Boxer Types

[tmcarson]

I was curious if there were different breeds of boxers. Nylah (fawn female, 1 yr old, 70 lbs) and her litter mate Davinci (mahagony fawn male, 1 yr old, and 60 lbs) are huge compared to other Boxers. Both are pure bred and so are their parents. But when we go to Petsmart or to the park and run into other Boxer owners they are amazed at how big our dogs are at their ages. On top of that we normally notice our dogs are more statuesque in build and thier heads are normally bigger. There is no question when you see them that they are Boxers and many times we get asked to show them but I'm curious if any parents notice any differences in size, markings, or builds in their Boxer when compared to others.

 

[gmacleod]

There are not different breeds of boxer. All are the same German breed of dog, and the correct size for these dogs per their breed standard is near identical worldwide.

That does not mean that all breeders breed correct dogs Some don't even know what a breed standard is, let alone attempt to conform to it LOL. But even amongst those who do, some degree of variation has to be expected. If breeding were an exact science, all boxers would be perfect representatives of their breed.

In the case of your dogs - 70lb for a bitch is very large. Assuming that she's not overweight, then it would suggest that she is larger than this breed is supposed to be (and if only a year old, likely to become even more oversized). Boxer bitches are supposed to be between 21-23 inches tall only, and weigh in the region of 55-60lb. You can read breed standards from round the world at www.boxerworld.com/standards

 

[ehayes21]

Here's another good site:

www.worldwideboxer.com

 

[tmcarson]

Thank you so much for the input. Esp. for the link to: www.worldwideboxer.com For a first time parent as I am, the site is very insightful. The reason why all dogs look different from Nylah and Davinci is becasue st are N. American bred and Nylah and Davinci strongly if not identically resemble the UK (English) bred dogs. As for Nylah's weight I have put her on a lean diet to get her down to atleast 165 lbs to prevent her from becoming overweight.

 

[gmacleod]

The reason why all dogs look different from Nylah and Davinci is becasue st are N. American bred and Nylah and Davinci strongly if not identically resemble the UK (English) bred dogs.

As a broad generalisation, UK bred boxers are generally a little smaller (shorter), not larger, than their American counterparts Broad generalisation only, of course, since the differences between individuals in any part of the world is usually as great as any differences between world regions.

 

[NevaDiva]

My 16 month female is from a US Dam and UK Stud. Her uncle is also from the UK and I really have not seen too much a difference in the two. As previously stated, the UK males were a bit "stockier" kind of short and wider chested. Neva is about 23in tall and 57 lbs. She just had a check up today and her Vet said she looks perfect. She is extremely healthy, just has a "femenine" build.

 

[Murp.mm]

Love to see some pics of Nylah and Davinci. :

 

[RWALLICAN]

A friend of mine in the Army in Germany is looking into getting a boxer. He is talking to a gentleman that breeds over there and participates in Schutzhund. The breeder says that too many Americans breed boxers to be HUGE. He says that heavier boxers don't have enough stamina and endurance to compete in the sport. They were bred to be athletes, protectors, and companions. I was shocked because I also thought that European boxers were larger than American. Being a frequent visitor at the local dog park, I realize that there are several people with "fat" boxers as opposed to the standard size.

 

[sasmeow]

It irritates me when people tell me that I have a "small" boxer, when she is right within the range for a female boxer. She is 55 pounds, 23 inches tall. I guess people just don't know the breed or are use to seeing overweight boxers. I try to tell them that she is within the breed standard and is a "normal" boxer. I wish more people would understand this.

 

[gmacleod]

when she is right within the range for a female boxer ...23 inches tall.

Actually, she's at the maximum correct height for a boxer bitch (weight is perfectly fine). So if they think that's small, they've a rather distorted view. Or just used to oversized/fat dogs. LOL