Boxers are an amazing choice when looking for a family pet. My husband and I did a lot of research on this topic before finally coming to the Boxer conclusion. We looked online, www.AKC.org and www.dogbreedinfo.com  and read a few books about various dog breeds, asked around to see what other types of dogs friends had, and gathered all the information we could.

At the time we started looking, we only had one son, a one and a half year old, so being good with kids was of top priority for any pet we ended up with. We were sure we wanted a dog and he and I both knew we wouldn't be happy with a small size breed. We checked into the larger breeds and narrowed it down to a few who fit our criteria.

Our personal preferances were: Good with small children (i.e. under the age of three), Excellent guard dog abilities, quiet (as in doesn't bark nonstop, but will when necessary), not overly aggressive, easy to train, good disposition, and also medium to large size.

After weeding through Huskys, Rottweilers, Mastiffs and several other larger breeds, we found her: The Boxer.   The breed descriptions included everything we were looking for.

Fast forward about a year and a half to the day we acquired our Boxer. She came to live with us  one sunny day in September of 2008 and we are so glad she did! When we got her, she was 6 months old and not yet potty trained. I anticipated the worst, assuming it would take weeks to train her but was pleasantly surprised when it took only a few days! I used a crate for the first couple of days she was home, putting her in it at night and while we were away from home. She took to the potty rules so quickly I didn't need to leave her crated throughout the day.

She is very obedient, submissive to all in the household, including my two young sons, and rarely barks.  My sons are currently four and 15 months and she will lay in the floor while they climb across her or sit on her or whatever they may do. She never nips or growls at any of us, if a baby puts his hand in her food bowl while she's eating, she will walk away from the bowl. (Unfortunately, my 15 mo old is notorious for getting into the dog bowl and is very quick!)

I have seen her stand between the boys and their dad while play wrestling so as to protect them and I have witnessed her block my four year old from going too near the road. She is alert and watchful and growls or barks (a menacing bark, by the way) only when she feels it necessary. She is a 60 pound lamb who can be the lion when her family needs protection.

I know that when I was searching for 'the perfect dog', I read several articles and blogs from fellow dog owners in hopes of reading something helpful, which I did. I hope this can help others as well.

Of course, I am drawing on my own personal experiences here, but every Boxer story I hear is always the same...Great with young children, wonderful breed and once you have a Boxer, you won't want anything else!