History — US Boxer Association

History of the Breed

His ancestors, the "Brabant Bullenbeisser", which was a small Mastiff type dog, were originally bred in Belgium.

The reason that the Boxer was even bred into existence, was that influential breeders of the time were looking to perfect a dog that would be: strong, able to hunt down prey and able to hold that prey until their owners came to claim it.

The Boxer breed came into existence in the 1800's when a now extinct breed called the Brabant Bullenbeisser was bred with an English Bulldog. The Bullenbeisser breed was of the Mastiff family and was used for hunting. These dogs would chase and hold large prey such as deer and wild boar, until their owners came to claim it.

The very features that we love about this breed and the elements that "make" a Boxer each served a specific reason in regard to his purpose as hunter:

The wide undershot jaw was thought to allow the Boxer to lock onto his prey and to continue holding it until his master arrived.
Facial side wrinkles were thought to aid a dog in acting as a guard that prevented excess blood from spraying into the eyes.
The nose, large and with open nostrils, set back into the face, was thought to allow the dog to breath well, while using his mouth to hold onto quarry.

The Boxer was carefully bred to be an exemplary hunting dog, with the strength and physical features that set him apart from all others. Even the coloring was given great thought. The brindling allowed the canine to blend into surroundings and acting as a sort of camouflage among tall grasses and trees.

It was in Germany that the breed was refined. In 1895, a Boxer Club was formed in Munich, Germany, and the founders drew up the first Boxer Standard as a guide for their future breeding. The goal was to build its size and create a dog that was brave. As the bravery trait started to stand out, boxers started to be used as guard dogs and police dogs in Germany. Within just a few generations, the focus from hunting faded (more and more terrier type dogs were used for that) and the breed began to interact more with families as they stood guard at owner's homes.

It was a quick move from guard dog to companion, as the traits of loyalty and good temperament allowed this breed to be accepted as indoor, companion dogs and family pets.

Boxers served in both World Wars as messengers and guard dogs. This almost ended the breed. Boxers along with German Shepherds were used in both World Wars. Frau Stockmann sent some of her boxers to the U.S. to try and save the German boxers. The American Boxers are descendants from those boxers.