Australian Shepherd Boxer Mix: The Clever Companion & Hunting Dog

Australian Shepherd dogs are incredibly popular, highly intelligent, and friendly. They’re a great choice for families, and they’re also amazing working dogs that are bred for their herding skills.

Boxer dogs can look pretty scary and imposing, but they’re full of love and mischief and are perfect for a loving home. 

But what happens if you crossbreed these two dogs together? The result is often known as the Australian Boxherd! And yeah, Australian Boxherds are super cute, and have the best traits of both parent breeds! 

They are designer dogs, which means that they are purposefully bred, and are highly sought after by people. 

But is the Australian Boxherd really the dog for you? Before you commit, it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting into.

Crossbreeds are usually amazing, as they inherit the best traits and physical characteristics, but it’s important to know as much about them as possible. And we can help with that! 

From the history of the breed to the personality and temperament, to their physical traits, to the many different needs…let’s get right into it! 

Australian Shepherd and Boxer: History of the breed

Designer dogs are purposefully bred to be appealing pets, with the best traits of their two parent breeds. But the parent breeds, like most dogs, will have been originally bred for a specific purpose.

And that specific purpose they were first created for affects their temperament and physical appearance, so it’s important to understand where they come from, to know what tendencies they might have. 

History of the Australian Shepherd breed:

The Australian Shepherd is a working dog. Specifically, a herding dog. This specific breed was developed from other herding dogs, imported from Australia and New Zealand, hence the name. Although the Australian Shepherd first appeared in California! 

As herding dogs, Australian Shepherds are renowned for being highly intelligent and capable of performing tasks and activities. They learn really quickly and are ideal for being trained.

They are also incredibly loyal and obedient, so it’s guaranteed that your Australian Shepherd will follow your lead and back you up in all tasks. 

They are also friendly and very high-energy, which means they are suited to an outdoor lifestyle, and to plenty of fun and games! 

History of the Boxer breed:

Boxer dogs were first developed in Germany, by crossbreeding the Bullenbeisser (a dog breed now extinct), and the Old English Bulldog. Originally, boxers were bred as working dogs. Specifically, as hunting dogs.

Their job was to chase down the prey and to hold it in place until the hunters could arrive. This is why boxers are renowned for their incredibly strong bite, and how they will not let go until told otherwise. 

Boxers were also used in wars, as guard dogs, attack dogs, and even to carry messages or packages. 

After World War II, many soldiers took their boxer dogs back home with them, and the breed started to become incredibly popular, as a guard dog but also as a family and house companion.

In fact, nowadays Boxers are one of the most popular dogs in the United State, the 11th most popular if we’re getting exact! 

History of the Australian Boxherd:

There isn’t really a detailed history or origin for the crossbreeding of Australian Shepherd and Boxer, so we can’t know where this mixed breed was developed or why.

What we do know is that it is now considered to be a designer dog, sought after by many, as it combines two very popular and well-loved breeds of dogs. 

Personality and Temperament of an Australian Shepherd and Boxer Mix:

The personality and temperament of a dog is always one of the most important things to check. It can be tricky to guess an exact personality, as each dog develops its own individual quirks and temperament, and the lifestyle and owners have a lot of influence over this. 

However, the breed of the dog has a big effect on temperament tendencies, so this is definitely something to look into! 

With crossbreeds, they can take after one parent, the other, or become a combination of both. Most often breeders will have it so that they get the best traits of both parent breeds.

So essentially, you need to understand the temperament of both parent breeds, in order to better guess at the temperament of the crossbreed. 

Personality and temperament of an Australian Shepherd:

Australian Shepherds are known for having one of the best temperaments a dog can have. They are friendly and outgoing, and they love interacting with their own owners, as well as with other dogs and even strangers.

They love making friends and playing games and having fun. They are also great with families and with children, as they are very loyal and protective, and known to be gentle. 

They are also very obedient and easy to train, as they are an exceptionally intelligent breed of dog, eager to perform tasks and be of use. 

However, Australian Shepherds are very high-energy, and they require a lot of physical and mental exercise and stimulation. They also need a lot of attention, as they can easily become bored if left by themselves.

And a bored Australian Shepherd can quickly become a hyperactive dog that might start chewing on things and causing some damage. 

Personality and temperament of a Boxer:

As guard dogs, Boxers are extremely loyal to their owners. They are protective and will always jump in between danger and their humans. They are also incredibly loving and affectionate with their families and are also great with children. 

With strangers and other dogs, however, Boxers can very quickly become distrustful and might see them as a potential threat. 

They’re honest and friendly dogs, cheerful and capable, which makes them very desirable pets. They are also very intelligent and are therefore great to train for specific tasks or commands.

The only problem is that they can be pretty headstrong, so training might require some patience. 

They sometimes have the reputation of being aggressive and unsafe, but this really couldn’t be further from the truth. Within their families, Boxers are loving and gentle, and one of the best dogs you could have with small children.

They are protective and patient and will let the children do just about anything, without snapping in the slightest. 

Personality and temperament of an Australian Boxherd:

The Australian Boxherd inherits the best of both the Australian Shepherd and the Boxer. These dogs are very intelligent and active, willing to learn and perform tasks for their owners.

The obedience of the Australian Shepherd also neutralizes the head-strong attitude of the Boxer, so they are usually incredibly easy to train and teach. 

Australian Boxherds are friendly and amazing with children, protective, and loyal to their families. With the right socialization, they can also be great with other dogs and with strangers. 

They are cheerful and energetic, full of love and the eagerness to play. Overall, they are an excellent combination of amazing personality traits which makes them ideal for all families. 

They are also often used in the police and in search and rescue missions! 

Physical traits of an Australian Shepherd and Boxer Mix:

The Australian Boxherd is a combination of Australian Shepherd and Boxer, and as such it has inherited physical traits from both. The crossbreed can take after one parent, the other, or become an equal mixture of both. 

On average, this crossbreed will be between 53 to 60 inches tall and will weigh between 55 and 66 pounds. Australian Shepherds are medium-sized, and Boxers are large, and the crossbreed has a tendency to be large rather than medium-sized. 

They have a large head, much like Boxers, but it’s very nicely proportioned, just like the Australian Shepherd. They can come in any coloring that either parent breed can, and they can end up with Australian Shepherd markings, or with a solid color. 

They have a soft and dense coating of hair, medium in length, that is also pretty waterproof. 

Training and Exercise Needs of an Australian Shepherd and Boxer Mix:

Both the Australian Shepherd and the Boxer are incredibly active and high-energy dogs, suited to outdoor lifestyles and plenty of exercising.

As working dogs, they need to feel engaged with tasks and need to be properly mentally stimulating, in order to avoid boredom. 

Australian Shepherds are athletic and agile, and Boxers are strong and powerful. Combined, you get a dog that is physically impressive and in need of performing daily tasks and activities. 

They require a lot of daily exercises and physical activity. They also thrive with focused tasks and jobs, as it is not only physically demanding but also mentally stimulating. 

As for training, the Australian Boxherd has inherited amazing traits and intelligence, so they are very easy to train and they are eager to learn and perform well. 

Grooming Needs for an Australian Shepherd and Boxer Mix:

The great thing about Australian Boxherds is that they have inherited the beautiful soft coat of hair from the Australian Shepherd, but it’s shortened and less prone to shedding thanks to the Boxer genes.

The result is an easy-to-brush coating of hair that does not shed much, and that is pretty waterproof and easy to maintain clean. 

As such, this crossbreed will not need to be groomed and bathed too often. When you do, make sure to use gentle products, as they can be prone to skin irritation and allergies. 

However, it also depends on which parent it takes after the most. So if it has a bit more Australian Shepherd in it, you will have to groom more regularly, and the shedding season will be slightly worse. 

Other things to worry about are dental hygiene and making sure the teeth are well-maintained. 

Longevity and Health of an Australian Shepherd and Boxer Mix:

The longevity of a dog can depend on the breed, but there are also other factors such as the quality of life, the food, overall health, and similar.

Nevertheless, knowing the average lifespan of the parent breeds can give you a good idea of how long the crossbreed is expected to live. 

Australian Shepherds, on average, will live between 13 and 15 years. Boxers, on the other hand, will usually live between 10 to 12 years.

The crossbreed, the Australian Boxherd, will on average live up to between 12 to 15 years, so pretty much the combination of both lifespans from the parent breeds. 

As for health, one of the best things about crossbreeds is that they get reduced risk when it comes to the main health issues of both parent breeds. This essentially means that they are overall healthier, and less problem with developing issues with old age. 

But if they do, the most common health issues come from the parent breeds, which in this case would be hip dysplasia, cardiomyopathy, and degenerative myelopathy. 

Australian Shepherd and Boxer Mix: is this the right dog for you?

The mix between the Australian Shepherd and the Boxer results in a beautiful-looking dog that is full of amazing traits. High-energy, intelligent, loyal, and absolutely great with families and children. 

But is this dog really the right one for you? After all, you need to make sure that you have what it takes to ensure the dog lives a good life with all of its needs covered. 

These dogs require a lot of daily exercises, not only physical but also mental. They need to be engaged through tasks and focused activities, or else they will quickly become bored.

This means that you need to have time to give them the required attention, and you need to put in the effort to ensure they are getting enough of their energy out and about.