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Boxer Deutscher

Appearance: The Boxer is statuesque, mastiff type dog that has boisterous and exuberant personality, but with more refined appearance than many other mastiff breeds. The Boxer's coat is short, straight and shiny and lies smooth and close to the body. Boxers are typically either fawn or brindle, often with a white underbelly and white on the front or all four feet. These white markings, called flash , often extend onto the neck or face. Some brindle Boxers are so dark that they give the appearance of "reverse brindle", fawn stripes on a black body, however the breed standards state that the fawn background must clearly contrast with or show through the brindling. The Boxer does not carry the gene for a solid black coat color - purebred black Boxers do not exist. In the UK , fawn boxers are typically rich in color and are called "red". "White" Boxers are neither albino nor rare, and make up approximately 20-25% of the breed. Genetically, these dogs are either fawn or brindle, with excessive white markings overlying the base coat color. The head is the most distinctive feature of the Boxer, very similar to other mastiff breeds, but less massive. The breed standard dictates that it must be in perfect proportion to his body and above all it must never be too light. The greatest value is to be placed on its muzzle being of correct form and in absolute proportion to the skull. The length of the muzzle to the whole of the head should be as 1:3. Folds are always indicated from the root of the nose running downwards on both sides of the muzzle and the tip of the nose should lie somewhat higher than the root of the muzzle. In addition a Boxer should have a slight underbite i.e. lower jaw should protrude beyond the upper jaw and bend slightly upwards.

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 favored 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 stabilize 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.

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, gentle, fun loving and playful breed and tend to be very good with both children and adults. 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. This plus their strength might present a challenge for a first-time dog owner. Boxers have earned a slight reputation of being "headstrong", which can be related to inappropriate obedience training or hearing impairment if they are white (see bellow). As a highly intelligent breed, Boxers tend to respond better to training which allows them to think for themselves, rather than learn by repetition. Boxers have a very long puppyhood and adolescence, and are often called the "Peter Pan" of the dog world. They are not considered fully mature until age three, one of the longest times in dogdom, and thus need early training to keep their high energy from wearing out their owner. The Boxer by nature is not an aggressive or vicious breed but needs socialization to tolerate other dogs well. Females can be aggressive toward other females in vicinity, while males tend to fight for dominance. Boxers are generally patient with smaller dogs but can be dominant with larger dogs of the same sex. A poorly bred or trained dog is capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals. With a consistent, determined owner, the boxer does well in obedience classes.

Health issues: The Boxer need only occasional brushing and bathing. It needs considerable daily exercise, including several walks and playtime. Excessive white markings mean the white Boxer is more prone to certain health conditions than their colored counterparts. Like fair-skinned humans, white Boxers have a higher risk of sunburn and associated skin cancers than colored Boxers. They are also more prone to congenital deafness caused by lack of pigmentation in the inner ear. It is estimated that 18% of white Boxers are deaf in one or both ears, though shelters and rescue organizations see about double this number. In the past, breeders often euthanized white puppies at birth; today, most breeders place white puppies in pet homes with spay/neuter agreements. White Boxers are disqualified from conformation showing by the breed standard, and are prohibited from breeding by every national Boxer club in the world. They can compete in non-conformation events such as obedience and agility, and like their colored counterparts do quite well as service and therapy dogs. Boxers are prone to develop cancers , heart conditions such as Aortic Stenosis and Arhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (the so-called "Boxer Cardiomyopathy"), hypothyroidism , hip dysplasia , and degenerative myelopathy ; other conditions that may be seen are torsion ( bloat ), intestinal problems, and allergies (although these last two may be more related to diet rather than breed). Poor breeding can also lead to entropion , a malformation of the eyelid requiring surgical correction. Responsible breeders test their breeding stock before breeding and in some cases throughout the life of the dog in an attempt to minimize the occurrence of these diseases in future generations.