Discover More About Boxer Dog Breed

The Boxer dog is actually a descendant of two breeds, the English Bulldog and the now extinct Bullenbeisser. Having these two breeds as ancestors, the crossing resulted to an intelligent and strong Bo...

The Boxer dog is actually a descendant of two breeds, the English Bulldog and the now extinct Bullenbeisser. Having these two breeds as ancestors, the crossing resulted to an intelligent and strong Boxer dog that works best as guard dog, service dog, guide dog for the blind, therapy dog and police dog in K9 units.

The Boxer dog, a part of Molosser group, was developed in Germany in the late 1800s. The breed was first exhibited in a dog show at Munich in 1895 and the first Boxer Club was founded a year after. It was in the late 19th century when the breed was first introduced to other parts of Europe and 1904 when the American Kennel Club (AKC) registered the first Boxer. There are many theories regarding the origin of the name "Boxer". One is simply from the derivation of the breed's inclination to play by standing on his hind legs and boxing with his front paws.

The Boxer inherited one of his ancestors distinctive feature which is the head. Same with Bulldog, this breed is short-faced, with skin from the root of the nose running downwards on both sides of the muscle in dense folds. The head must be in perfect proportion to the body, as well as the muscle should be in proportion to the skull. Originally, the ears are cropped and the tails are docked but cropping of the ears and docking of tails are now prohibited in some countries. Veterinary associations and animal right groups deemed the tradition inhumane or cruelty to animals.

The height of the Boxer ranges from 21 to 25 inches at the shoulder, and the weight ranges from 50 to 70 pounds. The breed has short, shiny, smooth coat that is either fawn or brindle, sometimes with white underbelly and white markings on the legs and face. A dog is called White boxer when the white markings cover more than one-third of the coat, disqualified from conformation showing. Boxer clubs also prohibit breeding White boxers because they at an increased risk of deafness in one or both ears and sunburn and associated skin cancers.

Being breed with working characteristics, Boxers need proper exercise and conditioning. Minimum of two hours each day, consist of walking, free-running as well as games is enough to provide your Boxer the daily exercise requirement he needs. This will also prevent boredom-associated behaviors such as chewing and digging.

Having the characteristics of a strong working dog doesn't mean that this breed isn't safe enough to live as additional member of the family. This breed is harmless in the family and good even with children. In fact, a Boxer is known for his great love and loyalty to his master but beware for they often mistrust strangers.