Petzlover
Boxer is originated from Germany but Irish Wolfhound is originated from Ireland. Boxer may grow 23 cm / 9 inches shorter than Irish Wolfhound. Boxer may weigh 22 kg / 48 pounds lesser than Irish Wolfhound. Boxer may live 5 years more than Irish Wolfhound. Boxer may have more litter size than Irish Wolfhound. Boxer requires Low Maintenance. But Irish Wolfhound requires Moderate Maintenance
In the late 19th century boxer was developed in Germany. It is a part of the Molosser dog group. The breed Brabanter Bullenbeisser is said to be the ancestor of the Boxer. He got the name Boxer as he stands with his back legs and does like a boxer do. In 1895 the breed came to a dog show by three germans named Friedrich Robert, Elard Konig and Hopner. In 1896 they founded the first boxer club as Deutscher Boxer Club. In 1902 the first Boxer breed standard was published by the club. The breed was introduced to United States in 20th century. The boxer involved in military work and also worked as a messenger dog. After 2nd world war they became popular as the soldiers brought them and introduced.
It is believed that the Irish Wolfhound is an ancient breed and that it was brought to Ireland as early as 7000 BC.
These dogs were bred as hunting dogs as well as guard dogs. There was a time when these huge canines were only allowed to be owned by the nobility. The breed died out somewhat, but Scotsman Captain George Augustus Graham made efforts to restore the breed’s numbers.
Captain Graham devoted his life to making sure the Irish Wolfhound’s numbers were built up, and the breeding program included Great Danes, Borzois, English Mastiffs and Scottish Deerhounds.
Boxer is a breed which is medium in size and has short hair. They have very strong jaws as to hunt large prey even hanging on biting them. It belongs to the working group. Boxers are well known for their love and faithfullness. Also he is very intelligent and its cleanliness makes him to be good dog for home. They are very energetic and are playful in nature. When boxers where trained by giving reward to them it is sure that they will perform its best. Normally they like to have good companionship with humans and smaller dogs.
They are incredible in their alertness and well suitable for watchdog. Boxers will be playful and silly till 3 years as they will mature after that only. They require only a minimum amount of grooming. They are suitable for apartment living until they are with their owners. Boxer owners will be sure to enjoy its clownish behaviour. They will be excited many time and show that by spinning in circles and making a sound which the owner will understand that he is happy or he needs some thing which is in the hands of his owner.
The tallest of the sighthounds, the Irish Wolfhound looks like a large Greyhound, only he has a rough, wiry type of coat.
He is also gracefully built and known as a gentle giant. The double coat which can be fawn, red, white, grey, black or brindle is straight to wavy.
He stands at about 81 to 86cm and weighs roughly 48 to 54kg. This is one of the few dog breeds that you can’t really call social. He loves his own human family, and becomes unhappy and ‘down-in-the-dumps’ when separated from his family members for too long. He is a quiet dog who tends to be somewhat introverted and reserved, while being highly intelligent.
He will require being trained and socialized to make him obedient as he is an independent dog. He takes his role as family protector seriously and even though he is quiet, he is ready to take on anyone who threatens his property.
The Irish Wolfhound is a gentle, quiet, soft-natured, easy-going dog and even though it is such a large dog, it doesn’t throw it’s weight around but is calm and patient around the elderly and children in the home. It can tend to be aggressive with animals he isn’t familiar with.
He is an intelligent dog, but even so he may be quite resistant to training as he is strong-willed and determined to have his own way. These dogs need to be trained and socialized otherwise they just do their own thing.
They are good kid friendly dogs. He is famous for his alertness and thus a wonderful watchdog. He loves to play with children. The nature of dog varies according to the heredity and society. The temperaments of the parents will effect in the puppy. Boxer is a friendly companion and loves to be with its family all the time and play with them.
Boxers are good for apartment living provided they are taken for a walk and exercised daily. It will be good if anyone stays with him always since he doesn't like being alone. He should be taken out only in a moderate weather as both hot and cold weather cannot be tolerated by him. He will suffer a lot in hot weather when compared with cold.
Training is necessary for them to refreshed physically and mentally. Boxer is a quick learner and rewarding them will make them more interested in doing it. Training should be started from basic commands like sit, stay and come. Boxer should be trained to not jump on visitors who come. They are very energetic and powerful and are eager to learn if properly taught.
The most notable aspect of the Irish Wolfhound is his amazing height. The legs are long, the body narrow. He is gentle and easy-going but because he is a sighthound he loves to give chase after animals.
He is capable of living in the city or countryside, but your home will need to cater to his size. He isn’t particularly energetic, enjoying a quiet life but he will absolutely need to be exercised.
Provide your gentle giant with everything needed to make him content, and you’ll have a faithful, loving friend for about 10 years.
The major health problems Boxers get includes Cancer, heart problems such as Aortic stenosis, Gastric dilatation and intestinal problems. Infection is the major problem in puppies. Boxers are also in a risk of getting degenerative myelopathy which is a neurologic problem. Allergies and skin problems are also a problem in them. It is difficult to recognize a growing puppy to be free from all diseases and the only thing we can do is to buy the puppy from a reputable breeder.
Boxers may lose their hair due to some diseases and conditions. When some materials such as nickel, rubber and wool are accidentally touched by them it may cause allergies and hairfall follows it. Some auto immune disorders leads to hairfall. Due to some inhalation of pollen or house dust the problem may happen. Some bacterial infection and hormonal problems may also leads to hairfall.
One wonders why breeders seem so bent on breeding such large dogs when they have health issues and they don't live particularly long. Not only do they cost a fortune to feed, but large dogs like this are more prone to illnesses and won’t live as long as small dog breeds. This big dog can live up to 10 years of age or so.
For starters, just because he is a deep chested dog, bloat or gastric torsion can be a threat. Other illnesses to look out for are dilated cardiomyopathy and bone cancer.
This is a disease of the heart muscle where the enlarged heart won’t function properly. The upper- and lower chambers of the heart are enlarged and the heart isn’t able to pump blood out properly. When the heart’s ventricle doesn’t pump enough blood into the lungs, fluid accumulates in the lungs and this ultimately leads to congestive heart failure.
Older dogs battle more with this heart disease and it is also more common in some dog breeds of which the Irish Wolfhound is one. Your dog will have shortness of breath, coughing and abdominal distension. He will need to get to the vet for medical tests.
Bone cancer can strike any dog, but you’ll find in more commonly with larger dog breeds. It can spread quickly and the long term prognosis isn’t good. It’s not easy to pick the disease up and it can mean joint pain for your pet and even lameness.
Your dog will be tired too. Your vet will do X-rays and other tests, but unfortunately the prognosis isn’t usually good. Big-dog breeders should take this into consideration.
Normally puppies require more food than adults to meet their energy requirement for growth. They should be fed in a correct time interval. The puppy food for large dogs must be chosen for their health. Boxer puppies must be fed twice in a day and two cups of food will be better for them for one time. Upto 6 months this method is recommended. Feeding them by dividing the meals into smaller portion will be good since they will eat too much and very fast. Weight of the puppy should be checked regularly and food should be given according to that.
The food given to the boxer will effect in the dog's health and its life span too. Also it should match our budget also. Overfeeding will make them overweight and thus bringing harm to them. It is recommended to feed boxer two times a day to avoid bloat. Food should be given such that the dog completely eats it and if they can't eat completely then the balance food must be thrown away to avoid over eating. They should not be given food while we eat even once as it will develop begging behaviour in them.
Boxers are not suitable for living in outdoors, since they have short coats and short noses. But they like to play in a fenced yard. It is recommended to make them walk for half an hour twice a day. Playing flyball with them will make them happy and making him exercised will give him a good behaviour.
This isn’t a particularly energetic dog and he can tend to become lazy. Don’t allow this as becoming unfit and overweight can be very bad for such large dog. Being so large already puts stress on the dog’s body, and the dog is already susceptible to cardiac and skeletal problems. Allowing him to become lazy and overweight will be a death sentence for this large dog. It is imperative to make sure you take him on walks and play games with him.
The coat of your dog is thick and medium length and he will require being brushed at least twice a week. You may want to also trim the longer hair you find around his face and legs.
When it comes to his ears, you can moisten some cotton wool and wipe the inside of his ears to remove dirt and excess wax. Remember not to probe too deeply to avoid damaging the ear. If you’re uncertain how to do this, your vet can explain to you how its done.
Check his teeth regularly as dental disease can affect other areas of the body too. Don’t allow his nails to get too long as they can cause paw problems and the nails can hook onto things and cause injury.
Because this is a giant breed, the puppy will grow for a long time. Speak to your vet about how to ensure you feed your puppy in such a way that he doesn’t grow too quickly.
If you feed your dog a commercially manufactured food, make sure its one of the top quality brands. Include home-made cooked food such as chicken, rice and vegetables into his kibble from time to time, and also try to feed him some raw meat occasionally.
Fresh, cool water must be available to your Irish Wolfhound around the clock.