What Is A Boxer Dog?

Facts About Boxer Dog History

If you're researching boxer dogs, then you'll want to know what is a boxer dog?

Boxers are a great all around breed of dog. I hardly knew anything about boxer dog history or anything else about them when I got my first boxer, but I am a confirmed boxer lover since our Lucy graced our family's lives.

They are a distinguished canine and the coolest, most lovable dog out there!

Overview

Boxers are a medium-built and strong breed that is thought to be so-named because of their habit of standing on the hind legs to begin a fight or playtime and boxing with the front paws.

They are a loving and loyal companion and they make great family dogs, even with children, because though strong, they are also very gentle and playful, in most cases.

In addition, they are a very attractive breed, with a beautiful, silky coat in fawn, brindle and white. Paws and chests are often white and those big, brown eyes are killer.

Boxers Are Working Dogs

The American Kennel Club (AKC) categorizes dogs into 7 groups:

• Herding
• Hound
• Non-sporting
• Sporting
• Terrier
• Toy
• Working

And the largest breed registered in the working dog category is the boxer. By nature, boxers fit the category of working dogs perfectly. Throughout history, boxers have been trained as:

• Hunting dogs
• Police dogs
• Seeing-eye dogs for the blind
• Guard dogs
• Circus dogs
• Courier dogs on the battlefields during World War I and World War II
• Fighting dogs in the once popular sport of dog fighting

The boxer breed makes a great utility dog, but the greatest advantage to owning one is that a boxer can be your most outstanding companion on four legs and a great source of personal fulfillment.

Boxer Dog History

The boxer's history could be traced back to feudal Germany, where it was a small hunting dog that could tenaciously hold onto a bull, boar, or bear till the master arrived.

It was also a utility dog for peasants and shop owners, and even a performing dog in circuses.

Boxer Dog Breed Standards

The boxer as we know it today is a bigger breed — a mixture of the German boxer with a taller, more elegant English import. The era of this modern boxer began in the 1880s and became really popular in the United States in the late 1930s-1940s.

Handsome dog: Within the canine world, the boxer is a medium-sized dog standing at 21 to 25 inches at the shoulder for a full-grown female, and weighs some 50 to 65 pounds. The male can be taller and 15 pounds heavier.

It has a striking good look with chiseled head, square jaw and muscled body that make for a very handsome silhouette. The ears are often cropped and erect to enhance its hearing — the boxer's most developed sense. However, many pet boxers (as opposed to those raised for showing) often have uncropped, floppy ears today.

The boxer dog's coat is short, hard and smooth, and possesses a natural sheen that can be enhanced with rubdowns with a chamois cloth (especially after a bath).

Boxers come in attractive basic colors of fawn and brindle. The fawn varies from a tawny tan to an especially beautiful stag red. The brindle (clearly defined black stripes on a fawn background) can be sparse, in between or dense.

A beauty standard for boxers is that their white markings or "flash" should add to their look and may not cover more than one-third of the entire body. Some predominantly or all-white puppies (known as "check") may be born in a litter.

In the US, however, the American Boxer Club members are pledged not to register, sell or use these "whites" for breeding to retain the beauty of the true fawn and brindle colors in the breed. Still, I know that a lot of boxer owners treasure their white boxer dogs.

The short coat cannot protect boxers well from extreme elements of the weather, so your boxer should definitely not be kept outdoors. The shortened muzzle makes hot and humid weather uncomfortable for the boxer too. So, boxers should be considered mostly house dogs because they are sensitive to temperature extremes and do not enjoy the draft, summer heat, or winter cold.

Personality-wise, the boxer is a cool dog that will not bark without cause. Our Lucy didn't bark even once until she was about 2 years old! After she found here voice, though, she was happy to bark whenever anyone came to the door, unfortunately.

A boxer dog's expressive face — the furrowed forehead and dark, soulful eyes — is a charming quality that sets the boxer apart from other breeds, although I have to tell you that the Boston terrier also possesses those qualities, which is why I think of them as a sort of "mini boxer".

Boxer dogs can mimic the moods of their family members and adopting one could bring you 9 to 11 years of joyful companionship. In exceptional cases, the boxer can even live up to 15 years.

The ABCs of What Is a Boxer Dog

Devoted and glad owners of boxers have come up with a long A to Z list of attributes and traits of their favorite pet that include:

• Alert
• Boisterous, Boundless energy, and Brave
• Canine clown and Courageous
• Devil dog, Devoted, and Dignified
• Exuberant
• Family dog, Fearless
• Gorgeous coats, in shades of tawny, brindle, even white
• Hearing dog and Highly trainable
• Intelligent and Intuitive
• Joyful Jumping—my boxer, anyway, loved to jump for joy
• Keen judge of character
• Loving, Loyal
• Most loved member of the family
• Needs lots of love
• Oh so sweet
• Patient with children, People dog, Poor swimmer, and Playful
• Quick learner
• Rowdy, Rough and tumble with kids when playing
• Self-assured, Smart, Soulful, Spirited, and Stoical
• True blue in devotion to the family and its "people"
• Understands moods and wants to comfort you when sad or blue
• Vigilant
• Working dog, Wiggle butt, and Wonderful pet
• XYZ... oh come on... don't you have enough reasons to love a boxer dog yet?!

And, once you get your own boxer dog, you can probably add even more positive attributes to the list...

In Summary...

So, the easy answer to the question, "What is a boxer dog?" is that boxer dogs are some of the most special dogs you could ever own, both from an appearance, as well as a personality, standpoint!

Related Articles

• Boxers as pets
• Boxers & families
• How to choose a boxer dog
• Naming your new boxer

Or... if you'd like to get all of this information in an easy-to-read, instantly downloadable and printable eBook, plus some valuable FREE bonuses, check out Boxer Dog Secrets: The Manual!