Pets

Boxers are a stocky, medium-sized, short haired dog with a smooth fawn or brindled coat and square muzzle. They have very strong jaws and a powerful bite but are generally soft mouthed(Editor. I had a large male boxer called Mutley when I was 20 and living in share accommodation. One of my flat mates got a rambunctious kitten that would pounce on Mutley. Now Mutley was a very large specimen, over 35 kilograms, yet he would play carefully with the naughty kitten, sometimes softly biting it, with half of the kitten?s body in his mouth!)

Boxers were developed in Germany in the mid-1800s by breeding several different breeds together including the ancestors of a Bulldog with the ancestors of the Great Dane. The name "Boxer" is derived from this breed of dog beginning a fight by standing on its two hind legs and "boxing" with its two front paws.

An adult boxer typically weighs between 25 and 32 kg (55 to 70 lb) and is between 53 and 63 cm (21 to 25 in) tall. Cropping of the tail and ears remains popular, although it is now prohibited in most European breed standards and is slowly becoming banned in many other countries.

Boxers are typically either fawn or brindled with a white underbelly and white on the front or all four feet. The whiteness, called 'flashiness,' often extends onto the shoulders or face, and some boxers are entirely white, though white boxers are occasionally deaf. Conversely, some brindled boxers are so dark as to appear black. In the UK , fawn boxers are typically richer in colour and are called "Red".

Temperament
Boxers are a bright, energetic and playful breed and tend to be very good with children. They require training early as they will develop strong personalities. They reach emotional maturity very late(3 years) for a shortish lived dog. They are not considered fully mature until age three, one of the longest times in dogdom, and thus need the early training to keep their high energy from wearing the owner out.

Health
Boxers can develop skin cancers, heart murmurs, and ailments of the joints, such as arthritis and hip dysplasia. Although most good breeders test their breeding stock before breeding and the incidence is slowly decreasing.

(Editor ? their short muzzle tends make them snore, and they sure do fart)

Uses
Boxers make wonderful, friendly, lively companions and as such are often a family dog. They have also made appearances at dog agility trials and flyball. Before dog fighting was made illegal, Boxers were used in dog fights. These strong and intelligent animals have even been sometimes used as guide dogs for the blind and police dogs in K9 units in place of the typical German Shepherd.

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