Boxer Puppies for Sale in Arizona

Close enough to meet your puppy

For most states the question is how a puppy travels. For Arizona the question is whether you would like to meet your puppy first. Yuma is only about 175 miles from San Diego along Interstate 8. Phoenix is about 355 miles, and Tucson is about 410. That is a day trip, and it means many Arizona families choose to drive over, meet the puppy and bring it home on their own lap.

If you would rather not make the drive, ground transport is $300 and a flight nanny is $1,500, with the flight taking only about an hour. Because the trip is so short, Arizona is one of the easiest places to arrange a visit before you decide, which is something we encourage. You can see how all the options compare on the Boxer puppy delivery and pickup page.

The desert does not forgive a short nosed dog

Phoenix has recorded temperatures as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit, and a typical July afternoon is around 105 to 110. A Boxer is not built for that. The short muzzle limits how well it can pant, and a puppy's body is smaller and heats faster than an adult's.

That makes the schedule important. In summer, walk at first light, then keep your puppy inside until the sun is down. Pavement in direct sun can be many degrees hotter than the air, hot enough to burn pads in seconds, so walk on grass, or use dog boots made for hot ground. Keep water in the house, the car and the yard. Never leave a puppy in a parked car, even with the windows cracked. If your puppy pants hard, drools thickly or seems wobbly, cool it with room temperature water and head for a vet.

Spring and fall are lovely in the Valley of the Sun, and winter days are mild, though nights can be chilly and a short coated Boxer may want a light jacket after dark.

Monsoon season and the toad that poisons dogs

Arizona's monsoon is officially counted from June 15 to September 30. It brings sudden storms, dust walls, lightning and flooded washes. Puppies that have never heard thunder can be badly frightened, so build a calm crate routine before July, and keep the puppy inside when lightning is close.

The wet nights also bring out the Sonoran Desert toad, sometimes called the Colorado River toad. It is large, and the toxin in its skin can make a dog seriously ill within minutes. If your yard has standing water or lights that draw insects, check the grass before the last evening walk and keep your puppy on a leash after dark. If your puppy mouths a toad, rinse its mouth with a hose pointed from the back of the tongue outward, then go straight to a vet.

Rattlesnakes, scorpions and cactus

Rattlesnakes are active from spring through fall, and they are most common near rocks, brush and desert washes. Keep your Boxer on a leash on trails, stay out of tall grass and do not let a puppy poke its nose under rocks. Some Arizona vets and trainers teach snake avoidance, which is worth asking about once your puppy is older. Bark scorpions hide in shoes and corners, and cholla cactus can spear a paw. Check paws and mouth after walks.

Valley fever and dust

Valley fever is a fungal infection that lives in the soil of the Arizona desert, and dogs can breathe in the spores while digging or sniffing dusty ground. Most dogs show only a cough or tiredness, and some become very ill. Ask your vet about it when your puppy gets older and tell them if your Boxer develops a cough that will not go away. You can read about other common conditions in the Boxer health guide.

Not all of Arizona is hot

Flagstaff sits at about 7,000 feet and has real snow, while Tucson is cooler than Phoenix in summer and Yuma is the hottest of all. Tell Lauren Loftis Moore where in the state you live, because a puppy going to Flagstaff needs a jacket and a puppy going to Yuma needs shade and a cooling mat.

Your next steps

Check the numbers on the Boxer puppy price page and then send a puppy application. Lauren Loftis Moore will call you and, if you like, set a day for you to visit. If you are also considering a neighbor, read about Boxer puppy delivery to Nevada. Friends in Texas or the Rockies who are thinking of a puppy too can read Boxer puppy delivery to Texas or Boxer puppy delivery to Colorado.