all about the boxer dog
The History of the Boxer Dog
Once upon a time, about 150 years ago, a dog lover in Germany put together (in what we are sure was a true-love match) an Old English Bulldog (think Spike from Tom & Jerry) and a Bullenbeiser (supreme hunting dog). In hindsight it was an odd-combination, the Bullenbeiser being a finely tuned hunting machine and the Bulldog being a loyal, lazy, goofy oversized lap dog - but you can not deny what was produced was pure magic.
Boxers inherited the personality of the bulldog with physical prowess and energy of the Bullbeiser and were immediately put to work as hunting dogs.
But it was in the 1940's that Boxer Dogs emerged as true heroes. In World War 2 the Allied forces employed Boxer Dogs to carry messages through enemy lines - their speed, focus and loyalty to their masters making them the perfect squaddie. Two Boxers (Punch & Judy) even won medals for bravery. At the end of the war the soldiers had formed such loving bonds with their "little messengers" they brought them home to be family pets and ever since then they have been stealing our bedcovers and remote control.
The Many Colors and Long tails of Boxers
There are two colours of Boxers recognized in Australia - Fawn (which is red to you and me) and Fawn and Brindle (which is stripes on a fawn background). Usually the stripes are spaced out and lots of the red undercoat shows through (as with Molly here) but occasionally they can be really close together and make the dog look almost black (as with Fleur here).
Then all boxers have at least some white flash, at minimum on the chest, but as you can see here each dog has its own very unique level of flash. Occasionally a boxer will be born "all flash no color", and thats when you get the "white boxer". At this time the white boxers are not recognised in Australian standards, but they have been welcomed into the American Kennel Club and almost all of the "health rumors" about white boxers have been debunked.
The tail is another point of debate in Australia. The docking of the tail and ears were banned in Australia in 2004 as it was cruel to the pup, but since then some breeders have successfully worked on breeding the same look by strategically cross breeding two boxers who carry the rare bob tail gene. If you see a boxer dog with a bob tail in Australia today it has almost definitely been born that way, with no painful process involved. At Fairytail we don't breed bob tails as we personally love the crazy tail and see the wagging tail as their smile, but everybody has their own preference.
Living With Boxers
We love our boxers, we really really do. But they are not a low maintenance dog breed and don't go well in an apartment (believe us, we tried for a year!).
Boxer dogs have two modes: mode one is "sprint mode", Boxer dogs are actually amongst the fastest breeds in the world and can sprint at upto 45 miles per hour, with a decent amount of stamina too, so they must be exercised thoroughly on a daily basis or furniture destruction will begin.
Then we have mode two, which usually promptly follows "sprint mode" and this is "sofa stealer mode". Boxers take loyalty very very seriously, and they show their loyalty to you by following you everywhere (including to the bathroom). They need to know this loyalty is rewarded, so demand constant reassurance that you love them as much as they love you - and apparently the best way to convince them is give up your sofa and your bed. The positive is they are awesome cuddle-buddies, but if you go to the toilet in the middle of the night, consider your room in the bed forfeit!
They are great with young children, highly responsive to training, playful, and they live to make you smile.
If you are looking for a boisterous, loving member of the family - the Boxer could not be more perfect for you
All About the Fairytail Forest Pack
The Queen: Molly Weasley
The Queen: Molly Weasley
The Queen: Molly Weasley
Molly Weasley is a 4 year old brindle boxer, and 100% Daddy's Girl. We have (unofficially) diagnosed her as having FOMO (fear of missing out) and needs to follow us everywhere. If we leave the car boot open it takes her seconds to jump in and ask "where are we going?"
Molly has had two stunning litters of puppies and will - if she wants
Molly Weasley is a 4 year old brindle boxer, and 100% Daddy's Girl. We have (unofficially) diagnosed her as having FOMO (fear of missing out) and needs to follow us everywhere. If we leave the car boot open it takes her seconds to jump in and ask "where are we going?"
Molly has had two stunning litters of puppies and will - if she wants - have her third and final litter in the middle of this year, before she passes on the mantle to her daughter Fleur.
Molly is a retired show dog who now trains in Agility (jumping over obstacles and running through tunnels) which she loves as it gives her quality time with Daddy
Molly is an American style boxer (sleeker elegant lines, refined physical build)
The Baby: Fleur Delacour
The Queen: Molly Weasley
The Queen: Molly Weasley
Fleur is Molly’s firstborn and her absolute best friend. The two are completely inseparable, and it’s pure joy to watch them race around the property, happily sharing a rope, a stick—or occasionally, a pair of my shoes!
At 18 months old, Fleur is nearly an adult, though she hasn’t quite gotten the memo yet. She’s full of life and curiosi
Fleur is Molly’s firstborn and her absolute best friend. The two are completely inseparable, and it’s pure joy to watch them race around the property, happily sharing a rope, a stick—or occasionally, a pair of my shoes!
At 18 months old, Fleur is nearly an adult, though she hasn’t quite gotten the memo yet. She’s full of life and curiosity, always ready for an adventure - whether it’s chasing a cat, ’helping’ herself to treasures from Boleyn’s school bag, or enthusiastically clearing our dinner plates (from he dining table!). Her boundless enthusiasm means she sometimes forgets the rules, but she never holds a grudge when reminded.
Beyond her spirited personality, Fleur is a true beauty. She is one of those rare ’seal’ Boxers, with brindle lines so close together that, in the right light, she almost looks black. She had a promising start in the show ring, but after one of her many fearless escapades led to a slightly bent tail (don’t worry, she never even noticed!), she’s now gearing up to start agility training alongside her mom this term. We can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next!.
Fleur is the cross of the American and European (Italian) style boxer, so a little more "robust" than Molly but still sleeker than the British Boxer
The Queen Mum: Princess
The Queen Mum: Princess
The Queen Mum: Princess
Don't tell Princess, but she's a 9 year old flashy fawn boxer. However she thinks she is a human who is rudely forced to spend half the day outside.
Princess is our oldest boxer. But yes this photo is recent, doesn't the Dame look amazing for her age? We keep her young by bringing younger pups into the house and she loves to play Aunt
Don't tell Princess, but she's a 9 year old flashy fawn boxer. However she thinks she is a human who is rudely forced to spend half the day outside.
Princess is our oldest boxer. But yes this photo is recent, doesn't the Dame look amazing for her age? We keep her young by bringing younger pups into the house and she loves to play Auntie Princess, but her true love is the cats and she spends all of her day trying to be included with them (inside, eating whenever they like, lounging on sofas).
Whilst Princess is 63 in human years, she has the energy of a teenager and can keep up with Molly and Fleur most of the time
Princess is representative of an American Style Boxer
The Top Dog: Winston
The Queen Mum: Princess
The Queen Mum: Princess
Winston is most likely the dog you think of when you think of a boxer: loyal, steadfast, always eating.
He is eight years old and unlike Princess is starting to behave like the elder he is. Whilst some dogs seek out leadership, Winston is amongst those who have leadership thrust upon them.
Realising the three ladies were too chaotic to l
Winston is most likely the dog you think of when you think of a boxer: loyal, steadfast, always eating.
He is eight years old and unlike Princess is starting to behave like the elder he is. Whilst some dogs seek out leadership, Winston is amongst those who have leadership thrust upon them.
Realising the three ladies were too chaotic to lead Fairytail Forest he reluctantly stepped into the role of Top Dog which seems to involve telling the rest of the pack which birds and possums to chase while he supervises from a bed on the Verandah (is anyone else thinking lion).
Winston is closer to a European (British) Style Boxer, bigger boned with a broader chest