With its heavy shoulders and erect carriage, this is an older breed of dog that has a great deal of deserved popularity in the United States and in Europe.

The Boxer, with its athletic build, is clearly descended from hunting and sporting dogs, and its history goes back more than one hundred years.

In Germany, the first Boxer dogs were developed from crosses between the extinct dog breed known as bullenbeissers and bulldogs.

This breed was intended to be a hunter's dog, its main job being to hold the prey still until the hunters appeared on the scene.

From this practice, it is easy to see where the the boxer's discipline and strength come from.

In the early 1900s, the Boxer was introduced to America and recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1904.

In World War I, the Boxer was one of the many breeds of dog that saw action on the European front.

And like German Shepherds and Rottweilers, they soon became known for their cool heads under fire, their endurance and their willingness to cooperate.

During the war, Boxers were used as attack dogs, guard dogs, and pack carriers, but the position in which they may have done the most good might have been in their roles as message carriers.

Boxers could manoeuvre through dangerous territory with more success than could humans and their efforts on the field saved countless lives. After the war, many boxers were adopted by returning soldiers and thus boxers were popularized has family dogs.

The Boxer breed is known to be very energetic and playful, although this can translate to high spirits that make the dog difficult to control.

They are considered to be a fairly intelligent dog breed and between this and their headstrong nature, boxers respond much better to positive reinforcement than they do to punishment.

Some Boxer dogs also need some extra socialization to be made reliable around other dogs and strangers; this breed does have a reputation for territoriality.

"In terms of health, Boxers suffer from the same thing that many larger, heavier dog breeds do"

They are prone to hip dysphasia and allergies as well as heart conditions and gastric dilatation. Due to the unique shape of their head, they do poorly with heat and high humidity and care must taken to make sure that this breed does not overly exert itself during a heat wave.

Otherwise, they are active dogs who require a fair amount of exercise, although young animals should not be over exercised for fear of damaging still-developing bones. When they reach adulthood, boxers make great jogging companions.

Boxers are known to be excellent around children, if suspicious and wary of strangers.

And with their speed, strength and alertness, they make good guard dogs. They are an extremely versatile breed and they are equally comfortable working as police dogs, service animals and herders and it is this trait that cements their popularity.

The AKC lists The Boxer dog as the seventh most popular breed in the United States