Boxers: Playful "Clowns," Cheerful and High Spirited, Loving and Loyal

The Boxer is a faithful companion, and when socialized properly is loving, loyal, and happy. Although not overly aggressive or vicious, Boxers will do what they must to protect those they love. They make good guard dogs and can also function well as therapy and service dogs. They are very intelligent and independent, which means that they need to be socialized properly if they are to behave.

History

The Boxer was originally developed in Germany in the late 19th century from a dog breed descended from the mastiff line, the now defunct Bullenbeiser. That breed had been a hunting dog for centuries, typically used to pursue deer, wild boar, and bear. This dog did not attack its prey. Rather, it simply held it at bay until the hunter arrived. Eventually, the original Bullenbeiser gave way to a smaller, more nimble, and faster version of itself, bred in Northern Belgium, in Brabant.

The modern Boxer is the direct descendant of the Brabanter Bullenbeiser. In 1895, the breed was more firmly established and the Boxer had its first exhibition at the dog show there. In 1896, the first Boxer club, the Deutscher Boxer Club, was founded. A short time later, it published the first Boxer breed standard in 1902. The standard has not been changed significantly since.

Munich resident George Alt mated a brindle bitch known as Flora with an unknown male dog simply noted as a Boxer to produce their son, Lechner's Box. Lechner's Box was then mated with Flora, which produced a female, Alt's Schecken. Alt mated Schecken with a bulldog named Dr. Toneissen's Tom. The result was Mühlbauer's Flocki. Flocki won the Saint Bernard's show in Munich in 1895, in the first ever Boxer category. He was historically significant because he was also the first Boxer to enter the German Stud Book.

Notably, although white Boxers are today considered substandard, and at one time were even euthanized at birth, they are currently discouraged from being bred since they have been disqualified from conformation showing by the breed standard. Today’s white Boxer puppies are usually placed in homes that agree to neuter or spay them. Nonetheless, a white female, Ch. Blanka von Angertor, Flocki's sister, became very important to the breed. She was mated with Lechner's Box grandson Piccolo von Angertor to produce the mostly white female Meta von der Passage. Meta von der Passage is considered the mother of the breed.

After its origination in Germany, the breed was introduced to other European countries throughout the late 19th century, and came to the United States around the turn of the 20th century. The first Boxer was registered by the American Kennel Club in 1904, and the first champion, Dampfvom Dom, was recognized in 1915.

Work during World Wars I and II

The Boxer was an invaluable asset to troops in both World War I and World War II. In World War I, the Boxer acted as a guard dog, pack carrier, attack dog, and messenger. It did not become popular globally until after World War II, but at that time, returning soldiers introduced these valuable "war allies" to the world, and they gained popularity, becoming a favorite guard dog and show dog, as well as favorite family pet and companion.

Appearance

This compact, powerful dog has a well-proportioned head in comparison to the rest of the body. It has a short, black muzzle, a large, black nose with open nostrils, and an underbite. Although traditionally ears and tail had been cropped for show, many countries around the world discourage this due to animal cruelty concerns. In the UK, a naturally short-tailed Boxer was developed specifically to heed an upcoming docking ban. In the US, ears and sometimes tails, if necessary for show, are still cropped.

The Boxer generally stands 21 to 25 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 53 and 70 pounds. Compact and powerful, what you notice about the Boxer is its muscularity. It has a stocky, round, strong neck and heavily muscled both front and back legs. The coat is short and smooth, fitting closely to the body, with colors in brindle, fawn, black with white markings, and mahogany. As mentioned previously, white Boxers also exist and are considered white if more than one third of the coat is white. These Boxers cannot be shown as per most organizations' rules, which disqualify them from conformation.

Temperament

The Boxer is the perfect family dog for children, high-spirited, playful, incredibly energetic, and curious. It's also very eager to please and wants to learn, because of its high intelligence. As with most dogs, the Boxer needs to be socialized. It's extremely loyal and affectionate along with its other positive characteristics, as long as you establish yourself as pack leader. However, the Boxer is so intelligent that if you are a meek or wishy-washy owner, not only will your pet try to dominate you and become pack leader itself, but it will actually be sneaky to try to get its way. Properly socialized, though, Boxers are loving, very obedient, and incredibly protective of you and of the family. Make sure you establish yourself as pack leader right away and be firm and consistent.

One thing you'll notice about your pet is that he or she definitely has a sense of humor! Some have called Boxers "clowns," because their antics are so amusing and they clearly want to make you laugh and feel good.

The Boxer gets its name from its propensity to use its front paws to do just about everything. It "boxes" at its food and toys in a playful, almost cat-like manner.

Proper Environment

Boxers make great pets for children because of their many suitable characteristics, and can establish a very close bond with humans as long as those humans establish themselves as pack leaders right away.

They also do well in households with most other pets, even cats, again as long as they are properly socialized. That said, although a properly socialized Boxer is very obedient, it's probably not wise to leave them alone with animals/small pets like birds, rodents, ducks, or chickens. The Boxer's natural instinct is to regard these animals as prey. Although a well-trained Boxer will usually obey without fail if you command your pet to leave a small animal alone in your presence, the temptation may prove too great if the Boxer is left alone with the animal. Therefore, it's best not to have these other animals and your Boxer together in the same environment alone, ever.

Your pet is fantastically athletic, even in old age, and need lots of exercise. Daily walks are a must. It needs lots of mental challenges, too, and loves nothing more than to be continually presented with new tasks to master. Very courageous, your pet will make an excellent guard dog. Boxers have often been used in military and police work because of their bravery.

Apartment vs. House Living

Although very active, Boxers can actually live comfortably in an apartment if you take time to exercise them properly. They do very well in large families with rambunctious children, and actually thrive in this environment as long as they receive the proper training. However, they will also do well one-onone as long as you, the owner, are there to provide continual attention. The Boxer is among the most loyal and loving of dogs, and the owner-dog bond will be very strong if you fulfill your pet's need to both give and receive plenty of love, attention and affection.

They are active even indoors, and must have lots of exercise, including daily walks and play sessions with games like catch or fetch to keep them busy. They love to work and make good service dogs. If possible, access to a yard on a daily basis for running and playing is optimal.

Grooming

The Boxer is quite sturdy, but it's still prone to some breed-specific health issues. Among them are cardiac conditions like the so-called "Boxer cardiomyopathy" or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, and aortic stenosis. They should also never be given the veterinary sedative acepromazine, because it may cause bradycardia, a too-slow pulse rate. The breed is also sensitive to heat and cold, and should be protected especially from excessive heat, as it is prone to overheating easily. This type of dog is more likely than others to get cancerous tumors in old age, but is still a long-lived animal, with an average lifespan of 11 to 14 years.

Health

The Boxer is quite sturdy, but it's still prone to some breed-specific health issues. Among them are cardiac conditions like the so-called "Boxer cardiomyopathy" or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, and aortic stenosis. They should also never be given the veterinary sedative acepromazine, because it may cause bradycardia, a too-slow pulse rate. The breed is also sensitive to heat and cold, and should be protected especially from excessive heat, as it is prone to overheating easily. This type of dog is more likely than others to get cancerous tumors in old age, but is still a long-lived animal, with an average lifespan of 11 to 14 years.

Perhaps the most notable thing about your pet's health is that in order to stay healthy even into old age, it needs continual exercise. Its natural athleticism means that proper, continual physical conditioning is essential to longevity.

References

Boxer (Deutscher Boxer) (German Boxer).

Retrieved January 20, 2012.

Boxer (dog).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_%28dog%29

Retrieved January 20, 2012.