Boxer

The Boxer is a playful and fun-loving dog, who is also capable of communicating his feelings with his face. His twinkling black eyes show his intelligence and emotions. His face wrinkles up into expressions of curiosity, excitement, happiness, surprise, or sadness. Boxers particularly love children. They are playful and patient, but are also strong and defensive, so early obedience training is important.

Boxer breed facts

The Boxer is a working dog developed in Germany from several other breeds, including the Bulldog and Great Dane.

It is called a Boxer because it strikes out with its front paws when it fights.

Information you should know before owning a Boxer

The Boxer is an alert, self-assured, and fearless dog.

The Boxer is a playful and fun-loving dog who is often called the "Peter Pan" of the dog world as they seem to maintain that youthful exuberance.

The Boxer's coat is short and only requires a quick weekly brushing.

Although it has reached its greatest perfection in Germany during the past hundred years, the Boxer springs from a line of dogs known throughout the whole of Europe since the 16th century. Prior to that time, ancestors of the breed would hardly be recognized as Boxers could they be placed beside modern specimens. Still, evidence points to the Boxer as one of the many descendants of the old fighting dog of the high valleys of Tibet.

The Boxer is cousin to practically all recognized breeds of the Bulldog type, and these all go back to basic Molossus blood. Few other strains can claim such courage and stamina; and from this line emanates the attractive fawn color that has recurred throughout the centuries.

Flemish tapestries of the 16th and 17th centuries show scenes of stag and boar hunting; the dogs are the same as the Spanish Alano, found in great numbers in Andalusia and Estramadura, and the Matin de Terceira or Perro do Presa, from the Azores. The Alano and the Matin have been regarded as the same breed-they are either ancestors of the Boxer or they trace back to a common ancestor.

In France, there is a breed known as the Dogue de Bordeaux that is very close both in appearance and size to the old Tibetan Mastiff, and it is from this massive dog that the Bouldogue de Mida was developed. The Bouldogue du Mida, found principally in the south of France, possesses many of the points of the Boxer.

While all the European breeds mentioned are related to the Boxer, this favorite of Germany has been developed along scientific lines that not only have succeeded in retaining all his old qualities, but have resulted in a much more attractive appearance. Besides Bulldog blood, the Boxer carries a certain heritage from a terrier strain. There is also some reason to believe that English Bulldogs were at one time imported into Germany. Indeed, Reinagle's noted Bulldog, done in 1803, is not unlike the Boxer, and pictures of some English specimens of 1850 are almost identical with the German dog.

The first AKC registration of a Boxer was in 1904, and the first championship was finished in 1915, but it was not until about 1940 that the American public began to take a real interest in the breed. This came about because of the consistent Group and Best in Show wins scored by some outstanding Boxers.

Is this a vulnerable breed? Yes, No	No
What size is this dog? Small, Medium, Large	Large
How much excercise is required? 30 mins a day, 1 hour a day, Over 2 hours a day	Over 2 hours a day
How long is this dog's coat? Short, Medium, Long	Short
How much grooming is required? Once a week, More than once a week, Every day	Once a week
Does this dog shed? Does shed, Does not shed	Does shed
What area is this dog best suited to? Town, Country, Either	Either
What size house is required for this breed? Flat/Apartment, Small House, Large House	Small House
What size of garden is required? Small Garden, Large Garden, No Garden	Large garden

	General Appearance Great nobility, smooth-coated, medium-sized, square build, strong bone and evident, well developed muscles.
	Characteristics Lively, strong, loyal to owner and family, but distrustful of strangers. Obedient, friendly at play, but with guarding instinct.
	Temperament Equable, biddable, fearless, self-assured.
	Eyes Dark brown, forward looking, not too small, protruding or deeply set. Showing lively, intelligent expression. Dark rims with good pigmentation showing no haw.
	Mouth Undershot jaw, canines set wide apart with incisors (six) in straight line in lower jaw. In upper jaw set in line curving slightly forward. Bite powerful and sound, with teeth set in normal arrangement.
	Neck Round, of ample length, strong, muscular, clean cut, no dewlap. Distinctly marked nape and elegant arch down to withers.
	Forequarters Shoulders long and sloping, close lying, not excessively covered with muscle. Upper arm long, making right angle to shoulderblade. Forelegs seen from front, straight, parallel, with strong bone. Elbows not too close or standing too far from chest wall. Forearms perpendicular, long and firmly muscled. Pasterns short, clearly defined, but not distended, slightly slanted.
	Body In profile square, length from forechest to rear of upper thigh equal to height at withers. Chest deep, reaching to elbows. Depth of chest half height at withers. Ribs well arched, not barrel-shaped, extending well to rear. Withers clearly defined. Back short, straight, slightly sloping, broad and strongly muscled. Loin short, well tucked up and taut. Lower abdominal line blends into curve to rear.
	Hindquarters Very strong with muscles hard and standing out noticeably under skin. Thighs broad and curved. Broad croup slightly sloped, with flat, broad arch. Pelvis long and broad. Upper and lower thigh long. Good hind angulation; when standing, the stifle is directly under the hip protuberance. Seen from side, leg from hock joint to foot not quite vertical. Seen from behind, legs straight, hock joints clean, with powerful rear pads.
	Feet Front feet small and cat-like, with well arched toes, and hard pads; hind feet slightly longer.
	Tail Customarily docked. Docked: Set on high and carried upward. Undocked: Set on high and carried gaily, not curled over back. Of moderate thickness. In overall balance to the rest of dog.
	Gait / Movement Great nobility, smooth-coated, medium-sized, square build, strong bone and evident, well developed muscles.
	Coat Short, glossy, smooth and tight to body.
	Colour Fawn or brindle. White markings acceptable not exceeding one-third of ground colour. Fawn: Various shades from dark deer red to light fawn. Brindle: Black stripes on previously described fawn shades, running parallel to ribs all over body. Stripes contrast distinctly to ground colour, neither too close not too thinly dispersed. Ground colour clear, not intermingling with stripes.
	Size Height: dogs: 57-63 cms (221/2-25 ins); bitches: 53-59 cms (21-23 ins). Weight: dogs: approximately 30-32 kgs (66-70 lbs); bitches: approximately 25-27 kgs (55-60 lbs).