Boxer Dogs

Boxers are a breed of stocky, medium-sized, short-haired dog with a smooth fawn or brindled coat and square-jawed muzzle. Boxers have very strong jaws and a powerful bite.

Appearance

An adult boxer typically weighs between 25 and 32 kg (55 and 70 lb). Adult male boxers are between 57 and 63 cm (23 to 25 in.) tall at the withers; adult female are between 53 and 60 cm (21 to 23 ½ in.). Cropping of the tail remains popular, although cropping the ears is now prohibited in most European breed standards and is slowly becoming banned in many other countries. As of March 2005 the AKC changed it's standard to allowing the showing of uncropped Boxers.
 

In color, boxers are typically either fawn or brindled with a white underbelly and white on the front or all four feet. The whiteness, called 'flashiness,' often extends onto the shoulders or face. Conversely, some brindled boxers are so dark as to appear black but really the stripes are so close together they are considered reverse brindle's. Black Boxers do not exist. In the UK, fawn boxers are typically richer in color and are called "Red".

Some boxers are entirely white. Contrary to popular opinion, white boxers are neither albino (lacking pigment in the skin and eyes), nor rare. Some studies indicate that as many as 25% of all boxers are white.

Boxers have an under bite, and as a result, their lower row of teeth can get caught in their jowls. A severe under bite is undesirable.

Temperament

[ A brindle male at nearly 2 years. ]

The character of the Boxer is of the greatest importance and demands the most careful attention. He is renowned for his great love and faithfulness to his master and household, his alertness, and fearless courage as a defender and protector. The Boxer is docile but distrustful of strangers. He is bright and friendly in play but brave and determined when roused. 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. He is never false or treacherous even in his old age.
 

[ A one-year-old brindle and a 2-month-old fawn Boxer ]

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 plus their strength might present a challenge for a first-time dog owner. It is also equally true that Boxers have a very long puppyhood and adolescence. They are not considered fully mature until age three, one of the longest times in dogdom, and thus need the early training to keep their high energy from wearing the owner out. Boxers have unfairly earned a slight reputation of being 'headstrong'; no doubt due to some poorly obedience-trained examples of Boxers.

Attitude to:
Owners: Affectionate, devoted.
Children: Playful, exuberant (may be too much for very young children).
Other Pets: Good if raised well.
Strangers: Protective of their family, Friendly if well socialized.
Unfamiliar Dogs: Can be problematic unless well socialized.
(Bailey 231)
 

Health, History and Interesting issue of Boxer Dogs

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Boxer".