The Boxer
The Boxer Dog
Origins
The Boxer (also named Deutcher Boxer or German Boxer) has its origins in Germany, in the late 1800. This breed is considered to be a member of the Molosser group, a crossbreed between the English Bulldog and the German Bullenbeiser. It was officially acknowledged as a breed in 1902 and later on introduced to other parts of Europe and United States, after 1904. The Boxer was used during World War I as a guard dog, attack dog, messenger, pack carrier. After World War II he became popular all over the world.
Appearance
The Boxer belongs to the big dog breed category, displaying a height of 55-64 cm at the withers and a weight of 30-35 kg for males and 24-28 kg for females.
The Boxer has a broad but short skull, perfectly proportionate to the body. The eyes are round and black or dark brown colored. The muzzle is squared, with an underbite, powerful jaws, sharp teeth, and fold on the sides of the muzzle.
The body is powerful, compactly built, with long legs, sharp leg pads; it ends in a bobtail. The body coat is short but smooth and shiny, colored in brindle, fawn, variations, and white stripes of coat can be observed on the legs and underbelly.
Grooming
The Boxer is a medium to low shedder. Brushing the coat should be done once or twice a week, and more times during the shedding season. This breed might not be suited for allergic people, especially when shedding, since the coat is short and could be carried by the air around. When grooming, pay extra attention to the eyes and ears areas for any possible infection caused by debree and dust.
Health Facts
The German Boxer has a lifespan of 8-13 years, with improvements if the alimentation and living conditions are correct. This breed is prone to several health problems, including:
- colitis;
- cancer;
- intestinal problems;
- bloat and gastric dilatation;
- heart problems (aortic stenosis);
- allergies;
- eye problems (entropion);
- skeletal problems (spondylosis deformation, dystocia, spine fusion);
- drug sensitivity (acepromazine);
- environment problems (heatstroke, sunstrokes);
The Boxer dog are excellent athletes, enjoying the exercise and activities, as long as the heat and humidity aren’t predominant in their environment.
Temperament and Lifestyle
The Boxer is a devoted and loving dog. Friendly and needing attention, these dogs are balls of energy around you. They are steady dogs, sometimes stubborn, always protective with the loved ones, an excellent watchdog.
The Deutcher Boxer behaves really well with children, but size can be a cause of accidents and knock-backs for smaller kids. Nevertheless, if properly trained and socialized, the Boxer gets along well with other dogs, pets, even if he displays a degree of domination on other dogs of the same sex.
Boxer dog obedience training is a challenge, because the dog is sometimes stubborn and retained.
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