Parson Russell Terrier vs Boxer - Breed Comparison

The Parson Russell Terrier hails from England and is a small to medium sized dog dating back to the 18th century. It is believed that Reverend John ‘Jack’ Russell was the developer of this dog. The Parson has always been involved with England’s sport of foxhunting.

They’re spritely and quick and have been able to keep up on a hunt and take on a fox in its lair. The dog was first recognized in 1990 in the United Kingdom as the Parson Jack Russell Terrier and in America in 1997.

All the top kennel clubs recognize this dog as the Parson Jack Russell Terrier.

In the late 19th century boxer was developed in Germany. It is a part of the Molosser dog group. The breed Brabanter Bullenbeisser is said to be the ancestor of the Boxer. He got the name Boxer as he stands with his back legs and does like a boxer do. In 1895 the breed came to a dog show by three germans named Friedrich Robert, Elard Konig and Hopner. In 1896 they founded the first boxer club as Deutscher Boxer Club. In 1902 the first Boxer breed standard was published by the club. The breed was introduced to United States in 20th century. The boxer involved in military work and also worked as a messenger dog. After 2nd world war they became popular as the soldiers brought them and introduced.

The Parson Jack Russell is essentially a white dog with black and tan or orange-fawn patches. He can be tri-colored too. The coat is either smooth, rough or broken.

He stands at between 33–36cm tall at the withers and weighs between 5 and 8kg. Unlike the Jack Russell, the Parson Russell Terrier has longer legs. He has some longer hair on the head, legs and body. The ears are floppy wit the tip pointed forward. The tail has always been docked but when left long it it held high, slightly curving over the back.

Temperament:

Feisty, brave, cheeky and alert, the Parson Russell Terrier is an energetic dog who gets on well with children as he knows that this is essentially where his games come from.

He is bold and clever and you’ll be able to have him trained and socialized without any trouble. These little dogs are full of life and they are protective of their humans and their property, making excellent watchdogs.

Boxer is a breed which is medium in size and has short hair. They have very strong jaws as to hunt large prey even hanging on biting them. It belongs to the working group. Boxers are well known for their love and faithfullness. Also he is very intelligent and its cleanliness makes him to be good dog for home. They are very energetic and are playful in nature. When boxers where trained by giving reward to them it is sure that they will perform its best. Normally they like to have good companionship with humans and smaller dogs.

They are incredible in their alertness and well suitable for watchdog. Boxers will be playful and silly till 3 years as they will mature after that only. They require only a minimum amount of grooming. They are suitable for apartment living until they are with their owners. Boxer owners will be sure to enjoy its clownish behaviour. They will be excited many time and show that by spinning in circles and making a sound which the owner will understand that he is happy or he needs some thing which is in the hands of his owner.

In general the Parson is a friendly,loving dog, fairly small but packed full of feisty personality.

They make excellent pets for the entire family. He is an intelligent dog, but typical of most terriers he can be stubborn, but this can easily be fixed with training and socialization. With good care, he’ll make you a wonderful little pet and companion.

Special talents

They are good kid friendly dogs. He is famous for his alertness and thus a wonderful watchdog. He loves to play with children. The nature of dog varies according to the heredity and society. The temperaments of the parents will effect in the puppy. Boxer is a friendly companion and loves to be with its family all the time and play with them.

Adaptability

Boxers are good for apartment living provided they are taken for a walk and exercised daily. It will be good if anyone stays with him always since he doesn't like being alone. He should be taken out only in a moderate weather as both hot and cold weather cannot be tolerated by him. He will suffer a lot in hot weather when compared with cold.

Learning ability

Training is necessary for them to refreshed physically and mentally. Boxer is a quick learner and rewarding them will make them more interested in doing it. Training should be started from basic commands like sit, stay and come. Boxer should be trained to not jump on visitors who come. They are very energetic and powerful and are eager to learn if properly taught.

Your Parson Jack Russell can live to be between 12 and 15 years but nonetheless he does have some breed-related health issues to watch for.

Eye Disorders:

Eye conditions which can affect this dog include primary lens luxation,cataracts, corneal dystrophy and progressive retinal atrophy. With cataracts the lens of the eye develops a cloudy look resulting in poorer vision and sometimes blindness. Cataract surgery is available for dogs.

Obesity:

Your Parson Jack Russel should be lean and muscular and always full of energy. Avoid feeding him unhealthy treats which can lead to obesity and other health problems.

Parasites:

All kinds of parasites such as ticks, fleas and worms can invade your dog’s body. Roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms can cause havoc with their health and some of these parasites can even be transmitted to humans. It’s why it is important to get your puppy to the vet to be de-wormed and to get his first injections.

Liver Problems:

A liver disorder known as portosystemic shunt can mean that some of the blood supply doesn’t get to the liver and it doesn’t function properly. This will mean the liver can’t remove toxins from the bloodstream effectively.

The major health problems Boxers get includes Cancer, heart problems such as Aortic stenosis, Gastric dilatation and intestinal problems. Infection is the major problem in puppies. Boxers are also in a risk of getting degenerative myelopathy which is a neurologic problem. Allergies and skin problems are also a problem in them. It is difficult to recognize a growing puppy to be free from all diseases and the only thing we can do is to buy the puppy from a reputable breeder.

Hair fall

Boxers may lose their hair due to some diseases and conditions. When some materials such as nickel, rubber and wool are accidentally touched by them it may cause allergies and hairfall follows it. Some auto immune disorders leads to hairfall. Due to some inhalation of pollen or house dust the problem may happen. Some bacterial infection and hormonal problems may also leads to hairfall.

The Parson Russell Terrier has different coat types – the smooth and rough and both will require regular brushing. Rough coats will require plucking or clipping to avoid matting.

Check his eyes and ears regularly. Look inside his ears for excess wax and dirt which could lead to an ear infection. His nails should also be trimmed.

No Puppies – Spay or Neuter:

The best thing you can do for your Parson Russell Terrier if you don’t want your pet producing puppies is to have it spayed or neutered. Spaying for females or neutering for males decreases the likelihood of certain types of cancers too so it can be beneficial.

Diet:

Diet is hugely important for a Parson Russell Terrier and the food you decide for him can impact his health. Many time those ‘treats’ you feed your pet do nothing more but give him a stomach ache.

It's tempting to pop chocolates, popcorn, nuts and ice cream into your pets mouth when he is so adorable but in the long run it is shortening his life. All he basically requires and needs is a simple, consistent diet of the top commercially manufactured foods mixed with some tasty home made food from time to time.

Boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach will do your pet wonders. Ensure he always has fresh, cool water available to him.

Feeding the puppy

Normally puppies require more food than adults to meet their energy requirement for growth. They should be fed in a correct time interval. The puppy food for large dogs must be chosen for their health. Boxer puppies must be fed twice in a day and two cups of food will be better for them for one time. Upto 6 months this method is recommended. Feeding them by dividing the meals into smaller portion will be good since they will eat too much and very fast. Weight of the puppy should be checked regularly and food should be given according to that.

Feeding the adult

The food given to the boxer will effect in the dog's health and its life span too. Also it should match our budget also. Overfeeding will make them overweight and thus bringing harm to them. It is recommended to feed boxer two times a day to avoid bloat. Food should be given such that the dog completely eats it and if they can't eat completely then the balance food must be thrown away to avoid over eating. They should not be given food while we eat even once as it will develop begging behaviour in them.

Games and Exercises

Boxers are not suitable for living in outdoors, since they have short coats and short noses. But they like to play in a fenced yard. It is recommended to make them walk for half an hour twice a day. Playing flyball with them will make them happy and making him exercised will give him a good behaviour.