A medium-sized, yet nonetheless imposing-looking dog, the boxer has been favored with an athletic body and a uniquely expressive face. A multitude of meanings can be read in the lines that appear when he furrows his brow and in the reflections from his dark, soulful eyes. Boxers stand between 21 and 25 inches at the withers and weigh between 50 and 80 pounds. Their short, close-lying coats most often occur in one color, fawn, or in one pattern, brindle - i.e., a fawn base color overlaid with black stripes. On some boxers those stripes are thin, on others, substantial. The fawn color varies in hue from tan to stag red.
Both fawn and brindle boxers frequently sport white markings. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC) standard for the breed, those marking should not occupy more than one-third of the boxer's coat, but predominantly white and even all-white boxers do appear on occasion. Neither of the latter "colors" are permitted in the show ring; and in less enlightened times, many all-white boxers were not permitted to survive puppyhood. The brief against too much white on boxers began in World War I, a conflict in which many boxers served on the front lines. White made and easy target for enemy snipers.
The Leader of the Flock
The formal, pedigreed history of any breed begins when people get religious about keeping track of their dogs' ancestors. That sort of who-begat-whom accounting was undertaken on the boxer's behalf in the 1880s by a group of dog enthusiasts in Munich, Germany. Their purpose, wrote Jo Royle inBoxers Today, was "to try and establish a super-breed." The record of their efforts eventually became the German Munich Stud Book, whose first entry was a dog named Flocki, born February 26, 1895.
Flocki was a dark-brindle dog with a white chest, front legs and muzzle and a white stripe, known as a blaze, down the center of his face. He looked more like the modern-day pit bulls that grace the alleyways of many of our cities, than like the elegant boxers with which we are familiar.
Flocki's sire, Tom, was an English bulldog of unknown origins, says Royle. Other boxer authorities insist that Tom was a bulldog, but not an English one. No matter what his origin, he was certainly not the low-riding pugnacious-looking gargoyle that bulldogs are today. The pugnacious-looking bulldog of Tom's era, writes John Wagner in The Boxer, was "more of a small mastiff than anything else" (i.e., a powerfully built dog with a heavy, square-jawed head.)
Flocki's mother, Alt's Schecken, was out of a French bitch named Flora, a dark-brindle-and-white, was bred to "one of the dogs from a pack kept locally [around Munich]," reports Royle. Among the puppies produced by that mating was a white male named Lechner's Boxel, who was then bred back to Flora to produce Schecken. Some authorities believe that boxer is derived from Boxel, which was later shortened to Box. Others believe thatboxer derives from the dogs' inclination to strike out with their front paws during a fight.
Riding Upstream
In Cowboy movies when someone wishes to foil pursuit, he rides in the middle of a shallow stream for a distance, leaving his followers eventually sitting by the side of the stream tilting their hats back and scratching their brows significantly. People seeking to trace the origins of a dog breed eventually find themselves in the same position. The boxer's trail slips into the stream when we attempt to travel beyond those dogs whose names we know - Flocki, Schecken, Tom, Boxel, et al. - but we will not let that stop us from hazarding a few guesses.
The local-pack dog who was Flocki's great grandfather on his mother's side - and many of the other local dogs around Munich - were most likely a type known as the bullenbeisser (bull biter). This and other kinds of beissers were "a mastiff type of dog used in the forests of Germany to aid in the hunting of the wild boar and other beasts," wrote Dan M. Gordon, M.D., in his book called The Boxer. The beissers were dispatched by their owners to put a liplock on their quarry until the owners arrived to take charge of the proceedings. This explains the boxer's undershot jaw and his tendency to leap up on people, albeit now in a friendly manner, a trait about which more will be said anon.
The bullenbeissers, wrote Herta E. Kraupa-Tuskany in Boxers: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual, "were bred into two types according to their usefulness in the hunt." The heavier of these types, the Danzig, was bred in or near the city for which it was named. The lighter bullenbeisser, known as the Brabanter, was developed for use in close quarters on small game and was bred in the central Belgian province of Brabant. This dog is generally said to be the forerunner of today's boxer.
The various beissers were descended from mastiffs, which were themselves descended from a dog called the Molossian. Named for the city of Molossis in Epirus, in what is currently Albania, these large, fearless dogs were known as long ago as the days of the ancient Assyrians, more than 2000 BC. The Molossian's ancestors were Tibetan dogs and, beyond that, Tibetan wolves. Thus, concludes Kraupa-Tuskany, "the boxer originated in Asia," and that is about as far upstream as the story goes.
A Change in Fortunes
This Brabanter bullenbeisser, once the sole property of the nobility, became the butcher's and the cattle dealer's dog - and also dabbled in the circus and other entertainments - when the estates on which he had been raised were broken up during and after the Napoleonic wars (1804-1815). His intelligence and tractability enabled the bullenbeisser to reinvent himself as a family and a guard dog. His graces thus saved him from extinction, a fact that did not spare man of his hard-bitten relatives.
Made for America
According to Kraupa-Tuskany, the first boxer to arrive in the United States was imported from Switzerland in 1903. The following year the AKC registered the first boxer in its studbook. Unlike some breeds that hit the shore running, the boxer was not an immediate success in the United States. In fact, new registrations of boxers in 1930 numbered exactly eleven; and as late as 1940, when new boxer registrations totaled 1,024, Dr. Gordon observed, "The boxer is not new to America as an individual, but he is very new as a breed."
The boxer gathered disciples rapidly during the 1940's, a process aided and abetted by a boxer's going best in show at the celebrated Westminster Kennel Club gathering in New York in 1947. Thus, in 1950 new registrations of boxers (21,238) were more than 20 times what they had been just 10 years before, and for several years boxers ranked at or near the top of all AKC breeds in terms of new registrations. To the relief of many boxer fans - who worry that familiarity breeds substandard animals - the boxer's popularity receded somewhat during the next twenty years, but it has been climbing briskly since 1980.
New registrations two years ago (31,894) were more than twice what they had been 15 years earlier. Overall, the boxer stood 15th among 140 breeds recognized by the AKC in 1995, the last year for which such figures are available. This ascension has prompted one boxer breeder to warn, "We're in dangerous territory. We neither need nor want another population explosion."
The Beguiling Boxer
Friedrun Stockmann, a German breeder whose work with boxers during the first four decades of this century helped to make the breed what it is today, described the boxer as "a gentleman amongst dogs with short coats. He not only wants the best food, he wants to be handled in a civilized manner, too. He can easily be upset by his master and this is called being leader-sensitive. He cannot stand a hard hand or injustice. It is true that he is pig-headed, and every one has a personality of its own. His real job is to be a house and family dog and to be a friend to the children."
The boxer has had other jobs in the past - hunter, prize fighter, police dog, and wartime courier among them but his chief employment today is companion cum guard dog. As a companion he is recommended by his intelligence, playfulness, unflagging good spirit, and patience with children. At the same time his precision hearing and unrivaled sense of loyalty to his family, not to mention his powerful build, make him an excellent watchdog.
This talent is borne out by the story of a boxer guide dog living as the guardian-companion of a blind woman in Dayton, Ohio. Once, while the woman was asleep, she was awakened by the sound of breaking glass and satanic growling downstairs. Those sounds grew into a nasty tumult, whose elements included the boxer's frenzied barking and the ultra-frenzied cursing and screaming of a man whose voice she did not recognize. The woman called 911 from her bedroom phone. The dispatcher told her to lock the door and stay put. When the police arrived, the found her dog, who was not cut anywhere, covered with blood. The person who had shed the blood was later apprehended after turning up at a hospital in need of 150 stitches.
When he is not rebuking intruders, the boxer is a one-dog home-entertainment center. He loves retrieving, though not necessarily returning an object once he has retrieved it. He is a quick learner, though he is just as quick to unlearn any task for which he does not see a reason. He is also, by turns, loopy and dignified, comic and self-assured, clumsy and graceful, obliging yet willful.
On the Other Hand...
A boxer's exuberance can sometimes be exasperating. Boxers are inclined to greet those they love - and some people whom they would like to love - by hurling themselves at those persons ' chests. Anti-aircraft training for a boxer must commence when he is a tiny pup and must be reinforced occasionally throughout adulthood.
Like most other dogs, boxers are ultimately what we make them. Granted, breeds are born with certain tendencies - you would not, for example, choose a Pomeranian if you were looking for a guard dog - but the development of canine tendencies is the breeder's and the buyer's responsibility. What is more, some breeds are born with contrasting potential.
As Kraupa-Tuskany observes, "Good characteristics can be fostered through challenge, bad ones through neglect or poor training. Thus absolute fidelity can develop from affection, but on the other hand, aggressiveness and a tendency to bite can also develop from courage and pugnacity."
Although boxers cannot be said to have a tendency to bite, some have a tendency to nip when they are excited, especially when they are young and particularly during playtime. A number of boxer owners report that they have curbed this tendency by yelping like a hurt puppy and declaring that recess is over whenever their boxers nip. Parents should be rigorous about teaching their boxers not to nip and about supervising all interactions between boxers and children until such time as the boxer has internalized that lesson.
Three's a Crowd
Boxers' affinity for people does not always extend to members of their own sect. Whenever more than two boxers "are gathered together," says Royle, "there is a tendency to come to blows." An American breeder-judge agrees, "Boxers don't like other boxers. Or rather, they don't like other boxers of the same sex. While males and females may lie together in perfect harmony, and indeed as fast friends, two adult males, or less often females may decide one find day to eat each other. Once war is declared, a truce is not possible. The only way to keep the would-be combatants in the same household is to separate them behind closed doors [but] even years later, your boxer will remember that he hates the dog on the other side of the door."
The Bottom Lines
Their few downsides aside, boxers are a delight to live with, says California boxer owner Kim Viera. "I call boxers people in dogs' suits," says Viera, "Because they are so human. They have so much expression and character."
"Having a boxer is like having a kid," Viera adds. "And if you don't plan on treating them as such, then don't bother getting one. Boxers like to be with their people, and you need to have a lot of time to spend with them and be willing to put up with them on the couch, the bed, etc."
Genes Gone Awry
More than three hundred inherited diseases are known to beset dogs. No breed or combination of breeds is exempt from this army of grim reapers, although some breeds are less exempt than others. For their part, boxers as a breed may be heir to the following:
Hip dysplasia: A malformation of the hip joint resulting in a poor fit between the head of the femur bone and the hip socket (acetablulum) in which the femoral head normally lies. In severe cases, the femoral head does not lie within the hip socket at all. Can be alleviated by surgery.
Monorchidism: The failure of one testicle to descend into the scrotum. This condition is caused by the shortness of the cord to which the testicle is attached or by an obstructed scrotum. Monorchidism occurs more often in boxers than is the norm, probably because the boxer standard once allowed cryptorchids to be exhibited, and many were used for breeding. (One suspects that an influential breeder or two of that day had a top-winning cryptorchid male.) If the testicle is retained inside the abdominal cavity, it should be removed while the dog is young.
Ulcerative keratitis (boxer ulcer or corneal erosion): This condition, for which no causative bacterium or virus has been identified, is peculiar to boxers. The ulceration of the cornea may affect one or both eyes. The lesion is small and superficial and has no tendency to spread. At first there is no discharge, corneal opacity, or growth of blood vessels associated with this condition. In its later stages, however, profuse tearing occurs and may resist treatment. More than 80 percent of these ulcers occur in spayed bitches five years of age or more. Estrogen therapy reported helps prevent recurrence.
Distichiatis: A congenital condition in which an extra row of eyelashes grows from the margins of the eyelids and rubs against the cornea, causing irritation. Can be corrected by surgery or by burning the surplus hairs with an electric needle.
Hyperplasis of the gingiva: An abnormal multiplication of cells in the gums that can bother boxers in mid-to-late life. The fibrous tissue that results from abnormal cell growth is sometimes mistake for an oral tumor. When a dog's ability to chew is impaired, the fibrous tissue should be surgically removed.
Tumors: The incidence of tumors is high and manifold in boxers, which are subject to tumors of the breast, tissues, thyroid, bone, lung, and testicles.
Gastric torsion (bloat): Usually occurs when exercise too closely follows eating. Signs consist of stomach pain and futile attempts to vomit and salivate. May lead to cardiovascular collapse. The incidence of bloat may be lessened by feeding adult dogs twice a day and, of course, by allowing a dog time to digest before taking him for a run in the park.
Granulomatous colitis: Affects dogs between the ages of two months and two years. This condition, whose cause is unknown, although an immunologic basis is most likely the culprit, is characterized by soft, bloody stools. As the disease progresses, which it does slowly, it is accompanied by increasing debilitation and sometimes resists even persistent treatment.
Cardiomyopathy: A weakening and eventual degeneration of the heart muscle that results in sluggish blood flow and generalized congestive heart failure. Can be held in abeyance for a short time by drugs, but cannot be reversed.
Grooming, Feeding, General Care
The boxer is a dog in parlance, an easy keeper. Boxer owners will not develop carpal tunnel syndrome from excessive use of the wrist in grooming, nor will they develop impaired bodily functions as a result of having to take their dogs on marathon runs. This is not to say that boxers are entirely self-cleaning, feeding and watering - just more so than a lot of other breeds.
Brushing Up on Grooming
Grooming is the art of removing dead hair from a dog so he does not have to remove it himself. Like virtue, grooming is its own reward. The more dead hair a person collects from a boxer, the less there is to collect from the furniture, the rugs, one's clothing or the car. A sturdy brush is the principal hair-collecting device a boxer owner needs, though a flea comb is also useful during flea season. There are several kinds of brushes available at pet shops, dog shows and through mail order catalogues. The choice of brush - slicker brush; pin brush with rounded, stainless steel bristles; a natural-bristle variety; or a soft-rubber curry brush - depends on the way it fits a person's hand and the way it suits a boxer's coat. The bristles, whatever their type, should not be so hard as to inflict pain on a boxer when he is being groomed.
Some people augment their brushwork with a grooming glove. These handy devices are available in several types with different grooming surfaces, including durable latex, poly-grass, slicker and sisal.
Many people - many writers, actually - recommend brushing boxers daily. Such advice is more pedantic than practical. Three brushings a week, more if a boxer is shedding, ought to be sufficient. After brushing, a rubdown with a chamois cloth will bring out the natural sheen in a boxer's coat. Unless a boxer lies down or rolls about in some noxious substance - or becomes a hostel for fleas - he will seldom need a bath.
Brushing a dog is not the end-all of grooming, Clipping a dog's nails and cleaning his ears every week are also a part of the routine. Boxers not used to having their nails done by the time they arrive in their new homes may require the attention of two people at first. No matter how may hands are involved in this task, the person doing the clipping should be careful to clip the hooked end of the nail only. An overzealous clip will result in cutting into the quick, the vein inside the nail. In the event that too ambitious trimming results in bleeding, styptic powder should be applied to the wounded nail.
A boxer's ears should be cleaned with a cotton swab or ball that has been dipped in mineral oil. Cleaning should extend no farther than the eye can see. Poking around in the ear canal could cause damage.
Finally, tartar should be removed from a boxer's teeth whenever necessary, age being the mother of necessity in this regard. Dry dog food and certain chew toys may help to forestall the accumulation of tartar to some extent, but owners who do not want to leave their boxers' dental well-being to chance can acquire canine toothpaste and brush and, with a little patience, the technique for using them. Otherwise, tartar should be removed periodically by a veterinarian.
Feeding
When selecting dog food, many people are influenced by advertising, clever packaging, their pets' mealtime edicts, or whatever is on special at the time. Other, more reflective, consumers look to dog-food labels for guidance. Those who do should be guided by the nutritional claim made on the package.
Nutritional claims come in two varieties. In the first the manufacturer declares that Bowser Bits has been shown to provide complete and balanced nutrition in feeding trials conducted according to protocols established by the Association of America Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). In the second kind of nutritional claim the manufacturer attests that Bowser Bits have been formulated to meet the nutrient levels established in AAFCO's nutrient profiles.
In order to make the feeding-trials claim a manufacturer must feed Bowser Bits to a group of dogs, and through a specified series of tests, demonstrate that the dogs eating Bowser Bits do not differ significantly along certain variables from the control group that was fed a diet known to be nutritionally complete and balanced. The variables on which the two groups are compared include weight, skin and coat condition, red-blood-cell count and other health measures.
In order to make the second kind of nutritional claim - that Bowser Bits was formulated to meet nutrient levels established in AAFCO nutrient profiles - a manufacturer must sign an affidavit stating that he or she (or they) formulated Bowser Bits from ingredients that will contain, after they have been processed, sufficient levels of all the nutrients AAFCO has determined a dog food should contain.
The difference between buying a dog food that has been tested in feed trials and one that has been formulated to meet AAFCO profiles is like the difference between buying a preferred stock and a futures option. The consumer can be more confident that the preferred stock (the feed-tested dog food) is going to perform the way it is supposed to perform because it has been fed to real dogs in real feeding trials.
The meets-the-nutrient-profiles statement, on the other hand, does not mean that AAFCO has analyzed the food in question and has certified that it meets AAFCO standards. Nor does the statement necessarily mean that the manufacturer tested the food in the can to determine whether it met AAFCO profiles. This statement simply means the manufacturer formulated the food from ingredients that should have provided enough nutrients to meet the AAFCO profile. We say "should have" because cooking always destroys nutrients in dog food to some extent. Therefore, the nutrients that go into the kettle are always present in greater amounts than the nutrients that go into the can.
Thus far we have discussed only one part of the nutritional claims made on dog food labels: the part that tells you the basis on which manufacturers state their claims. There is, however, a second part to nutritional statements the part that specifies the dogs for which the food is intended. Thus, a complete nutritional claim for a feed-tested food will say: "Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Bowser Bits provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages of the dog." A complete nutritional claim for a meets-the-profile food will say: "Bowser Bits is formulated to meet the nutrient levels established by AAFCO nutrient profiles for all stages of a dog's life." Both these statements assure consumers that they can feed an all-life-stages food to their dogs from puppyhood through seniorhood, including motherhood, without worrying.
Instead of being formulated for all stages of a dog's life, some foods are intended for the maintenance of adult dogs only, and other foods are intended to support growth and reproduction. The latter are formulated to meet the increased nutritional needs of pregnant females and puppies. These foods must contain more of certain nutrients - more protein, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and chloride, for example - than do maintenance foods. (Foods providing complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages of a dog also must meet growth-and-reproduction standards.)
Some critics contend it is impossible for one food to be all things to all life stages of a dog. That argument need not concern nor confuse the boxer owner. If you are feeding a pregnant female or a puppy, you should choose a growth-and-reproduction or an all-life-stages food. If you are feeding an adult boxer, a maintenance food is sufficient and is, perhaps, less expensive than an all-life-stages food.
Several companies now produce senior foods for older dogs. These foods are based on two principles: older dogs need less of certain nutrients - proteins, phosphorus, and salt, for example - than do younger dogs; and older dogs are less able to tolerate nutrient excess than are younger dogs.
Exercise
Boxers and their owners are happiest when boxers are properly exercised. Ideally, a boxer should have access to a spacious, fenced-in yard for a couple of hours each day, but dog owners should remember that there is a human component to canine exercise, too. For many dogs a yard is simply another place to sleep. Boxer owners whose dogs are not self-starters should get off the couch, go outside, toss a ball around, or take their dogs for a couple of brisk, 15-minute walks each day. What is more, dogs are apt to be more active in new surroundings. Except in the most hopelessly urban settings, which are probably not the best settings for boxers anyway, there are parks, fields, and other places where it is safe to let a boxer off lead to blow off a little steam.
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