Posted by Jeanne on May 6, 2009
Like many other dogs that are popular today, the Boxer has its origin in Germany. It isn’t certain what he owes his compact muscular form to; some breeders claim he is a cross between the English Bulldog and the Great Dane. Another group says it wasn’t the Dane at all but one of the Terrier family. One thing is sure, the Boxer has some Bulldog in him.
He not only looks somewhat like the Bulldog, but he also has his courage and strength. Most Boxers today are as gentle as lambs under ordinary conditions. But, if they have to fight, they usually win. Because of their gentleness, their reserve of power, they are good companions for children.
It was from his manner of lighting that the Boxer got his name. It comes from his habit of using his front paws like a prize-fighter when playing or fighting. Of course, he doesn’t punch, his blow is more like a slap. And, if the going gets rough, he’ll use his teeth like all other dogs.
Like the Spaniels, the Dobermans, and some of the Terriers, the Boxer has a docked tail. This is a tail that has been cut off so that only a few inches of it remain. Today, dogs’ tails are cut off for appearance more than anything else. But at one time, people in Europe cut off the tails of dogs – all dogs – because they thought it would prevent rabies.
Another superstitious reason for cutting off dogs’ tails was that the owners believed it gave the dog courage. A more logical explanation is that tails were cut so that the dogs wouldn’t catch them on briars and underbrush when out hunting.
Posted by Jeanne on April 20, 2009
Some owners seem to want their dogs to stop barking, period: a good dog is a quiet dog, and the only time that barking’s permitted is when there’s a man in a black balaclava and stripy prison outfit, clutching a haversack marked ‘Swag’, clambering in through your bedroom window.
Dogs don’t see barking in quite the same light. Your dog has a voice, just like you do, and she uses it just how you do too: to communicate something to the people she cares about.
I don’t think that barking is necessarily a bad thing – in fact, I think it’s encouraging that my dog wants to “talk” to me, enough so that I can overlook the stentorian qualities of his voice (which, in enclosed spaces, is positively overpowering) in of his desire to communicate with me. It’s the thought that counts (even though I feel better-equipped to stand by this sanctimonious belief when my ears are sheltered safely behind industrial-quality ear-plugs).
Unfortunately, the language barrier between dogs and humans is pretty well impermeable, which means it’s up to us to use the context, the body language of our dogs, and the circumstances of the vocalization to parse meaning from a volley of barks.
So why do dogs bark? It’s not easy to say (it’s like trying to answer the question, “Why do humans talk?” in so many words). Let’s start off by saying that dogs bark for many different reasons.
A lot of it depends on the breed: some dogs were bred to bark only when a threat is perceived (this is true of guarding breeds in particular, like Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds); some were bred to use their voices as a tool of sorts, to assist their owners in pursuit of a common goal (sporting breeds such as Beagles and Bloodhounds, trained to ‘bay’ when they scent the quarry), and some dogs just like to hear themselves talk (take just about any of the toy breeds as an example of a readily-articulate dog!).
More on this subject next week…