Why do Boxers always look worried? Even when happy they still seem to be concerned.
We were talking about our old Boxer, Luke, a couple nights ago. His full name was Skywalker von Stowe because he came into our lives as a very fat puppy with a heart condition, when our small son was so heavily into Star Wars that he would only answer to ‘Luke’.
Luke (the dog, not the kid) wasn’t expected to live long. We were told he could drop dead at any moment because of his heart. But really, he had an incredible heart.
The medication he spent his long life on caused blurred vision, which might have contributed to his worried look. After all, when my glasses are off, I squint and probably look worried, too. Sometimes those heart pills would get stuck up in those floppy Boxer lips and he’d foam at the mouth like he had rabies. Poor thing.
He hated camping, even with his bed and blanket and a fire
He loved the kid, unconditionally, and played with him tirelessly. The two Lukes would chase each other around and around the dishwasher until the whole world tilted in dizziness. Luke would trot slowly, careful to not get too far ahead of the gleeful little kid chasing him. When Arthur, thinking he was being clever, would change direction, Luke would patiently turn around, pause, and wait for Arthur to catch up before trotting off again. Over and over and over, as long as that little child wanted to run.
Arthur also played with matchbox cars in the long hallway. He would send the cars flying and Luke would run after them. Luke would then pounce on them with both front paws and send the cars skittering back to Arthur. A matchbox game of fetch.
Speaking of cars, Luke loved them and he wasn’t picky. If a car door was open, he would be found inside. It also didn’t matter if the car moved. He was just as happy to simply sit and watch the world out the windshield in all its blurry wonder.
So he was a happy, gentle soul. But he always looked worried. I’d never been around Boxers before, so this then worried me. Was he in pain? Was it his heart? Was he actually unhappy?
My husband grew up with Boxers. I saw old photos of him as a baby with Boxer puppies. I saw photos of Boxers owned by friends.
Eventually I came to realize, they all look worried. I guess it’s just a Boxer trait. Along with their incredible sweetness and devotion to their kids.
Lisa Stowe - The Story River Blog 
Luke 💙💚
Love the last pic of them!
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Boxer faces are so adorable! What a special one here.
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I’ve come to realize that loving nature is a Boxer trait in general. They certainly need to be with their family though. So many seem to have separation anxiety when left alone. Luke would have serious panic attacks, even if crated, which was a lot of stress on his heart. When we got a second dog, he was fine. And with our work schedules, he’d only been alone a couple hours, but even that short time was too much for him. Silly boy.
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Poor little guy! That’s so sweet though.
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Aw such sweet photos and that face! Actually both of them, adorable. My Zoey also loves riding in the car and just like Luke, will jump into any car with the door open and just wait. My mail carrier delivers packages sometimes and has to get out of her car and she leaves her door open. I’ve told her that Zoey has no loyalty when it comes to cars and will go home with you if you don’t shut your car door. She just laughed and then turned around back to her car only to see Zoey waiting patiently in the drivers seat. Fur babies are the best.
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Excuse the language, but we always said Luke was a slut and gave himself away free to anyone with a car. I’m sure he would have shared the car with Zoey!
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Thanks for sharing this. My boxer, Precious also has a worried look. I guess it’s just their thing. LOL
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So true. We should have named Luke ‘Precious’. It would have been a more appropriate name for him since he hated dirt and cold and camping. Loved his creature comforts.
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That face! I have always wanted a blue boxer. I had a Boston Terrier and I miss him so much. He showed me he was worried when he put his paw on my hand when I was sad and cuddled up next to me. Dogs are the best.
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So true! I look at dog hair piling up along the hallway and think some day it will be nice to not have dog hair on everything. Or furniture that doesn’t have dog covers…but the truth is, I can’t imagine being without them.
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I love this post. Thank you for sharing. I have a boxer as well and yes they have that worry look
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