I adopted her over a year ago. She is three now. She was picked up as a stray. Her papers say she is a Boxer, but I want to say she is mixed with Pit Bull? Am I right?
By Adam C.
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Looking at the picture you've posted I don't think she is a mix, just not bred well. I was an AKC Boxer breeder 40+years in the US and my cousin bred American Staffordshire Terriers, plus I did breed rescue for several years before relocating to the UK. So I've got some pretty good experience with both breeds and with mixes of the two - yours does not look like a mix.
In any breed, sometimes backyard breeders do an excellent job choosing sires and dams for litters, often they do not and the puppies are sold to people who then turn the difficult (health, behaviour, looks) dog over to rescue or animal control, or simply dump the unwanted dog on a dark country road. Or the backyard breeder abandons the puppies to animal control. Too, some people with AKC registered dogs do the same if the puppies are not what they thought they would be, btw.
Your Boxer is almost certainly 100% Boxer but not out of excellent bloodlines. This could mean anything from a 'not-quite-right' appearance (which your dog has to a Breeder's or breed lover's eye) to a dog with some very serious health or personality problems. Health wise anything from hip dyplasia to cancer is possible with a badly bred dog. Personality wise you could have either an very timid dog to a highly aggressive one, or one that is so stupid/difficult to train you wonder if they might not have mental retardation - and it's highly possible with a badly bred dog.
On a positive note, you more than likely have a dog who began life as the result of an accidental mating at a backyard breeder - good genes but not the ones the breeder meant to pass on via that particular sire and dam - Dad could have some faults, Mum could have some faults, but if sire and dam are bred on with superior mates the faults can be bred out. But uh-oh if Dad and Mum are the two with faults because those faults are passed on - and I think that's what's happened with yours. The brindle colours are actually a colour in Boxers that is fairly rare and usually occurs with accidental matings. If you'll look on the AKC website at what makes an outstanding Boxer you'll understand more of what I'm trying to say in a very limited space, including about the colour and body composition.
You write the dog is three now so you've had this dog in your home for a while and clearly love her. Hopefully you've had her spayed - if not please do it now to prevent another litter of unknown genes being exposed to potential abuse, and Mum having reproductive health problems in her later years.
She's now fully mature as a Boxer, she won't get any taller now but may widen some more especially across her chest, adding to the Staffie (the proper nickname because pit bull has SUCH a bad connotation!) look, so you'll need to stress to people she is a full Boxer out of an accidental mating. Boxers are generally very smart even in bad breeding, so she's going to keep you on your toes and you'll be helped by knowing with Boxers you really can teach an old dog new tricks:)
Your local library, the Internet, your vet, and your local recreation services (obedience training) can help you tremendously to understand the special needs of a poorly bred pedigree dog. Boxers who have come from bad breeding like yours do need some special understanding - but they can be amazingly good companion animals!
On a final note, expect her to develop some health problems (urinary tract and nerve endings that control mobility mainly) as she hits around 7yo, and that she may either live much longer than the average 9-11 years or sadly, fewer years than average.
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