Post by charmingnancy on Jan 12, 2009 16:08:29 GMT -5
Boxer
Group: 3- Working Dogs
Origin: Germany
Purpose: Hunting bear, wild boar, and deer
Description:
The Boxer was developed in Germany as a medium-sized security dog. The breed is valued as a spirited pet and guardian of home and family. Developed to serve the multiple purposes of guard, working and escort dog, he must combine elegance with substance and ample power, not alone for beauty, but to ensure the speed, dexterity and jumping ability essential to arduous hiking, riding expedition, police or military duty.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat and Colour: Coat short, shiny, lying smooth and tight to the body. The colours are fawn and brindle. Fawn in various shades from light tan to stag red or mahogany, the deeper colours preferred. The brindle coat in the Boxer is of two opposite types. The first of these includes those dogs having clearly defined dark stripes on a fawn background. The second type has what is best termed reversed brindling. Here the effect is of a very dark background with lighter-coloured fawn stripes or streaks showing through. White markings in fawn and brindle dogs are not to be rejected; in fact, they are often very attractive, but must be limited to one-third of the ground colour, and are not desirable on the back of the torso, proper. On the face, white may replace a part or all of the otherwise essential black mask. However, these white markings should be of such distribution as to enhance and not detract from the true Boxer expression.
Head:The muzzle should always appear powerful, never small in its relationship to the skull. The head should be clean, not showing deep wrinkles. Folds will normally appear upon the forehead when the ears are erect. The Boxer's bite is normally undershot. The lips complete the formation of the muzzle and they should meet evenly. The Boxer must not show his teeth or his tongue when his mouth is closed. The forehead shows just a slight furrow between the eyes. The cheeks should be relatively flat and not bulge, maintaining the clean lines of the skull. The ears are set at the highest points of the sides of the skull, cut rather long without too broad a shell, and are carried erect.The nose is broad and black, very slightly turned up; the nostrils broad with the naso-labial line running between them down through the upper lip which, however, must not be split.
Neck:
Round, of ample length, not too short; strong and muscular and clean throughout, without dewlap, with a distinctly marked nape and an elegant arch running down to the back. Faults: Dewlap.
Chest and Forequarters:The brisket is deep, reaching down to the elbows; the depth of the body at the lowest point of the brisket equals half the height of the dog at the withers. The ribs, extending far to the rear, are well arched but not barrel shaped. The forelegs, viewed from the front, are straight, stand parallel to each other, and have strong, firmly joined bones. The dewclaws may be removed as a safety precaution. Feet should be compact, turning neither in nor out, with tightly arched toes (cat feet) and tough pads.
Body:
In profile, the build is of square proportions in that a horizontal line from the front of the forechest to the rear projection of the upper thigh should equal a vertical line dropped from the top of the withers to the ground.
Hindquarters: Strongly muscled with angulation in balance with that of forequarters.
Tail: Tail attachment high, rather than low. Tail docked, carried upward.
Gait: Viewed from the side, proper front and rear angulation is manifested in a smoothly efficient, level-backed, ground-covering stride with powerful drive emanating from a freely operating rear. Although the frontlegs do not contribute impelling power, adequate “reach” should be evident to prevent interference, overlap or “side-winding” (crabbing).
Disqualifications: Boxers with white ground colour or entirely white or any other colour other than fawn or two types of brindle. White markings that exceed one-third of the ground colour.
Size:
Adult males: 22-1/2 - 25 inches (57-64 cm); females: 21-23-1/2 inches (53-60 cm) at the withers. Males should not go under the minimum, nor females over the maximum. An adult Boxer typically weighs between 55 and 70 lbs (25 and 32 kg).
Temperament:
Boxers are a bright, energetic and playful breed and tend to be very good with children. They are active dogs and require adequate exercise to prevent boredom-associated behaviors such as chewing or digging. Boxers have earned a slight reputation of being "headstrong," which can be related to inappropriate obedience training. Owing to their intelligence and working breed characteristics, training based on corrections often has limited usefulness. Boxers, like other animals, respond much better to positive reinforcement techniques such as clicker training, which affords the dog an opportunity to think independently and to problem-solve.
The Boxer by nature is not an aggressive or vicious breed, but it does need socialization. Boxers are generally patient with smaller dogs and puppies, but issues with larger adult dogs, especially those of the same sex, may occur. Boxers are generally more comfortable with companionship, in either human or canine form.
Health:
Boxers are prone to develop cancers, heart conditions such as Aortic Stenosis and Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (the so-called "Boxer Cardiomyopathy"), hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, and degenerative myelopathy; other conditions that may be seen are gastric dilatation and torsion (bloat), intestinal problems, and allergies (although these may be more related to diet than breed). Entropion is occasionally seen, a malformation of the eyelid requiring surgical correction, and some lines have a tendency to develop spondylosis deformans, a fusing of the spine.
Boxers are an athletic breed, and proper exercise and conditioning is important for their continued health and longevity. Care must be taken not to over-exercise young dogs, as this may damage growing bones; however once mature Boxers can be excellent jogging or running companions. Because of their brachycephalic (broad) head, they do not do well with high heat or humidity, and common sense should prevail when exercising a Boxer in these conditions.
Average Lifespan:
Boxers have an average lifespan of 10-12 years.
History:
The Boxer was developed in Germany from several other breeds, including the Bulldog, the Great Dane, the Brabant Bullenbeisser (a Mastiff-type dog), and others. Originally bred for hunting and holding prey, the Boxer was later used as a guard dog. He was introduced to North America after the end of World War I and since then, the breed's popularity has grown immensely — In 2005, the Boxer ranked 8th most registered breed by the Canadian Kennel Club.
Sources:
Wikipedia
CKC
Canada's Guide to Dogs
Pictures:
Photobucket
Group: 3- Working Dogs
Origin: Germany
Purpose: Hunting bear, wild boar, and deer
Description:
The Boxer was developed in Germany as a medium-sized security dog. The breed is valued as a spirited pet and guardian of home and family. Developed to serve the multiple purposes of guard, working and escort dog, he must combine elegance with substance and ample power, not alone for beauty, but to ensure the speed, dexterity and jumping ability essential to arduous hiking, riding expedition, police or military duty.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat and Colour: Coat short, shiny, lying smooth and tight to the body. The colours are fawn and brindle. Fawn in various shades from light tan to stag red or mahogany, the deeper colours preferred. The brindle coat in the Boxer is of two opposite types. The first of these includes those dogs having clearly defined dark stripes on a fawn background. The second type has what is best termed reversed brindling. Here the effect is of a very dark background with lighter-coloured fawn stripes or streaks showing through. White markings in fawn and brindle dogs are not to be rejected; in fact, they are often very attractive, but must be limited to one-third of the ground colour, and are not desirable on the back of the torso, proper. On the face, white may replace a part or all of the otherwise essential black mask. However, these white markings should be of such distribution as to enhance and not detract from the true Boxer expression.
Head:The muzzle should always appear powerful, never small in its relationship to the skull. The head should be clean, not showing deep wrinkles. Folds will normally appear upon the forehead when the ears are erect. The Boxer's bite is normally undershot. The lips complete the formation of the muzzle and they should meet evenly. The Boxer must not show his teeth or his tongue when his mouth is closed. The forehead shows just a slight furrow between the eyes. The cheeks should be relatively flat and not bulge, maintaining the clean lines of the skull. The ears are set at the highest points of the sides of the skull, cut rather long without too broad a shell, and are carried erect.The nose is broad and black, very slightly turned up; the nostrils broad with the naso-labial line running between them down through the upper lip which, however, must not be split.
Neck:
Round, of ample length, not too short; strong and muscular and clean throughout, without dewlap, with a distinctly marked nape and an elegant arch running down to the back. Faults: Dewlap.
Chest and Forequarters:The brisket is deep, reaching down to the elbows; the depth of the body at the lowest point of the brisket equals half the height of the dog at the withers. The ribs, extending far to the rear, are well arched but not barrel shaped. The forelegs, viewed from the front, are straight, stand parallel to each other, and have strong, firmly joined bones. The dewclaws may be removed as a safety precaution. Feet should be compact, turning neither in nor out, with tightly arched toes (cat feet) and tough pads.
Body:
In profile, the build is of square proportions in that a horizontal line from the front of the forechest to the rear projection of the upper thigh should equal a vertical line dropped from the top of the withers to the ground.
Hindquarters: Strongly muscled with angulation in balance with that of forequarters.
Tail: Tail attachment high, rather than low. Tail docked, carried upward.
Gait: Viewed from the side, proper front and rear angulation is manifested in a smoothly efficient, level-backed, ground-covering stride with powerful drive emanating from a freely operating rear. Although the frontlegs do not contribute impelling power, adequate “reach” should be evident to prevent interference, overlap or “side-winding” (crabbing).
Disqualifications: Boxers with white ground colour or entirely white or any other colour other than fawn or two types of brindle. White markings that exceed one-third of the ground colour.
Size:
Adult males: 22-1/2 - 25 inches (57-64 cm); females: 21-23-1/2 inches (53-60 cm) at the withers. Males should not go under the minimum, nor females over the maximum. An adult Boxer typically weighs between 55 and 70 lbs (25 and 32 kg).
Temperament:
Boxers are a bright, energetic and playful breed and tend to be very good with children. They are active dogs and require adequate exercise to prevent boredom-associated behaviors such as chewing or digging. Boxers have earned a slight reputation of being "headstrong," which can be related to inappropriate obedience training. Owing to their intelligence and working breed characteristics, training based on corrections often has limited usefulness. Boxers, like other animals, respond much better to positive reinforcement techniques such as clicker training, which affords the dog an opportunity to think independently and to problem-solve.
The Boxer by nature is not an aggressive or vicious breed, but it does need socialization. Boxers are generally patient with smaller dogs and puppies, but issues with larger adult dogs, especially those of the same sex, may occur. Boxers are generally more comfortable with companionship, in either human or canine form.
Health:
Boxers are prone to develop cancers, heart conditions such as Aortic Stenosis and Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (the so-called "Boxer Cardiomyopathy"), hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, and degenerative myelopathy; other conditions that may be seen are gastric dilatation and torsion (bloat), intestinal problems, and allergies (although these may be more related to diet than breed). Entropion is occasionally seen, a malformation of the eyelid requiring surgical correction, and some lines have a tendency to develop spondylosis deformans, a fusing of the spine.
Boxers are an athletic breed, and proper exercise and conditioning is important for their continued health and longevity. Care must be taken not to over-exercise young dogs, as this may damage growing bones; however once mature Boxers can be excellent jogging or running companions. Because of their brachycephalic (broad) head, they do not do well with high heat or humidity, and common sense should prevail when exercising a Boxer in these conditions.
Average Lifespan:
Boxers have an average lifespan of 10-12 years.
History:
The Boxer was developed in Germany from several other breeds, including the Bulldog, the Great Dane, the Brabant Bullenbeisser (a Mastiff-type dog), and others. Originally bred for hunting and holding prey, the Boxer was later used as a guard dog. He was introduced to North America after the end of World War I and since then, the breed's popularity has grown immensely — In 2005, the Boxer ranked 8th most registered breed by the Canadian Kennel Club.
Sources:
Wikipedia
CKC
Canada's Guide to Dogs
Pictures:
Photobucket