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Boxer
- Faithful and full of affection
- Under-shot lower jaw
- A very characteristic head
- Average height and weight: 59cm; Dogs 31kg, Bitches 26kg
- Average life-span: 10 years
The Boxer is one of the best dogs you can have. Fearless and spirited in the extreme, devoted and cordial, an excellent guardian - they will do anything for their families. Despite the fact that they look like canine wrestlers, they are never menacing with their owners and friends and always ready to play.
The Boxer must be appreciated as soon as he arrives, and at only a few months old they can be taught the first exercises in obedience. They are very receptive to training so take advantage of it. Being intelligent, they like to understand what is asked of them, and why. If they understand what is expected, they'll obey. Reprimands are sometimes necessary.
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- Descend from the Mastiff breed
- The first Boxer came about in the late 1800s in Germany
- The German army used them as working dogs in the First World War
From ancient times, then in the Middle Ages, we can find traces of powerfully built dogs, Mastiffs, used for war and security. Later, in the Renaissance, Henry VIII succeeded in conquering the armies of Charles V of France thanks to troops of Mastiffs armed with spiked iron collars and covered in armour. Then fighting techniques evolved and these dog-soldiers had to adapt to new tasks. Different types of Mastiffs were established across the whole of Europe. In Germany the Bullenbeisser (Bull Biter) was created, an ancestor of the present-day Boxer.
The present-day Boxer came about in 1890 when a Dr Toennissen, living in Munich, mated his English Bulldog with his Bullenbeisser.
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Boxers:
- Are boisterous and powerful
- Are highly energetic
- Have a big appetite
- Need lots of exercise and activity
- Drool
Not suitable for old people, Boxers are very boisterous. On the other hand, young, dynamic, athletic people with children, a garden and a home that is not too precious, would love this dog.
He needs to be trained well, in a gentle and firm way. If properly trained, a Boxer will become an all-round, well-balanced dog.
The Boxer makes a formidable companion for extrovert kids. But the children themselves must learn to control their dog and to have authority over him, because when a Boxer gives it his all he can easily push children over or pull them flat on their faces when on the lead.
Boxers are susceptible to hip dysplasia, rheumatism and diseases of the respiratory system because of their reduced nasal passages.
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