Boxer Dogs

Originated as a pit fighting breed, Boxer Dogs are nowadays among the most favorite family pets in the USA. Present-day Boxers lack the aggression of their ferocious ancestors; they are friendly and affectionate, funny and tolerant with children. This breed is classified into the Working group of dog breeds. All major canine registries recognize these dogs.

Boxer Dogs are medium in size. Males stand between 22 and 25 inches at the withers and weigh from 65 to 75 pounds; females are between 21 and 23½ inches at the withers and weigh from 50 to 60 pounds. Females of this breed are definitely feminine and more refined than males. The most distinctive feature of the Boxer is its head, which should be in proper proportion to the body. The muzzle should be in perfect proportion to the skull, with the ratio of 1:3. The lower jaw should be protruding and bending upwards, which is called an undershot bite.

Old-time Boxer Dogs had their tails docked and ears cropped. Nowadays, this tradition is still preserved in some countries, but the majority of owners prefer to leave the tail and the ears of their dogs in a natural shape. In the UK and some other countries, both cropping of the ears and docking of the tail are banned. Some UK breeders started to produce naturally short-tailed bloodlines in 1998. Bobtail Boxer dogs are nowadays found in many countries of the world. The AKC penalizes an undocked long tail in Boxers, but accepts dogs with uncropped ears.

The coat of the Boxer is very short, shiny, and smooth. There are only two accepted coat colors in this breed: fawn and brindle. Fawn dogs range from light tan to dark brown. Brindle coat color actually means black stripes against a fawn background. Heavily striped dogs are called “reverse brindles.” Too heavily brindled dogs may be disqualified from the shows. Boxers can never be solid black. There can be white spots or flash on the underbelly, muzzle, neck, and all four feet. White Boxers are actually fawns with excessive white markings. Solid white Boxer Dogs are disqualified by the breed standard, because the gene responsible for solid white coat color is linked with many health defects.