Other Pets and Children
Boxers, when raised with other species of animals, tend to be very good around those species. This tends to apply to cats, other dogs, horses, rabbits, and many other kinds of family pets. If you need your boxer to get along with other animals, you should ask the breeder how the puppy's parents interact with other animals, such as cats, for instance, as that will be a clue to how your puppy may respond.
If you have children, there are other guidelines to keep in mind. Although boxers have a longstanding reputation for being a good breed for children, it is very important to supervise children and dogs at all times as neither the boxer nor the children have adult judgment. There is no point in taking the risk that either one of them could make a mistake that could result in an injury to either.
Children and dogs must be supervised! Some boxers become very protective of their family's children, to the point that they do not even want the children's friends to come around. Remember that your boxer still has guarding instincts and may not always understand that rough behavior that children consider play is just that. An inexperienced boxer might see a childish disagreement as a genuine threat without other supervision from a sensible adult.
It's important to teach your children to treat the new puppy or dog gently and with respect. No pulling ears, tail, flews (lips), or private parts. Children must be taught not to tease the dog, hurt it, and not to take its food away while it is eating, as all of these things could provoke a bite. Children must be taught to respect the boxer as a dog with a dog's instincts and needs just like they must be taught to respect all other things they will encounter in life.
It is important that children learn to give the boxer basic commands such as sit, down, stay, off, and leave it. The reason for this is that dogs tend to see children as pack members rather than superior members of the pack, so it is important to be aware of this. One way to elevate the children's status in the pack is to have them feed the boxer (under your supervision, of course!), and of course, to be able to get the boxer to obey basic commands from every member of the family.
Make boxer ownership a family responsibility. Children can help to prepare the boxer's food and help the boxer learn to sit and to wait while the food is being prepared. Learning to sit and wait calmly for food helps to take the edge off of food challenges. If the boxer knows that waiting patiently will result in him getting his dinner, he will not mind it so much, and he will learn that waiting can produce good things. These simple commands and exercises will go a long way in telling your boxer that the children outrank him, and this will go far in preventing problems from arising.
