The Boxer is a square, muscular German breed developed in Munich in the 1890s. It is playful, loyal and good with children, and needs plenty of exercise and training.
It is prone to cancer and heart disease, and it overheats easily because of its short muzzle.
The Boxer is a medium to large, short-coated dog from Germany: square, muscular and athletic, with a blunt muzzle and an exuberant character that lasts well into adult life.
The breed was developed in Munich in the late nineteenth century from the Bullenbeisser, a mastiff-type hunting dog used to hold boar and deer, crossed with bulldogs brought from Britain. The first breed club was founded there in 1895. Boxers served as messenger and guard dogs in both world wars and became widely popular afterwards; they arrived in Britain in the 1930s.
Dogs stand 57 to 63 cm at the shoulder and weigh around 30 to 32 kg; bitches are a little smaller. The body is compact and deep-chested, the head distinctive, with a broad, short muzzle, an undershot jaw and a dark mask. The coat is short and glossy, fawn or brindle, usually with white on the chest and feet. About a fifth of puppies are born mostly white; they make equally good pets but are more often deaf and cannot be shown.
Ear cropping is illegal in the United Kingdom, and tail docking is banned except for certain working dogs, so British Boxers have natural ears and tails.
Boxers are playful, affectionate, loyal and patient with children, though their bouncing can knock a small child over. They are slow to mature and need firm, good-humoured training from puppyhood. Two hours of exercise a day is typical for an adult. Their short muzzle makes them poor at shedding heat, so they are exercised in the cool of the day in summer; see dogs in hot weather.
The coat needs only an occasional brush. Boxers are prone to several serious conditions, and their average lifespan, at around ten years, is shorter than that of many dogs of similar size.
The Boxer is in the Kennel Club's Working group. It was among the most popular breeds in the country in the later twentieth century and remains well known, though registrations have declined.