‘My boxer dog was a shoulder to cry on through thick and thin’

Many families have traditions that might seem rather quirky to others. For some, it’s an inherited (if unfashionable) middle name or a slightly bizarre heirloom passed down generations.

In our case, it’s a long line of boxer dogs – from Gus, bought in the early 1950s, via Pom, Midge, Laura and Bella, to Lulu, the gentle red boxer who joined the family when I was in my teens.

They say dogs take after their owners and, while I can’t claim quite the same level of facial wrinkles and warts, I can relate to boxer dogs’ enthusiastic, playful nature.

Often described as the “Peter Pan” of dogs, they never shed their puppy-like energy and joie de vivre: Lulu was zooming around fields and sparring with canine companions well into old age.

My grandmother dubbed our boxers jolie laide (a French term for unconventional attractiveness), their pretty names chosen to contrast with their inelegant looks. Regardless of their flat faces and droopy jowls, there’s no denying the breed’s charm; perhaps it’s down to their human-like eyes or distinctive square snouts.

Their undershot jaws are, in fact, a breed standard, cultivated for function rather than fashion. Boxers were originally bred in Germany in the late 19th century from old English bulldogs and Bullenbeissers (a now-extinct hunting dog), with flat snouts enabling them to carry prey without damaging it.

Thanks to their hunting origins, boxers are athletic, energetic and intelligent. This makes them rewarding and entertaining companions but not for the faint-hearted; they will thrive in active households with playfellows and country walks aplenty.

Although not partial to hunting like her ancestors, Lulu was something of an athlete. Her sporting prowess extended from the high jump – leaping up into the air for toys held at head height – to swimming, with an idiosyncratic technique of standing vertically in the water and splashing her front legs at right angles, before diving for prize rocks on the seabed.

She also had a knack of picking up inappropriately long sticks – often more than three times her body length – which she would proudly parade like a tightrope walker, taking out the odd unsuspecting walker with a knock to the knees from behind. Sticks can be dangerous for dogs, leading to cuts in their mouth, but fortunately Lulu avoided injury.

Despite her bouncy façade, it would be hard to find a more gentle, loving family companion. Come evening, boxers tend to switch modes and become sedate homebodies curled up in front of the fire, and ours have always commandeered their own sofa corner or armchair. If an unwitting guest ever sat in “Lulu’s spot”, its rightful occupant would soon wheedle her way onto their lap!

Boxers were the gentle giants of my childhood: warm, comforting playmates who would cheerfully tolerate the grasping hands of lively young children, not to mention being dressed up in the occasional Christmas outfit.

Once accepted, you have a boxer’s loyalty for life. If anyone ever fell behind on a walk or took a breather on a bench, Lulu would desperately rush to and fro, rounding the straggler back into the pack. This loyalty extends to inanimate objects, too – Lulu was known to retrace her steps for more than a mile to recover the perfect stick that might have been abandoned earlier on a walk.

A particular tale of boxer devotion became the stuff of legend in our family: one snowy day, my grandfather, forgetting his age, decided to toboggan down a tree-covered hill at high speed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this ended with him head-first in a tree and knocked unconscious. While my mother rushed to get help, Pom the boxer dog refused to leave him, lying over his inactive body to keep him warm until medical assistance arrived.

My own loyal companion, Lulu, recently took the dreaded one-way trip to the vets at the grand old age of 13. The family home feels empty without her comforting presence, but I’m grateful to have spent my formative years with her as a playmate, trusted friend and shoulder to cry on through thick and thin.

Although she can never be replaced, there is space in our hearts waiting to be filled when the time is right. For now, it’s the calm before the next boxer storm, which will bring with it chaos and joy in equal measure.

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BOXER DOG FACT FILE:

PERSONALITY

Exuberant, active, affectionate

EXERCISE

Up to 90 minutes a day, split over two or more walks or play sessions

GROOMING

A short, shiny coat that requires little grooming or bathing. Brush once a week to prevent excessive shedding

HEALTH

Susceptible to hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament disease, heart conditions, thyroid disorders and certain cancers. Health screening before adoption is recommended

SIZE

Average height: 53cm-64cm; average weight: 30kg-36kg

SPECIAL SKILLS

Watchdogs, service dogs and therapy dogs, as well as agility and herding

LIFESPAN

10-12 years

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