Appearance of the Boxer

Height at the withers: Males 57 – 63 cm, Females 53 – 59 cm

Average Weight: Males 30 – 32 kg, Females 25 – 27 kg

One of the most noticeable and endearing physical traits of Boxers is their undershot jaw and unlike in many other breeds this is one trait that is highly desirable in the breed. Their jaw structure means a Boxer has a very strong grip when they take anything in their mouths. They are extremely proud looking dogs that always hold themselves well. They are extremely well-muscled and nicely proportioned from the heads right down to the tips of their tails.

A Boxer’s head is another of their defining physical features which should always be well in proportion to the rest of a dog’s body. Head of Boxershould never show any sort of exaggeration with their occiput never being too pronounced. Boxers have a well-defined stop and the bridge of their noses should never be too far back in a dog’s forehead and it should not be downfaced either.

The tip of a Boxer’s nose is set a little higher than the root of their muzzles which adds to their unique look. Cheeks are well developed and powerful without any hint of a bulge. The only time a Boxer has any wrinkles on their faces is when they are excited. Their muzzles are always that much darker as compared to the rest of their faces and bodies.

Their eyes are always alert dark brown in colour and have an “intelligent” look about them which is enhanced by the dark rims around them. Their ears are set wide apart on the top part of their head falling to the front when a dog is excited but otherwise they lie flat close to a dog’s cheeks. As previously mentioned one of the defining features of the breed is their undershot jaw and their extremely powerful bite.

Their neck is supple and strong being well-muscled with a distinct arch in it that goes right down to a dog’s withers. Their forequarters are powerful and square in appearance when seen in profile. Boxers have very deep chests with well arched and well-defined ribcages. Their backs are short and slope downwards to their hindquarters giving these dogs a very powerful appearance even when they are at rest. Their feet are small and very cat-like in appearance with arched toes and their back feet are slight longer than their front ones. A Boxer’s tail is set high and dogs tend to carry them high.

When it comes to a Boxer’s coat this is short and tight to their bodies being smooth to the touch and glossy looking. These lovely dogs boast a variety of colours which includes the following:

🐾 Black Brindle
🐾 Black Brindle & White
🐾 Brindle
🐾 Brindle & White
🐾 Brindle Black Mask
🐾 Dark Brindle
🐾 Dark Brindle & White
🐾 Fawn
🐾 Fawn & White
🐾 Golden Brindle & White
🐾 Light Brindle
🐾 Light Brindle & White
🐾 Red
🐾 Red & White
🐾 Red & White Black Mask
🐾 Red Black Mask
🐾 Red Brindle
🐾 Red Brindle & White
🐾 Tiger Brindle
🐾 Tiger Brindle & White
🐾 White

Gait/movement

When a Boxer moves they do so powerfully covering a great deal of ground with lots of strength coming from their hindquarters. When seen from the side a Boxer has a free-moving stride and a noble appearance about them.

Faults

The Kennel frowns on any exaggerations or departures from the breed standard and would judge all faults on how much they affect a Boxer’s overall health and wellbeing as well as their ability to perform as they should.

Male Boxers must have both testicles fully descended into their scrotums and it is worth noting that a Boxer can be a little taller or shorter and they can be slightly lighter or heavier than set out in their Kennel Club breed standard which is given only as a guide to a dog’s appearance.