Boxer (dog)

Boxer

brindle fawn boxer, uncropped and undocked
Other names	German Boxer Deutscher Boxer
Origin	Germany
Traits Weight Male 55–71 lb (25–32 kg) Female 55–71 lb (25–32 kg) Height Male 22–25 in (56–64 cm) Female 21–24 in (53–61 cm) Coat short, shiny, smooth, close-lying Color fawn or brindle, black mask, with or without white markings, and white Litter size average 6–8 Life span average 9–15 years
Classification / standards FCI Group 2, Section 2.1 Molossian: Mastiff type #144 standard AKC Working standard ANKC Group 6 (Utility) standard CKC Group 3 – Working standard KC (UK) Working standard NZKC Utility standard UKC Guardian Dog standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Boxer is a medium-sized, short-haired breed of dog, developed in Germany. The coat is smooth and tight-fitting; colours are fawn or brindled, with or without white markings, and white. Boxers are brachycephalic (they have broad, short skulls), have a square muzzle, mandibular prognathism (an underbite), very strong jaws, and a powerful bite ideal for hanging on to large prey. The Boxer was bred from the Old English Bulldog and the now extinct Bullenbeisser which became extinct by crossbreeding rather than by a decadence of the breed. The purpose of the crossbreeding was the wish to eliminate the excessive white color of the breed, and the necessity of producing thousands of dogs for one of the most popular breeds in the world. The Boxer is part of the Molosser group. This group is a category of solidly built, large dog breeds that all descend from the same common ancestor, the large shepherd dog known as a Molossus. The Boxer is a member of the Working Group.

The first Boxer club was founded in 1895, with Boxers being first exhibited in a dog show for St. Bernards in Munich the next year. Based on 2013 American Kennel Club statistics, Boxers held steady as the seventh-most popular breed of dog in the United States for the fourth consecutive year. However, according to the AKC's website, the boxer is now the eighth-most popular dog breed in the United States.

The head is the most distinctive feature of the Boxer. The breed standard dictates that it must be in perfect proportion to the body and above all it must never be too light. The greatest value is to be placed on the muzzle being of correct form and in absolute proportion to the skull. The length of the muzzle to the whole of the head should be a ratio of 1:3. Folds are always present from the root of the nose running downwards on both sides of the muzzle, and the tip of the nose should lie somewhat higher than the root of the muzzle. In addition a Boxer should be slightly prognathous, i.e., the lower jaw should protrude beyond the upper jaw and bend slightly upwards in what is commonly called an underbite or "undershot bite".