The Boxer's history could be traced back to feudal Germany, where it was a small hunting dog that could tenaciously hold onto a bull, boar, or bear till the master arrived. It was also a utility dog for peasants and shop owners, and even a performing dog in circus.

The Boxer as we know it today is a bigger breed – a mixture of the German Boxer with a taller, more elegant English import. The era of this modern Boxer began in the 1880s and became really popular in the United States in the late 1930s-1940s. 

Handsome dog: Within the canine world, Boxer is a medium-sized dog standing at 21 to 25 inches at the shoulder for a full-grown female, and weighs some 50 to 65 pounds. The male can be taller and 15 pounds heavier.

It has a striking good look with chiseled head, square jaw and muscled body that make for a very handsome silhouette.

The ears are cropped and erect that enhance its hearing – the Boxer’s most developed sense. It is always alert and vigilant, an instinctive guard dog.

The shortened muzzle makes hot and humid weather uncomfortable for the Boxer.

The coat is short, hard and smooth, and possesses a natural sheen that can be enhanced with rubdowns with a chamois cloth (especially after a bath).

The short coat cannot protect him well from extreme elements of the weather and thus Boxer should definitely not be kept outdoors. It is a housedog, sensitive to temperature extremes, does not enjoy the draft, summer heat or cold. 

Boxers come in attractive basic colors of fawn and brindle. The fawn varies from a tawny tan to an especially beautiful stag red. The brindle (clearly defined black stripes on a fawn background) can be sparse, in between or dense.

A beauty standard for Boxers is that their white markings or “flash” should add to their look and may not cover more than one-third of the entire body. Some predominantly or all-white puppies (known as “check”) may be born in a litter.

In the US, however, the American Boxer Club members are pledged not to register, sell or use these “whites” for breeding so as to retain the beauty of the true fawn and brindle colors in the breed.

Personality-wise, Boxer is a cool dog that will not bark without cause. Its expressive face – the furrowed forehead and dark, soulful eyes - is a charming quality that sets the Boxer apart from other breeds.