Boxer Information & Dog Breed Facts

The Boxer’s oldest ancestors, both the Mastiff and the Molosser-type of dogs go back to the early Assyrian Empire, back as far as 2,500 B.C. These dogs derive their name after the region of Molossis, which is now called Albania. Their other old ancestor is the Mastiff-type of fighting dogs, originating from the Tibetan Valleys.

The breed was created in Germany, however, there were some Flemish tapestries found from the 16^th and from the 17^th century, which depicts similarly looking dogs accompanying people in combats and during hunting. The Boxer’s ancestors are thought to be the German Bullenbeisser, another descendant of the Mastiff, and the Bulldog. The German Bullenbeisser was a hunting dog that has existed for centuries in Germany and was used to pursue larger games like wild boar, bear, and deer. Their tasks included catching and holding the prey until the hunter arrived at the scene. These duties required strong and wide jaws with strong teeth, which enabled the dogs to bite powerfully and hold for extended periods of time. By the 1860s, the breed lost its original purpose and was solely employed as guards of property. The modern Boxer was developed in the late 1800s, in Germany by a man named Georg Alt, from Munich. He crossed a brindle-coated female Bullenbeisser named Flora with a locally found dog, whose origin or breed was unknown. This cross marked the start of the Boxer breeding program. The litter born out of this cross was also matched with Flora. Due to neglect, selective breeding, and lack of preservation, the Bullenbeisser went extinct. Later, in order to perfect the Boxer’s physical appearance, breeders included the English Bulldog in the gene pool. Quickly after that, the first Boxer specimen entered the German Stud Book after winning the Munich dog show.

In 1894, three Germans, named Hopner, Konig, and Roberth made serious efforts, with the intention of stabilizing and homogenizing the breed and put the breed in dog shows, to popularize it and to hopefully gain recognition. The first Boxer Club was formed in 1895, with the same goals in mind. Thanks to their efforts, the Boxer got more widespread all around Europe quite quickly during the late 19^th century. In 1903 the first specimen was imported to the United States of America, and a year later, the AKC (American Kennel Club) registered the first Boxer, who was named Arnulf Grandez. During the First World War, the Boxer was employed by the military, serving as messenger dogs carrying packages, guards of people and property, they also served as pack dogs. The breed’s popularity increased significantly after the Second World War when American soldiers brought their dogs home with them as mascots from the war. Soon, the Boxer was very well-known and loved all around the world. The ABC (American Boxer Club) was founded in 1935, and the Boxer gained full AKC recognition in the same year.

Nowadays, the Boxer is still a very popular breed, the breed ranks 7^th among the 155 breeds accepted by the AKC. As dogfighting and bull-baiting had been outlawed, the prejudice about the breed almost completely vanished. The Boxer is considered to be an energetic, fun, loving, and loyal family companion. Moreover, the breed is renewed for their even temperament around children. Today, the Boxer is also employed by the police, the military, and as service dogs.