Article Title: The Boxer Dog. A Hunter And Baby Rolled In To
One Dog Breed
Author: John E Adams
The Boxer is a dog breed instantly recognizable and quite
memorable even to the casual observer.
With its heavy shoulders and erect carriage, this is an older
breed of dog that has a great deal of deserved popularity in the
United States and in Europe.
The Boxer, with its athletic build, is clearly descended from
hunting and sporting dogs, and its history goes back more than
one hundred years.
In Germany, the first Boxer dogs were developed from crosses
between the extinct dog breed known as bullenbeissers and
bulldogs.
This breed was intended to be a hunter's dog, its main job
being to hold the prey still until the hunters appeared on the
scene.
From this practice, it is easy to see where the the boxer's
discipline and strength come from.
In the early 1900s, the Boxer was introduced to America and
recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1904.
In World War I, the Boxer was one of the many breeds of dog
that saw action on the European front.
And like German Shepherds and Rottweilers, they soon became
known for their cool heads under fire, their endurance and their
willingness to cooperate.
During the war, Boxers were used as attack dogs, guard dogs,
and pack carriers, but the position in which they may have done
the most good might have been in their roles as message
carriers.
Boxers could manoeuvre through dangerous territory with more
success than could humans and their efforts on the field saved
countless lives. After the war, many boxers were adopted by
returning soldiers and thus boxers were popularized has family
dogs.
The Boxer breed is known to be very energetic and playful,
although this can translate to high spirits that make the dog
difficult to control.
They are considered to be a fairly intelligent dog breed and
between this and their headstrong nature, boxers respond much
better to positive reinforcement than they do to punishment.
Some Boxer dogs also need some extra socialization to be made
reliable around other dogs and strangers; this breed does have a
reputation for territoriality.
"In terms of health, Boxers suffer from the same thing that
many larger, heavier dog breeds do"
They are prone to hip dysphasia and allergies as well as heart
conditions and gastric dilatation. Due to the unique shape of
their head, they do poorly with heat and high humidity and care
must taken to make sure that this breed does not overly exert
itself during a heat wave.
Otherwise, they are active dogs who require a fair amount of
exercise, although young animals should not be over exercised
for fear of damaging still-developing bones. When they reach
adulthood, boxers make great jogging companions.
Boxers are known to be excellent around children, if suspicious
and wary of strangers.
And with their speed, strength and alertness, they make good
guard dogs. They are an extremely versatile breed and they are
equally comfortable working as police dogs, service animals and
herders and it is this trait that cements their popularity.
The AKC lists The Boxer dog as the seventh most popular breed
in the United States
About The Author: By John Adams. Get advice and information for
a better, happier dog/owner relationship. Learn more about this
beautiful dog breed here:
http://www.dog-
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