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Boxer
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Developed in Germany, the Boxer is a breed of stocky, medium-
sized, short-haired dog. The coat is smooth and fawn or brindled,
with or without white markings. Boxers are brachycephalic (they
have broad, short skulls), and have a square muzzle, mandibular
prognathism (an underbite), very strong jaws and a powerful bite
ideal for hanging on to large prey. The Boxer was bred from the
English Bulldog and the now extinct Bullenbeisser and is part of
the Molosser group.
Boxers were first exhibited in a dog show for St. Bernards at
Munich in 1895, the first Boxer club being founded the next year.
Based on 2008 American Kennel Club statistics, Boxers are the
sixth most popular breed of dog in the United States for the
second year in a row—moving up in 2007 from the seventh spot,
which they'd held since 2002—with 33,548 new dog registrations
during the year.
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Boxer
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Appearance
The head is the most distinctive feature of the Boxer. The breed
standard dictates that it must be in perfect proportion to the body
and above all it must never be too light. The greatest value is to be
placed on the 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 a ratio of 1:3. Folds are always present 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 or
"undershot bite".
Boxers were originally a docked and cropped breed, and this
tradition is still maintained in some countries. However, due to
pressure from veterinary associations, animal rights groups and
the general public, both cropping of the ears and docking of the
tail have been prohibited in many countries around the world.
There is a line of naturally short-tailed (bobtail) Boxers that was
developed in the United Kingdom in anticipation of a tail docking
ban there; after several generations of controlled breeding, these
dogs were accepted in the Kennel Club (UK) registry in 1998, and
today representatives of the bobtail line can be found in many
countries around the world. However, in 2008, the FCI added a
"naturally stumpy tail" as a disqualifying fault in their breed
standard, meaning those Boxers born with a bobtail are no longer
able to be shown (or, in some cases, bred) in FCI member
countries. In the United States and Canada as of 2009, cropped
ears are still more common in show dogs. In March 2005 the AKC
breed standard was changed to include a description of the
uncropped ear, but to severely penalize an undocked tail.
An adult Boxer typically weighs between 55 and 70 lb (25 and 32
kg). Adult male Boxers are between 22 and 25 inches (56 and 63
cm) tall at the withers; adult females are between 21 to 23½ inches
(53 and 60 cm).
Temperament
"The character of the Boxer is of the greatest importance and
demands the most solicitous attention. He is renowned from olden
times for his great love and faithfulness to his master and
household. He is harmless in the family, but distrustful of strangers,
bright and friendly of temperament at play, but brave and
determined when aroused. His intelligence and willing tractability,
his modesty and cleanliness make him a highly desirable family
dog and cheerful companion. He is the soul of honesty and loyalty,
and is never false or treacherous even in his old age. ”
— 1938 AKC Boxer breed standard
Health
Leading health issues to which Boxers are prone include cancers,
heart conditions such as Aortic Stenosis and Arrhythmogenic Right
Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (the so-called "Boxer
Cardiomyopathy"), hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, and
degenerative myelopathy and apelesspy; other conditions that may
be seen are gastric dilatation and torsion (bloat), intestinal
problems, and allergies (although these may be more related to
diet than breed). Entropion, a malformation of the eyelid requiring
surgical correction, is occasionally seen, and some lines have a
tendency toward spondylosis deformans, a fusing of the spine, or
dystocia.
According to a UK Kennel Club health survey, cancer accounts for
38.5% of Boxer deaths, followed by old age (21.5%), cardiac
(6.9%) and gastrointestinal (6.9%) related issues. Responsible
breeders use available tests to screen 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.
Boxers are known to be very sensitive to the hypotensive and
bradycardiac effects of a commonly-used veterinary sedative,
acepromazine. It is recommended that the drug be avoided in the
Boxer breed.
As an athletic breed, proper exercise and conditioning is important
for the continued health and longevity of the Boxer. Care must be
taken not to over-exercise young dogs, as this may damage
growing bones; however once mature Boxers can be excellent
jogging or running companions. Because of their brachycephalic
head, they do not do well with high heat or humidity, and common
sense should prevail when exercising a Boxer in these conditions.
Coat and colors
Boxers are either fawn (middle frame) or brindle (bottom frame),
with or without white markings, which, when excessive are
conventionally called "white" Boxers (top frame).
The Boxer is a short-haired breed, with a shiny, smooth coat that
lies tight to the body. The recognized colors are fawn and brindle,
often with a white underbelly and white on the front or all four feet.
These white markings, called flash, often extend onto the neck or
face, and dogs that have these markings are known as "flashy".
"Fawn" denotes a range of color, the tones of which may be
described variously as light tan or yellow, reddish tan, mahogany
or stag/deer red, and dark honey-blonde. In the UK, fawn Boxers
are typically rich in color and are called "red". "Brindle" refers to a
dog with black stripes on a fawn background. Some brindle Boxers
are so heavily striped that they give the appearance of "reverse
brindling", fawn stripes on a black body; these dogs are
conventionally called "reverse brindles", but that is actually a
misnomer—they are still fawn dogs with black stripes. In addition,
the breed standards state that the fawn background must clearly
contrast with or show through the brindling, so a dog that is too
heavily brindled may be disqualified by the breed standard. The
Boxer does not carry the gene for a solid black coat color and
therefore purebred black Boxers do not exist.
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Country of origin
Germany
Weight
55-70 lb
Height
21-25 in
Coat
Smooth and shiny, tight
to the body
Color
Fawn and brindle with
white
Life span
10-12 years
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Brindle Boxers with uncropped
and cropped ears.
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Dog Breed Test samples analyzed in about two weeks
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