Man's Best Friend

Boxer Likes, History and Appearance

By Madusanka

Boxer

Country of origin : Germany

Life : 10 –12 years

Litter : Average 6 to 8 although larger litters

Color : fawn or brindle, black mask, with or without

white markings

Coat : short, shiny, smooth, close-lying

Other names : German Boxer and Deutscher Boxer

Size : male57 to 63 cm (22"-25")

: females 53 to 60 cm (21"-23.5")

Boxer Male

Boxer Female

What They Are Like?

Though it’s a myth that Boxers got their name from their tendency to stand up and “box” with their paws, they do use their paws frequently, whether to bat playfully at their water bowls, toys and friends. They sometimes do it for fun, but mostly it’s to send you a message like “feed me” or “play with me!” Boxers also love to carry things around the house. This could be a toy, a shirt, or just about anything.

Loyal and affectionate, Boxers need lots of attention. Playtime, walks and obedience games are always appreciated. They are extremely protective of their surroundings, serving as very dependable guard dogs. However, they are generally friendly—and sometimes giddy—when meeting new people. An excellent companion to kids, they might be too rambunctious with the very young—but they never lose their patience or good nature.

History

The Boxer is part of the Molosser dog group, developed in Germany in the late 19th century from the now extinct Bullenbeisser, a dog of Mastiff descent, and Bulldogs brought in from Great Britain. Faster dogs were favored and a smaller Bullenbeisser was bred inBrabant, in northern Belgium. It is generally accepted that the Brabanter Bullenbeisser was a direct ancestor of today's Boxer. In 1894, three Germans by the names of Friedrich Robert, Elard Konig, and R. Hopner decided to stabilize the breed and put it on exhibition at a dog show. This was done in Munich in 1895, and the next year they founded the first Boxer Club, the Deutscher Boxer Club. The Club went on to publish the first Boxer breed standard in 1902, a detailed document that has not been changed much to this day.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) registered the first Boxer in 1904, and recognized the first Boxer champion,Dampf vom Dom, in 1915. During World War I, the Boxer was co-opted for military work, acting as a valuable messenger dog, pack-carrier, attack dog, and guard dog. It was not until after World War II that the Boxer became popular around the world. Taken home by returning soldiers, they introduced the dog to a wider audience and soon became a favorite as a companion, a show dog, and a guard dog.

Appearance

The head is the most distinctive feature of the Boxer. The breed standard dictates that it must be in perfect proportion to the body and above all it must never be too light. The greatest value is to be placed on the muzzle being of correct form and in absolute proportion to the skull. The length of the muzzle to the whole of the head should be a ratio of 1:3. Folds are always present from the root of the nose running downwards on both sides of the muzzle, and the tip of the nose should lie somewhat higher than the root of the muzzle. In addition a Boxer should be slightly prognathous, i.e., the lower jaw should protrude beyond the upper jaw and bend slightly upwards in what is commonly called an underbite or "undershot bite".

Boxers were originally a docked and cropped breed, and this tradition is still maintained in some countries. However, due to pressure from veterinary associations, animal rights groups and the general public, both cropping of the ears and docking of the tail have been prohibited in many countries around the world. In March 2005 the AKC breed standard was changed to include a description of the uncropped ear, but to severely penalize an undocked tail.

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Boxer description and Behaviors

By Madusanka

Description

The Boxer's body is compact and powerful. The head is in proportion with the body. The muzzle is short and blunt with a distinct stop. The nose is large and black with very open nostrils. The jaw has an under bite. The eyes are dark brown. The ears are set high, either cropped or kept natural. When cropped they are trained to stand up on the head, tapering to a point. When left natural the ears are thin, falling forward, laying close to the head. The neck should be round, strong, and muscular, a without dewlap. The muscular, front legs are straight and parallel when viewed from the front. The back legs are well muscled. The tail is set high and usually docked. The AKC severely penalizes a natural tail, while most of Europe has outlawed this practice. Dewclaws are usually removed. The short, smooth, close-fitting coat comes in, fawn, brindle, tan, mahogany, black often with white markings. Boxers also come in a white coat that cannot be registered with some clubs.

Head

The Boxer standard, even though explicit in the head qualities desired, is also confusing to many people. It is the head that gives judges and breeders alike, the most trouble. If shown a selection of photographs of different heads, most good judges and breeders would agree which ones were the best.

The blueprint of the Boxer head should be the MUNICH SILHOUETTE. This was the profile of the head as laid down by the country of origin of the breed, and most breeders still regard it to be of excellent type. You can run a ruler on the balance of skull to muzzle and it will come out 1:3. The depth of muzzle is correct and so is the depth of skull. Heavy wrinkles are not evident anywhere on the skull. Note the planes of the head, with the deep stop and tip tilted nose. NB: The standard calls for the tip of the nose to be higher than the root of the muzzle! Note also the rounding out of the upper lip and chin in front of the nose.

Size
Technically a medium-sized, short-haired dog, according to the FCI standard the Boxer stands 57 to 63 cm (22"-25") for males, 53 to 60 cm (21"-23.5") for females.

The weight must be between 30 to 32 kg for males and between 25 to 27 kg for females.

Behaviors / Temperament

The Boxer dog breed is a fantastic dog that often has a mistaken perception as being a fussy and slightly skittish animal. In fact this is far from the truth, by nature they need a great amount of attention and love and without this they become skittish. Indeed, if you lead a very active lifestyle that means you will have to spend a lot of time away from the home then you are probably wise not to get a Boxer dog.

Food costs and other expenses like treats and toys will be more for a Boxer than many other breeds. Although being a short haired dog you will not need to do much grooming. For some strange reason they are not keen on water either so that will make bathing a lot of fun!

Boxers are noted for being very social animals. They love living in a family unit and crave attention and affection. You should strive to keep them active and busy. Left alone they will become bored and lonely. This can lead to bad behavioral habits and quite destructive tendencies.

Space is important to a Boxer dog. It is not practical to keep a dog such a in an apartment. It needs a home with an ample backyard where it can run around and tire itself out. You can plant dog treats in areas of the yard so that your pet will rummage around and be kept active. Get it lots of toys to keep it busy too. Boxers will spend many hours ragging toys and this fits their nature perfectly.

The Excessive energy levels of your boxer may make it harder to obedience train. They will lose focus quickly; consequently positive reinforcement training where you are catching the dog’s attention is the best training method.

Start the training early, when they are puppies. This includes socializing them with other family members and animals. A well adjusted dog is generally happier and more open to training methods.

Given their exuberant nature you may want to make the environment where the dog is trained quiet and distraction free. Thus your pet may not be the best pupil in a group obedience training class with lots of other pooches to distract it. Obedience training is a big task when it comes to any dog, let alone a Boxer but it is certainly worth making this commitment. They are an intelligent animal and love the close relationship with their owner that obedience training requires.

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Boxer Photos Gallery

By Madusanka

2 Week old

1 Month old

2 Month old

4 Month old

6 Month old

1 Year old

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Rottweiler Likes, History and Appearance

By Madusanka

Rottweiler

Rottweiler

Country of origin : Germany

Life : 9–12 years

Litter : Average 8 to 12 although larger litters

Color : Black and tan or black and mahogany

Coat : Double coated, Short, hard and thick

Rottweiler Male

Rottweiler Female

What They Are Like?

Extremely energetic, Rottweiler’s love playing catch in the back yard, tagging along for a morning run or taking a big hike in the woods. They crave attention and companionship from their owners. Without it, they tend to get bored and destructive. A neglected or mistreated Rottweiler can do a terrible number on your favorite shoes.

A happy and properly trained Rottweiler can be a devoted friend to children, not to mention an extremely effective watchdog—often having to do nothing more than stand there to keep trespassers away.

Rottweiler, be prepared for its massive size and challenging temperament. Rottweiler’s appreciate a confident handler who can show them who’s in charge. Some may test your authority, so stay on top of their training and obedience. They respond to commands and are eager to please.

Coming from a long line of herders, Rottweiler’s also appreciate stimulating tasks and activities. Keep them busy with agility and obedience games. But remember to always keep them on a leash in public, as they can be slightly confrontational with other dogs.

A healthy Rottweiler can live as long as 12 years. Common health issues include hip dysplasia and eye problems. Their coats are easy to care for and don’t shed excessively.

History

The Rottweiler is primarily known as one of the oldest herding breeds. A multi-faceted herding and stock protection dog, it is capable of working all kinds of livestock under a variety of conditions.

The breed's history dates to the Roman Empire. In those times, the Roman legion travelled with their meat on the hoof and required the assistance of working dogs to herd the cattle. The principal ancestors of the first Rottweiler’s during this time are believed to be the Roman droving dog, local dogs the army met on its travels, and dogs with molosser appearance coming from England and the Netherlands.

In the mid-19th century, cattle driving became outlawed in the area, making the Rottweiler somewhat redundant. However, in the early 1900s they suddenly became popular police dogs and by 1924 the German Rottweiler Club was formed. Today they serve time as both working dogs and beloved companions.

Appearance

The Rottweiler is a medium to large size, stalwart dog, neither heavy nor light and neither leggy nor weedy. His correctly proportioned, compact and powerful build leads to the conclusion of great strength, agility and endurance.

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Rottweiler description and Behaviors

By Madusanka

Description

Head

The skull is of medium length, broad between the ears.
The forehead line is moderately arched as seen from the side, with the occipital bone well developed without being conspicuous.
The stop is well defined.
The nose is well developed, broader than round, with relatively large nostrils and always black.
The muzzle should appear neither elongated nor shortened in relation to the cranial region.
The nasal bridge is broad at the base and moderately tapered.
The lips are black and close fitting with the corner of the mouth not visible.
Both the upper and lower jaws are strong and broad.
The eyes should be of medium size, almond-shaped and dark brown in colour. The eyelids are close fitting.
The ears are medium-sized, pendant, triangular, wide apart, and set high on the head. With the ears laid forward close to the head, the skull appears to be broadened.
The skin on the head is tight fitting overall. When the dog is alert, the forehead may be slightly wrinkled.

Neck

The neck is strong, of fair length, well muscled, slightly arched, clean and free from throatiness.

Body

The back is straight, strong and firm.
The loins are short, strong and deep.
The croup is broad, of medium length, and slightly rounded, neither flat nor falling away.
The chest is roomy, broad and deep (approximately 50% of the shoulder height) with a well-developed forechest and well sprung ribs.
The flanks are not tucked up.

Tail

Natural bob tailed ("stumpy") or if present the tail was historically docked.
Docking is banned in many countries, but remains legal in others, notably the USA and New Zealand.
According to the FCI Standard an un-docked Rottweiler tail is "level in extension of the upper line; at ease it may be hanging”.

Limbs

When seen from the front, the front legs are straight and not placed close to each other.
The forearm, seen from the side, stands straight and vertical.
The slope of the shoulder blade is about 45 degrees.
The shoulders are well laid back.
The upper arm is close fitting to the body.
The forearm is strongly developed and muscular.
Pasterns are slightly springy, strong but not steep.
The front feet are round, tight and well arched, the pads hard, nails are short, black and strong.
When seen from behind, the rear legs are straight and not too close together.
When standing free, obtuse angles are formed between the dog’s upper thigh and the hip bone, the upper thigh and the lower thigh, and the lower thigh and metatarsal.
The upper thigh is moderately long, broad and strongly muscled.
The lower thigh is long, strongly and broadly muscled, sinewy.
The hocks are sturdy, well angulated and not steep.
The hind feet are slightly longer than the front feet.
Toes are strong, arched and as tight as the front feet.

Gait

The Rottweiler is a trotting dog.
In movement the back remains firm and relatively stable.
Movement is harmonious, steady, full of energy and unrestricted, with good stride.

Coat

The coat consists of an outer coat and an undercoat.
The outer coat is of medium length, coarse, dense and flat.
The undercoat should be present on the neck and thighs.
The undercoat must not show through the outer coat.
Rottweiler’s living in hot climates may have acclimatized and may be missing the undercoat.
Rottweiler coats tend to be low maintenance, although they experience heavy shedding prior to their seasons (females) or seasonally (males).

Size

Technically a "medium / large" breed, according to the FCI standard the Rottweiler stands 61 to 69 cm (24"-27") for males, 56 to 63 cm (22"-25") for females.
The weight must be between 50 to 58 kg for males and between 40–48 kg for females.
Weight must be relative to height.

Behaviors / Temperament

Good natured, placid in basic disposition and fond of children, very devoted, obedient, biddable and eager to work. His appearance is natural and rustic, his behaviour self assured, steady and fearless. He reacts to his surroundings with great alertness.

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