Boxers are an incredibly graceful and very independent breed, very willing to work, but unwilling to be ordered around. Friedrun Stockmann, a German breeder whose work with boxers helped to make the breed what it is today, described the Boxer as “a gentleman amongst dogs with short coats. He not only wants the best food, he wants to be handled in a civilized manner, too.”

The Boxer is not, and was never meant to be, an “attack dog”. However, lack of aggression does not equal lack of protection. Boxers are natural guard dogs, and the first breed ever to be used as Service Dogs in the US. They partner people who are blind, deaf, lame, in wheelchairs, etc. Not one of them has ever been successfully mugged. Not one of them has had their home successfully broken into when their Boxer Service Dog has been present. These dogs know when things aren’t right and they will act accordingly.

A typical Boxer is a gentle creature without aggressive tendencies and a one-dog home-entertainment center. He is a quick learner, though he is just as quick to unlearn any task for which he does not see a reason. He is easy-care, intelligent, athletic, and faithful; a trustworthy pet for an active family … As Matthew Cowley said in his article ‘Canine Clowns’: A boxer is “a laugh a minute, lives life to the fullest, a maximum velocity version of canine slapstick.”

What more could an dog lover ask for?

Special Monthly Features for the month of May 2009
Paws N Claws Group

Set of Two

The Boxer – A Gentleman Amongst Dogs

Gimme a break …