What is a Boxer?

To the casual observer the Boxer dog might appear to be a somewhat ugly and ungainly animal, but taking a closer look quickly dispels this idea because we soon see the intelligence and elegance in the Boxer. This breed has many qualities and is admired both by experts in the field and dog lovers in general.

The perfect Boxer is described as being a medium sized, well muscled and intelligent dog. He is square built with short hair and one of his most distinguished features is his muscle tone, which should be well defined and without a hint of fat. He usually walks with his head proudly up with a strong, steady step, or with his head down and body wiggling if he is being silly. His eyes express more intelligence than practically any other breed and he is always alert.

In size the Boxer dog is classified as a medium build dog and should be no more than twenty five inches for males and twenty three for females. The Boxer’s body is meant to be proportionately square so when measured horizontally from his chest to the back of his thigh and vertically from the ground to the highest part of his back (the withers), the two measurements should be quite similar.

One of the most familiar characteristics of the Boxer dog is his distinctive head. If you were to measure from the tip of his nose to the back of his head, then the muzzle would optimally occupy a third of the space. His forehead should also be clear and free of wrinkles when he isn’t alert. The eyes of a Boxer are deep and full of expression. Their color should be a shade of brown and in proportion with the skull. One of the most admired features of the breed is that the eyes should be alert.

The Boxer’s ears have been clipped almost for as long as the breed has existed, although more and more people these days are preferring to leave them as they naturally are.

When you look at a Boxer’s body the first thing you should see is that there is no access of skin hanging and they haven’t been overly spoilt with too much bacon and ice cream. He should have a muscled neck and firm back and you should also be able to see his ribcage smoothly moving inwards towards the rear.

The Boxer’s color really endears it to its owners. He will typically have two colors: faun and a darker brown brindled color with a typical white splash on his chest. Breeders consider having too much white is not good and there is considerable debate in the breeding field as to weather a completely white Boxer should be part of the breed.

Through the years the Boxer breed has evolved into what we know and recognize as today’s Boxer. He may come in different sizes, colors, and patterns but it is these distinctive markings which we now all know and love to be that of the Boxer. Click here to learn more about Boxer Dog