Breed Spotlight: the Boxer
The modern day Boxer can be traced back 4,000 years to the ancient Mesopotamian city of Molossus, where the Assyrians used the Molossian dog to dominate the battlefield. These dogs were renowned for their size, power, strength, and tenacity, and their modern-day descendants (Mastiffs and Bulldogs) continue in that tradition. Eventually, the reputation of the Molossian dogs preceded the breed. The value of Molossian dogs became widely recognized, and the dogs’ popularity began to spread throughout the Middle East. Eventually, descendants of these dogs found their way to Germany, where they were known as the “Bull-biters,” or Bullenbisers, which were used for centuries to capture and hold, or bait, large game such as cattle and deer until the hunters could arrive and properly dispatch the animal. Eventually a smaller, more agile Bullenbiser was developed in Brabant, Belgium, which was used as the foundation stock of today’s agile and powerful Boxer.
It wasn’t until the late 1800s that three gentlemen from Munich, Germany—R. Hopner, Elard Konig, and Friedrich Robert—decided to develop these dogs into their own separate breed. In 1895, the first Boxer exhibition dog show was held in Munich, and the following year, the first Boxer breed club was established: the Deutscher Boxer Club, which later established the original breed standard. From Germany, the breed’s popularity rose and spread through the rest of Europe, and finally, in the late nineteenth century, the Boxer arrived on American soil. However, it wouldn’t be until after World War II that the Boxer began to rise in popularity in the United States.
Since the end of World War II, the Boxer has been recognized and celebrated as a popular, capable, and loyal companion and working dog. He has served in many capacities, from war dog to farm dog. Today, he can often be seen strutting around the show ring or working as a therapy dog, but many simply know the Boxer as a faithful and beloved family companion.
Want to learn more about the Boxer? Click here for the full breed standard.
