Boxer
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Average Height(“‘s)
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Average Weight (#’s)
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Personality
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Coat
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Grooming
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Notes for owners
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23
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70
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Youthful
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Short and tight to the body | Weekly |
Needs obedience-training to control his exuberance. Regular exercise.
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Originally bred for dog fighting and bull baiting, the Boxer can trace its roots to the 16th Century. To compete in such ferocious activities these dogs needed to be strong, aggressive, and courageous. Today’s Boxer retains all these traits, but uses them now defensively rather than offensively. Boxers are also intelligent and motivated to please. A keen sense of hearing makes them superlative guard dogs. With family, friends and children Boxers can be playful and patient. They are deliberate and wary with strangers, protective of loved ones.
The Boxer can be willful, with stubbornness and self-confidence that needs to be controlled through obedience training. It can get in trouble if it has to figure out its own routine. This is a very strong dog!
According to AKC standards, a Boxer should stand under 25 inches at the withers with well developed muscles. Overall a medium-sized, square built dog with short back, strong limbs, and a short, tight-fitting coat.
The head makes up an important part of the Boxer’s image. The muzzle is blunt, the skull wide. Wrinkles appear on the forehead when the ears are erect. Folds (as opposed to wrinkles), are always present from the lower edge of the stop, downward to and on the muzzle. (The “stop” is the step up from the muzzle to back skull; space between the eyes where nasal bones and cranium meet.)
The muzzle is influenced by the formation of jaw bones. Boxers are undershot — the lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper and, in fact, curves upward.
The topline of the Boxer slopes slightly toward the tail which is docked. (“Topline” is the outline of the dog from just behind the withers to the tail.) The neck is muscular and clean with a distinctly marked nape. The underside, or lower stomach line, is slightly tucked up with a curve up to the rear. The marking on the neck is white and should not exceed one-third of the entire coat. The acceptable coat colors are fawn (from light tan to mahogany), and brindle (ranging from sparse to heavy concentrations of black striping).
Relevant Web Sites
What Everybody Ought To Know — About How To Make A Boxer Dog Happy, Healthy and Obedient