The Dog Scene

Boxer

Looking for a Boxer puppy or advice? Contact one of the Boxer breeders or breed clubs listed below. All dog breeders advertising with us agree to abide by our Code of Ethics.

Boxer Books

Group: Working - Breed Standard

History

The ancestors of this breed were the German Bullenbeisser, 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.

The name "Boxer" is supposedly derived from this breed's tendency to begin a fight by standing on its hind legs and "boxing" with its front paws. According to Andrew H. Brace on his "Pet owner's guide to the Boxer" this theory is the least plausible explanation. He claims "it's unlikely that a nation so permeated with nationalism would give to one of its most famous breeds a name so obviously anglicised".

Description

Height: dogs: 57-63 cms (22½-25 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).

Boxers are a 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. 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 have a slight underbite i.e. lower jaw should protrude beyond the upper jaw and bend slightly upwards.

Boxers are typically either fawn or 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. Some brindle Boxers are so dark that they give the appearance of "reverse brindle", fawn stripes on a black body, however the breed standards state that the fawn background must clearly contrast with or show through the brindling. The Boxer does not carry the gene for a solid black coat colour - purebred black Boxers do not exist. In the UK, fawn boxers are typically rich in colour and are called "red". Boxers with white markings covering more than one-third of their coat do not meet the Boxer breed standard. "White" Boxers are neither albino nor rare, and make up approximately 20-25% of the breed. Genetically, these dogs are either fawn or brindle, with excessive white markings overlying the base coat colour. White Boxers are disqualified from conformation showing by the breed standard, and are prohibited from breeding by every national Boxer club in the world. They can compete in non-conformation events such as obedience and agility, and like their coloured counterparts do quite well as service and therapy dogs.

Character/Temperament

The Boxer is renowned for his great love and faithfulness to his master and household, his alertness, and fearless courage as a defender and protector. Boxers are a bright, energetic and playful breed and tend to be very good with children.

Breed 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), 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.

The white Boxer is more prone to certain health conditions than their coloured counterparts. Like fair-skinned humans, white Boxers have a higher risk of sunburn and associated skin cancers than coloured Boxers. They are also more prone to congential deafness caused by lack of pigmentation in the inner ear. It is estimated that 18% of white Boxers are deaf in one or both ears, though shelters and rescue organizations see about double this number. In the past, breeders often euthanized white puppies at birth; today, most breeders place white puppies in pet homes with spay/neuter agreements. The Boxer by nature is not an aggressive or vicious breed but needs socialization to tolerate other dogs well. His sometimes over-protective, territorial and dominating attitude, most intense in males, can be problematic. Boxers are very patient with smaller dogs but can be aggressive with larger dogs of the same sex.

Breed Care

Their short single coat is easy to keep clean, and requires a brush about once a week to remove loose hairs and keep in good condition.

Exercise

An energetic dog they require a fair amount of regular daily exercise.

Training

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. Boxers have earned a slight reputation of being "headstrong", which can be related to inappropriate obedience training. As a highly intelligent breed, Boxers tend to respond better to training which allows them to think for themselves, rather than learn by repetition. See our books on training

For further information, please contact one of the breed clubs of breeders listed below.

Animal Fanatics We offer a huge range of gifts and goodies featuring all sorts of animals. Our range covers stationery, gifts, gift bags, calendars, books, t-shirts, mugs, Birthday cards, Christmas cards, giftwrap, soft toys, note boards, list pads, writing paper, jigsaws, pictures, prints and much more! UK orders benefit from our STANDARD UK P&P of JUST £2.45 no matter the size of your order. Plus our MONEYBACK GUARANTEE also means you have nothing to lose by shopping with us! Submitted 23 Oct, 2006, edited 06 Apr, 2008. 74 hits out. Details Rate Report Send to Friend Comments (0)

Calendar Warehouse Welcome to the Calendar Warehouse - Home of Britain's BIGGEST Selection of DISCOUNTED Calendars DELIVERED DIRECT to your Door! We stock every kind of calendar imaginable, from celebrities, film stars and blockbuster movie titles to the highly popular Anne Geddes and Winnie the Pooh collections - we are confident you'll find something to suit everyone from our extensive range. Submitted 12 Mar, 2008. 5 hits out. Details Rate Report Send to Friend Comments (0)

Fine Art Posters Art.co.uk the leading online print and poster retailer provides framing, mounting and laminating services, posters, art prints, paintings, canvas prints, vintage original posters, fine art prints, inspirational posters, giclee prints, art reproductions and original art and photography. Submitted 23 Oct, 2006. 81 hits out. Details Rate Report Send to Friend Comments (0)

Newlaithe Boxers Submitted 07 Aug, 2007 , edited 07 Aug, 2007. 125 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Newlaithe Boxers (1 vote) Submitted 22 Aug, 2006 . 155 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Anglian Boxer Club Contact: Mrs E Costello Telephone: 01400 282525 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 , edited 21 Feb, 2008. 131 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

British Boxer Club Contact: Mrs M Seeney Telephone: 01235 835207 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 , edited 06 Jun, 2007. 260 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Cotswold Boxer Club Contact: Mr T N Hutchings Telephone: 01453 511755 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 . 119 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Essex And Eastern Counties Boxer Club Contact: Mrs N Maddocks Telephone: 01702 206683 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 . 202 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Irish Boxer Club Contact: Mr S Morgan Telephone: 028 9145 1850 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 . 204 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

London & Home Counties Boxer Club Contact: Mrs R M Hughes Telephone: 01372 458325 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 . 119 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Mancunian Boxer Club Contact: Mrs D Hall Telephone: 0161 764 5593 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 . 84 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Merseyside Boxer Club Contact: Ms M Mcardle Telephone: 0151 531 6361 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 , edited 06 Jun, 2007. 147 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Midland Boxer Club Contact: Mr N J Rallings Telephone: 01827 872064 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 . 187 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Northern Boxer Club Contact: Mrs V Van-Beck Telephone: 07836 325125 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 , edited 06 Jun, 2007. 124 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Scottish Boxer Club Contact: Ms Thomson Telephone: 01698 821 977 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 . 105 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

South Wales Boxer Club Contact: Mr M James Telephone: 01443 485155 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 , edited 06 Jun, 2007. 113 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

South Western Boxer Club Contact: Mr D Webb Telephone: 01398 341522 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 , edited 06 Jun, 2007. 47 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Trent Boxer Club Contact: Mrs Alton Telephone: 01773 810630 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 . 101 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Tyne Wear & Tees Boxer Club Contact: Mr J Graham Telephone: 01661 860499 Submitted 18 Jan, 2006 , edited 06 Jun, 2007. 91 hits out, 0 hits in. Rate Report Send to Friend Submitter Comments (0)

Actions

Category Stats

Links: 20 Last link added: 12 Mar, 2008