Boxer Information Center

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Grooming a Boxer

Overview

With its short coat, grooming a Boxer is not extremely difficult.

However, grooming involves a lot more than a bath or brushing.

Keeping your dog clean = keeping your dog healthy.

For a Boxer to be properly groomed, the following must all be addressed:

Fur
Nails
Ears
Wrinkles on the face
Eyes
Teeth

Grooming a Boxer is not difficult and can be a great way for you to bond with your dog. Many dogs find this time relaxing and shows signs that they love being pampered.

Baths

A Boxer has shiny, short hair and therefore does not need a bath as often as other breeds may. It is recommended to give your Boxer a bath every other week. If you will be showing your Boxer in a dog show, you will want to give him or her baths once per week. Before the event, a bath should be given the night before. Giving too many baths will dry out the skin of this breed and can lead to itching, sometime intense.

It is very important to only use canine shampoo. One may think that no harm would come from using human products; however this is not true. Dogs, even large Boxers, can be allergic to human products. Dogs can also be allergic to dog shampoo! Therefore, it is suggested to always use a hypo-allergenic dog shampoo, followed by a hypo-allergenic conditioner.

Grooming a Boxer dog

Bath time should be a fun time. Throwing your dog into the water will not help. The bath should be filled and if the noise of the running water scares your Boxer, you can prepare the bath without him or her in the room. The water should be warm. Use your wrist to check the temperature. If it feels hot to you, it will be too hot for your dog.

Since an adult is rather large, you may opt to bathe your dog outside. Do keep in mind that this should be done only if your dog has learned to love baths and you can do this in an enclosed area so that your dog will not run off. If choosing to clean your Boxer outside, do not use a garden hose. 2 large buckets should be prepared. 1 with warm water to clean your dog and 1 with warm water to rinse him or her off.

While all areas of the body should be soaped up and cleaned, an owner must pay special attention to darker areas of the dog. These areas, such as the ears and face can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Yeast infections can occur if not kept clean. Ears and any wrinkles on the face should be wiped with soft Q-Tips. They should be wiped with new ones, until the Q-Tip no longer wipes up any moisture.

Eyes should be wiped with a soft wash cloth. If you notice that discharge is causing a discoloration under or around your Boxer's eyes, it is recommended to use dog eye wipes. Excessive eye discharge is considered a health issue and should be checked out by your dog's veterinarian.

Nails

All dogs must have their nails trimmed. A dog has a vein that runs down the center of each nail. This is called the "Quick". If this is cut, it is lead to rather severe bleeding and cause pain. If you are nervous to cut the nails, certainly save this grooming step for a professional groomer. Some dogs are so scared of having their nails cut, that a professional groomer must give them a mild sedative. This is common and safe when done by a licensed professional. The nails on a Boxer need to be cut about every 5- 6 weeks. Most professional groomers will not charge a lot for this, especially if you will be bringing them your business every 6 weeks or so. The average charge is $10.00 US dollars.

Ears & Eyes

We have a separate section regarding ear care and eye boogers.

Whiskers

Usually only show dog Boxers will have their whiskers trimmed. This is not necessary if your Boxer is a family pet.

Teeth

Sadly, many owners do not understand the vital importance of dental cleaning for their dogs. It is extremely important to brush your Boxer's teeth at least once per day. While a dog does not get as many cavities as humans do, they quickly build up plague. This causes very serious health problems if cleaning is not done. Beginning when a Boxer is a puppy, dental cleaning should be part of a daily routine.

Plague and tarter build up quickly and lead to many healthy issues that could be avoided if a dog received the proper care. Many dogs who do not receive care, such as those who find their way into rescues and dog shelters need to have teeth extracted and run through courses of antibiotics in an attempt to counteract infections. This causes severe pain for the dog and of course, interferes with eating.

Human toothpaste should never be used. To allow your Boxer to become used to having his or her teeth cleaned you can start off by simply putting a small drop of dog toothpaste on your finger and running it across your Boxer's teeth. Be sure to touch the back teeth as well.

Move on to using a finger brush. These are made for dog dental cleanings and can be less threatening to a dog than a brush. If your Boxer does well with the finger brush, certainly attempt to move on to the best product: a dog toothbrush. If your dog strongly resists, stay with the finger brush.

While daily brushing will remove plague, only a professional cleaning will remove tarter. It is very important to have your Boxer's teeth cleaned by a professional at least once per year. Most dogs will be sedated during this process, as it is a very intense cleaning. Your dog should receive the whole sha-bang! X-rays, deep cleaning and polishing.

Shedding, Fur Loss, Coat Thinning, Newborn to Senior Care - Straight from retired Breeders:

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