Additional information from akc.org

Happy (early) Thanksgiving, dear reader! With the last edition before leaving for the holiday break, I figured that I would write in honor one of my favorite parts of the holiday. I may not be the biggest fan of the food or any large gatherings, but I do always love the National Dog Show that is aired on Thanksgiving Day. And so, I will be writing about my personal favorite dog breed: boxers.

Boxers, named for their use of their front paws in the same way as the athlete, are adorable mastiff-type dogs. They are characterized by their flat noses/faces, their big and droopy eyes, and their prominent muscles. Additionally, they are known for their high energy and loyal nature.

Boxers are working dogs. The modern boxer originated in Germany in the late 1800s or early 1900s and is an ancestor of the German dog breed Bullenbeisser, which is now extinct. The Bullenbeisser was larger than the modern boxer—though the size has stuck with other mastiff-type descendants—and was used for hunting big game such as boars and bears. As the activity fell out of fashion, the boxer emerged as a sleeker version of the original, though they remained working dogs. 

The group of “working dogs” includes many different jobs that can be performed. Boxers have historically performed many of these jobs. They have been big-game hunters. cattle dogs for butchers, watchdogs, guard dogs, seeing-eye dogs, and even messengers and carriers in both world wars. A boxer is happy with something to do, and will often give themselves a job if not provided with one. 

Today, boxers are considered a great family dog. They are extremely loyal and their guard dog nature can be seen in their protectiveness over their family. However, sometimes this can manifest as them being reactive and aggressive to other people and dogs. With their family (and the general public if well-trained), boxers can be very kind. They are often good with kids and, being high energy working dogs, often do well in large, active households.

Despite their stoic and intimidating look, boxers are also often considered to be very silly. They are very playful and are often recognized for being wiggly—that is, when excited, their entire body will wiggle like a tail wagging. Boxers are also extremely affectionate. They like to be extremely close to their humans and, even though they are generally 50-80 pounds on average, often enjoy sitting on laps, hugging, and being carried. 

The boxer is generally a medium-to-large-sized dog. Their coats are short and sleek, and the two official coat colorings are fawn (plain brown/tan) and brindle (brown with black stripes), with white markings being present on both. However, there are still variations such as white boxers (though they are known to often have more health issues) and “sealed brindle,” in which the black markings of the brindle coat appear so frequently that the dog appears to be black in color, though the brown can sometimes still be seen in certain lighting.

Boxers also have naturally floppy ears and long tails, though you may not see them in the first pictures that come up on Google. Despite their natural traits, the breed standard (especially for show) is to have their tails docked (cut shorter) and their ears cropped (surgically altered to be up and pointed). 

Both procedures are rather controversial, though tail docking remains a fairly common practice in the United States. Ear cropping is rarer for boxers that are only pets—it is often reserved for dogs that are competing in shows. However, tail docking is a very common practice in the United States (though banned in some European nations) for several reasons. 

In boxers, the tail is often docked with the idea that it is better for their health as they are believed to be prone to “happy tail”—an occurrence in which the dog breaks the bones in their tail by wagging it too much/hitting it against objects, thereby causing so much damage that the tail would have to be amputated anyway. However, various studies over time have put doubt on the validity of this claim.

Overall, boxers are an adorable, sweet, and goofy breed of dog that I, someone who grew up with them, believe to be one of the best family dogs.