Breed: Boxer refers to a group of mastiff similar species, sometimes called molossians, who share a common origin and external similarity.??Mastiff - is a huge powerful dog with strong bones and bulk head, previously used for hunting large animals, for public battles and as a guardian and military dog.

Mastiff similar ancestor of all this dogs is the so-called Tibetan mastiff, a dog resembling the modern Central Asian or Caucazian sheepdogs. The large mastiff similar dogs of this type were brought to Greece by Alexander of Macedonia from the Indian campaign.??These dogs were regarded as invincible until the IV century BC, when??the civilized world began to emerge the British dogs, who were stronger, had a broader snout and, gradually crossing with former molossians, forced them out, and eventually adopted their name.

Also, the Celtic tribes were breeding a large heavy dogs, which served as security guards and were used to hunt bears, wild boar and other large animals.??Thus, throughout continental Europe and the British Isles there were cultivated strong fighting dogs with the big muzzles and strong teeth.??Depending on local conditions, they could be relatively larger or smaller in size.

In central Europe there were bred two species of animals of this type: the large bullenbeisers and the small bullenbeisers. The large type was??used for hunting large animals, mainly in Poland and in northern Germany, while in covered with dense forest north of the Alps, hunting for wild pigs seemed more appropriate with the small bullenbeisers, because of their smaller size they were more mobile. The small bullenbeiser is considered to be the progenitor of the Boxer.

These two types of bullenbeisers differed only in size, in the rest of their typical characteristics, which were determined and fixed in the middle ages, they were very similar.??They were the same color - red or brindle - with no white markings. Their muzzles were broad and short, due to the shortening of the upper jaw the dog could breathe even gnawing at the enemy

At??the same time appeared the custom to??crop??the ears of these dogs, at first it persecuted purely utilitarian purpose: short ears are more difficult to grasp in the battle. The notch on the nose of bullenbeisers sometimes was so deep that this nose seemed to be split into two halves, these dogs were called "doble-nose". At the very beginning of the breed's development, there were some fanciers, who believed that a true Boxer's nose should be exactly this way. Still the dogs with this nose sometimes are born in the litters of a modern Boxers.

The task of bullenbeisers in hunting was usually to lie in ambush and wait for the hounds to bring them the beast, then a pack of bullenbeisers had to come out and hold the animal until the hunter will reach the place and kill the beast. Dealing with an angry bull or boar, far surpassing the dog in weight and strength and who have something to defend himself - a task that required a great courage and excellent grip.??All these qualities were derived from the Boxer's ancestors by the centuries of selection, which was previously focused only on working qualities.

However, with the advent of firearms hunting weapons the need to keep a pack of dogs was no longer etching, and also the prohibition of public harassment of animals was finally issued. The breed was saved from the edge of extinction only by the interest of butchers and cattle dealers, who for assistance in the management of animals needed such a brave and agile dog.

Further they tried to improve the breed by crossing with the imported English bulldogs, which at that time had a working exterior and were very close to the bullenbeisers by size. The??English bulldog brought to the Brabant bullenbeisers a wider body and a shorter and a larger head, and the white color, he had received in turn from the Alan (now extinct mastiff similar breed of dogs).??Thus, by the end of the XVIII century a single breed type of a bullenbeiser was almost lost, and the bulenbeisers of that time often consisted of a mixture with the English bulldog, Alans and some other dogs.

The name "Boxer" first appears between 1860 and 1870.??In the second half of the XIX century in Germany the enthusiasts in order to develop the "noble" breeds of dogs began to seriously develop the typical characteristics (standards) of the breeds, the organization of clubs, organising shows and pure breeding of the dogs, formed historically in this country. We know??the name the of the ??breeder Robert, who with his friends Konig and Hopner engaged the proper breeding of Boxers in Munich.??It is thanks to his efforts, the Boxer was first shown in a trial class at St. Bernard Club show in Munich in 1895.??This was the beginning of the official recognition of a Boxer as a breed and it's rapid development.??In the same year Robert, Hopner and Konig, organized the first Boxer club and held in Munich the very first exhibition of Boxers, where about 50 dogs were participating.

The first standard was determined by the Boxer club in 1896 and in 1902 it was recorded in writing, and since that time it has been reworked several times. The revised standard in 1905 has already been developed so elaborately that the changes made since then were not of a fundamental nature.
Since 1925 the Boxer in Germany is officially one of the seven guarding breeds.

General Features: The Boxer is a dog with a strong nervous system, self-confident, calm and balanced. His mind is the most important quality and requires special attention. His devotion and loyalty to his owner and the whole family, his vigilance and his boundless courage for their protection are already known for a long??times, he is soft to his family, but distrustful to the strangers, cheerful and friendly in play and fearless in dangerous situations. He is easily trained because of his obedience, his natural sharpness, his sense of smell. With his unpretentious and cleanliness the Boxer is equally pleasant and valuable in??family as a companion dog and as a guarding dog as well. The character of the Boxer is open, without any shyness or aggressiveness even in the old age.

Boxer is a powerful medium-sized dog of square shape. Dogs of this breed combine the expressive power and elegance, agility and style. Slightly flattened head with a broad and blunt snout gives to the appearance of a Boxer the peculiar expression of curiosity and suspicion. Ears can be cropped or left hanging. Tail is normally docked.

Temperament: The keyword, which can??characterize?? a modern Boxer is - nobility. The??external nobility of the power and harmony, free, easy movements, and the nobility of courageous, self-confident character and behavior.??In Germany there is even the champagne, produced under the name Edle Rasse (the noble breed) with a Boxer on the label.

Boxer now is one of the world's most popular breeds.??Some see the Boxer as a dog with the combination of qualities in every sense optimal for the city apartment ??- pet and defender: with his compactness the Boxer is sufficiently strong and heavy, so if necessary he is able to protect his masters, but at the same time he is not taking much space in the apartment.??Others may prefer the original appearance of a Boxer, which some people may find terrible or ugly. However, the Boxer's fanciers are able to prove their fine aesthetic taste, that not everyone understands, but if you look closely, the head of a Boxer with his short snout and unsurpassed expressiveness reminds you of, if not a??human, the monkey - for sure.??A young boxer, by the way, may be not worse than a monkey playing and doing his naughty tricks.??Character of the Boxer appeals to many.

The Boxer has developed a sense of humor and intelligence that, in his opinion, gives him the right to consider himself, if not smarter than his master, then at least not stupid.

A few words about the Boxer's distrust to the strangers, required by the standard.??"Incredulity" is a relative concept, and the Boxer does not consider any stranger as a potential target.??In the ancient ancestors of the Boxer the??aggressiveness??to people was not cultivated, and it will be manifested in a modern Boxer only when it is really necessary.??In any other situations the Boxer is usually very sociable, and has a quite friendly attitude to people, some even excessively, which can be annoying for those owners who would like to see the dog in the first place as a beast, but in a city it's probably relates more to the benefits of the??breed.

Like any creation of man, the Boxer has, of course, some disadvantages, although the disadvantages of a living beings is also a very relative concept, and usually they are a continuation of benefits, in addition, what for one dog owner is a disadvantage for others - the absolute dignity,??such as, for example, sociability and benevolence of a Boxer or his very high activity, which, incidentally, applies to the most of the other large dogs.??Boxer needs a lot of walking and activities, regardless of whether the owners want it or not.??Many Boxers are the big fight fans - it's the heredity of their fighting ancestors, but they usually do not touch the small dogs.??You can also note stubbornness - the same strain, which may complicate the training, but if a Boxer will be interested in the work and the owner will not bother him with a monotonous repetitions of the same exercises, the Boxer will do just great.

Health problems: The major concerns in Boxers will be the heart problems (for ex. cardiomyopathy). In some lines hip dysplasia may be an issue. Some Boxers are prone to different kinds of allergies.

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