Article Title: Boxer Dogs: Ten Things You May Not Know About
Them!
Author: Avril Harper
Legend says when God was fashioning different breeds of dog out
of clay, he came to his final task and decided to create the
most beautiful dog ever and call it a `Boxer'. But this new
breed of dog was vain and rushed to see himself in the mirror
before the clay was properly set and bumped headlong into his
own reflection. That accounts for the flat nose characteristic
of the Boxer, and also proves that God really did accomplish his
design for the world's most beautiful dog! Here are another ten
things you may not already know about Boxer dogs:
* The Boxer Dog Who Cheated Death and Became a Television Star
Instead
In 1985, a white boxer dog called Bomber was snatched from a
vet's surgery by an animal nurse and later appeared in the UK
television series, Oliver Twist. It appears the dog's previous
owners decided to put the dog to sleep when they learned he
didn't quite fit new Kennel Club standards for his breed! In
filming he was made to look flea bitten, dirty and covered in
sores. Bomber even had a dressing room all to himself and was
congratulated on giving a superb performance. Well done Bomber,
and shame on those who gave up on him!
* A Boxer Dog With His Own Fan Club
A boxer dog called George was used in media advertisements in
the early 1990s and became so well known that he eventually had
a fan club all to himself. George's strange expressions appeared
in ads. for Coleman's Mustard and eventually the dog became a
household name and even made guest appearances at public
functions and schools.
* The Boxer Dog With The Longest T-o-n-g-u-e!
A boxer dog called Brandy featured on Ripley's 'Believe It Or
Not' due to her incredible 17 inch long tongue! Brandy, from
Michigan, USA, was bought from a local breeder in 1995 and her
new owner was assured the dog would eventually grow into her
l-o-n-g t-o-n-g-u-e! She didn't and on television she was shown
performing antics such as eating from a bowl 13 inches away. Her
owner, John Scheid, says brandy likes sunbathing and even gets
tan lines on her tongue, but says the beautiful Boxer is fit,
happy and healthy, so her unique feature isn't a problem at all.
She even has her own web site at: http://www.tungdog.
* Zoe, The Boxer Dog Who Came Back to Life!
Zoe's owner, Cathy Walker, from Manuden, near Bishop's
Stortford in the UK, has been told by a medium that she is
surrounded by all the pets she has lost. That certainly seems
true of Zoe, a tan and white Boxer bitch who died several years
ago, aged eleven. The Daily Mail (November 6th 2001) printed an
amazing photograph of the bark of a tree under which Zoe spent
her last day, showing what can only be described as the image of
a boxer dog in the bark. Cathy tells how she is a great believer
in life after death and claims the image of Zoe has strengthened
that belief.
* The White Boxer Dog Who Received Hate Mail
To anyone who loves dogs in general, and Boxer dogs in
particular, Solo was as beautiful as any other of her breed. To
her owner, Joyce Lang, she was more than just beautiful, she was
a constant friend, a much loved family member. But not everyone
thought the same way and, surprisingly, in 1982, in Burgess Hill
in the UK, an anonymous letter arrived addressed to Solo,
saying: "I think you are the ugliest dog I have ever seen." What
sort of human could write such nonsense is beyond most people's
comprehension, and probably the letter was intended mainly to
upset Joyce, an objective the hateful writer most definitely
achieved. Letters continued to come saying: "Why don't you get
your master or mistress to take you for a face lift?". One even
contained a paper bag which the sender said should be placed
over Solo's head! When local newspapers heard the story the
headlines proclaimed that beauty is always in the eye of the
beholder and in Joyce's and other dog lover's eyes, Solo was
beautiful.
* A Little Boy's Tribute to His Pet Boxer, Lance
This story appeared in 'The Faithful Friend (Writings About
Owning and Loving Pets' and concerned dog owners in the United
States who often loaned their pets to the military in World War
Two. Lance, a Boxer, worked with Dogs for Defence which
eventually became the noted K09 Corps, and belonged to a family
with young children, one a boy who wrote this letter to Dogs for
Defence: `My Boxer, Lance, was in the army since last June. I
have not heard anything about him since I received a certificate
from the Quartermaster General. The number on it was 11281. I
love Lance very much and want to know if he is doing anything
brave. Can you please tell me where he is and what kind of a job
he does? Please answer soon because I can't wait much longer to
know what has become of him'.
* Origins of the Boxer Dog
What we know about the origins of most breeds, including the
Boxer, is largely owed to early sculptures, painting and
drawings. In the Boxer's case, a carving of a dog looking much
like a Boxer can be seen on a tomb in Arnstadt where lies
Elizabeth of Hohenstein who died in 1368. Flemish tapestries
from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries show dogs
resembling the Boxer engaged in stag- and boar-hunting.
* German Origins
Boxer dogs became very popular in Munich where the breed is
thought to have originated. But the history of the breed has not
been without controversy. In fact the first Boxer Club in the UK
was closed because of disagreements over almost everything
pertaining to Boxers. By 1905, however, the most enthusiastic
followers of the German Boxer met to develop a standard for the
Boxer which would be accepted by all. The Munich Boxer Club drew
up the standard which exists largely unchanged even today.
* Boxer Dogs in America
The first Boxer dog in America was imported in 1903 from
Switzerland. The new owner of the dog was New York Chief Justice
of the Court of Appeals, Irving Lehman who imported many other
Boxer dogs. The first Boxer dog registered with the American
Kennel Club was in 1904. The dog was Arnulf Grandenz, bred in
America by James Welch of Illinois.
* Boxer Dogs in Warring Nations
The boxer dog gained rapid popularity soon after the Second
World War ended, ironically more prominently in countries
formerly opposed in war with the Boxer's most likely native
home, Germany. Listen to what Rowland Johns says in 'Our Friend
The Boxer': `The re-emergence of the Boxer breed has added proof
that warring nations do not carry their antagonisms for long
into the relations between them and other nations' dogs. Both
with the Alsatian and the Boxer their popularity derives
directly from the contacts made during a state of war. In those
two wars the adoption of both breeds by members of the British
forces provided some personal satisfaction and uplift of the
spirit in long periods of exile from home, family, and friends.'
About The Author: If you hadn't already guessed it, Avril
Harper is a Boxer Dog lover, and webmaster of
http://www.boxerdog
Dogs.
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