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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. 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, 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.
The Boxer was first exhibited in a dog show for St. Bernards at Munich in 1895, the first Boxer club being founded the next year. Based on 2007 American Kennel Club statistics, Boxers are the sixth most popular breed of dog in the United States moving up from the seventh spot for the first time since 2002 with 33,548 new dog registrations during the year.
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 favoured 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 stabilise 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 breed was introduced to other parts of Europe in the
late 1800s and to the United States around the turn of the
century. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognised the first
Boxer champion in 1915.
During World War I, the Boxer was co-opted for military
work, acting as a valuable messenger dog, pack-carrier, attack
dog, and guard dog.
It was not until after World War II that the Boxer became
popular around the world. Boxer mascots, taken home by
returning soldiers, introduced the dog to a much wider
audience and it soon became a favourite as a companion animal,
as a show dog, and as a guard dog.
Early genealogy: The German citizen George Alt, a
Munich resident, mated a brindle-coloured bitch Brabanter
imported from France named Flora with a local dog of unknown
ancestry, know simply as "Boxer", resulting in a
fawn-and-white male, named "Lechnerīs Boxer" after
its owner. This dog was mated with his own dam Flora, and one
of its offsprings was the bitch called Altīs Schecken. George
Alt mated Schecken with an English Bulldog named Tom to
produce the historically significant dog Flocki, the first
boxer to enter the German Stud Book after winning at a Munich
show for St. Bernards, which was the first event to have a
class specific for Boxers.
The white bitch Ch. Blanka von Angertor, Flockiīs sister,
was even more influential when mated with Piccolo von Angertor
(Lechnerīs Boxer grandson) to produce the predominantly white
bitch Meta von der Passage, which, even bearing little
resemblance with the modern Boxer standard (early photographs
depicts her as too long, weak-backed and down-faced), is
considered the mother of the breed.John Wagner, on his The
Boxer (first published in 1939) said the following regarding
this bitch:
"Meta von der Passage played the most important
role of the five original ancestors. Our great line of
sires all trace directly back to this female. She was a
substantially built, low to the ground, brindle and white
parti-color, lacking in underjaw and exceedingly lippy. As
a producing bitch few in any breed can match her record.
She consistently whelped puppies of marvelous type and
rare quality. Those of her offspring sired by Flock St.
Salvator and Wotan dominate all present-day pedigrees.
Combined with Wotan and Mirzl children, they made the
Boxer."
Breed name: 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, claiming it's unlikely that a nation so
permeated with nationalism like Germany would give to one of
its most famous breeds a name so obviously anglicised.
Brace states that there exist many other theories to
explain the origin of the breed name, some claiming the
smaller Bullenbeisser (Brabanter) were also known as
"Boxl" and that Boxer is just a corruption of that
word.
Appearance: An adult boxer typically weighs between
55 and 70 lbs (25 and 32 kg). Adult male boxers are between 23
and 25 in. (57 nand 63 cm) tall at the withers; adult female
are between 21 to 23 ― in. (53 and 60 cm). Docking of the
tail remains popular, although cropping of the ears is
gradually declining in popularity and both are now prohibited
in many European breed standards and are slowly being banned
in many countries. As of March, 2005, the AKC changed its
standard to allow the showing of uncropped Boxers.
Boxers are typically either fawn or brindle, often with a
white underbelly and white on the front or all four feet. The
whiteness, called flashiness, often extends onto the shoulders
or face. White boxers account for approximately 25% of all
boxers. Boxers with white coloring covering more than
one-third of their coat do not meet the boxer breed standard
by the American Kennel Club. Some brindled boxers are so dark
as to appear black but really the stripes are so close
together that they are considered reverse brindles. Black
Boxers do not exist. In the UK, fawn boxers are typically
richer in color and are called "Red".
The Boxer breed standard stipulates that two-thirds
(roughly 67%) of the body be either fawn or brindle in color.
Some boxers have white markings that do not meet the standard
and are therefore mostly or entirely white. Contrary to
popular opinion, white boxers are neither albino (lacking
pigment in the skin and eyes), nor rare. Genetic analysis
indicates that as many as one-quarter (25%) of all boxers are
white.
Boxers have an underbite, and as a result, their lower row
of teeth can get caught in their jowls. Boxers make brilliant
guard dogs.
Temperament: 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.
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. Boxers earned a
slight reputation of being "headstrong", which can
be related to poor obedience-training. 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.
The Boxer by nature is not an aggressive or vicious breed
but need socialisation 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. A poorly bred or trained dog is
capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals.
Temperament summary: Attitudes toward:
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 and
suspicious. Friendly if well socialised.
Unfamiliar Dogs: Can be problematic unless well
socialised.
Special needs to maintain a desirable temperament:
Socialisation: To avoid aggression to strangers
and to dogs of the same sex (mainly unfamiliar dogs)
Daily exercise: To avoid destructive responses
Respect training: To avoid jumping and barking
when playing and to lessen his natural stubbornness
Health: Boxers are prone to develop "cancers,
progressive retinal atrophy, torsion (bloat), epilepsy,
bleeding disorders, intestinal problems, breathing
difficulties from sinus infections", heart murmurs and
ailments of the joints, such as arthritis and hip dysplasia,
although most good breeders test their breeding stock before
breeding and the incidence is slowly decreasing. Problems of
the thyroid gland, while rare, often go unnoticed.
This does not directly harm the boxer, but early attention
to the condition can prolong the life of the dog. White boxers
allegedly have a tendency to develop deafness at a rate much
higher than other boxers. Some studies indicate 30-40% of all
white boxers are deaf in one or both ears, but the unbiased
nature of these studies is challenged.
There have been active breeder interventions trying to
diminish the popularity of white boxers, and because the breed
standard stipulates that two-thirds of the body be either fawn
or brindle in color, many white boxers are euthanised at birth
by commercial breeders, although this practice was more common
in the past than it is today. Because white boxers are not
albinos but simply have a white coat, they have no added risk
of skin cancer compared to other boxers.
Uses: Boxers are friendly, lively companions that
are often used as family dogs. Their suspicion of strangers,
alertness, agility, and strength make them formidable guard
dogs. They also sometimes appear at dog agility trials and
flyball events. Before dog fighting was made illegal, Boxers
were often used in dog fights.
These strong and intelligent animals have even been
sometimes used as guide dogs for the blind and police dogs in
K9 units in place of the typical German Shepherd. The
versatiliy of Boxers was recognised by the military, which
used them as valuable messenger dogs, pack carriers, and
attack and guard dogs in times of war.
Popularity in the U.S: Based on 2005 American Kennel Club
statistics, Boxers are the seventh most popular breed of dog
in the United States with approximately 37,268 new
registrations during the year.
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