Plate 017 · Continental Europe
Boxer
拳师犬
“Descended from big-game catch dogs, it grew into a playful, sometimes silly family dog.”
- Origin
- Germany
- Munich, Bavaria
- Town or city of origin
- The first Boxer club, the Boxer-Klub in Munich, gives 1895 as its founding year; some accounts say 1896.
- The point marks the town the breed is linked to.
- Era
- 1890s
- Today
- Family companion · Guardian
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Early breed type → Today
Early type · 1910A Boxer with a ball, signed and dated 'A. Weinberger, München 1910' — painted in Munich 15 years after the first Boxer club was founded there (1895). The title comes from the auction catalogue.
Anton Weinberger · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
NowMostafameraji · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
History
01 · Origin
Munich, Bavaria
Developed in Munich in the late 19th century from the German Bullenbeisser, a mastiff-type hunting dog.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Its Bullenbeisser ancestors seized and held large game such as boar and bear for hunters.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Munich enthusiasts crossed the Bullenbeisser with English bulldog types and founded the first Boxer club in 1895 (some accounts say 1896). The breed later served as a messenger and guard dog in the First World War and was among the early police-dog breeds in Germany.
04 · Today
Family companion · Guardian
An energetic, playful family dog and guardian, still used in some service roles.
Personality
- Playful
- Loyal
- Energetic
- Alert
- Patient with children
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Large
- Lifespan
- 10–12 years
- Coat
- Short, smooth, close-lying coat
Field note
The Boxer was one of the first breeds selected in Germany for police training.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Working Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI, The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- United States
Long among the most popular breeds in the United States (18th in AKC registrations in 2025).
Sources2 references
- Boxer — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/boxer/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-07 · Registry status and AKC group; AKC recognition 1904 per AKC "Breeds by Year Recognized". Used as a registry reference only.
- Boxer (dog breed) (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_(dog_breed)
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-07 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
Image credits
Anton Weinberger · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Mostafameraji · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: The first Boxer club, the Boxer-Klub in Munich, gives 1895 as its founding year; some accounts say 1896.
