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.

The Great Dane

Origins
Most specialists tend to agree that the Great Dane breed (also named German Mastiff, Danish Hound, Boarhound, Deutche Dogge) has old origins, dating from the Egyptian people, around 3000 b.C. In a more recent period, some 400 years ago, in the regions of Germany, these dogs were known and used as spectacular boar hunters, due to their large body size and power. It was later on named Deutche Dogge, right after Germany was united in one state. It is stated that the German Mastiff could have as breed ancestor the Bullenbeisser, accompanied by some Irish wolfhound and Mastiff lines. This breed has suffered various breed standard modifications.

Appearance
The Danish Hound (Great Dane) belongs to the giant or big dog breeds category, displaying a height of 74-80 cm at the withers and a weight of 67-90 kg. These measurements differ from male to female dog. Male dogs have a stronger musculo-skeletal structure, a larger and square ratio body frame, with heavy bones. Females can have a longer body, but the proportions respect the height parameters. This breed is the only one who is listed in the Guinness Book of Records, for the amazing height of 1m 7cm at the withers displayed by Gibson, a Great Dane from California.

The coat varies in color, being either brindle (tiger stripes included), black, blue, mantle (white and black with a wide black area covering the body). These coat colors won’t be fully seen, but as variations and mixtures, especially in the collar area, the chest, the face and muzzle (many times – a mask), the torso (mostly covered by black coat with some white areas), the legs (never fully white, but with stripes and dots).

The head is well proportioned, showing medium ears, lowered on the sides or fully erected. The eyes are colored in black, dark brown. The muzzle is long and blunt, with strong jaws and sharp teeth, and it ends in a black nose.

The legs are strong and powerful, the hips are large and fit for endurance and exercising. The body ends in a long and pointy tail.

Grooming
The Great Dane is a medium to low shedder. Most of the coat is kept in great shape by brushing and cleaning once a week. This grooming effort should be doubled during the shedding season or if you intend to let your dog participate in any dog show. You can also check in the ear areas for any traces of dust or unknown particles, not to develop any ear infections later.

Health Facts
The German Mastiff has a lifespan of 11-14 years, with exceptions. Because the Great Danes have a slow metabolism, they are prone to some common dog health problems:
- bloat (especially if your dog drinks a large quantity of liquids in short time);
- bone problems (the common hip dysplasia);
- heart problems (some congenital disorders, including the dilated cardiomyopathy)
- genetic disorders (the lack of coat color near the ear and eye areas show an improper functioning

of a certain organ – these are symptoms of deafness or blindness);

Temperament and Lifestyle
Don’t be scared by the gigantic posture and features displayed by the Great Dane. These dogs are called by many dog lovers as “gentle giants”. They are calm, gentle, intelligent dogs, behaving well among other dogs and pets. They display loyalty and a good disposition towards humans. Due to the large size, these dogs should be supervised while near children, to prevent the accidental knockback or falling. The Great Danes make good guard dogs, being protective and alert.

A light Golden Retriever

Origins
The Golden Retriever originates from a highland state in Scotland, named Guisachan, in the late 1860s. These dogs were mainly used as hunting aids (retrieving killed birds from difficult terrain, even water), being excellent and durable for long hunts. The Golden Retriever ancestry comes from a sporting dogs breed, build for work and power.

Appearance
The Golden Retriever belongs to the big breed category. There is a difference in size and weight between the different versions of Golden Retrievers existent nowadays. For British Golden Retrievers, the weight is overall 25-35 kg and the height about 55-60 cm, with a slight difference for females. The American type retrievers weight around 29-39 kg and a height of 58-60 cm at the withers, with variations for female dogs.

The body is well built and powerful, covered by a waterproof, wavy, dense coat. The coat color varies from light or dark golden, although in few occasions you can meet dogs with an excessive light or dark colored coat, not accepted in most dog conformation shows. The coat color variation changes with age.

The head displays round and dark eyes, long ears set aside, a long muzzle that ends in a dark nose. The face mask can have some low white stripes, although rare.

The legs are long but powerful, being covered by fur, sometimes longer, other times clipped. The tail is mostly fluffy and long. The waterproof coat serves as an excellent feature for water retrieving.

Grooming
This process is quite important if you decide to let your dog participate in dog shows and dog agility shows. Because the Golden Retrievers have a lush coat, they need twice a week brushing and additional coat clipping, especially in the leg area, to keep the coat clean in those areas. The Golden Retrievers is a medium shedder, so it needs constant attention during the shedding season.

Health Facts
Golden Retrievers have a lifespan of about 9-12 years. They are easily adaptable to most living environments. They are prone to several health problems:
- bone issues (elbow or hip dysplasia);
- occular diseases (cataracts, glaucoma, entropion, retinal dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, corneal dystrophy);
- cardiologic disorders (cardiomyopathy, subvalvular aortic stenosis);
- cancer (osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumor) is one of the highest death cause;
- bloat;
- diabetes;
- epilepsy;

Temperament and Lifestyle
The Golden Retriever is a confident and kind breed, friendly with all people, being able to adapt to every environment and situation. They are gentle creatures, funny, intelligent and calm, pleasing everyone with the aspect and posture. They are patient and behave very well around children, other pets, adults. They love the water alot, they enjoy playing and are really cooperative.

The Golden Retriever was acknowledged as one of the most intelligent dog breeds, being capable of high dog obedience response. They are able to learn and respond to more than 200 dog training commands and tricks and they are elite in most dog shows. They excel in all dog obedience and dog agility shows, proving a high degree of intelligence and performance.

This breed is one of the best choices for your loving family.

The Bullmastiff

Origins
The Bullmastiff has its origins in the regions of Great Britain, being considered a bulldog and mastiff crossed breed. These dogs were mainly used to seek out and scare off poachers. They were also bred by the 1800s English gamekeepers to guard their proprieties and possessions. Nowadays, the Bullmastiff is a great family dog.

Appearance
The Bullmastiff belongs to the giant/big dog breed category, weighting about 52-59 kg and with a height of 55-62 cm at the withers. These measurements differ for females, and because of bad breeding, even the size might be smaller than before. The head is sustained by a strong neck and the body structure is compact and sturdy; the feet are powerful. The body coat is colored mostly in fawn, brindle, even a dark rich red; there are also some white markings on the body, but this should be in a small amount.

Grooming
The Bullmastiff is a medium to low shedder. Grooming requires once a week brushing and cleaning of the coat, to keep it in the best condition possible. In the shedding season, a twice or three times a week brushing and coat caring is required.

Health Facts
This breed has a lifespan of 7-10 years. Several health issues are associated to this breed, ranging from elbow dysplasia, entropion, bloat, ectropion, respiratory issues. They are prone to sunburns and heatstrokes, and arthritis to the joints. They can suffer from eye problems, many times the common progressive retinal atrophy.

Temperament and Lifestyle
The Bullmastiff is a docile and curageous dog, fearless, loving, calm in nature. This breed displays great loyality to the owners, being protective and defensive when dealing with various threats, even to guarding the territory. A proper dog obedience training is required for the Bullmastiff to behave well around other pets and older children. Even so, the constant contact with the family and additional parental supervision is a must (especially since the dog might knock down the small children by accident).

The Briard

Origins
The Briard (also named Berger Briard or Berger de Brie) is known since the times of Napoleon. This breed originates from the France regions. It was one of the main assets of the French Army and later on, in the World War I, as message carrier or wounded searcher. The Briard is used as a sheep herder and guardian, police dog, watchdog, or search and rescue actions.

Appearance
The Berger Briard belongs to the big dog breeds category, with a height of 57-68 cm at the withers and a weight of 24-65 kg. The body structure is compact, strong, agile, all covered with a long and rugged coat colored in black, brown or fawn. The face area coat is colored sometimes in light nuances and it covers the eyes. The ears should be uncropped and slightly positioned in the back of the head. The muzzle is semi-blunt and it ends in a black nose, powerful jaws. The tail should be long and furry, just like the legs.

Grooming
The Berger de Brie needs special grooming attention because of his dense and long coat. This breed is a medium shedder and the coat needs combing and clipping twice a week and even more in the shedding season. You should clip the pads area for any long hair to keep the feet clean. This grooming attention is also required for small Briard pups, even if they don’t shed alot.

Health Facts
The Briard dogs are known to live about 9-12 years and even more. The litter size is about 2-4 puppies. They can suffer from various health disorders, ranging from eye infections (mainly caused by improper care of the eyes area that is covered by fur), neck problems (thyroid disorders), gastrointestinal (bloat). This breed will never suffer from obesity if it’s used to constant exercise and a proper alimentation.

Temperament and Lifestyle
The Briard is an intelligent, independent, devoted and loving breed. These dogs can be very protective, very efficient watchdogs indeed. They can adapt to any situation or people, and they need constant attention and things to do, so they could stay alert and interested. They behave well with other animals and children, although their instictual herding behavior could kick in. They are good candidate for a proper dog training effort, but because they are sometimes stubborn and independent, it could prove somewhat tricky.

The Boxer

Origins
The Boxer dog breed was first introduced in the regions of Germany, more precisely, at a famous dog show in Munchen (1895). They are considered to be descendents of the Bullenbeisser (a dog bred from Mastiffs and English Bulldogs). They were used as hunting dogs, to seize and hold down wild boar, deer, bears. This breed was later introduced in the other parts of Europe and United States, during the 1900-1935. During World War I, they were used as military messengers, guard dogs or attack dogs. After World War II their popularity increased due to various soldiers who introduced this breed to other audiences.

Appearance
The German Boxer belongs to the big dog breeds, weighting about 26-31 kg, with a height of about 55-62 cm at the withers. This breed displays a very powerful musculoskeletal structure, with a short but broad skull, strong neck muscles, legs, and pointy paws. The face displays dark brown or black eyes, a squared muzzle with a blunt black nose, powerful jaws and a heck of a bite. The jaws are covered on the outside by muzzle folds, on the left and on the right side of the mouth. The ears are almost always sharp and pointing upwards and the face can display some kind of coat mask. The coat (smooth in texture and shiny, short-haired) is colored in variations of brindle and fawn, sometimes with white parts (extending on the underbelly, leg, neck, face areas), and rarely with black stripes. There are also a 19-25% factor that some Boxers will be born with at least 1 quarter of fur colored in white. These examples aren’t anormalities, but they are susceptible to skin cancer and allergies, sunburn.

Grooming
Heavier shedding occurs during the seasonal periods, but in the rest the grooming should be kept to a normal standard: weekly coat brushing and washing. These will keep the dog’s coat sleeky and will remove the dead hair.

Health Facts
The Deutcher Boxer dogs can live up to 12-13 years. They are proned to various health problems, ranging from skeletal (hip dysplasia, myelopathy – complications of the spinal cord), cardiologic (cardiomyopathy), gastrointestinal (bloat torsion, gastric dilatation), occular (entropion – malformation of the eyelid), dermic (skin rashes, sunburn, skin allergies, cancer), pharmaceutical (intolerance to some drugs and medication), environmental (too much humidity and high heat). The Boxers are athletic and require alot of exercising.

Temperament and Lifestyle
The Boxers are very loyal dogs, demanding the same thing from their masters: more attention and love. They are energetic and athletic, intelligent and sometimes stubborn, clean and modest. They display competition issues when close to other adult dogs, but patience with smaller pets. The Boxer gets along just fine with children, but you should not introduce him to very small children.

Training is considered to be somewhat challenging, but the Boxer is known to respond really well to dog clicker training. They are sometimes displayed in dog obedience and dog agility competitions. The Boxer is a great, alert, powerful, agile guard dog, also being used as a police dog, a guide for the blind people, even as a sheep or cattle herder.

The Borzoi

Origins
The Borzoi (also called Psovoi, Russian Wolfhound, Barzoï, Russkaya Psovaya Borzaya) is known to be the successor of the domestic dogs. The Russian word Borzaya depicts the fast dog reactions, meaning “quick dog”. This breed was popular in the early 1910-1920 and was mainly used for hunting wolves, with great results, due to sprinting and powerful body abilities.

Appearance
The Borzois belong to the giant dog breeds category. Also known as Russian sighthounds, this breed has a height of 65-70 cm and a weight of about 41-45 kg. The body is very gracious and streamlined; the fur is vavy and curly, silky and flat textured. The coat color is generally grey, with regions of white and dark brown, even black. The face mask can have a black and grey coloration, and sometimes all white or white with tan (especially for females). The body structure is powerful and agile, displaying long legs (covered also with wavy hair) and small paws. The long shaped head shows black or dark-brown eyes, a sharp muzzle, and the ears are in the back of the head. The body ends in a furry or slim tail, but this depends on the grooming process.

Grooming
The Borzoi breed requires extra attention regarding the grooming. Brushing is required twice a week in order to remove the dead hair and to keep the fur silky and wavy. In the shedding period, they should be brushed once a day. While grooming, trim the toes hair and clip the nails if needed.

Health Facts
The Borzoi dogs have a lifespan of about 6-10 years. They can suffer from various health issues, including musculoskeletal problems (hip dysplasia, elbow problems, OCD), gastric torsion (bloating – the stomach becomes overstretched by excessive gas content), heart diseases (cardiac arhythmia – the heart beat may be too fast or too slow; cardiomyopathy – malfunction of the heart muscle), eye problems (progressive retinal atrophy). Regarding the feeding, there’s a controversy whether to feed the puppies in excess to force the growing or to use highly concentrated diets to make them grow unnaturally.

Temperament and Lifestyle
The Borzois are agile and athletic dogs, silent and independent. They are sensitive to human contact and gentled house pets. They behave well around elder children and they can adapt to any living environment quite easily and fast. They are built for speed and endurance, thus loving to take long runs and plenty of exercising. If kept in the backyard, you should place a high fence in the dog area. They have hunting behaviours (easily removed with a proper dog training) sometimes chasing other dogs and small pets around, trying to subdue and immobilize the “prey”. They can live with cats and other small pets if early introduced. With the right kind of training (either dog obedience training or dog agility training), done in the right period of life, you can observe the great intelligence and learning capability of this breed.

The Bloodhound

Origins
The Bloodhound (also named Chien de Saint-Hubert, St. Hubert Hound) originates apparently in the 11th century, being bred in Belgium by the monks order of St. Bernard. They are used to track humans.

Appearance
The Bloodhound belongs to the big dog breeds category, weighting about 34-50 kg, with a height of about 59-68 cm at the withers. They have a strong musculoskeletal body structure, and the coat (composed of fur alone, with colors of black, tan, red, liver) is short and smooth. The face are displays long ears, that lay on the side of the head. The Bloodhound has round brown eyes, a medium muzzle that ends in a pointy nose. The neck is strong and the legs are powerful and thick.

Grooming
The Bloodhound sheds heavily on a seasonal basis, but in the rest of the time periods a weekly coat brushing is enough to keep the coat in best conditions. Pay special attention to the ears area; keeping the ears clean reduces the ear infections risk.

Health Facts
The bloodhound has a lifespan of about 6-9 years. This breed can be affected by various health problems, ranging from cancer, gastric dilatation volvulus (gastrointestinal problems), skin problems, eye issues, ear problems.

Temperament and Lifestyle
The Bloodhound is a calm and tempered bread, powerful in stature but gentle. This breed responds well to human commands and is very sociable with other pets and people, curious in nature, stubborn and possessive sometimes. The Bloodhound is one of the best scent tracking breed out there; it needs plenty of exercise and they respond very well to dog training efforts.

The Black Russian Terrier

Origins
The Black Russian Terrier (also named BRT, Russian Bear Schnauzer, Russian Black Terrier, Chornyi, Tchiorny Terrier or Black Terrier) originates from the regions of the former USSR. They were mainly used as working dogs (cart pulling, police dogs, guardian dogs).

Appearance
The BRT’s belongs to the big dog breed category. Their body structure is athletic and strong, well proportioned and full of strenght. This breed has a height about 65-72 cm (males) or 63-70 cm (females) at the withers and weights around 36-70 kg. The coat is dense and hard, wiry in texture, forming a beard in the muzzle area and a hair curtain over the eyes. The coat color is black, and sometimes with patches of white.

Grooming
The Russian Terrier isn’t a heavy shedder, if the grooming process is well done. A regular brushing and removing of dead hair will keep the coat in good conditions. Another issue to adress is the fact that the coat grows quite rapidly and it needs trimming once every six weeks, especially in the feet areas.

Health Facts
The BRT has a lifespan of 10-13 years. They are prone to several diseases, from musculoskeletal issues (hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia), eye problems (progressive retinal atrophy), ear infections (if not cleaned properly), allergic problems, and rarely system immunity related issues.

Temperament and Lifestyle
The Black Russian Terrier doesn’t display a timid character. Being strong and fit, they need alot of work and exercises, which they enjoy doing. They can sometimes be stubborn but if a proper dog training effort is done from the early stages of life, they will respond very well to commands and will excel at dog obedience shows and competitions. They are eager and inteligent; they love the interaction with other pets and humans. You should pay attention when the BRT is close to smaller children. Even if he plays with children, the big size is a possible cause for knock-downs. They tend to become protective as guard dogs, signaling any intruder or stranger. As final words, this breed requires special attention and devotion.

The Berner

Origins
The Bernese Mountain Dog (also named Bouvier Bernois, Dürrbächler, Bovaro Bernese, Berner Sennenhund), is a dog breed that originates in the regions of Switzerland, more precise, the Berne canton. They were used as farm dogs, cattle herders. They are used also to pull small wagons and carts.

Appearance
The Berner belongs to the big/giant dog breeds, weighting 38-52 kg (males) and 33-42 kg (females), with a height of 62-71 cm. They display a solid and well built body, with moderately thick (long or straight) coat. The coat color ranges from jet black to black with markings in the face, feet, face, eye areas. The coat will mostly be tricolored: the legs, body and neck can be black in color; the thumbprints, the cheeks and the stockings would be brown; the tail tip, the muzzle, the toes, the chest, the blaze between the eyes would be white. The eyes are almond shaped and dark brown in color.

Grooming
The rough outlined Berner coat isn’t harsh at all. The Berner isn’t a heavy shedder. But during the shedding seasons, the coat requires twice a week maintainance: combing and brushing away the dead hair. The rest of the time, regular brushing once a week and clipping away the pads air.

Health Facts
The Berner has a lifespan of about 8-12 years. They are more susceptible to cancer than other dog breeds, ranging from mast cell tumor, lymphosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, malignant histiocystosis. They also can suffer from various musculoskeletal diseases like hip dysplasia, arthritis, cruciate ligament ruptures, osteochondritis.

Temperament and Lifestyle
The Bouvier Bernois loves the outdoor environment, needing exercise and plenty of activity. They can be trained very well, but this dog training process needs alot of consistence and patience. They respond well to treats and praising. The behave really well amongst other pets and children. They are calm in attitude and need love and affection.