Medium to large, powerful and athletic working dog with a distinctive short-muzzled, flat face and short coat. Known for their fun-loving, bright temperament and expressive face, combining energy with loyalty.
Developed in late 19th century Germany from the now-extinct German Bullenbeisser (used for hunting large game like boar and bear) and English Bulldog, originally for bull-baiting and hunting, later refined for working and companion roles
Males typically weigh 29-36 kg and stand 58-64 cm at the shoulder; females 23-29 kg and 55-60 cm.
“The Boxer should be fearless self-confident, calm and equable. Temperament is of the utmost importance and requires careful attention. Devotion and loyalty towards his master and his entire household, his watchfulness and self-assured courage as a defender are famous. He is harmless with his family but distrustful of strangers. Happy and friendly in play, yet fearless in a serious situation. Easy to train on account of his willingness to obey, his pluck and courage, natural keenness, and scent capability. Undemanding and clean, he is just as agreeable and appreciated in the family circle as he is as a guard, companion and working dog. His character is trustworthy, with no guile or cunning, even in old age”
Quoted from FCI standard n°144. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; American Boxer Club — Health Screening Recommendations. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
FCI standard · Boxer
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°144 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
Quoted from FCI standard n°144. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
FCI divides the Boxer into these varieties, listed in the registry's own words. Depending on the breed they separate colour, coat, size or line — they are not a full list of colours, which no registry we hold publishes. Ask a breeder which variety their line is.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Boxer in general; any individual animal can differ.
Known hereditary risks for the Boxer breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
7 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)A narrowing of the outflow from the heart that can range from harmless to a cause of collapse or sudden death; it can develop after a dog has already tested clear once at a younger age.
What to ask for
Auscultation and Doppler echocardiogram by a cardiologist, on both parents, from 24 months old
An inherited heart-rhythm disorder that can cause fainting, collapse or sudden death; the breed club's own primary screening tool is not a DNA test but an annual 24-hour Holter monitor.
What to ask for
The club's required screen is an annual Holter monitor on breeding dogs. DNA tests exist for two known markers (striatin/ARVC1, and a second gene identified in 2021, ARVC2), but their predictive value is disputed: a negative result on either or both does not rule out the disease, since not every affected Boxer carries a known mutation, and dogs with only one copy of a mutation often stay symptom-free for years. Treat a clear DNA result as reassuring, not conclusive, alongside the Holter monitor.
Malformation of the hip joint causing pain, lameness and early arthritis.
What to ask for
OFA hip evaluation (or PennHIP), on both parents, from 24 months old, under the American Boxer Club's programme
A progressive, incurable disease of the spinal cord causing hind-limb weakness and eventual paralysis in older dogs.
What to ask for
Degenerative myelopathy (SOD1) DNA test, on both parents (recommended)
The immune system attacks the thyroid gland, usually leading to hypothyroidism; manageable with lifelong medication once diagnosed.
What to ask for
Full thyroid panel (TgAA, total and free T4AA, cTSH) annually while breeding
A severe inflammatory bowel disease that occurs overwhelmingly in Boxers, almost always before two years old, causing bloody diarrhoea and weight loss. It responds well to antibiotic treatment once correctly diagnosed, but there is no way to predict or test for it in advance.
What to ask for
No test exists. Ask the breeder whether they have seen it in litters from this line — it is a young-dog disease, so an experienced breeder would already know.
The standard's short muzzle, pinched nostrils and short neck restrict airflow; the FCI's own judging guidance for this breed names forced breathing and snoring as a specific area of risk.
What to ask for
No test; ask to hear the dog breathe after mild exercise in warm weather — pronounced snoring or open-mouth breathing at rest is what the FCI's own guidance flags.
Median survival 11.3 years
95% confidence interval 11.3–11.5 years, from 5,925 recorded deaths among 11,187 dogs
Mortality hazard 1.18 (1.15, 1.21) relative to crossbred dogs, whose median is 12.0 years.
Measured in the United Kingdom from 584,734 dogs. Median survival is not a prediction for an individual dog.
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., Upjohn, M.M., Casey, R.A. & Christley, R.M. (2024) Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531.
This is where Boxer owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
That is not the same as none existing. Publishing a litter is part of a breeder's subscription here, so a Boxer breeder can have a litter and no listing — ask them directly.
See Boxer breeders