DOBERMAN PINSCHER VS BOXER

Comparing two all-around great working breeds with one another is not an easy task, but, here we are pitting Doberman Pinschers Vs Boxers and we'll try to determine which of these two breeds is more suitable for a dog owner and we'll also try to find which one is better than the other.

Now before diving deep into the differences between Doberman and Boxer, lets first check out some major similarities that these awesome canines share with each other. Both these breeds:

• hail from Germany.
• are categorized under the working group by AKC.
• have a similar life-span (10-12).
• are excellent watchdogs and guard dogs.
• have similar maintenance needs. Both of them require a good amount of exercise on a daily basis and because of their short and smooth coats, they have fairly low grooming requirements. Also both these canines are moderate shedders and they both have similar feeding needs.
• have fairly similar behavioral traits. They both are very loyal and faithful to their owners, good with kids, not that hard to train and are not known to get along with other canines very well.
• are very popular in India and are fairly easily available in the country.

Now with that out of the way, let's focus on some significant differences that can be easily found in both of these breeds. These dissimilarities can be on the basis of various characteristics such as history & origin, appearance, temperament, ease of training, health issues et cetera.

Historical:

Historically speaking, both these dogs might have originated in a similar country, but the story of how they came to life is quite different. Doberman Pinschers were created by a German Tax collector named Herr Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann. Louis had a job which required him to visit various places so as to collect taxes and as some of the places were not so safe, there was a very good chance of being attacked or looted by thieves. So to keep himself safe, Louis thought of getting a strong & loyal dog and thus, he started a breeding program that involved various breeds such as Old German Shepherds, German Pinschers, Weimaraners, Manchester Terriers, Great Danes, Greyhounds, and Rottweilers. And when the breeding program concluded, Louis the Tax Collector had a new breed in his hands and that breed was given the name of its creator. This is how Dobermans were born, but what about Boxers?

An old breed called Bullenbeisser was used to create the canine which is now known as Boxer. Bullenbeissers are also known as German Bulldogs and they were mated with some local canines and this resulted in the formation of a new breed which is now known as Boxers. A Munich man named Georg Alt is believed to be the person who started the mating process between the Bullenbeissers and the local pooches. Boxers were highly praised for their efforts during the First World War. They were used for several different kinds of tasks such as delivering messages, attacking an enemy and guarding the troops.

Appearance:

Although they are quite similar in size and stature (Doberman's average height and weight are around 24-28 inches & 27-45 Kg and Boxers average height and weight are somewhere between 21-25 inches & 24-36 Kg respectively), there are a lot of differences that we can see on the outside of both these breeds. Dobermans have a slightly taller and leaner body with a longer head and a lengthy & pointy muzzle. Boxers, on the other hand, have a similar looking body but their head is fairly shorter than the Dobermans. Also, their muzzle is a bit flatter (blunt) and shorter than the Dobies. Coming to the coat, both these dogs have a short and smooth coat which is very easy to groom but it is found in different colors. Dobermans mostly have a Black, Red or Fawn color coat with rust markings on it and they are also sometimes found in a Blue color coat. Boxers are not found in a large variety of colors and the main colors that are seen on their coats are Fawn and White, but they can have a brindle pattern on their body which looks really cool.

Temperament:

As mentioned earlier, both Boxers and Dobermans do share quite a few similarities if we talk about their temperamental traits. But there are some key differences also that everyone should be aware of about the temperament of these two breeds. Boxers are a bit more sociable and friendly with strangers as compared to Dobermans. Dobies are highly protective of their family members and they do not very easily trust a stranger as they might view them as a threat to their loved ones. Thus early socialization and training are extremely crucial for the Doberman Pinschers so that they could differentiate between a friendly stranger and a legitimate threat.

But apart from this, they are highly similar to one another when comparing them on temperamental basis. Both these dogs are highly kind and friendly with kids, they both can get along just fine with cats (if they are trained properly) and both can be a bit cold and harsh towards other canines.

Also, when comparing the guarding potential potential of both these dogs, they both can act as an exceptional guard or watchdog. They are extremely intelligent and they know how to keep their home and family members safe and secured.

Trainability:

Both these breeds are highly trainable in nature. They remain very compliant and responsive during the training sessions and they always get excited when they are learning something new from their owners. But it is the Doberman Pinschers that take the cake here as they are more easy to train than the Boxers and it is mostly due to their high level of intelligence. Dobies are exceptionally smart canines who have amazing learning and thinking skills. These pooches can understand a lot of very difficult commands of their owners and they can learn all the things which are taught to them at a much faster rate as compared to the Boxers. Dobermans, in fact, are considered to be the 5th most intelligent dog breed present on this planet.

Health Issues:

Both of these canines have a similar lifespan, but the health issues that might affect this lifespan are quite different between these two pooches. Dobermans are generally prone to Cardiomyopathy, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Von Willebrand's Disease, and Albinism. Boxers mostly get affected by Aortic Stenosis, Degenerative Myelopathy, Epilepsy, and Allergies. But, Both these breeds are only needed to be taken to a vet on an occasional basis for general health check-ups and consultation.

Good for Indians?

Now to answer this very difficult question, which dog is better and which is suitable for Indian dog owners? Doberman or Boxer? we should see how these two breeds behave in the Indian environment. First of all, Dobermans have a great tolerance to heat and thus they are able to withstand the Indian climatic conditions a lot better than the Boxers whose heat tolerance is average at best. Secondly, Dobermans are a bit expensive to maintain as compared to the Boxers and the average monthly maintenance costs of Dobermans and boxers are around ₹3,000 to ₹5,500 and ₹2,000 to ₹4,500 respectively. Lastly, both these breeds are fairly easily available in India, so no potential owners should have a problem in finding these canines in or near their city.

So, in the end, both the Boxers and the Doberman Pinschers have their fair share of pros and cons as a breed, and it all comes down to the personal preference of an individual who is looking for an awesome breed to raise as a pet.