How long do Boxers Live? Factors their Lifespan Depends on

The average lifespan for a Boxer is around 10-13 years. However, many Boxer dogs tend to pass away considerably earlier, often due to cancer.

Having said that, there are times when Boxers manage to live for 13 to 15 years. In fact, some Boxers have gone on to live for as long as 16 years.

Understanding the Lifespan of Boxers:

According to the author of, ‘The Everything Boxer Book: A Complete Guide to Raising, Training, and Caring for Your Boxer’, Karla Spitzer, a 10-year Boxer, on average, is the equivalent of a 60-year human being.

Having said that, just like there would be major variations in health between two 60-year olds, two 10-year-old Boxers might be considerably different in terms of health and vitality.

According to Spitzer, there are Boxers that are still gliding over jumps even at 12 years and beyond, while there are Boxers who struggle to even hop once they get past six years of age.

It is also important to understand that the data regarding the lifespan of Boxers is not exactly reliable. This is because neither dog owners nor veterinarians are obligated to report the deaths of dogs. Much of the data collected in this regard is through surveys, which means it is reliant upon the memories of owners and vets. Hence, the samples collected are unlikely to represent all dogs.

For instance, studies related to dog deaths that are performed within veterinary settings often fail to ignore dogs that lived long and problem-free lives and only died of natural causes.

Having said all that, it is undeniable that mixed and smaller breed dogs tend to have the longest lives. Unfortunately, the Boxer is neither of the two.

Boxer Deaths – the Most Common Causes:

As per a study of 70,000 dogs spanning across 82 breeds, cancer is the most common cause of Boxer fatality, accounting for over 44% of the total deaths in this breed.

According to this two-decade long study, 18.2% of Boxer dogs died from neurological issues, while trauma accounted for 7% of the deaths.

However, as we mentioned, the study is now twenty years old, which means that most of the dogs involved would have been neutered, vaccinated, and kibble-fed – not to mention that they would have full of chemicals such as tick, flea, and wormer medication and preventatives. Only now are we starting to understand how these things can lead to health issues and premature fatalities – not only within Boxers but other dog breeds as well.

Medical Issues and Early Deaths in Boxers – the Most Common Reasons:

There are various natural and other factors that determine the lifespan of Boxers, some of which we will be discussing:

Genetics:

Unfortunately, the Boxer’s genetics makes it susceptible to health problems and early death.

If you are planning on adopting a boxer, it is best to find breeders who conduct a thorough assessment to identify the presence and risk of every disease and illness that can occur in a Boxer.

Before you adopt a Boxer, you should learn about the lifespan of his parents, their parents, as well as the lifespan of the Boxer’s siblings and extended family. You also need to know whether they lived natural lives, or had any health problems.

Inbreeding:

Reduced genetic diversity associated with purebred dogs also contributes to more health issues and shorter lifespan. In comparison, mongrels benefit from something called ‘hybrid vigor’.

Excessive use of sires within breeding communities also does not help the genetic bottleneck issue.

At this point, you are probably tempted to think that inbreeding and genetics have already determined your Boxer’s lifespan, and that there is nothing that you can do to increase it.

If you are thinking this, we are very glad to tell you that you are quite wrong. As we mentioned that, although nature plays an important role in determining your dog’s lifespan, it does not play the ONLY role. Your dog’s ‘nurture’, which can be defined as the particular conditions that you expose him to, also has a tremendously strong role in reducing any natural disadvantages.

The Owner:

A Boxer’s owner might play the most defining role in determining the kind (and length) of life that the dog lives.

Much like humans, dogs possess genes that contain any number of locked possibilities. However, it is the dog’s lifestyle, environment, and various other inputs that determine which of those possibilities end up unlocking.

To put it differently, your choices and decisions will determine your Boxer’s longevity and health. A few of those choices – such as the choice of neutering – is one that cannot be undone once it has been made.

Others, such as the kind of food and medications that your Boxer takes, are made every single day – for the better or the worse.

This means that, bit by bit, either way, you are contributing to your Boxer’s health. Every step that you take will either improve your dog’s health, or establish the perfect foundation for diseases to attack.

Some of the factors that could negatively affect your Boxer’s life and health include:

• Tap water
• Neutering
• Kibble.
• Vaccines
• Tick and flea preventatives
• Chemical wormers
• Stress
• Obesity
• Drugs
• The level of physical activity (remember that excessive physical activity can be as (or even more) harmful than insufficient physical activity)
• Environmental toxins.

A few of these, such as obesity and stress, are fairly straightforward.

Others, such as neutering or kibble, come as a shock to owners – especially since these things are suggested by the veterinarians themselves.

Often, every time your dog pays a visit to a traditional veterinarian, he comes out with another vaccine injected into him or another toxic drug prescribed.

No consideration is given to the many side effects of chemical wormers, as they are dished out on a monthly basis.

Unfortunately, owners are even less aware when it comes to toxic buildup and how it eventually ends up impacting their dogs’ health.

For instance, the Frito-reeking feet and the tear-stained faces associated with Boxer dogs, are often considered normal.

Bleeding chins are called ‘Boxer acne’ (as if Boxers are just destined for it), and Benadryl is whipped out every time it happens.

Using plastic bowls is often blamed for contact irritation, while no consideration is given to the contents of that bowl.

From diarrhea to UTIs, health problems just seem to emerge from thin air on a regular basis. No matter how hard you try, these issues just do not seem to stay at bay.

Colitis and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is often chalked down to the Boxer’s ‘sensitive stomach’.

Anything and everything is diagnosed as an ‘allergy’, and the only ‘solution’ that is offered is a myriad of shots and injections, from today until the very last day of the dog’s life.

Skin bumps and routinely excised and biopsied.   

These things just keep happening, while neither the owner nor the vet manages to come anywhere close to guessing the primary cause behind the chaos.

Although the root cause is certainly multi-factorial, it is certainly not a mystery as it is made out to be.

The key to unraveling this ‘mystery’ is to simply turn to the bulleted list above – you will be surprised to see just how many boxes you tick.

Ways To Increase Your Boxer’s Lifespan:

The information discussed above will help you pinpoint the things that you need to avoid to try and maximize your Boxer’s lifespan.

All in all, making sure that your Boxer lives a hale, hearty, and happy life, involves three crucial things:

1. Using a natural, fresh, bone-based raw meaty diet.
2. Keeping toxic exposures (both environmental and ingested) to a minimum.
3. Using good control, supervision, and training to make sure that your Boxer stays safe and does not run into problems.

Wrapping Up:

Unfortunately, doing everything right does not guarantee that your dog will live a life free of health problems. At the same time, laissez-faire bred dogs who never come anywhere close to healthy food throughout their lives, end up living to a ripe and old age.

Some people smoke two cigarette packs each day, but do not get bronchitis or lung cancer. At the same time, even the biggest health freaks often pass away from a heart attack at 45.

This does not mean that cigarettes are not bad for health.

However, the key is to give your dog the best shot at a long and healthy life, by covering as many bases as you can. Once again, you must remember that most studies regarding the lifespan of Boxers, involves dogs that were routinely vaccinated and medicated, and fed kibble on a daily basis.

This means that, if you do your best on the above fronts, there is no reason that your Boxer’s life needs to be restricted to 10 to 13 years.

To learn more about dogs and how to improve and maintain their health, please feel free to check out some of the other blogs on our website.