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Boxer Dog Breed

The Boxer is a breed of stocky, medium-sized, short-haired dog with a smooth fawn or brindled coat and square-jawed muzzle. Boxers have mandibular prognathism, very strong jaws and a powerful bite. They are part of the Molosser group of dogs, bred from the extinct German Bullenbeisser and the English Bulldog.

Appearance

The head is the most distinctive feature of the Boxer. The breed standard dictates that it must be in perfect proportion to his body and above all it must never be too light. The greatest value is to be placed on its muzzle being of correct form and in absolute proportion to the skull. The length of the muzzle to the whole of the head should be as 1:3. Folds are always indicated from the root of the nose running downwards on both sides of the muzzle and the tip of the nose should lie somewhat higher than the root of the muzzle. In addition a Boxer should be slightly prognathous, i.e., the lower jaw should protrude beyond the upper jaw and bend slightly upwards in what is commonly called an underbite.

Boxers were originally a docked and cropped breed, and this tradition is still maintained in some countries. An adult Boxer typically weighs between 55 and 70 lbs. Adult male Boxers are between 23 and 25 in.  tall at the withers; adult females are between 21 to 23 ½ in. They are typically either fawn or brindle, often with a white underbelly and white on the front or all four feet.

Temperamant

Boxers are a bright, energetic and playful breed and tend to be very good with children. It’s best if obedience training is started early since they also have a strong personality and therefore can be harder to train when older. This, in addition to their strength, might present a challenge for a first-time dog owner. Boxers have earned a slight reputation of being “headstrong”, which can be related to inappropriate obedience training. Owing to their intelligence and working breed characteristics, training based on the use of corrections often has limited usefulness. Boxers often respond much better to positive reinforcement techniques such as clicker training. It is also true that Boxers have a very long puppyhood and adolescence, and are often called the “Peter Pan” of the dog world. They are not considered fully mature until two to three years of age, one of the longest times in dogdom, and thus need early training to keep their high energy from wearing out their owner.

The Boxer by nature is not an aggressive or vicious breed but needs socialization to tolerate other dogs well. Their sometimes over-protective, territorial and dominating attitude, often most intense in males, can be problematic. Boxers are generally patient with smaller dogs but can be dominant with larger dogs of the same sex. A poorly bred or trained dog is capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals

Health

Boxers are prone to develop cancers, heart conditions such as Aortic Stenosis and Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (the so-called “Boxer Cardiomyopathy”), hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, and degenerative myelopathy; other conditions that may be seen are torsion (bloat), intestinal problems, and allergies (although these last two may be more related to diet rather than breed). Poor breeding can also lead to entropion, a malformation of the eyelid requiring surgical correction. Responsible breeders test their breeding stock before breeding and in some cases throughout the life of the dog in an attempt to minimize the occurrence of these diseases in future generations.

History

The ancestors of this breed was Haz, a dog of Mastiff descent, and the English Bulldog. The Bullenbeisser had been working as a hunting dog for centuries, employed in the pursuit of bear, wild boar, and deer. Its task was to seize the prey and hold it until the hunters arrived. In later years, faster dogs were favored and the Bullenbeisser grew smaller and was then called the Brabanter.

In the late 19th century, the Brabanter was crossed with an English Bulldog to start the line that would become the modern Boxer. In 1894, three Germans by the name of Roberth, Konig, and Hopner decided to stabilize the breed and put it on exhibition at a dog show. This was done in Munich in 1895, and the next year they founded the first Boxer Club

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