Boxer Dog Overview
The Boxer is a model of sleek elegance combined with strength and agility. This breed has a square build with good substance and musculature.
The Boxer has a free, ground-covering stride and a proud carriage. The head has a striking appearance, with a large, blunt muzzle and an attentive look.
The coat is short and gleaming. This dog is ideal for use as a working guard dog.
Boxer Highlights
- Boxers are high-energy canines who require plenty of exercise. Make sure you have the time, desire, and energy to provide them with the necessary play and activity.
- Boxers are energetic and will ecstatically meet you.
- Early and continuous training is essential—before your Boxer becomes too large to handle!
- Despite their size, Boxers are not “outside dogs.” Because of their short noses alongside short hair, they are uncomfortable in hot and cold weather and must be kept as house dogs.
- Boxers mature slowly and continue to act like exuberant pups for many years.
- Boxers don’t just want to be with their family; they require it! They can become ill-tempered and destructive if left alone for too long or kept in the backyard away from people.
- Boxers slobber profusely. Boxers snore loudly as well.
- Despite their short hair, Boxers shed, especially in the spring.
- Boxers are clever dogs who respond well to strict yet enjoyable training. They are extremely independent and dislike being bossed around or treated brutally. You’ll have the most luck training your Boxer if you make it enjoyable for them.
- Some Boxers take their guarding duties a little too seriously, while others may not exhibit any guarding instincts at all.
Boxer Breed Features & Ratings:
Rated base on a 5 Star Scale
ENERGY LEVEL: 5 Star
EXERCISE REQUIREMENTS: 3 Star
PLAYFULNESS: 5 Star
AFFECTION LEVEL: 5 Star
FRIENDLINESS TO DOGS: 3 Star
FRIENDLINESS TO OTHER PETS: 3 Star
FRIENDLINESS TO STRANGERS: 3 Star
WATCHFULNESS: 5 Star
EASE OF TRAINING: 3 Star
GROOMING REQUIREMENTS: 1 Star
HEAT SENSITIVITY: 5 Star
VOCALITY 3 Star
Boxer Characteristics:
- Dog Breed Group: Working Dogs
- Height: At the shoulder, it should be 21 to 25 inches
- Weight: 60 to 70 pounds
- Life Span: 10 to 12 years
- Type: Purebred
- AREA OF ORIGIN: Germany
- DATE OF ORIGIN: 1800s
- OTHER NAMES: German Boxer, Deutscher Boxer
- Temperament: Brave, Bright, Confident, Energetic, Fearless, Friendly, Intelligent, Loyal, Playful
- Activities: Agility, Obedience, Conformation, Rally
- Color: Brindle, Fawn, White
- Litter Size: 2 to 10 puppies, the average is 6
- Puppy Prices: $1000 – $2000 USD on average
Boxer Health:
The Boxer can not tolerate extreme heat or cold well, and as a treasured member of the family, he should always be kept inside.
Responsible breeders examine their stock for hip dysplasia, heart disorders such aortic stenosis and cardiomyopathy, thyroid deficiency, degenerative myelopathy, and certain malignancies.
The American Boxer Group’s website, which serves as the breed’s national parent club, contains extensive information regarding the breed’s health and care.
The National Breed Club recommends the following health tests:
- Hip Evaluation
- Elbow Evaluation
- Thyroid Evaluation
- AS/SAS Cardio
- Aortic Valve Disease
- Boxer Cardiomyopathy
- ARVC DNA Test
- Degenerative Myelopathy DNA Test
Boxer Grooming:
Boxers encompass a sleek, short coat with tight skin that wraps around their athletic physique. They are available in two shades: fawn and brindle, with or without white markings.
Fawn comes in a variety of colors ranging from light tan to mahogany. Brindle is an eye-catching tiger-striped design with black stripes on a fawn background.
White marks should not cover more than one-third of the coat and should usually emerge on the belly or feet. The color is known as flashing fawn or flashy brindle when the white reaches onto the neck or face.
Plain Boxers are those that do not have any white on them. The Boxer has a black mask on his face, occasionally with a white stripe or blaze going up the muzzle between his eyes.
Because Boxers lack the gene for a consistent black coat color, you will never see a black Boxer. In the United Kingdom, fawn boxers are commonly referred to as “red.”
In the show ring, white spots covering more than one-third of the body are a disqualification.
This is due to the fact that excessive white markings in Boxers make them more prone to health issues including skin cancer and deafness.
Reputable breeders are not interested in passing on those genes. Breeders used to euthanize white puppies at birth, but now most breeders place them in pet homes.
While white Boxers cannot be shown in confirmation and should not be bred, they can participate in obedience and agility, and they retain the amazing Boxer nature that makes them such wonderful friends!
The Boxer coat takes very little maintenance. Boxers are clean canines who have been observed to groom themselves in the manner of cats.
Boxers shed a lot, but weekly combing with a bristle brush or a hard rubber grooming mitt will help keep hair in check.
You may bring out the natural sheen of your Boxer’s coat by rubbing it down with a chamois cloth every now and then.
If you elect to use a shedding blade, exercise caution when using it around your Boxer’s legs to avoid injuring them. Bathe only as necessary.
Dental hygiene and nail care are two grooming requirements. Brush your Boxer’s teeth at least three times per week to help remove tartar and bacteria.
If you want to prevent periodontal disease, brush your teeth at least once a day. If your pet’s nails don’t wear down naturally, trim them once or twice a month.
Nails are too long if it produces a sound that you can hear clicking on the floor.
Short, carefully trimmed nails keep your Boxer’s feet in good condition and keep your legs from getting scratched when he jumps up to welcome you.
When your Boxer is a puppy, start accustoming them to being brushed and examined. Handle their paws frequently (dogs are sensitive about their feet) and inspect their lips and ears.
Make grooming a pleasurable process full of praise and prizes, and you’ll build the framework for smooth veterinarian tests and other handling when they’re an adult.
Check for sores, rashes, or symptoms of infection such as redness, tenderness, or inflammation on the skin, ears, nose, mouth, and eyes, and feet while you groom.
Ears should smell pleasant and be free of wax or crud, and eyes should be clear with no redness or discharge. Your thorough weekly examination will assist you in detecting potential health issues early on.
Boxer Exercise:
Boxers are high-energy, playful canines. They require daily exercise, either on a leash or in a securely gated location.
The Boxer must never be let out of his leash. Because of the breed’s history as a hunter of wild game, they spend a lot of time hopping and leaping around as young dogs, they are constantly in need of reminders to educate them to stay ‘down.’
Because the Boxer is a robust, lively, and playful dog, he may not be the greatest choice for an elderly person or a little child who may be overwhelmed by a well-meaning but bouncy puppy.
Boxer Training:
Early socialization and puppy training programs are essential for channeling the breed’s energy and excitement in a constructive direction.
Boxers are quite bright, yet they can become bored with repetition. They have a strong personality and are outstanding problem solvers.
While some Boxers are not always tolerant of other dogs of the same gender, most Boxers of opposing sexes love each other’s companionship.
Boxers excel in a variety of canine sports, including obedience, agility, and herding, and they excel as service, assistance, and therapy dogs, as well as duties like as narcotics detection and search-and-rescue.
Boxer Food and Nutrition:
Two meals of two to three cups of best-quality dry dog food or per day are likely to be plenty for your boxer.
Because boxers are prone to stomach torsion, a condition in which the animal’s stomach twists around its axis, you may want to provide an elevated feeding station so your dog doesn’t have to lean down to eat.
Providing two meals can help prevent overeating or eating too quickly, both of which can lead to stomach torsion.
To prevent obesity, keep an eye on your dog’s weight; a change in nutrition, as well as additional exercise, may be necessary. Consult your veterinarian about any unique dietary requirements.
Boxer Temperament and Personality:
The Boxer is known as a “hearing” guard dog, which means it is alert and observant. They’re respectable and self-assured when they’re not clowning for you.
They are playful and patient with children. Strangers are treated with suspicion, whereas friendly individuals are greeted politely. They are only hostile when it comes to defending their family and home.
Many factors influence temperament, including heredity, training, and socialization. Puppies with good temperaments are interested and playful, eager to approach and be held by people.
Meeting the parent dogs, siblings, or other blood relatives can be beneficial in determining what a puppy will be like when it turns adult, but it is not a certainty.
Boxers, like all dogs, require early socialization—exposure to a variety of people, sights, sounds, and experiences—when they are young.
Socialization helps to guarantee that your Boxer puppy develops into and remains a well-rounded, outgoing, sociable dog.
Enrolling them in puppy kindergarten is a terrific place to start. Inviting guests over regularly, as well as taking them to busy parks, stores that accept dogs, and on leisurely strolls to greet neighbors, will help them improve their social skills.
Boxer Care/Upkeep:
The cheerful boxer is a loving and devoted companion that would make a wonderful addition to any active family.
Despite their origins as a dog fighting breed, boxers are normally docile creatures with no violent instincts. Once taught and socialized, they are known to get along well with youngsters.
Boxers take a long time to mature, and it could take up to three years for your boxer to stop being a puppy. They are typically housetrained between the ages of 4 and 7 months, however some take longer.
Boxers have very easy grooming requirements due to their short hair coats. Most boxers require bathing and brushing on a regular basis.
Although an active boxer’s nails may wear down, keep an eye on them. Regular nail trimming is necessary to maintain their feet healthy and comfy.
Boxers are not particularly tolerant of either cold or hot weather: their short coat provides no insulation against the cold, as well as because of their short noses, they can’t pant properly, making it difficult for the breed to cool themselves off.
During harsh weather, whether hot or cold, it is advisable to keep boxers indoors. During warmer weather, exercise your boxer during the coolest part of the day.
If not properly trained, boxers can become hyperactive and rebellious. This is just due to their large, loving nature.
Boxers enjoy jumping on people, but they can be trained not to do so. Don’t overlook socialization; it’s just as vital for your boxer as it is for all canines.
Because of the boxer’s strong activity level and athletic physique, the breed requires a large amount of exercise every day.
Make sure your boxer gets the activity he or she needs to stay physically strong and psychologically challenged.
Take your boxer on a 30-minute walk at least twice a day, and then play fetch or other energetic games with him.
While not all boxers drool excessively, some do. They have also been observed to snore.
Fortunately, they are not known as diggers, and most boxers do not bark except when necessary.
Boxer Relationship with Children and Other Pets
Boxers adore youngsters and make excellent playmates for active older children. However, they can be too energetic for children and may accidently knock them down when playing.
Constantly teach youngsters how to greet and handle dogs, and always monitor any encounters between dogs and kids to prevent biting or ear or tail pulling on either party’s side.
Teach your youngster to never approach a dog who is eating or sleeping, or to try to take the dog’s food. No canines should ever be left alone with a youngster.
Boxers get along well with other dogs and cats, particularly if they are raised with them.
Boxer Names
| Rank | Boy Names | Girl Names |
| 01 | Max | Bella |
| 02 | Cooper | Daisy |
| 03 | Charlie | Abbie |
| 04 | Tucker | Molly |
| 05 | Buddy | Bailey |
| 06 | Oscar | Coco |
| 07 | Bentley | Zoe |
| 08 | Milo | Sophie |
| 09 | Bailey | Katie |
| 10 | Louie | Penny |
All About Boxer
The Boxer is a model of sleek elegance combined with strength and agility. It has strong solidity and musculature and is square-proportioned.
It walks with a free, ground-covering stride and a dignified carriage. It has a characteristic head shape, with a large, blunt muzzle and an alert look.
It has a short, glossy coat. It is ideal for use as a working watchdog.
The boxer is a great companion for an active family since it is energetic, enthusiastic, curious, attentive, demonstrative, dedicated, and extroverted.
It is obstinate at times, but it is sensitive and responds to directions. It may be aggressive with unfamiliar dogs, but it gets along well with other home dogs and pets.
Boxer History:
The Boxer’s progenitors were the German Bullenbeisser (a Mastiff-related dog) and the Bulldog.
For generations, the Bullenbeisser was employed as a hunting dog to kill bears, wild boar, and deer. The mission was to capture and hold the animal until the hunters arrived.
Bullenbeissers eventually lost their work on estates and were hired by farmers and butchers to protect and herd livestock.
The Boxer as we know it now was created in the late 1800s. Georg Alt, a Munich resident, bred a brindle-colored female Bullenbeisser named Flora with an unknown local dog.
Lechner’s Box was a fawn-and-white boy born in the litter. This is thought to be the beginning of the line that would eventually become the Boxer we know today.
Lechner’s Box had a litter with his dam, Flora, and one of the puppies was a female named Alt’s Schecken. She was classified as a Bier Boxer or a Modern Bullenbeiser.
Schecken was subsequently bred to an English Bulldog named Tom, resulting in Flocki, the first Boxer to be published in the German Stud Book after winning a special event for Boxers at a Munich show.
When Flocki’s sister, a white female, married Piccolo von Angertor, a grandson of Lechner’s Box, she became even more powerful.
One of her puppies was a white female named Meta von der Passage, who is regarded as the mother of the Boxer breed, despite the fact that images of her bear little similarity to the present Boxer.
The Boxer, written by John Wagner and first published in 1939, says the following about her. Meta von der Passage was the most significant of the five original forebears.
Our magnificent line of sires can all be traced back to this female. She had a large build, was low to the ground, had a brindle and white parti-color, lacked an underjaw, and was extremely lippy.
Several in any breed can match her record as a producing bitch. She consistently helped puppies of exceptional type and rarity.
Her children from Flock St. Salvator and Wotan dominate the current.
Three Germans called Roberth, Konig, and Hopner planned to standardize the breed and showcase it in a dog show in 1894.
This happened in Munich in 1895, and the following year the first Boxer Club was created.
In the late 1890s, the breed became well-known in other regions of Europe. The first Boxers were introduced into the United States around 1903.
The American Kennel Club registered the first Boxer, Arnulf Grandenz, in 1904. The first Boxer to won a championship, Sieger Dampf v Dom, owned by Governor and Mrs. Lehman of New York, was recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1915.
Because there weren’t enough female Boxers in the United States to breed to him, he didn’t have much effect over the breed.
When World War I was over, Boxers were employed in the military to serve as courier dogs, pack dogs, and attack and security dogs.
Boxers first gained popularity in the United States in the 1940s, when soldiers returning from World War II took their Boxer mascots with them.
They introduced the breed to other people, and it quickly became a popular companion animal, show dog, and guard dog.
The American Boxer Club (ABC) was founded in 1935 and was accepted by the AKC the following year. There were massive debates within the club concerning the Boxer standard in the early days.
The club ultimately accepted a new standard in 1938. The most recent modifications to the standard were made in 2005.
The Boxer is currently ranked seventh among the 155 breeds and variations registered with the AKC.
Where to Adopt Boxer:
The American Boxer Club is an excellent place to begin your search for a boxer puppy.
You can get in touch with the club’s breeder referral chairwoman, who will put you in touch with breeders in your region.
If you are looking for a rescue boxer, the club’s website has detailed listings of rescue organizations around the United States.
More Dog Breeds and Further Research:
If you think the boxer is the dog for you, as with any breed, do a lot of research before getting one.
To learn more, talk to veterinarians, other boxer owners, reputable boxer breeders, and boxer rescue groups.
If you’re looking for comparable breeds, take a look at these:
Boxer Fun Facts:
- They originated in Germany.
- Boxers were bred down from a now-extinct breed known as the Bullenbeisser (bull-biter), a massive breed that also influenced bulldogs and mastiffs.
- They really do box.
- Their head shape serve a purpose.
- Some have really long tounges.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
The term “Boxer” is said to come from the breed’s proclivity to play by standing on its hind legs alongside “boxing” with its front paws.
On the other hand, Boxers are high-energy dogs who require a lot of exercise to stay calm. They may become hyper or angry if they do not exercise. Similarly, boxers may demonstrate fear-based aggression toward strangers and children if they are not properly trained or socialized.
Boxers are not the easiest dog breed to teach. They have a lot of energy, especially while they’re young. They can become good dogs with proper training and direction. Do not mistreat them because they thrive on positive human interaction.