 2013 – there were an average of 337,103 visits to Emergency Departments every year due to dog bites.

For help with training your Boxer, visit Kelly and Hugo for their online course Dog Socialization & Obedience Masterclass.

Table 1 Below is an analysis of Dog Attacks and injuries (maimings) in the US & Canada for September -December 2021

Table 1

Are Boxer Dogs Aggressive? Data Analysis from US & Canada (Sept – Dec 2021)

Dog Breed	Dog Attacks	Injuries (Maimings)	% of Breed Attacks	% of Attacks Leading to Injury
American Pit Bull Terrier	7772	5331	85.1%	86.5%
Rottweiler	666	402	7.3%	6.5%
German Shepard	229	166	2.5%	2.7%
Dogo Canorio	176	115	1.9%	1.9%
Siberian Husky	135	47	1.5%	0.8%
Akita	89	69	1.0%	1.1%
Boxer	64	31	0.70%	0.5%

Are Boxer Dogs Aggressive – Key Learnings

• The Boxer dog, while ranked 7th on the list, accounted for less than 1% of Dog Breed Attacks and Attacks Resulting in Injury.
• If Deaths were included in this data the Boxer dog, had 7 deaths out of 762 reported or 0.9%.

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In a 15-year Dog Bite Fatality Study from 2005 -2019, reported in Dogsbite.org, they reported the following data

• 521 deaths during this 15-year period
• Pitbulls were involved in the most dog bite deaths – 346 (69%), followed by Rottweilers – 54 (9.8%)
• Boxers were not listed in the top 7 breeds resulting in dog deaths

Are Boxer Dogs Aggressive? – Temperament in Boxer Dogs

As mentioned earlier, fear and aggression are emotional responses that cause a dog to lash out and bite. Dog bites can have devastating consequences from maiming to death.

Children are reported to suffer the most from dog bites, which often occur in the head and neck area.

So, is there any information or data on the temperament of the Boxer dog in terms of fear and aggression?

A study, Fear, and Aggression in German Shepard, Boxer, and Rottweiler Dogs, by Uzunova, et al, referenced earlier provides some perspective.

This study sought to answer 2 questions

1. Could they classify factors that lead to fear and aggression based on the significance of each factor?
2. Which of the dog breeds evaluated was most resistant to fear and aggression?

60 male dogs were enrolled in this study – 20 of each breed, averaging between 2 and 4 years old. They followed the dogs for a 2-month period.

They observed and evaluated 6 Behavioral conditions, 5 times over a 2-hour period every other day..

1. Feeding
2. Drinking
3. Curiosity
4. Vocalization
5. Fear
6. Aggression

They also rated the dogs according to nervous system types

• Sanguine Type (strong and balanced)
• Choleric Type ( strong and unbalanced)
• Phlegmatic Type ( Strong and Consistent)
• Melancholic Type ( weak and unbalanced)

The 20 Boxers were rated as Sanguine (10), Choleric (4), and Phlegmatic (6)

The study found that Rottweilers were the most susceptible to fear and aggression with a total aggregate score of 6. The German Shepard and Boxer were rated 4 in this study.

The authors noted that “Ethiologists believed that the Boxer breed was more susceptible to fear-aggression behaviors”, although they didn’t find this in their study. They did indicate further analysis is required.

Are Boxer Dogs Aggressive? How to Curb Aggression in Boxer Dogs

Are Boxer dogs aggressive? Yes, they can be! It is important to help curb fear and aggression in Boxer dogs So they don’t become aggressive and lash out and bite you or someone else.

How can you curb aggression in Boxer dogs? They need proper Obedience and Socialization training.

Obedience Training involves teaching the Boxer dogs specific commands. This enables you to help funnel their energy in a positive direction. Obedience training would include

• Teaching them to walk on a leash or harness
• Teaching them basic commands – Sit, Down, Stay, Come

We recommend Joyride Harness Bundle Deals which include the quality Harness, Leash, and Seatbelt combination

There are several options for obedience training

• At Home training you provide
• Obedience classes
• On-line interactive classes
• Self Guided Online training courses

For online inactive training visit Rover.com for their Good Pup Training Program

Rover.com – Good Pup Training

For Self Guided Training visit Brain Training for Dogs

Are Boxer dogs aggressive? Another key piece is to prevent aggression is socialization, which teaches them to feel comfortable around other people and other dogs. This can be done by

• Slowly introduce them when visitors come to your home
• Taking them to the park, or kids’ sporting events and introducing them to people and other dogs
• Joining a dog walking group to get them acclimated to other dogs.

For Additional information on Obedience and Socialization, read our articles

Are Boxer Dogs Easy to Train?

9 Ways to Mentally Stimulate Your Boxer Dog

Are Boxer Dogs Aggressive? – Summary

Are Boxer dogs aggressive? Boxer dogs are listed in the top 10 in aggressive dogs lists. They can be aggressive if they do not undergo Obedience and Socialization training.

So it is important to expose your Boxer dog to other people and other dogs as early as possible.

Are Boxer dogs aggressive? There are three significant factors that affect aggression

• Breed of the dog
• Individual Temperament of the Dog
• Obedience and Socialization

However, it is also important to remember there are other factors that can lead to aggression that should be considered.

• Reproductive Status – Intact vs. Neutered/Spade
• Sex of the dog – Males tend to be more aggressive
• Chaining or tethering – not good for Boxer dogs

Are Boxer dogs aggressive? Based on our 18 years of experience, Boxer dogs are a wonderful breed and are fun-loving loyal family pets as long as they are well-trained and socialized. Consider choosing a Boxer for your family pet.

Discoverboxerdogs.com are Mary and Chris Kustanbauter.  We reside in Red Lion, PA with our two Boxers, Duke and Katie, who are both rescue dogs.  We have been working with Adopt A Boxer Rescue for the past 17 years and have adopted 5 Boxers from this fine organization. To learn more visit our Home, Boxer Dog Family, and Blogs Pages  Visit us on social media on Facebook – Discoverboxerdogs.com, Instagram, and Pinterest.