Boxer Dog Breed - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The Boxer is a descendant of Bullenbeisser, which was extremely strong hunting dog breed. There were a lot of variation of Bullenbeisser across the Europe and it is believed that smaller type from Belgium, also known as Brabant Bullenbeisser is the direct ancestor of todays Boxer. The second important ancestor of the Boxer is the Old English Bulldog.

2) Purpose
The Boxer is very versatile breed. Throughout their history, they were succesfully used as guards and hunters, they were used for controlling cattle in butchers slaughterhouses and sadly they were also used for bull baiting. On the other hand, Boxer was one of the first breeds to serve as police dog and they are also one of the few breeds that are used as service dogs for blind people. But of course, today, they are most often bred as amazing and loyal family companions.

3) Name
Have you ever wondered why this breed is named Boxer? Well, we can only guess, since there are no records on the name’s origin. One popular theory suggest, that they are called boxers because when they are playing, they are often standing on their back legs and kick out its front paws like a human boxer might do. But there are other explanations as well, and the breeds name might be derived from the German word boxl, which was a nicknamed for the small Belgian Bullenbeiser and that the word Boxer is just a corruption of this word.

4) War dogs

During both world wars, Boxers were one of the few dogs that were used for military purposes. They were primarily used by German and American army. During the wars, they served as messengers, pack-carriers and guards. They were also very skilled at locating wounded soldiers on the battlefield.

5) Long puppyhood
Boxers have one of the longest puppyhood in the dog world. It takes them up to three years until they reach maturity. And i am not talking about their body, they will be strong and powerful very fast, but they will be acting as puppies for a long time. You will definitely have a lot of fun with them.

6) Colors
You can find Boxers in only three colors which are fawn, brindle and white. Fawn and brindle Boxers can have white markings, most often on their chest. There are some myths about the white colored boxers. One says, that they are extremely rare, whis is not true, because one in four or five Boxers are born white. It is also not true, that white boxers are albinos, no, it is regular coat color and officialy these dogs are either fawn or brindle, with excessive white markings overlying the base coat color. And the last myth is, that all white Boxers are suffering from deafness. Again, this is only partially true, because it is true, that they suffer from it more than other Boxer colors, but most of them have no problem with hearing.

7) Excitement
Boxers are very excited when greeting their people. They are known for jumping up and down a lot and you should train them to stay calm when greeting other people. They are also known for twisting body and turning in circles when they are excited. Sometimes, it really looks that they are dancing with you.
8) Size
Boxers have powerful, athletic and muscular built. Their average height is between 53-64 cm which is 21-25 inch and weight between 55-75 pounds, which is 25-34 kg. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males.

9) Living with
Boxers need two things in their life – companionship and exercise. This is very social animal who will not like to be left alone, they want to spend their lives by your side. This is extremely loyal breed. They are also very energetic and they need proper daily exercise every single day. It can be long walks, but they are also good partners for hiking and jogging. If their exercise needs are not met, they might become destructive or very vocal.

10) Health
Sadly, Boxers are not the healthiest dogs and their lifespan is around 11 years. They suffer from cancer, aortic stenosis, cardiomyopathy, hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia and corneal dystrophy.