It's a Boxer's Life

Most people think of the boxer as this big tough dog that shouldn't be messed with; although this is true about some of them, most Boxers can be the perfect family pet with just a little bit of love and training.

The only place to start with the Boxer is in the very beginning for it might not be a known fact, but as far back as 2000 B.C. there were stocky, courageous dogs that eventually became known as the Molossis.

Now the Molossis is the ancestor of the Bullenbeisser (Bull-biter) which Kings adopted as his or her own. Some centuries later, in 1880 to be exact, the Bullenbeisser helped the farmers herd their sheep and cattle.

Therefore, it went on for a few years until an English bulldog came to town and they "got married". The result of this marriage was the Boxer that we know so well today.

After the birth of the Boxer people used him for fighting and bull baiting until the middle of the 19th century, when it was outlawed.

After being taken out of the fighting ring, the police took a great interest in the Boxer because of his intelligence and fearlessness.

It is reported that when war came along, the Boxer was used again...as a suicide bomber. Sounds terrible but bombs were strapped onto the dogs and they were sent into enemy territory and blown up.

Now that is loyalty...on the dogs’ part obviously.

The appearance of The Boxer is quite impressive and you surely don’t want to be among his "antipathies". The standard color of its short coat is fawn; this dog has got square head and his docked tail gives an original finish to this "pack of muscles" dog. The white spots can cover no more than one third of his body in order to be accepted by the standards. Males stand 22.5-25 inches at the withers and weigh about 70 pounds. Females are a bit smaller at 21-23.5 inches and about 60 pounds.

Boxer’s ears are usually cropped in the united states of America however, it has been observed the tendency of the owners to give up cropping and let the dog look as in its natural state, with hanging ears.

As for its "face", the Boxer’s particularity is its broad nose with the top of its muzzle pushed in and with the jaw slightly open; what’s more, the lower jaw is pushed out in a curve further than the upper jaw and this is the fierce look we got accustomed to especially from Disney’s cartoons where good old Tom would get in serious trouble when meeting the boxer while the small protégée, Jerry the mouse, would find complete peace in the boxer’s vicinity.

If the color of the boxer is white (or most of it) or black they disqualify from the conformation ring yet, they can get their registration and compete in two areas: agility and obedience.

We are talking about a powerful dog, capable of great effort and endurance yet very athletic walking smoothly, in a graceful manner.

When picking out a puppy, never pick one that is too bold or too shy, because they have a tendency to be either fearful or aggressive when they grow up. Remember to look for that dog that is right in the middle, neither shy nor bold, its that dog that will grow up to be the perfect companion.

Note: Always remember to give proper training (to any dog) but especially the big breeds, because they can injure somebody without meaning it. His short coat requires brushing and as a house dog he prefers the cool or cold climates, as his shortened muzzle makes hot humid weather uncomfortable for him. A daily walk and some fun in the park can make this dog suitable for apartment keeping as well.

The Boxer is the dog that went from royalty, to the butcher shops, to the show ring, to the family; he is a dog that combines humor with style, the ultimate people dog, and worthy of his fame! If you want a dog with personality, the Boxer can surely meet that and much more as friendliness and power interlace in a unique manner in his life!