Boxers are one of the most favorite dog breeds in the USA for adopting. Which in turn leads to owners asking questions such as, do Boxers have webbed feet? This is true some Boxer breeds do have webbed feet among many other amazing attributes that we mention below. Webbed feet were developed into boxers through crossbreeding.
As a general rule, purebred Boxers do not have webbed feet. If they, do it will only be a small degree of webbing. They won’t have the typical amount you will find in breeds that work in the water like retrievers and poodles. However, crossbred Boxers do have webbed toes.
Advantages of Having Webbed Feet
Boxers having webbed feet has multiple pros for them. Some of the benefits are assistance in swimming and helping them dig through the mud. Which you will have noticed, they like to do a lot of digging.
Webbed feet in Boxers can help them with their balance and keep them stable. The scratchy surface beneath the dog’s paw combined with the stickiness of the webbing’s membrane is what helps them with their balance. This is what the webbed on the Boxers paws will look and feel like.
Boxers can maintain a versatile nature of activities that they can pull off because of their webbed feet. The padded surface and the singular surface structure make the dog’s foot a very good paddle for pushing away water. This can help them a lot when it comes to swimming. Although you should only ever take your dog into calm water and never rough sea terrain.
When it comes to digging, a dog’s feet are obviously its most useful tool, but why? It is because of the same reason that they are good for swimming, the paddle-like shape of the dog’s foot.
Webbed Feet and Swimming
Swimming should be an essential part of a dog’s routine. It is the only form of exercise that invigorates and exercises every single part of the dog’s body. From the feet to the abdomen, to the neck and head.
It helps in completely stretching out every single part of the body. Which in turn helps increase the dog’s agility in a very healthy and transformative way. Swimming is a good way to keep your dog healthy and active. By doing this they will live a longer and better life.
Dogs that get too fat tend to get extremely lazy and the dog’s social nature doesn’t allow for this. If the dog becomes incapable of frolicking around it will soon start to affect its mental health. In which case your dog may be risking depression.
Where to Take Your Boxer Swimming?
To keep your dog happy, healthy, and agile you should be able to take them out for swimming every now and then. If you live in coastal regions this can be quite an easy task, because of the water bodies that may be present. If you live a little up north, you can find rivers and lakes.
In swampy areas, there is still availability of relatively clean lakes. In drier regions, however, it can be slightly more challenging to find a water body for your dog to swim in.
If you own a dog, it is possible that you might be living in a developed area. This is great because there are a lot of facilities for dogs to swim in, in peace without being disturbed. Even if you do live in coastal regions, it is better to introduce your dog to water bodies through a pool.
Taking them out to the river if they have never had any practice can actually be quite risky. Taking your dog out to a pool and properly training them is the best option, in till they can swim by themselves. Once they know how to swim, you can take them to more natural places, but always keep an eye on them. If there is deep water or cliffs, they should always be on a lead.
Versatility Of The Boxer
Webbed feet have managed to make certain dog breeds very versatile in water or on land. Water activities can be carried out quite easily if your dog has had practice swimming on occasions.
You can play with your dog in the pool if you own one. It might also become easier to bathe your dog once they get the hang of swimming. The familiarity with the water will cause it to panic less when it is in the bathtub.
On land the dog can sprint and run around a lot more easily. Making it easier for you to play with your dog in the park.
The dog’s improved alertness will also allow them to learn and then carry out commands and tricks a lot more easier.
In conclusion, webbed feet in your dogs are a very useful feature that assists them on a daily basis. They will be able to do more stuff. Which will help your dog’s mental health and physical health and overall increasing the betterment of their life.
What Boxers Have Been Trained For in the Past and Present
They are also trained as service dogs for guiding the blind, they are used as therapy dogs for people who have a mental disability and require living stability. Their aggressive and robust nature makes them perfect for the job of a police dog. They are capable of shepherding a herd of cattle as well. This is because of the calm and collected way they carry out their actions.
These strong and intelligent dogs have also been used as service dogs, therapy dogs, and police dogs in K9 units. The versatility of Boxers was recognized early on by the military. Which has used them as valuable messenger dogs, pack carriers, and attack and guard dogs in times of war.
Information About The Boxer Breed
Boxers are a German breed of dogs. They were part of a dog group named Molosser, in the late nineteenth century. They have got numerous temperament traits. Which makes them the seventh most popular breed among some fifty thousand breeds that are registered worldwide (according to US research records).
They are named “Boxer” because of their ability to play with their front paws while standing on their hind legs (like human boxers).
The name Boxer was supposedly originated because of an American traveler who claimed to have seen the dog boxing. But this is highly unlikely, as the Boxer cannot maintain stability on its hind legs. Even if it could, the nature of the dog wouldn’t allow it to do so, in such a random, unheard-of situation.
Generally, Boxers are found in fawn color tones with a white flash often extending from underneath the neck towards their belly. Fawn Boxers are often termed “Red Boxers”. Boxers with fawn and black stripes are termed as “Brindle Boxers”.
Some heavily white striped Boxers are called white Boxers. They can come with serious health concerns. Some white Boxers are deaf in one or both ears. White Boxers do get sunburnt a lot easier, which can sadly lead to them getting skin cancer.
The cleanliness and modesty of a Boxer make it a faithful and cheerful companion as a family dog. They are harmless to the family, but they do not trust strangers. This feature makes them excellent to keep as a guard dog in your house, in the case of any break-ins.
They are brave, energetic, and fearless as well as determined with a friendly and playful attitude. They have a loyal soul throughout their life span, which generally is of nine to twelve years.