Boxer Puppies for Sale in Nevada

One state, two kinds of desert

Las Vegas sits at about 2,000 feet above sea level and is one of the hottest big cities in the country, with air temperatures that have reached 117 degrees. Reno sits more than twice as high, at about 4,500 feet, in the high desert on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, and it has real winters with frost, wind and occasional snow. Lake Tahoe, on the California line, is higher still at over 6,000 feet. A puppy raised for one of those places is not equipped for the others, so the first job is deciding which Nevada your family lives in.

Reaching Las Vegas, Reno and the towns between

Las Vegas is about 330 road miles from San Diego, a long afternoon drive if the traffic through the Cajon Pass is kind. That makes it an easy place to meet a puppy halfway or to drive to our door. Ground transport is $300, and a flight nanny is $1,500 for a flight of about an hour.

Reno is a different matter. It is about 600 miles by road, much of it along the long, quiet highway that runs up the east side of the Sierra, so we usually suggest a flight nanny for northern Nevada, with a connection that gets the puppy there in a single day. Families in Carson City, Minden and Elko can talk with Lauren Loftis Moore about the best route. The Boxer puppy delivery and pickup page shows how it works step by step.

Heat in the south

In Las Vegas, summer days often pass 105, and the asphalt and the rocks in a desert landscape yard hold heat long after dark. A Boxer's short muzzle makes panting inefficient, so a puppy overheats faster than a long nosed breed. Walk before sunrise, keep the afternoons indoors and bring a water bottle on every outing. Test the ground with the back of your hand. If you cannot hold it there for seven seconds, it is too hot for paws.

Dry air is easier on a dog than humid air, but it dries out skin and paw pads. Ask your vet about paw balm if you see cracking, and keep water bowls in several rooms. Never leave a puppy in a car in Nevada, even for a quick stop at a casino parking garage.

Cold in the north

In Reno and the high country, winter nights fall below freezing, and a Boxer has a very thin coat. A puppy shivers early, so give it a fitted coat for walks, and shorten outings on windy days. Ice melt chemicals on sidewalks can irritate paws, so wipe feet after every walk. Snow and ice make for slippery landings for a growing puppy, which is another reason to keep walks short and sure footed. A puppy that lives in the Sierra foothills also needs a warm, draft free sleeping place.

Wildlife, plants and the outdoors

Nevada has a lot of open land, and a lot of dogs get lost or hurt on it. Rattlesnakes live in the rocky desert from spring through fall. Foxtails, the barbed seed heads of desert grasses, work into ears, noses and paws, so check your puppy after any walk through dry grass. Coyotes live on the edge of many neighborhoods and will take a small dog left alone in a yard at night. Keep a Boxer puppy supervised outdoors and keep it on a leash on trails.

Living in an apartment or a casino town

Many Nevada families live in condos and apartments, and a Boxer puppy is lively. Plan for indoor exercise in summer, such as a short game of fetch down a hallway, a puzzle feeder and short training sessions. Our Boxer puppy socialization guide includes ideas for building confidence around the noise and crowds that come with a city, and the Boxer puppy care guide covers the first weeks at home.

Ready to start

The Boxer puppy price page lists the cost, deposit and what each puppy includes. After that, send a puppy application and tell Lauren Loftis Moore whether you are in Las Vegas, Reno or somewhere in between. If you are also thinking about a neighboring state, see Boxer puppy delivery to Arizona. For the Pacific Northwest or the Rockies, see Boxer puppy delivery to Washington and Boxer puppy delivery to Colorado.