Meet the Breed - Boxer

Video link: Boxer

Boxer - The Facts Every Owner Of This Dog Breed Should Know
by: Robert Benjamin


A German breed descending from mastiffs, the Boxer was originally bred for the purpose of hunting. The first Boxers were bred to be fierce but these traits are not seen today. Boxers today tend to be gentle, loving and energetic dogs. They are stocky dogs of a medium size. Male Boxers will grow to an average height of 22 to 25 inches and weight of 60 to 70 pounds. Females Boxers will reach an average height of 21 to 24 inches and weight of 53 to 65 pounds. Boxers have an average life span of 11 to 14 years. Their coats are smooth and shorthaired, making Boxers easy to groom. In fact, Boxers tend to be 'clean freaks' and will clean themselves regularly. Generally, Boxer coats come in only two colors: brindle and fawn.

Some Boxers have white markings on them, known as flash, which can extend all over making them appear white. Boxers have short muzzles and their lower jaws extend past their upper ones. This gives them a very secure bite, something useful when they were hunting. Boxers are considered highly intelligent and easy to train. However, they can be independent thinkers and this can make them stubborn and sneaky. Though energetic they are gentle with children and other animals (if properly socialized) and make an excellent family pet.

They enjoy playing with children and will protect its family when a stranger approaches. Once introduced to the stranger, though, he will become a friend and the Boxer will greet him with enthusiasm in the future. Boxers are energetic dogs that love to run, jump, fetch and play so once daily exercise at a minimum is required. Boxers tend to be fairly active indoors and may become destructive if not given time to 'burn off some steam.' A well fenced in yard (if off leash) is also a must. Boxers are prone to many medical problems. Due to their short snouts, they tend to snore and drool, and have difficulty regulating their body temperature, making it difficult for them to live in locations where temperature extremes are common.

Boxers are also more likely to develop cardiomyopathy, sub-aortic stenosis, and hip dysplasia. Some Boxers are prone to epilepsy, and from age eight on they are more likely to get tumors than other breeds. They tend to have allergies and some Boxers may have excessive flatulence. Some white Boxers are prone to deafness. Boxers may also develop corneal dystrophy or Demodectic mange and some are prone to bloat. torsion (bloat) and if they do not get enough exercise will quickly become obese, leading to other health problems.

There is a website that has great information on Boxers and most other breeds of dogs. It has details that pertain to a dog breeds health, grooming, living conditions, best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat Facts, and can be found at this url:

http://www.dogandcatfacts.com

Post edited by: hedvig, at: 2009/06/01 04:46

by: Dana Goldberg

Boxers have been traced to exist for over a hundred years now. They are said to have originated from Germany as the crossbreed between the Brabanter Bullenbesser (from Belgium) and the English Bulldog. Boxer dogs are known for their intelligence, hardiness, loyalty and its being family-oriented which makes it a great family pet. It is often commented that a family with a boxer is one that is filled with laughter and joy.

Boxer dogs have the natural tendency for learning new things and mental stimulation. It is widely recognized that bored boxer dogs make bad dogs. They need to be constantly trained, just like with other dogs.

Contrary to popular beliefs, boxer dogs are not guard dogs, they can be excellent watchdogs though as they will bark at any strangers if need be. However, they don't like isolation and are not naturally aggressive or viscous. Actually, the majority of boxers are known to not stand a time separated from their owners. They need continuous interaction with the family and are very affectionate to their owners. In fact, one of the most difficult training exercise for this breed is not to attack their own owners.

Because of their sturdiness and other "strong" physical features, they are mostly trained to become guard dogs. Sadly, many are left into abandonment due to their owner's dissatisfactions. In actuality, they cannot be easily trained for attack and they are abused for such.

Boxer dogs are overwhelmingly playful. On a poll survey conducted, dog owners described boxers as clowns, contradicting the aggressive portrayal widely accepted today. They are exuberant from day one to their senior years. Boxer dogs is an entertaining breed and always have the knack for making unique tricks like the "kidney beaning" and the "woo-woo". These two are often manifested when they are excited or overly happy (which is true in most cases).

Kidney beaning is a dance, which is characterized with a semi-circle turn then a turn for a full circle. On the other hand, "woo-woo" is a distinct sound they made which appeals like a bark but is actually not.

Boxer dogs have the personality that is unique in their breed, but this does not apply with all dog owners. They need to be constantly fed with physical and mental exercises to spend their high resource of body energies and add to it the attention they require. Boxer dogs are not known of sleeping the whole day away or go off 0on their own. If they are not sufficiently exercised, they may be very destructive, this they do to amuse themselves. For at least twice a day, they must be exercised or jogged.

One good way of providing worthwhile activities for boxer dogs is the obedience training. In fact, it is a must for all owners of this breed but to be sure, obedience training is both a win-win situation for both the owner and the dogs.

During training, it is not unusual to see stubborn boxers. Due to their intelligence, they tend not to listen to commands given to them. But above this, they are quick to learn and are eager for further learning.

A Boxer dog is an outdoor pet, nor can it tolerate extreme weather conditions. They have short coat and a short nasal cavity; both are not apt for cold weather and hot weather respectively. Additionally, these are lap dogs however large they get.

Post edited by: hedvig, at: 2009/06/01 04:46

by: Mike Mathews

It is hard to imagine that a dog breed descended from the mastiff-type dogs of war and one whose progenitors were used for bull and bear baiting, is now one of the most popular family-oriented breeds in the world.

The popular Boxer dog is a playful clown that continues to display youthful exuberance from its puppy stage to its senior years. Boxers are a courageous, good-natured, friendly, energetic, loyal, fun-loving, and family-oriented dog breed. Boxers love children and will suffer all sorts of child inflicted indignities with stoicism. However toddlers and young children should be carefully supervised with excited adolescent and young Boxers who can accidentally knock them over. The boxer is a large and strong dog that must be socialized thoroughly and obedience trained while a puppy and that training must be continued through adolescence to control its exuberance. The Boxer can be overly protective of the children in the family when roughhousing with friends and must be thoroughly socialized and trained to minimize any aggressive tendencies. The breed is naturally suspicious of strangers and usually makes a good watchdog. The Boxer is fairly intelligent and eager to please and can be trained to higher levels for obedience competitions and even for agility competitions. Additional information on activities for dogs can be found in my article: Fun Dog Activities. Unfortunately the Boxer has a stubborn streak that will show up from time to time. He will suddenly refuse to entertain commands that he has been obeying for years and look at you with an inquisitive or even a mischievous expression. However the endless hours of fun and entertainment provided by the Boxer, more than compensate for the stubborn streak.

The Boxer is a medium- to large-sized muscular dog with a blunt and expressive face and a docked tail. Male Boxers stand 22 to 25 inches tall at shoulder height and weigh from 65 to 70 pounds. Females are slightly smaller at 21 to 23.5 inches tall and weigh 55 to 65 pounds. The Boxers ears are generally cropped in the U.S. and Canada but left uncropped in England and some European countries. The Boxer's short, smooth and shiny coat is usually red, fawn or brindle in color. Some Boxers have white markings on their coats but too much white color has been discouraged. The Boxer's coat is easy to care for and requires only an occasional brushing with a soft brush and a rub down with a chamois cloth. This dog breed is a low to moderate shedder.

The early ancestors of the Boxer are thought to be the large and courageous dogs of war that were used in ancient Greek and Roman times. These ancient dogs were later called Molossians after the modern Albanian city of Molossis. When these Molossians spread across Europe they became the ancestors of many modern dog breeds including the British Mastiff, the Swiss Saint Bernard, and the German Bullenbeiser. The Bullenbeiser was a large and strong hunting dog that the aristocracy developed to hunt bears, wild boar and other large game. Later the fearless Bullenbeisers were used as guard dogs and unfortunately also for the cruel sports of dog fighting, bear baiting and bull baiting. Eventually two lines evolved - the larger Danzigers and the smaller Brabanters. The Brabanter was crossed with an early version of the English Bulldog to produce the modern Boxer. The first Boxer was registered in Germany in 1895 and the breed's numbers increased rapidly until World War I. The British Boxer Club was established in 1936 and despite the outbreak of World War II, the bloodlines survived in both Germany and Britain. The Boxer was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1915. The line has continued to evolve and most of the aggressive tendencies have been bred out of the modern Boxer. Today's Boxer has become a very popular family dog and is ranked 7th out of 154 dog breeds in 2004 AKC registrations.

Boxers need regular exercise and do best with an active family. They like lots of attention and can become somewhat destructive if bored. Boxers do not like inclement weather and are sensitive to heat and humidity and shouldn't be taken jogging or cycling during hot summer days. Boxers, being intelligent animals, like to remain in the shade or inside in air conditioned comfort on hot days. Boxers can even adapt to apartment living if they are exercised regularly.

Boxers are normally a fairly healthy dog breed that can be expected to live for 9 to 11 years. Boxers, like most short-muzzled dogs, may snore and suffer from flatulence.

Common inherited health problems include: hip dysplasia; hypothyroidism; corneal dystrophy eye disorders; cardiomyopathy and sub aortic stenosis (SAS) heart diseases; and bloat. Information on these inherited diseases and ways to help control bloat can be found in my article: Hereditary Diseases. Before you buy a Boxer puppy make sure you ask the breeder for the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) results for hip dysplasia and thyroid and the Canine Eye Registry (CERF) recent ophthalmologists report for both the sire and dam.

If you are seriously interested in acquiring a Boxer then you should check with your national pure-bred dog organizations such as the American (www.akc.org) or Canadian Kennel (www.ckc.com) Clubs to look for conformation shows in your area. Make sure you talk to owners and breeders at these shows to see if your lifestyle is really suited to this breed. Additional information on Boxers and on specific shows and competitions in your area can be found by checking with the national Boxer clubs which are The American Boxer Club in the US and The Boxer Club Of Canada in Canada. Both of these umbrella organizations will point you to the local chapter closest to your home that may be able to provide you with information on reputable breeders. They should also provide you with information on Boxer rescue organizations in case you wish to obtain an adult dog.

Post edited by: hedvig, at: 2009/06/01 04:46