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ANATOMY OF THE BOXER
Definition of Terms
Scapula - Shoulder blade; Pro-sternum - Forechest; Humerus - Upper arm;
Radius/Ulna - Foreleg; Sternum - Brisket/Lower chest; Occiput - top most
crest back of skull; Nape - top of neck; Withers - the upper portion of
shoulder blade union with the spinous processes of the 1st and 2nd
thoracic vertebrae. (The highest area of the back). Loin - the lumbar
area, between the end of the rib cage and the start of the pelvis; Croup -
(rump) muscular area just above and around the set of tail and overlies
the lower half of the pelvic region; Femur - upper thigh bone; Patella -
kneecap (part of stifle joint); Fibula/Tibia - lower rear leg.
Boxer Standard Working Group
General Appearance the ideal Boxer is a medium-sized, square built dog of
good substance with short back, strong limbs, and short, tight-fitting
coat. His well developed muscles are clean, hard and appear smooth under
taut skin. His movements denote energy. The gait is firm, yet elastic, the
stride free and ground-covering, the carriage proud. Developed to serve as
guard, working and companion dog, he combines strength and agility with
elegance and style. His expression is alert and temperament steadfast and
tractable. The chiseled head imparts to the Boxer a unique individual
stamp. It must be in correct proportion to the body. The broad, blunt
muzzle is the distinctive feature, and great value is placed upon its
being of proper form and balance with the skull.
In judging the Boxer, first consideration is given to general appearance
to which attractive color and arresting style contribute. Next is overall
balance with special attention devoted to the head, after which the
individual body components are examined for their correct construction,
and efficiency of gait is evaluated.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Height--Adult males 22 to 25 inches; females 21 to 23 inches at the
withers, preferably, males should not be under the minimum nor females
over the maximum: however, proper balance and quality in the individual
should be of primary importance since there is no size disqualification.
Proportion--The body in profile is of square proportion in that a
horizontal line from the front of the forechest to the rear projection of
the upper thigh should equal the length of a vertical line dropped from
the top of the withers to the ground. Substance--Sturdy with balanced
musculature. Males larger boned than their female counterparts.
Head
The beauty of the head depends upon harmonious proportion of muzzle to
skull. The blunt muzzle is 1/3 the length of the head from the occiput to
the tip of the nose, and 2/3 the width of the skull. The head should be
clean, not showing deep wrinkles (wet). Wrinkles typically appear upon the
forehead when ears are erect, and folds are always present from the lower
edge of the stop running downward on both sides of the muzzle.
Expression--Intelligent and alert. Eyes--Dark brown in color, not too
small, too protruding or too deep-set. Their mood-mirroring character
combined with the wrinkling of the forehead, gives the Boxer head its
unique quality of expressiveness. Ears--Set at the highest points of the
sides of the skull are cropped, cut rather long and tapering, raised when
alert. Skull The top of the skull is slightly arched, not rounded, flat
nor noticeably broad, with the occiput not overly pronounced. The forehead
shows a slight indentation between the eyes and forms a distinct stop with
the topline of the muzzle. The cheeks should be relatively flat and not
bulge (cheekiness), maintaining the clean lines of the skull and should
taper into the muzzle in a slight, graceful curve. Muzzle--The muzzle,
proportionately developed in length, width and depth, has a shape
influenced first through the formation of both jawbones, second through
the placement of the teeth, and third through the texture of the lips. The
top of the muzzle should not slant down (downfaced), nor should it be
concave (dishfaced); however, the tip of the nose should lie slightly
higher than the root of the muzzle. The nose should be broad and black.
The upper jaw is broad where attached to the skull and maintains this
breadth except for a very slight tapering to the front. The lips, which
complete the formation of the muzzle, should meet evenly in front. The
upper lip is thick and padded, filling out the frontal space created by
the projection of the lower jaw, and laterally is supported by the canines
of the lower jaw. Therefore, these canines must stand far apart and be of
good length so that the front surface of the muzzle is broad and squarish
and, when viewed from the side, shows moderate layback. The chin should be
perceptible from the side as well as from the front. Bite--The Boxer bite
is undershot; the lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper and curves slightly
upward. The incisor teeth of the lower jaw are in a straight line, with
the canines preferably up front in the same line to give the jaw the
greatest possible width. The upper line of incisors is slightly convex
with the corner upper incisors fitting snugly back of the lower canine
teeth on each side.
Faults-- Skull too
broad. Cheekiness. Wrinkling too deep (wet) or lacking (dry). Excessive
flews. Muzzle too light for skull. Too pointed a bite (snipy), too
undershot, teeth or tongue showing when mouth closed. Eyes noticeably
lighter than ground color of coat.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck--Round, of ample length, muscular and clean without excessive
hanging skin (dewlap). The neck has a distinctly marked nape with an
elegant arch blending smoothly into the withers. Topline--Smooth,
firm and slightly sloping. Body--The chest is of fair width, and
the forechest well defined and visible from the side. The brisket is deep,
reaching down to the elbows; the depth of the body at the lowest point of
the brisket equals half the height of the dog at the withers. The ribs,
extending far to the rear, are well arched but not barrel shaped. The
back is short, straight and muscular and firmly connects the withers to
the hindquarters. The loins are short and muscular. The lower stomach
line is slightly tucked up, blending into a graceful curve to the rear.
The croup is slightly sloped, flat and broad. Tail is set high, docked and
carried upward. Pelvis long and in females especially broad. Faults--Short
heavy neck. Chest too broad, too narrow or hanging between shoulders. Lack
of forechest. Hanging stomach. Slab-sided rib cage. Long or narrow loin,
weak union with croup. Falling off of croup. Higher in rear than in
front. Forequarters the shoulders are long and sloping, close-lying, and
not excessively covered with muscle (loaded). The upper arm is long,
approaching a right angle to the shoulder blade. The elbows should not
press too closely to the chest wall nor stand off visibly from it. The
forelegs are long, straight and firmly muscled and when viewed from the
front, stand parallel to each other. The pastern is strong and distinct,
slightly slanting, but standing almost perpendicular to the ground. The
dewclaws may be removed. Feet should be compact, turning neither in nor
out, with well arched toes. Faults--Loose or loaded shoulders. Tied
in or bowed out elbows.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters are strongly muscled with angulation in balance with that
of the forequarters.
The thighs are broad and curved, the breech musculature hard and strongly
developed. Upper and lower thigh long. Leg well angulated at the stifle
with a clearly defined, well "let down" hock joint. Viewed from behind,
the hind legs should be straight with hock joints leaning neither in nor
out. From the side, the leg below the hock (metatarsus) should be almost
perpendicular to the ground, with a slight slope to the rear permissible.
The metatarsus should be short, clean and strong. The Boxer has no rear
dewclaws. Faults--Steep or over-angulated hindquarters. Light thighs or
overdeveloped hams. Over-angulated (sickle) hocks. Hindquarters too far
under or too far behind.
Coat
Short, shiny, lying smooth and tight to the body.
Color
The colors are fawn and brindle. Fawn shades vary from light tan to
mahogany. The brindle ranges from sparse, but clearly defined black
stripes on a fawn background, to such a heavy concentration of black
striping that the essential fawn background color barely, although
clearly, shows through (which may create the appearance of "reverse
brindling"). White markings should be of such distribution as to enhance
the dog's appearance, but may not exceed one-third of the entire coat.
They are not desirable on the flanks or on the back of the torso proper.
On the face, white may replace part of the otherwise essential black mask
and may extend in an upward path between the eyes, but it must not be
excessive, so as to detract from true Boxer expression. Faults--Unattractive
or misplaced white markings. Disqualifications--Boxers that are any
color other than fawn or brindle. Boxers with a total of white markings
exceeding one-third of the entire coat.
Gait
Viewed from the side, proper front and rear angulation is manifested in a
smoothly efficient, level-backed, ground covering stride with powerful
drive emanating from a freely operating rear. Although the front legs do
not contribute impelling power, adequate "reach" should be evident to
prevent interference, overlap or "sidewinding" (crabbing). Viewed from the
front, the shoulders should remain trim and the elbows not flare out. The
legs are parallel until gaiting narrows the track in proportion to
increasing speed, then the legs come in under the body but should never
cross. The line from the shoulder down through the leg should remain
straight although not necessarily perpendicular to the ground. Viewed from
the rear, a Boxer's rump should not roll. The hind feet should "dig in"
and track relatively true with the front. Again, as speed increases, the
normally broad rear track will become narrower. Faults--Stilted or
inefficient gait. Lack of smoothness.
Character and Temperament
These are of paramount importance in the Boxer. Instinctively a "hearing"
guard dog, his bearing is alert, dignified and self-assured. In the show
ring, his behavior should exhibit constrained animation. With family and
friends, his temperament is fundamentally playful, yet patient and stoical
with children. Deliberate and wary with strangers, he will exhibit
curiosity but, most importantly, fearless courage if threatened. However,
he responds promptly to friendly overtures honestly rendered. His
intelligence, loyal affection and tractability to discipline make him a
highly desirable companion. Faults--Lack of dignity and alertness.
Shyness.
The foregoing description is that of the ideal Boxer. Any deviations from
the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation.
Disqualifications
Boxers that are any color other than fawn or brindle. Boxers with a total
of white markings exceeding one-third of the entire coat.
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