Seppala Siberian Sleddog vs Boxer - Breed Comparison

This is a rare working dog breed whose job it has been to pull sleds. The Seppala Siberian Sleddog hails from Canada and was regarded as the same dog breed as the Siberian Husky.There is the International Seppala Siberian Sleddog Club which works to preserve this amazing dog as a working breed.

It was during the 1990s that the breed was recognized as a new breed. In 2002 the Seppala Siberian Sleddog lines found their way to the USA .

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 Seppala Siberian Sleddog is a medium-sized dog that stands at between 56 to 58cm in height and weighs between 18 to 23kg.

It’s a beautiful wolf-like looking dog that used to be the same breed as the Siberian Husky, but it is now considered a separate breed.

The legs of this dog are longer, and they’re slightly more slender and lighter. The ears too, are taller and held very erect. The bushy tail is held high, curving over the back when alert.

The thick coat is medium length and there is also a thick undercoat. Coat colors vary and are wolf-like too - white, cream, grey, black and some reddish rusty colors. Eyes can be blue or brown or the dog can even have one brown eye and one blue.

Temperament:

Because this is an active working breed, he will need some robust exercise. Neglecting this side of him will result in a bored dog that howls a lot.

He is a high energy dog breed and won’t be content with a walk every day. When you go cycling or jogging, you can definitely count him in as he will like nothing more than to run beside you. If you are lucky to live near the beach, a tennis racquet to send the ball flying across the sand will please him no end.

He will need training and socialization of course, and you won’t have trouble training him as he is an intelligent dog. He isn’t the kind of dog that slots easily into life in the city, and will ideally suit a property with large grounds where he can run and play.

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.

The Seppala Siberian Sleddog has always been a working dog so he will need lots of varied forms of exercise. He makes a splendid family pet as he isn’t an aggressive dog.

He does however make a good watchdog and will bark and warn you of strangers approaching.These beautiful wolf-like dogs are guaranteed to make you a loving, loyal pet, and they love nothing more than to be close to all his human family.

Treat him as a member of the family and you’ll be rewarded by having his fantastic friendship.

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.

The Seppala Siberian Sleddog, just like most other dogs, can suffer from any one of the common dog ailments there are. These illnesses are cancer, hip dysplasia and eye disease.

You are more than likely not to see any of these illnesses with your pet, but it’s being a responsible dog owner to be aware of them and to get your pet to the vet if necessary.

Eye Disease - Cataracts:

Cataracts are an imperfection in the lens of the dog’s eye. The lens should be clear, but a cataract can start off small and then grow much larger, causing blindness in the dog. Cataracts happen when the cells are damaged, and diabetes can cause cataracts as can exposure to ultraviolet light. It is also an hereditary disease.

Most times dogs with cataracts can still see, but in the event of mature cataracts, your canine friend can undergo surgery to remove them.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is another common dog disease. It can be painful for dogs, with either one or both hips being affected. Hip dysplasia can affect both young and old dogs. It can be sad seeing your active pet becoming reluctant to play. He may also have difficulty getting up from a lying down position.

There is treatment for hip dysplasia, and you will want to make sure your pet is as mobile and pain free as possible.

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.

Grooming:

The thick coat of the Seppala Siberian Sleddog will need to be brushed at least twice a week. The coat sheds heavily a couple of times a year and brushing may even be necessary once a day during this heavier shedding period.

Diet:

Just like human beings, you can enhance your dog’s health and longevity by giving him the best food there is. Commercially manufactured dog foods, when carefully selected, can be a good, choice and they’re convenient too.

It is advised to try and go for the high quality ones known for their natural, quality ingredients. Always read the labels because you'll be surprised to see how some of the inferior dog brands pack their foods with toxic ingredients.

To provide your Seppala with just a bit of variety in his diet, give him some home-made food. It can be added into the dry kibble about twice a week as a treat. Boil brown rice and chicken in a pot and add in sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. Chop all this up and give it to your dog in small portions.

To avoid skin infections, try to include some raw meat into his diet occasionally. Never leave your pet without a constant source of fresh, cool water

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.