For those of you who were in the discussion yesterday about boxers, and when I gave my view that they were to guard and were good guard dogs.... I thought I would find some authority to back my statement.... This explans why the breed was developed.... "Man found that the longer legged, swift dogs were well suited ot hunting and tracking down prey, the slower, mastiff type dog, he found were good watchdogs. It is from the early Mastiff type dog that the Boxer's own ancestors stem... However far back we delve into the Boxer's ancestry, itis clear that the dog to be left at home to guard the mud hut or the medieval castle had to be content to stay there while the other dog went hunting. He had to be a large, fierce-looking dog, so that he discouraged intruders just by the look of him.In addition he had to be a clever dog, as he had to have the power of discrimination between friend and foe..." Quoted from Boxers, by Beverly Pisano If any one has any conflicting evidence, Please share it...
The Dogsey article by our very much missed member Shadowboxer has some info on boxer origins The Boxer
Great article!!!!!!!!! Noting it says "As a guarding breed the boxer is alert, self assured and fearless" Thanks for that..
Well... hmmm.... they are called a guarding breed, so I would imagine, that means "to guard" in its own right....
History of the Boxer http://americanboxerclub.org/boxer_history.html Breed standard http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/45
Another article on hpw our Boxers are as we know then today Later, this dog evolved into what was called the Bullenbeisser. The Bullenbeiszer's roots go back to Belgium and these ancestors were known as great hunting and working dogs. Originally used to hunt wild boar and later used for working with cattle these dogs eventually diverged into different types, the smaller of which were called the Brabanter Bullenbeiszer. After mixing with a forerunner of the English Bulldog, the dog became what is known today as the Boxer breed around the mid to late 19th century. The Boxer dog origin and history becomes well documented at that point as Boxer dog breed clubs were formed in Germany in the 1860s. Boxer Dog Breed History What we know of as the Boxer today can be traced to the 1830s when a breeder crossbred the Brabanter Bullenbeiszer with the English Bulldog, but the Boxer dog breed history really begins in the 1860s as breeders began to establish and develop guidelines for the breed. In 1895 the Boxer Club was formally formed and further improvements were made to the standards of the Boxer dog breed. Although initially the Boxer dog breed was generally white, by 1925 white was not accepted as a proper color for the breed. In fact, the color of choice now is fawn and brindle and any dog with more than a third of its coat white will be disqualified in AKC events. The Boxer dog breed came to the United States around the beginning of the 1900s but did not become a popular dog breed until the 1940s. The breed was first registered by the American Kennel Club in 1904 and the first Boxer Champion was recognized in 1915. In 1949 a famous Boxer dog, Bang Away, won Best in Show at the Westminster and went on to win 121 more Best in Shows over the course of six years. Bang Away became a famous dog, appearing on the front of magazine such as Life and Esquire. Due to the success of this one dog, the Boxer dog breed became very popular in the United States at the time and continues to be one of the 10 most popular breeds as determined by the American Kennel Club All Breeds have evolved from the medieval days when breeds where bred for war, and protection. Most of our breeds today do not resemble the ancestors they came from. As many like the Boxer where not a breed as we know it. The first Boxer came about in the 1800`s
The Boxer is part of the Molosser group, developed in Germany in the late 1800s from the now extinct Bullenbeisser, a dog of Mastiff descent, and Bulldogs brought in from England. The Bullenbeisser had been working as a hunting dog for centuries, employed in the pursuit of bear, wild boar, and deer. Its task was to seize the prey and hold it until the hunters arrived. In later years, faster dogs were favored and a smaller Bullenbeisser was bred in Brabant, in northern Belgium. It is generally accepted that the Brabanter Bullenbeisser was a direct ancestor of today's Boxer.[2] In 1894, three Germans by the name of Roberth, Konig, and Hopner decided to stabilize the breed and put it on exhibition at a dog show. This was done in Munich in 1895, and the next year they founded the first Boxer Club, the Deutscher Boxer Club. The Club went on to publish the first Boxer breed standard in 1902, a detailed document that has not been changed much to this day.[3] The breed was introduced to other parts of Europe in the late 19th century and to the United States around the turn of the century. The American Kennel Club (AKC) registered the first Boxer in 1904, and recognized the first Boxer champion, Dampf vom Dom, in 1915. During World War I, the Boxer was co-opted for military work, acting as a valuable messenger dog, pack-carrier, attack dog, and guard dog. It was not until after World War II that the Boxer became popular around the world. Boxer mascots, taken home by returning soldiers, introduced the dog to a much wider audience and it soon became a favorite as a companion, a show dog, and a guard dog. The Boxer we Know and love today, is a companion, one who is loyal and protective of his people. They can turn there little paws to most things, service work / Guide dogs / and many more. If looking for a true guard dog, there are other breeds who have been pacifically bred for the sole purpose of "guarding"
Ok, we have got the messgae, in your view you dont believe all the articles that say they are able to guard..... but thats a fact, hun.. so just swallow it...........
Yes they can guard but were not originally bred to guard. I know with my two one would make a lot of noise and the other would run at the first sign of trouble. So mine I would not definately class as guard dogs
Pleas do not put words in my mouth... I am sorry , but why are you so hostile, you will get better responses if you are polite to people. You posted this topic, asking for other origins of the breed to be posted. We have given you all the info we can find about our Boxers. Guarding is only one of the aspects of the modern Boxer, and a very small aspect too, nobody has said they do not have a guarding instinct, some do some dont, we have said it is a small part of a Boxer.... their is so much more to this breed than just wanting it to be a guard dog. Most Boxer owners will tell you the same... Most Boxers will shout their head of, to alert strangers....but once in they will be licked to death. If you want your dogs for protection so be it...it is your prerogative, otheres want a Boxer as a pet.... and it today's society, with the DDA we would rather not advertise our breed as "good guard dogs"
Im certainly not being hostile.. but you insist on posting that boxers are not able to guard... which is why I took the opportunity to illustrate to you in my first post the origins of the boxer. You then, posted further material which again states that the boxer has the ability to guard., yet you still insist that they are guard dogs? I fail to see your argument, and i have run out of patience
I think you have misinterpreted my other posts. Nowhere did I say they do not have guarding instinct..as I have highlighted in the articles. This is what I wrote in the other thread. Twice I stated, they have a guarding instinct , along with many other traits. Boxers have many traits, guarding can be one of them, some are good at it, some are not!! They are lovers not fighters. Most dogs whatever the breed will alert you to intruders. The point both Carole and myself are trying to make is.... although there is a guarding instinct in our Boxers... it is not at the forefront of the breed, most people do not buy a Boxer to gaurd, their property, they buy them for the fun loving creatures they are. the origens of the Boxer was not purely to "Guard" If I was approached by a potential Boxer owner, and they asked me for information on the breed, guarding would be the last thing on my list. I would be wary of any new owner just wanting one as a gaurd dog. Boxers are people dogs, they love to be with their people in the comfort of their homes... they do not thrive living the life of an outside gaurd dog. Other breeds would be suited to do said job. I hope I have now made myself clear, and any misunderstanding is cleared up.
I note you speak of your opinion, as if you are representing the nation... 1.You cant possibly know what reasons other people buy boxers for... 2.Boxers were bred to intimidate, that was why they were crossed with the mastiff... 3.One of the origins of the boxer was certainly to guard.. 4.Your opinion about what the boxer is, is only your opinion... so whats on your list is irrelevant. Any one wishing to know about boxers can read into their history... 5.Whats your authority for saying " that a boxer is not able to live outside as a guard dog, " Further more, a guard dog does not have to live outside...
We owned and showed boxers for a number of years and became involved as well with boxer rescue in our area and I sympathise with Jackbox trying to explain her love for this funny loveable breed to someone who IMHO sees just the bare bones of the breed history and does not seem to have any empathy with the breed. I apologise in advance if this is not so but horses 01466 you do come across as being very pedantic about this and seem to miss the point other boxer owners are trying to put across politely and I think most owners wouldnt like to think they were bought just as guard dogs as most of us adore them for their funny clownish loveable nature rather than a fierce guard dog which you seem bent on portraying them Yes I think they would guard their family with their life,but it isnt the main reason most people would opt for a boxer
This Dog was my first boxer, dog,(male) till then I had only experience bitches. He would bark nasty and would not let you in, unless we told him it was ok, then he'd stand looking at the stranger and wouldn't let them out again till we said it was ok, Until then we never experienced a boxer with such strong guarding instinct, so yes Sonya they can still do what they were partly bred for over 1oo year's ago.;-)
Thanks Zoeybeau.... .........I dont have a pic of my old boy,as he died 2 years ago, but not at all unlike your last guy there.......I am not trying to portray the boxer has fierce...... but I was set upon yesterday, for commenting that they were bred partly for guarding... that does not in any way take away from their loveable nature to their owner... And Kathy it is not possible to state why people opt for the boxer... I am sure it is for a variety of reasons... I for one know of many boxer owners who keep them for protection...
