The boxer has his origins in Germany and is a mixed breed made up of Bulldog, Great Dane, and Mastiff. This breed was originally used for hunting and holding prey, but was later used as guard dogs. He was introduced to North America after World War One and has become a very popular breed of dog.

Boxers are very alert, energetic, smart, playful, loyal, and make a great family pet. Although Boxers can be extremely stubborn at times, they are basically even tempered and good natured. As they can be stubborn, early obedience training is very important. Considered a medium size dog, they are very muscular and very strong. They have broad noses with slightly pushed in faces and jowls. They have short hair and come in fawn, brindle, and white color.

Boxers are subject to certain health conditions, some of which are genetic. They are prone to cancers, heart conditions, hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, and epilepsy.

When looking for a good breeder, there are certain things to look for. The breeder should breed only properly health tested stock. Try to find a breeder who will offer a minimum one year guarantee against genetic health conditions. If the breeder "shows" his dogs, then you can have some degree of certainty that his stock will have the proper characteristics of a purebreed boxer. If the breeder cannot show you copies of the health tests performed on the parents, if he is willing to let you have your new puppy before the age of 8 weeks old, these are some warning signs that this may not be a good breeder.

When bringing home your new puppy, there are some things you should have prepared for your new family member. First of all, you need to prepare the space where he/she will be sleeping. Some people like to crate their dog, this is fine as long as the crate is large enough for the dog to stand up and walk around a bit. You may want to have a blanket or something soft to put on the floor of the crate. Puppies, of course, need to have something they can chew on. The best thing for them is a raw bone, not a cooked bone, as a cooked bone becomes dried out and can splinter. A good quality nylabone would work well also. Chewing is a stress reliever for dogs and helps with teething. Rawhides can be very dangerous for dogs as they can be a choking hazard.

Your new puppy should eat three meals a day until the age of six months. At that point you can feed him/her twice a day.

Training can be started right away. Basic commands such as "sit", "come", and "down" are fairly easy for them to learn. Training sessions should be short as puppies have a short attention span. You should use positive, reward based training.

Owning a boxer can be a very rewarding experience. They are lovable, loyal, intelligent dogs who quickly take over your heart.