A dog’s breed can influence how well they walk freely, if they are good off leash, but an individual dog’s personality is much more influential.
So, while boxers, in general, can be great off leash hiking partners, they still need specific training and your vote of confidence before you can trust them to walk freely!
Are Boxers Good Walking Freely?
Boxers do well freely, as they are not as prone to wandering off as other breeds like terriers.
The lack of desire to stray is a virtue of the boxer breed – where terriers were bred to chase game through tunnels in the forest; boxers were bred for bull-baiting (meaning that they are not distracted as easily by smaller animals or new scents!)
With appropriate training, boxers are happy to accompany you and walk by your side leash-free.
Train a Dog To Be Good Off Leash
Before any dog is trustworthy walking, running freely, it must go through specific training.
Off leash training is like any other obedience training course.
Dogs begin the training course by walking on a leash, then transition to walking on a long leash, and with guidance, they learn to walk off the leash.
During training, dogs are taught specific commands and postures and tested with various distractions.
By the end of a training course like this, dogs undergo testing to see how well they manage without leash.
Even once a dog has passed their training class, you must consistently practice and reinforce what they learned to ensure they don’t start pushing boundaries.
For example, a dog may push boundaries by straying further from your side when walking freely.
If you allow your dog to test limits in this way, they will continue to test you, and you begin to lose control.
Assessing Individual Dogs For Off Leash Walking
Boxers do well with walking without leash, but the dog’s personality dictates much of their performance without leash.
For example, dogs that often do not do well include:
- Dogs with a strong prey drive.
- Easily distracted dogs.
- Dogs that have failed to grasp basic obedience commands.
- Dogs that are afraid of their owners or their surroundings.
Conversely, dogs that usually excel without leash include:
- Dogs that have mastered obedience classes and advanced commands.
- Dogs that can listen and follow instructions consistently.
- Dogs that have intense focus and a drive to please.
- Dogs already walk closely by your side without straying or pulling on a leash.
Should You Let Your Boxer Walk Or Run Off Leash?
Even when your dog has passed their off leash training and proven trustworthy, it is not always a great idea to let them walk without a leash.
Wildlife
One reason to reconsider letting your boxer walk without leash is the possibility of encountering wildlife.
Whether you run into a bear or a skunk, having your dog without leash can cause difficulty because, without a leash, you have little control of what your dog does to the wildlife and vice versa!
Scents
Many dogs like to roll in the smelliest things they can find – camouflaging their scent and a vestigial behavior of their ancestors.
When your dog is without leash, the problem with this rolling behavior is that you have no control over what they roll in!
Other People
Allowing your boxer to walk freely can also be problematic when you encounter other people on your walk.
Depending on your dog’s personality, they may run up to them and invite them to play, or they may snap if they feel threatened.
Neither of these situations is ideal because your dog (or the people you encounter) may get hurt!
Local Laws
Local law is one of the biggest influences on whether you should allow your dog to walk freely.
Depending on where you live, the law may explicitly state that allowing animals to “run at large” is against the law.
Any animal that is not under your direct control qualifies as “at large.” For some states, this includes off leash animals even if their owners watch them.
For other states, the law only includes animals that are not under the supervision of their owners.
For most U.S. states, breaking local leash laws results in a fine (this fine is usually tiered and increases based on how many times you get charged with breaking leash laws.
Most states will also confiscate and impound your dog.
Leash laws also often have clauses built into them that lessen the likelihood of animals at large in the future.
For example, one county in North Carolina requires that any animal impounded for running at large must be microchipped by a licensed vet within seventy-two hours of owners reclaiming them.
Pet owners also get held financially responsible for any damage or destruction their dog caused while off leash.
Lastly, many local municipalities also have blanket rules about off leash animals. For example, they may make it unlawful to have your dog off leash in any public park.
Some of these leash laws may seem bizarre and even unenforceable.
Still, they are in place to reduce the nuisance pet population, reduce aggressive dog attacks, and reduce the number of unwanted litters born yearly.
Conclusion / Summary
Boxers generally do well with off leash walks when trained well, but before you let your pup free, be sure they know their commands and follow them.
You should also be sure that allowing your dog without leash where you live is legal!
