Do Boxers Bark A lot? 4 Best Reasons Boxers Bark

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Do Boxers Bark A Lot – 4 Best Reasons Boxers Bark

Do Boxer Dogs Bark A Lot?  We often have different perceptions of what “a lot” means.

So let’s quantify what “a lot” means and answer the question –  Do Boxers Bark a Lot?

Boxers are considered Moderate barkers compared to other dog breeds.

In fact, the American Kennel Club (AKC), gives the Boxers a 3 out of 5 rating, which places them in the middle of the pack among dog breeds.

The American Boxer Club states “Although always, vigilant, Boxers are not a nervous breed and will not bark without cause”. (Source: Americanboxerclub.com, Meet The Boxer page).

Based on the American Kennel Club’s description, what causes a boxer to bark

Do Boxers Bark A Lot? – Reasons Boxers Bark

There are several reasons why a boxer barks cited in the literature

1. Protection
   • Boxers are great guard dogs with great hearing. 
   • Boxers bark to alert their owners that a stranger is approaching the house. They are protecting the home and their family.
2. Boredom
   • Boxers are highly energetic dogs and need mental stimulation. 
   • They may bark to get your attention to play and challenge them. They love to show off their skills.
   • Our Boxer Duke loves to the front end of his body low to the ground and stick his butt in the air and bark when he wants to play. Even as a senior dog, he loves to play.
3. Excitement
   • Boxers are loyal, family dogs and will often bark with excitement when one of the family members is coming home.
   • In fact, our two Boxers race back and forth from the dining room window to the door leading into the kitchen from the garage barking with excitement to see who can be the first to greet us.
4. Separation Anxiety
   • Boxers are high-energy, social dogs that don’t like to be left alone for long periods of time. 
   • Boxers bark when they are seeking attention from family members.
   • Our Boxers Duke and Katie will bark or howl when they want attention, as rescue dogs they don’t like being left alone at home for extended periods of time. They always bark and run around the house when we arrive home.

Do Boxers Bark A Lot? – Boxer Owner Study on Barking

We conducted an in-home test with our two adopted Boxer dogs to evaluate what causes them to bark in order to compare our results with what was found in the research for reasons Boxer dogs bark.

This would help us answer the question Do Boxers Bark a lot?

Objective:

To test what causes boxer barking, we ran a small study with our two rescue boxers, Duke a 9-year-old male who has lived with us for 8 years, and Katie, a 7-year-old female, who we adopted 3 months ago from a Puppy Mill.

We adopted both Duke and Katie from Adopt A Boxer Rescue. We have been working with this great organization for the past 18 years in various roles.

As background, we adopted Duke after he fell through a trampoline with the previous owners and required 50 staples to close the wound. He still sports a large scar on his site from the trauma.

Katie was a puppy Mill mom survivor who spent 7 years of her life in a crate producing litters. She was rescued from the mill and we adopted her in July 2022.

Because of the trauma she received she is still very skittish of strangers and is slowly overcoming some of her noise phobias.

We evaluated each of the 4 reasons why Boxers bark Protection, Boredom, Excitement, and Separation Anxiety.

Each of the reasons listed above was tested to determine

1. Did they bark at the particular stimulus?
2. If they barked, how long did it take between the stimulus and when they barked?
3. Which Boxer barked first (was it sex-dependent)?
4. How long did the Bark last?
5. Did both Boxers Bark at the same time?

The results of our boxer barking study are listed in the table below.

Data in this table compiled from a two-boxer study on barking habits

If you want to train your Boxer dog, not to Bark, we use and recommend Dog Socialization and Obedience Training from Holly and Hugo.

Do Boxers Bark A Lot? – Study Results

So, let’s answer the question – Do Boxers Bark A Lot? based on our in-home study.

While these are not validated “scientific” results, because we do not have a control group and did not run statistical data analysis, they provide a Boxer owner’s perspective on

• Why Boxers bark
• How often do boxers bark
• The length of time they bark
• Do boxers bark together
• Does it appear to be sex-dependent

This small study showed that the 2 stimuli that caused the quickest Boxer barking response were

1. Protection (Delivery Truck and drivers dropping off packages, Mail Truck and neighbors getting visitors)
2. Excitement (returning home)

The study also showed the stimuli with the longest barking episodes in descending order were

1. Separation Anxiety – 2 min and 6 secs
2. Excitement – 1 min and 39 seconds
3. Protection – 1 min and 20 secs

Note:  My boxers have barked at strangers walking by the house for up to 3 min until the stranger was no longer in eyesight and earshot. Therefore, in our experience Protection would usually result in the longest boxer barking response.

Based on our study results, our boxers would be considered mild to moderate barkers based on the length of time they barked.  Does this align with the American Kennel Club and the American Boxer Clubs‘ definitions of Do Boxers Bark A Lot?

As a side note, my boxers sometimes bark (or whine) with excitement when treats are being opened for good behavior.  They whine with excitement for approximately 30 seconds until the treat bag is opened and they receive a treat.

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To summarize – Do Boxers Bark A Lot? Compared to many other breeds, no, they are moderate barkers who typically have a reason behind their barking. My small study reinforced what was described about boxer barking in the literature.

Let’s go into greater detail on the reasons dogs bark, including the boxer.

Does your Boxer dog suffer from separation anxiety, we use and recommend CBD Calming Tinctures from Paw CBD

Do Boxers Bark A lot – Reasons Dogs Bark

In a study, Barking in Family Dogs: An Ethological Approach, Veterinary Journal, the author states that there are no scientific investigations evaluating the differences in barking among dog breeds, some breeds rarely bark (Chow-Chow, Basenji) while others bark excessively (Beagles, Basset Hound).

Recall, that Boxer barking falls in the middle of the pack among dog breeds as moderate barkers who only usually bark with cause.

In an article entitled Why Do Dogs Bark?, Pet Med, January 8, 2020, Dr. Monica Taratino provides some interesting background information on dog barking.

• Domesticated dogs,(which were domesticated 30,000 years ago by humans according to the article Human – Dog Relationships – A Historical Perspective, Boehringer-Ingelheim),  have been able to learn vast vocabularies, compound sentences, and approximately 1,000 words if they have received proper training.
• Similar to humans, dogs are able to communicate through both verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Dog barking is normal canine behavior and is the best and most effective way for a dog to communicate with its owner.

Do Boxers Bark A Lot – Most Common Reasons Dogs Bark (Including Boxer Dogs)

Do Boxers Bark A Lot? – Excitement Bark

Boxer dogs will often bark when they hear you coming home (see our study results above) or when you’re grabbing their leash or harness for a walk.

Typically, excitement barks involve “Yowling” which communicates their excitement to their owner and/or another dog in the house.

Boxers also show their excitement through body language.  If you have a boxer, you’ve probably seen the typical boxer dog “Lima Bean” dance where they twist themselves into the shape of a lima bean when they are excited.

So excited boxer barks usually involve both verbal and non-verbal cues

• “Yipping and yapping”
• Famous lima bean dance

Do Boxers Bark A Lot? – Attention Seeking Barks

Boxer dogs use this type of barking to indicate they want to play because they are bored or they are trying to get your attention because they want food or a treat.

Boxers typically use short single barks in a series to get your attention.  Essentially they are telling you to come on get moving, I want to play or I’m hungry.

The Boxer’s body language with this type of barking is usually a relaxed posture with the tail or stump wagging.

Since obesity can be a big problem with Boxers, giving them treats every time they bark and give you a sad-eye look can cause significant weight gain.  Use their excitement barking to take them for a walk or play in the yard.

Read our post on

Our Boxers Love The Honest Kitchen Jerky Harvest Mini Bars Dog Treats and  PureBites Chicken Jerky Treats from Cherrybrook.com as a reward.

Do Boxers Bark A Lot? – Fear, Anxiety, and Protection Barking

Boxers make great guard dogs because of their hearing ability and alertness and desire to protect their family

Boxers use this type of barking when there is some stimulus, like a stranger walking up to the house or someone walking a dog nearby.

This type of barking is usually, loud, deep, and continuous.

Your Boxer barking is saying “Hey, something isn’t right here, there is a strange person approaching”.  Essentially, their barking is telling you to get up and see what the problem is.

When they use this type of barking their ears are usually perked up, their head is at attention and their tail or stump is straight or slightly raised.  Often you will see the hairs on their back start to stand up.

Boxers typically stop this type of barking when you assure them there is no danger with the person approaching the house.

Do Boxers Bark A Lot? – Boredom Boxer Barking

Boxers are highly energetic dogs that need both mental and physical stimulation.

When boxers aren’t stimulated mentally or physically, they usually show some destructive behaviors like chewing things in the house or knocking things over as they bump into coffee tables or furniture.

These types of Boxer barks can range from a whine to low quick single barks.  They are trying to convey to you, “get up, come on let’s play or go for a walk”.

They may use some typical boxer body language where they lower their front end into a play bow with their front legs down and their rear end in the air, letting you know it’s time to play.

Daily Walks, puzzles, treat balls, and quality time spent with your boxer can help prevent boredom and this type of boxer barking.

Do Boxers Bark A Lot – Summary

Do Boxers Bark A lot

Boxers are mild to moderate barking dogs.  My personal experience had been more on the mild barking side, while the American Kennel Club rates them as a moderate barking breed (3 out of 5).

Boxers are very loyal family dogs and will bark as a protection mechanism.  They are also very intelligent and highly energetic.  They will bark out of boredom or get your attention when they want to play or want food or treats.

Boxers also love their family and will bark with excitement when they come home at the end of the day.

If you looking for a loyal, family-loving dog that doesn’t bark very often then a boxer may be the perfect fit for your family.

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