Meet the Boxer  

A Unique Breed

The Boxer wants to meet you, your children, and other members of your family

The Boxer's most notable characteristic is his desire for human affection. Through his spirited bearing, square jaw, and cleanly muscled body suggest the well-conditioned middleweight athlete of dogdom, the Boxer is happiest when he is with people--especiall children. His short smooth coat, handsome chiselled head, and striking silhouette never fail to excite comments from passersby as he trots jauntily by your side with neck arched and tail held erect. Yet the Boxer's greatest wish is to be with children, watching protectively over their play. He is truly a "dog for all seasons," suiting the need for household guardian, attractive companion, and children's playmate and loyal friend.

The Boxer's historical background begins in feudal Germany. Here, a small, courageous hunting dog with mastiff-type head and undershot bite was used to secure a tenacious hold on bull, boar, or bear--- pending the hunter's arrival. He became a utility dog for peasants and shop owners. His easy trainability even found him performing in the circus. In the 1880s, descendants of this type of dog were bred to a taller, more elegant English import, and the era of the modern Boxer had begun. Imported to America after the first World War, his popularity really began in the late 1930s. His appeal in the show ring led to four "Best in Show" awards at prestigious Westminster Kennel Club between 1947 and 1970.

A few specifics. The Boxer is a medium-sized dog ranging from 21 inches high at the shoulder in a smaller female up to 25 inches (sometimes even taller) in a large male. Adult weight may reach 65-80 pounds in the male, with females about 15 pounds less. There are no miniature or giant varieties. The short, close-lying coat is found in two equally acceptable and attractive basic colors-fawn and brindle. The fawn may vary from a tawny tan to an especially beautiful stag red. The brindle ranges from sparse, but clearly defined black stripes on a fawn background, to such a heavy concentration of black striping that the essential fawn hackground color barely, although clearly, shows through (which may create the appearance of "reverse brindling").

White markings should be of such distribution as to enhance the dog's appearance, but may not exceed one-third of the entire coat. It is not uncommon to have a totally white Boxer born in a litter. An all-white coat, or a predominantly white background (known as a "check") may occur. In order to retain the beauty of the true fawn and brindle colors, American Boxer Club members are pledged not to register, sell, or use these "whites" for breeding.