Boxer
It spars with its front paws while standing up, which is where the name comes from. German, bred to hold big game, and it stays a puppy for the first three years.
Photo by andreboeni, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Boxer descends from German hunting dogs used to hold large game until the hunter arrived, which is why the jaw is undershot and wide: the dog had to grip and breathe at the same time. It became a police and military dog and then a family dog, and UK data gives it a life expectancy at birth of 10.04 years.
It is moderately brachycephalic, less extreme than a Bulldog and enough to matter in heat.
Temperament
Exuberant, playful and permanently juvenile. Boxers stay puppyish for three years and arguably never entirely stop, and they are famously good with children.
They are affectionate to the point of being physical, leaning, jumping and using their front paws, which is where the name may come from. They are protective without being aggressive, and they can be dog reactive with the same sex. They are also sensitive and do not respond to harsh handling.
Care and grooming
A short tight coat, a weekly rub down, moderate shedding. Easy.
The health picture is the difficult part. Boxers have unusually high rates of cancer, particularly mast cell tumours and lymphoma, and a breed specific heart condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, sometimes called Boxer cardiomyopathy, which can cause sudden death. Degenerative myelopathy also occurs and has a DNA test.
Living and exercise
An hour or more a day of real activity. They are athletic and they need it.
Heat is a genuine risk with that muzzle, and so is cold, since the coat is thin. Walks belong at the cool ends of the day in summer, and a coat is reasonable in winter.
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