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Breed Standard Overview
The Boxer as we know it today is a beautiful, powerful intelligent breed. The Boxer has developed into what we know it today from its origin in Germany in the mid 1800’s. The Boxer breed has many qualities that causes it to continue to be admired by fanciers and the general dog population.
General Appearance
The ideal Boxer would be described as a medium sized, well muscled dog. The Boxer is a square built dog with a short coat. The muscle tone of the Boxer are one of its distinguished features and should be clean and well defined. The gait of the Boxer is one of pride and courage as its stides are firm.
The Boxer’s expression should be alert and exert a penetrating gaze from the eyes. As with most breeds the shape and proportion of the Boxer’s head is of the upmost importance. The skull should be well proportioned with a broad muzzle.
Proportion and Size
The Boxer is a medium built breed and males should measure 22.5 – 25 inches in height and the female counterpart should be a height of 21 – 23.5 inches. The breed does not have a size disqulification but it is undesirable for males to be below the minimum or females above the maximum. When size is considered the most important aspect is proper balance of the dog.
The proportion of the Boxer is a square body in that the distance should be of equal length when measured horizontally from the front of the chest to the back thigh and the vertically from the withers to the ground.
The Boxer Head
The muzzle of the Boxer is one of the most important considerations where the head is concerned. The length should be a third of the lentgth from the occiput to the nose tip and the width should be two thirds the width of the skull. The forhead of the Boxer should not show wrinkles in instances that the ears are not alert.
The eyes of a Boxer are deep and expression filled. The color should be a shade of brown and in proportion with the skull. The eyes should be alert and is one of the most admired features of the breed.
The ears of the Boxer should be cropped long and set high on the Boxers head according to breed standards, although this has been debated for some time as many oppenants prefer the natural look for the ears.
The Boxers jawline is squarely built and helps shape the face. The bite is undershot and the muzzle is square. Preferably the bottom incisors and canine teeth are in a straight line adding to the broadness of the muzzle.
The Boxer Body
The Boxer neck should be muscled without excessive skin that hangs. The topline of the breed has a slight slope to it and should be firm and well defined. The chest is muscled with the forechest definition noticible from either side. The ribs of the Boxer should not be barrel shaped but provide a smaooth arch into the rear of the dog. The lower line should have an upward slope moving towards the rear of the dog.
Color
The Boxer is accepted in two distinct colors, Fawn and Brindle. The fawn can vary from a light tan to a dark almost red color. The Brindle color looks similar to a tiger stripe in that the fawn background is marked with black stripes. The Brindle can range from a few well defined lines to an almost reversal of color where the fawn background is barely seen.
The Boxer may have white markings in a way that they are beneficial to the appearance of the animal. White markings exceeding one third of the total body is considered a fault. There has been many debates recently of the acceptance of the all white Boxer for the breed and allowing them to compete in confirmation shows.
Putting It All Together
Through years of refining the Boxer breed has grew to what we all love today. Although each individual dog will differ in personality it is these breed standards that help make the Boxer the loving family we all know and love.
Addiotional Resources
Discuss Boxer Dog Standards at Boxer-Dog.org.
Boxer profile as outlined by the AKC
Boxer information at DogGroups.com - All Dog Breeds Welcome
Find Boxer gifts at the Dog Gifts Search Engine
This article is Copyright © Boxer-Dog.org and may not be reproduced in any format without prior written consent of the owner. For additional Boxer articles visit Boxer-Dog.org – All About Boxers. If you would like to reproduce this article, please contact webmaster@boxer-dog.org
General Appearance
The ideal Boxer would be described as a medium sized, well muscled dog. The Boxer is a square built dog with a short coat. The muscle tone of the Boxer are one of its distinguished features and should be clean and well defined. The gait of the Boxer is one of pride and courage as its stides are firm.
The Boxer’s expression should be alert and exert a penetrating gaze from the eyes. As with most breeds the shape and proportion of the Boxer’s head is of the upmost importance. The skull should be well proportioned with a broad muzzle.
Proportion and Size
The Boxer is a medium built breed and males should measure 22.5 – 25 inches in height and the female counterpart should be a height of 21 – 23.5 inches. The breed does not have a size disqulification but it is undesirable for males to be below the minimum or females above the maximum. When size is considered the most important aspect is proper balance of the dog.
The proportion of the Boxer is a square body in that the distance should be of equal length when measured horizontally from the front of the chest to the back thigh and the vertically from the withers to the ground.
The Boxer Head
The muzzle of the Boxer is one of the most important considerations where the head is concerned. The length should be a third of the lentgth from the occiput to the nose tip and the width should be two thirds the width of the skull. The forhead of the Boxer should not show wrinkles in instances that the ears are not alert.
The eyes of a Boxer are deep and expression filled. The color should be a shade of brown and in proportion with the skull. The eyes should be alert and is one of the most admired features of the breed.
The ears of the Boxer should be cropped long and set high on the Boxers head according to breed standards, although this has been debated for some time as many oppenants prefer the natural look for the ears.
The Boxers jawline is squarely built and helps shape the face. The bite is undershot and the muzzle is square. Preferably the bottom incisors and canine teeth are in a straight line adding to the broadness of the muzzle.
The Boxer Body
The Boxer neck should be muscled without excessive skin that hangs. The topline of the breed has a slight slope to it and should be firm and well defined. The chest is muscled with the forechest definition noticible from either side. The ribs of the Boxer should not be barrel shaped but provide a smaooth arch into the rear of the dog. The lower line should have an upward slope moving towards the rear of the dog.
Color
The Boxer is accepted in two distinct colors, Fawn and Brindle. The fawn can vary from a light tan to a dark almost red color. The Brindle color looks similar to a tiger stripe in that the fawn background is marked with black stripes. The Brindle can range from a few well defined lines to an almost reversal of color where the fawn background is barely seen.
The Boxer may have white markings in a way that they are beneficial to the appearance of the animal. White markings exceeding one third of the total body is considered a fault. There has been many debates recently of the acceptance of the all white Boxer for the breed and allowing them to compete in confirmation shows.
Putting It All Together
Through years of refining the Boxer breed has grew to what we all love today. Although each individual dog will differ in personality it is these breed standards that help make the Boxer the loving family we all know and love.
Addiotional Resources
Discuss Boxer Dog Standards at Boxer-Dog.org.
Boxer profile as outlined by the AKC
Boxer information at DogGroups.com - All Dog Breeds Welcome
Find Boxer gifts at the Dog Gifts Search Engine
This article is Copyright © Boxer-Dog.org and may not be reproduced in any format without prior written consent of the owner. For additional Boxer articles visit Boxer-Dog.org – All About Boxers. If you would like to reproduce this article, please contact webmaster@boxer-dog.org
posted at 23:10:00 on 05/23/03
by love boxers -
Category: Boxer Standards
