Boxer

This month’s breed is the Boxer, a happy and playful dog with an interesting history. A Boxer makes a great companion for an outdoors lifestyle and their love of their home and family makes them perfect guarddogs while at the same time being intelligent and curious.

Snapshot
The boxer is a short-haired, medium-sized dog with a balanced and self-assured personality. Their ancestry is among Brabant and Bullenbeisser dogs which were crossed with English Bulldogs during the 19th century.

History
In 1894, three German gentlemen called Roberth, Konig, and Hopner sat down in Munich to figure out how to stabilise the popular hunting-dog of the time, a Molosser blend of now extinct Bullenbeisser descent. This dog had been a companion to hunters since time immemorial, and was mainly used to seize and hold down prey. However, over time, hunters had come to prefer smaller and faster dogs to hunt for a wider variety of prey. In Brabant, Belgium, a smaller variant of the Bullenbeisser had been bred for some time around the end of the 19th century. Nowadays, it is commonly accepted that our Boxer of today comes from this Brabant-Bullenbeisser breed.

During the last decades of the 19th century, the Boxer was introduced to Europe and in the early 20th century to the United States. During the Great War, the Boxer was heavily used by military forces on both sides as messenger and attack dogs. It wasn’t until the late 1930s that the Boxer breed was properly perfected to the breed know today through the efforts of the famed breeder Friederun Stockmann.

During the Second World War, the Boxer yet again faced duty within the armed forces of many nations. But it was after the war that the Boxer got its major break-through around the world. Taken home by returning soldiers, it now became popular as show dog, guard dog and above all a trusty companion to many Boxer lovers out there.

Personality
The boxer has a merry temperament and loves to play, especially at a young age. The Boxer is known for their great love and protective nature towards of their master and family, while at the same time being suspicious of strangers.  Boxers are furthermore intelligent and energetic; they get along well with children, smaller pets and puppies. Not so great, however, is their reputation for getting along with other boxers. They require a lot of exercise to prevent boredom, and are best for families who have active lifestyles and large yards. Sometimes, Boxers are described as being ‘headstrong,’ although this may only be due to inappropriate training. It should be acknowledged that Boxers generally respond badly to training based on corrections but can be trained with positive reinforcement such as clicker training.

Health
A survey done in the UK has shown that almost 40% of Boxers dies from various cancers before reaching old age. Frequently seen cancers include lymphoma, melanoma, mast cell tumours and osteosarcoma. It goes without saying that the owner should bring their Boxer to a veterinarian every now and then for a health check, especially as cell tumours seem to be a problem for Boxers.

Breeding
Good breeders follow the bloodlines of the dogs, making sure no genetic diseases are continuing to be mixed.

Breeders in Australia

Boxberry

Guntop Boxers

Oleala Boxers

Sources

Wikipedia

Karin Rezewski

Dogsonline.com.au

Pictures by Oor Wullie and feature image by nicadlr.