Some will consider the Boxer a superb companion, while others will find it simply common. How comes then that despite these different opinions, it still is one of the favourite dogs in the world of dog fancy?
People love the Boxers. And despite the hard competition from the newly fashionable other Molossians, among which is notably the Rottweiler, the breed still attracts a lot of support and recognition. Everybody knows the dog, which is kindly called “The nanny Molossian”. The Boxer is neither the largest nor the heaviest, but it sure is the most popular!
Its selection unofficially began in the middle of the 19th century, from different types of imported or local dogs, among which was the Bullenbeiser – now extinct – a breed famous for its cleverness and ability to learn. Many of its peculiarities were preserved in the later selection of the Boxer: cropped ears and tails, the fawn or brindle coat, the black mask on the head. For a few years, the Boxer remained in the shadow of the arising dog fancy.
The Boxer Klub was founded in 1895 in Munich by pioneers, who later wrote the first official standard and set the basis for the breed selection. A stud book was created a dozen of years afterwards. The first Boxer entered this book in 1904. It was the famous Mühlbauer’s Flocki. Picture on the right.
There is no need to quote all the great names in the history of the Boxer, but there is one we cannot possibly leave apart, that of Friederun Stockman (pictured here in 1925 with a group of dogs from her breeding.) Under the affix Von Dom, she gave birth and moulded champions for more than 50 years. She was born in 1891, and she got her first Boxer - a male called Pluto - while she was studying in Munich. But she made her first step into breeding with a female called Laska. During the same period, she acquired the famous stud Rolf V. Vogelsberg, born in 1908. Two years later the first champion from her breeding was born: Dampf V. Dom, a direct son of Rolf. This dog won five times in a row the title of Sieger (German Champion)! Many other champions followed, and carried high the colours of the Von Dom Affix all around the world. Friederun wrote what is considered by many THE book about Boxers, “My Life With Boxers”, in which she says that: “ The Boxer is a gentleman among the short-haired dogs. It not only requires the best food, but it also wishes to have a civilised owner to train it.”
Along the years, the type and model of the Boxers naturally changed. Pictures above, two champions from modern breeding: on the left, the fawn male Lustig V.Dom, a champion exported to the USA in the 1930’s, and on the right the most famous stud dog, brindle male Carlo V.Henningshof (born in 1972), which is present in the genealogy of almost all of today’s champions. Besides its athletic and muscled built, the Boxer has a head unlike any other dog. As stated in the standard: “ It is the head that gives the Boxer its characteristic appearance. It must be in proportion with the rest of the body, and must not seem neither too heavy nor too light. The muzzle must be as large and strong as possible. The beauty of the head lies on the proportion between the muzzle and the skull. No matter the angle from which you look at the head – from the front, the side, or upwards – the muzzle must always be in proportion with the skull, that is it must never look too small.” The body, all in lines and tensed muscles, naturally evokes strength and power.Besides being beautiful, the Boxer is above all a utility dog. It must be able to evolve into many disciplines: demanding (Ring, RCI, ScH), playful (Agility), or useful (search and rescue). As you can imagine, this dog requires a dynamic and sportive owner to cope with its stamina. The breed association has created several tests to try the sociability, softness and courage of the dogs, as these qualities are greatly appreciated in the breed;
A famous trainer once said about the breed: “ Boxers are great when they’re six months old. The trouble is, they’re always six months old.” It’s a joke, of course. The trainers, who know well the breed, can have them entered into several disciplines without being ashamed in front of the usual tenors. But the Boxer is a Molossian, so it doesn’t stand to be brutalised or intimidated, as it just won’t yield. The standard is very clear on that point: “The Boxer must be self confident, calm and balanced. Its character is of a major importance, and the breeder should be very careful about it. Its attachment and devotion to its family have always been legendary, just like its courage and watchfulness as a guardian.” These dogs have a top quality, they’re forthright!
Their overflowing affection sometimes lead them to love their worst enemy. Their excessive joy can sometimes make them overwhelming, even exuberant. Paradoxically, they are particularly renowned for their kindness with the children, which is only equalled by the flawless devotion they have for their owners. “It will not stand all your fancies, because it has a character and mind of its own,” a passionate owner tells us. The Boxers are lively, clever dogs, which require the presence of their owners. Alone and without education, they will not give you all their best.
Let’s talk about colours. Two varieties are currently recognised: the brindle (on the left) and the fawn (on the right). But the variety of colours, the absence or presence of white on the head, limbs and chest, the more or less pronounced mask on the head – which sometimes give the Boxer its serious look – allow the fanciers to find the dog of their choice. Here’s what written in the standard about the coat: “the fawn colour goes from pale gold to red, but the middle tones are the most beautiful (fawn-red). The mask is black. The brindle colour consists in the presence of dark or black lines following the lines of the ribs, set on a fawn coat. Those lines must clearly stand off the coat’s colour. The white marking can be very beautiful. American Boxer fanciers are very found of these marks. What they call a plain color – a dog with almost no white – is not much appreciated in the USA.
The breed lovers will tell you immediately that once you’ve started with Boxers, there’s no coming back. Unless this was a beginner’s mistake. If the Boxer is nowadays such an aesthetic and behavioural success, it is thanks to the work and devotion of the breeder who, during the century, followed the selection criteria imposed by Germany. Indeed, the country of origin makes the decision: the day when the black colour was forbidden in breeding, all the breeders – like the one on the picture here from the 1920’s in Germany – had to follow this decision.
Likewise, when the German law forbid ear and tail cropping, all the breeders had to accept this decision. In France and Italy, where cropping was common, breeders are already starting to follow this measure. Just like this young fawn male, with its full ears and tail. Guess you’ll just have to get used to it little by little. Similarly, the hips, behaviour, aptitudes, health, are all very seriously monitored, so as to keep the Boxer breed as healthy and lively as possible. For the purists, breeding a Boxer is comparable to the work of the sculptor, who constantly hews and hews again, sculpts, polishes and starts all over again, until he obtains the result wanted.
As for the white Boxer, which was very common at the beginning of the 20th century, it is now no longer accepted in breeding. Still they currently represent almost 10% of the births.
The special breed shows are the best opportunities to see Boxers of both genders and coat varieties. These shows are quite common, and real lovers won’t hesitate to make long distances to see their favourite breeds. Every year, the major European Shows (ATIBOX, Klubsieger, Epperthausen, or The Italian National Breed Show…) attract the best dogs from the main countries of breeding (mostly Germany, Spain, France and Italy.) There you will be able to admire the variety of the bloodlines, types of selection, among many other things.
To have an idea about what the boxer world and its stars look like , have a look at the picture slide show realised by a breed lover at the occasion of the German Championship. And if you do decide to go to a dog show, take the time to compare the subjects, to ask questions to the breeders and exhibitors, before finally and undoubtedly choosing a dog.
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