About
the Boxer
In rescue we do get the "show quality" but mostly we get the everyday Boxers where the boundaries of standards are fuzzy at best! There are very small, fine boned Boxers as well as Boxers the size of Great Danes or Mastiffs! While every Boxer should have an under bite, there are Boxers who have extreme under bites, giving them a comically sweet individuality. Some Boxers have tongues which never quite fit into their mouths...and are a constant source of amusement and endearment. Every one of these Boxers is still a beauty to us!
Boxers come in four colors: fawn, brindle (fawn with black tiger stripe overlay), white and black. One of the foundation females (and thought to be a Terrier) for this breed was white and it was an accepted showing color until the "professionals" got their heads together and decided a perfect Boxer was to have no more than one third white. Their solution was to kill the white puppies hoping to eliminate this "blight" on the breed...up to one third of the births! Breeders will tell you that the whites have more health problems than the others, but this is not necessarily true for ALL whites. The whites should be protected from the sun more...as you would a fair skinned child.. and they have a higher percentage of deafness but not all whites are deaf...and they are NOT albino.
There are several influences on body types of Boxers. The heritage left over from the Bulldogs, Mastiffs, and Great Danes and Terrier shows up frequently. Some Boxers are simply huge in stature (and weigh over 100 pounds -with no fat showing!) due to more of the Great Dane or Mastiff body type...but they are indeed purebred Boxers. The Bulldog type may be smaller but more square...and we can thank them for those whose teeth seem to have no real pattern to them! The Terrier is another type of Boxer and has fine bones and it's body type is always quite lithe and lean. The heads of those with more Mastiff influence are usually rounded and have lots of great wrinkles and lips. The same for the Bulldog heads, but they can be more square. Look at the head of those more influenced by the Great Danes and you will see fewer wrinkles and an elongated nose. Many times people will question whether this type is truly a Boxer, but indeed they are!
Photos of the earliest Boxers bear little resemblance to what we see in the ring today and in any litter there could be a throwback to any of the ancestors...but they are still purebred Boxers and should be loved for the wonderful souls they are.
