HISTORY OF THE BOXER

The ancestors of the Boxer dog were known since the 16 th century. It was however, due to selective breeding by George Alt, in the 1880’s Munich, Germany that produced the beginnings of the Boxer breed. Breeding a small Bullenbeiser bitch to a local Bullenbeiser dog, both of which were mastiff type dogs now extinct, produced a partly colored a male and female. The male was shown and later on become the first Boxer entered into the German Stud Book. The sister, a white dog, produced a daughter, Meta vonder Passage. Most Boxer dogs today trace their heritage back to this bitch.

The head of the Boxer dog has become more refined in Britain and North America than its European counterpart. Its shape is of the utmost importance.

The Boxer dog is a medium-sized, square built dog of good substance with short back, strong limbs, and well developed muscles. The gait of the Boxer dog is energetic, firm yet elastic, the stride free and ground covering, the carriage proud. Instinctively the boxer breed is a guard dog, his bearing is alert, dignified and self-assured. With his family and friends, his temperament is playful, patient, soical and very loving of children. The Boxer dog is wary with strangers, exhibiting curiosity but, most importantly, fearless courage if threatened. Some pictures of the boxer show the dog with cropped ears and docked tails. This is very common in the United States. However, this practice is being discontinued in several countries. Cropping of the ears is prohibited in the United Kingdom, Australia and Scandinavia. Many changes have been seen in the Boxer over the years and more will likely come. Some of the hottest issues in recent years is the addition of the white boxer into the breed standard and if natural tails and ears should be standard. No matter what the future hold for the Boxer it will always remain a family favorite. Grooming a Boxer puppy or adult is easy, just a periodic brushing will suffice. And for exercise he likes a good daily walk. The intelligence and loyal affection of the Boxer dog and his willingness to learn make him a highly desirable companion. Obedience training can be lots of fun for you and your young Boxer puppy and very worthwhile since any untrained puppy can become unruly. The are capable of being trained for a large number of purposes.

The character of the boxers can be summed up in one word – CLOWNS! They have a “welcome home wiggle” that has them bending in half with excitement when you greet them! They are great car companions, intelligent, playful and fantastic with kids! The Boxer was one of the first breeds used for police work in Germany. The demands of police work highlight the qualities of a Boxer – intelligence, fearlessness, agility and strength.

Instructively a “hearing” guard dog, they are alert, dignified and self-assured. With family and friends, the temperament is fundamentally playful, yet patient and loving with children. Boxer’s will exhibit curiosity but, most importantly, fearless courage if threatened. However, they respond immediately to friendly people. Their intelligence, loyal affection and acceptance of discipline make them highly desirable companions.