Rottweiler Boxer

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Rottweiler Boxer is a medium to large dog that is a cross between a purebred Rottweiler and a purebred Boxer. Both German breeds and hardworking dogs with great stamina, the Rottweiler and Boxer are considered best for experienced dog owners, and this is true of the Rottweiler Boxer as well.

The Rottweiler is named after a town in Germany, where the breed originated as a farmer's working dog, droving livestock and pulling carts of meat to market, while providing security to its master from possible robbers. It is a large dog best placed in a home with large open spaces. It is also known for its tendency to aggression, which is mostly directed towards strangers and strange dogs.

The Boxer is a stocky, squarely-built, medium-sized dog first developed in 19th century Germany. Other breeds in its lineage include the Bullenbeiser, a now-extinct breed, and the Old English Bulldog. The Boxer is a brachcephalic type, with a prominent, powerful jaw that can clamp onto large prey and hold it until the hunter gets to it.

Color

The Rottweiler Boxer comes mostly in black, white, tan and fawn. Fawn may be a solid color, and range in shade, from light to deep. Tan usually comes as markings on a black Rottweiler Boxer, and black and white comes in combination, where the white is a flash on the paws, chest, and extending up to the face.

Coat

The Rottweiler Boxer's coat can be single or double-layered. A single coat is short and tight to the skin, with a healthy sheen to it. A double coat will have a coarse outer layer laying flat and dense on a softer undercoat.

Personality

At rest, the Rottweiler Boxer is a placid, almost docile dog, content to spend quiet time with its family. At work, it is a tractable and eager animal, relying on size, instinct, stamina, and strength to carry out tasks such as herding or carting. The Rottweiler Boxer will appeal to all members of the family. It is a calm, reassuring companion for older people, and a patient, tolerant playmate for older children. Younger children have to be supervised, though, as they can get knocked over in play. Small, helpless animals are usually safe with the Rottweiler Boxer, appealing to its protective instinct. Other dogs, if raised with it and well-trained, will not be a problem as well. A Rottweiler Boxer on watch is an alert, fearless dog. Rather than being barky, it will stand and refuse to give ground, and finally attack if provoked. It is quiet and amiable, but it is never to be approached by someone not properly introduced.

Care

Coat care will entail little maintenance, just a weekly or twice-weekly brushing to maintain sheen and get rid of shed fur. Once or twice a year, the undercoat may get blown, and shedding will be heavier then. A bath is good every month or so, but not needed more frequently than that, unless work regularly takes the Rottweiler Boxer through muddy or wet places.

Training

The Rottweiler Boxer needs obedience training and intensive socialization from puppyhood until well into adolescence. Its inherent intelligence makes it very trainable, but learned behavior should be reinforced, to ensure that a large adult behaves well in all kinds of company.

Activity

The Rottweiler Boxer is best served by a large living space, due to its size and working history, which predisposes it to open spaces. A good and regular workout regimen is necessary in an adult Rottweiler Boxer, to ward off weight gain and let the dog indulge its urge to walk and explore. Younger dogs should be restrained from arduous activity, as they can damage still growing joints and bones.