Breeds 101: Meet the Boxer

Boxers are a friendly, playful breed.

Boxers were the 11th-most popular breed in America in 2017, according to the American Kennel Club, and for good reason.

They are a medium-largish breed, with females standing about 21.5-23.5 inches at the withers (shoulders) and weighing around 50 to 65 pounds, while males stand around 23-25 inches at the withers and can weigh anywhere from 65 to 80 pounds.

The AKC Breed Standard is unusually straightforward in the description of an ideal Boxer: He should be a “medium-sized, square-built dog of good substance with short back, strong limbs, and short, tight-fitting coat.”

As the Breed Standard notes, Boxers’ coats at short and shiny, and they usually come in a shade of brown, occasionally with white markings on the chest.

They are classified as part of the Working Group in AKC dog shows, which stipulate that they must have docked tails. Typical members of the breed do not have their tails docked, however.

They have a lifespan of around 10 to 12 years.

Author Marguerite Henry stated in her Album of Dogs that she believed the breed got the name “Boxers” due to the way they use their heads and front paws when playing. This is uncertain, however, because while boxing was an extremely popular sport in England in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Boxers were yet another of the dogs developed in Germany.

Boxers arose from a now-extinct Mastiff-type dog called the “Bullenbeisser” and the Bulldog.

Like many other breeds, several Germans decided to standardize a common type of dog in the late 1800s, with the result being the Boxer breed. The AKC recognized Boxers in 1904.

After being used by the military in various capacities during World War II, returning soldiers brought their Boxers back home, where they’ve been a very popular breed ever since.

They enjoy playing, need lots of exercise, and are very protective of their family, making them good choices for families with small kids. A Boxer probably wouldn’t do very well being the only dog in the house.

Due to their square-shaped heads, they can have breathing problems, especially when the weather is hot and/or humid. They are also susceptible to cancer, colitis and heart problems.

There really isn’t much the breed can’t do – they would work well if you were interested in diving, agility, or flyball; they could be used in herding cattle, with the proper training they could even be service, police or military dogs.

While not exactly named for the breed, the sports teams of Oregon’s Pacific University use “Boxers” as their mascot.