How to Brush a Boxer? [HELPFUL GUIDE]

Wondering how to brush a boxer? Brushing a boxer is important to their coat health. Boxers should be brushed weekly with a rubber curry brush or brush with rubber ends. This brush type will ensure that the dog’s skin and hair will be taken care of effectively. Brushing should be done weekly in order to remove the dead hairs that might accumulate. 

how to brush boxer dog
How to Brush a Boxer Dog

The Boxer dog breed was bred for intentional purposes such as bull-baiting and to be helpers to butchers in the 19th century. Now, we consider them a fantastic addition to our families (thank goodness times have changed!).

So, it’s in our best interest and your boxer’s best interest to be more aware of how to effectively take care of them such as brushing their coat.

Boxers have been known to be able to clean themselves, much like a cat. However, that does not always help with the dead hairs that could get stuck to their bodies.

Brushing is the way that pet parents can help maintain that healthy skin and coat.

Related Reading: Best No-Pull Dog Harness for Boxers [REVIEWED]

A photo of a pet owner's hand brushing boxer dog
Pet owner’s hand brushing boxer dog

Removing Dead Dog Hair & Its Importance

Now you may be asking yourself, why do I need to do this weekly? Great question my friend! It’s important to have a healthy coat for your boxer in order to avoid common issues like infection, a matted coat, or worse. Boxers are known to have issues with their skin and coat.

If removing dead hair is not done weekly or regularly, dead hairs could keep collecting and become compacted to the dog under their coat. This could be detrimental to the dog’s health, which of course, we do not want.

Some of the issues with under-brushing your boxer include hot spots (inflamed and infected skin), skin irritation, itchiness, and/or odours we do not want. Boxers were bred to be taken care of so their coat needs to be brushed weekly.

If removing dead hair is not done weekly or regularly, dead hairs could keep collecting and become compacted to the dog under their coat.

Boxers are a little unique in that they clean themselves as stated above. However, this is not enough to get the dead hair off of your boxer. You can still allow your boxer to clean themselves throughout the week, but the recommendation is to still brush your boxer weekly before you bathe them.

Techniques to Groom Your Boxer

There are techniques in order to brush your boxer effectively. Brushing is not as easy as just running a “normal” brush down the dog’s back. If you do this, you might be missing key areas of the dog and still not removing all that dead hair.

Boxers are considered moderate shedders which means they need weekly brushing in order to remove that dead hair. Regular grooming and effective brushing help with your boxer’s shedding.

The first technique is to use circular motions all around your boxer. These circular motions serve two purposes for your boxer. One is to help with removing those dead hairs that might have accumulated.

Another is to massage your dog while you go. This might help your boxer sit still long enough to get the brushing done.

Here’s a great video demonstrating the technique. I know it’s lower quality and it’s a child demonstrating it, but the focus on a boxer’s unique brushing needs is captured well:

The second technique is to brush up and back on your dog’s skin. This will pull out dead hairs on the way down and get the pesky ones on the way back.

Not only is this good for getting the dead hairs out of your boxer’s coat, but it will also feel good to your dog. And we all want our dog to feel good, right?

Things to Remember When Brushing a Boxer Dog

Remember, you do not want to just skim over your dog’s coat. Skimming is just running the brush lightly over the coat without getting to the dead hair follicle. This is not an effective way to brush your boxer.

This will leave dead hairs, which could result in issues down the road.

Lastly, you should remember that you need to brush ALL of your dogs (almost every nook and cranny, kind of like how we were told as kids to “wash behind our ears”).

This includes hard to reach areas or smaller areas such as their legs, face, and tail. You want to be careful in areas like this in order to keep your dog safe. Use small motions and be very gentle.

Brush Types for Boxers

There are a variety of brush types that you could use to brush your boxer. These are specific options for brushes. We are going to be talking about the actual type of brush that would be good for your boxer.

The first we are going to be discussing is any rubber curry brushes. A rubber curry brush is a brush with long rubber bristles that help with the removal of dead hairs.

These bristles help with removing junk build-up that your dog may have encountered that week. It’s also good for massaging the dog’s skin and coat.

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The next type of brush we are going to talk about is shredding brushes. These brushes are specifically designed to help you get rid of dead hair on your boxer.

You should be looking for a short hair shredding brush in order to get the right one for a boxer.

The last type of brush we are going to talk about is not actually a brush. It’s a small hand tool that you can use to help with your dog’s shredding process.

This small hand tool is a shedding glove. This allows you to put your hand in a glove and run it over the dog’s coat. It’s convenient and effective.

Buying a good brush for your boxer would be good in order to maintain their coat. Don’t forget, you can always ask your vet and/or groomer for some of their recommendations for your boxer.

Dog Brushing After Care

After brushing your boxer, it is recommended that you give your boxer a bath every three to four weeks. Bathing dogs help clean their hair much like you and I would clean our hair. It’s important to cut down on the oils that boxers have on their skin.

An excess in oils in your boxer skin could cause irritation, hair loss, and/or greasy hair. In order to help cut down on the excess oils for your boxer, it should be the bathing process. This will ensure your boxer’s good coat maintenance and health.

If your bathe and brush your boxer too often, you could cause irritation, which we do not want. The irritation that you may see with washing too often will be dry skin and itching.

If you need to “clean up” your boxer, it’s suggested to use a washcloth to get the dirt off of them after brushing. You should stick to the recommended amount of time for brushing and bathing that we reference in this article.

Brushing your boxer gets their coat and hair ready to be cleaned. You have effectively brushed out all of the junk that your boxer might have collected throughout the week.

You have effectively brushed out all the dead hairs and ensured that their hair is not getting matted to their skin.

Continue Reading: Best Brushes for Beagles [REVIEWED]

close up of boxer dog with treat on nose

Final Thoughts

Dogs are part of our families, and we should be taking good care of them just like we would with any other member of our family. 

You read the importance of brushing your boxer and that’s the most important step. Brushing your boxer does not need to be difficult and you should be doing it in order to maintain their overall health and well-being. 

stuart and his dog

Family Dog Expert Author

Hi there! I’m Stuart, a devoted dog lover and family dog expert with over a decade of experience working with our furry companions. My passion for dogs drives me to share my knowledge and expertise, helping families build strong, loving bonds with their four-legged friends. When I’m not writing for SirDoggie, you’ll find me hiking, playing with my beautiful dog, or studying music.