🥊 Boxer
Temperament
Bright, fun-loving, devoted, patient with children. Boxers love their family and are wary but rarely aggressive towards strangers. They can be pushy with other dogs (especially same-sex) without good socialisation.
Exercise
90 minutes of vigorous daily exercise, plus mental work. Boxers excel at agility, dock diving and obedience. Brachycephalic features mean they're heat-sensitive — avoid midday summer exercise.
Grooming
Short, smooth coat — weekly brush is plenty. Bathe as needed, every 6–10 weeks. The famous "Boxer drool" requires bib towels for some lines.
Health
Boxer cardiomyopathy (annual heart screening recommended from age 2). Aortic stenosis. Mast cell tumours and other cancers. Hip dysplasia. Bloat / GDV. BOAS (mild compared to Bulldogs). Lifespan averages 10–12 years.
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🐶 English Bulldog
Temperament
Calm, dignified, friendly, sometimes stubborn. Bulldogs are fantastic with children, tolerant of other pets, and famously unmotivated to chase or wander. Their stubbornness shows in training — short, motivating sessions work best.
Exercise
20–40 minutes of gentle walking daily, ideally in cool conditions. Avoid heat (anything above 22°C is risky), avoid stairs, never let them swim. Mental enrichment is more useful than physical exhaustion.
Grooming
Smooth coat needs weekly brushing only. The big jobs are the wrinkles — clean facial folds, the tail pocket and any deep skin creases weekly with a damp cloth, then dry. Skin and ear infections are common.
Health
BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome). Hip dysplasia. Skin fold dermatitis. Cherry eye. Heat stroke. Almost all puppies are born by C-section. Lifespan is sadly short for a non-giant breed (8–10 years). Pet insurance is essential and expensive.
Full English Bulldog profile →
