Size
An adult Boxer typically weighs between 55-70 lbs (25-32 kg). Adult male Boxers are between 22-25 inches (57-63 cm) tall at the withers. Adult females are between 21-23½ inches (53-60 cm).
Appearance
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 of 2005, the AKC breed standard was changed to include a description of the un-cropped ear, but to severely penalize an un-docked tail.
Coat and Colors
The Boxer is a short-haired breed, with a shiny, smooth coat that lies tight to the body. The recognized colors are fawn and brindle, often with a white underbelly and white on the front or all four feet. These white markings, called flash, often extend onto the neck or face, and dogs that have these markings are known as flashy.
Fawn denotes a range of color, the tones of which may be described variously as light tan or yellow, reddish tan, mahogany or stag/deer red, and dark honey-blond. In the UK, fawn Boxers are typically rich in color and are called 'red'.
Brindle refers to a dog with black stripes on a fawn background. Some brindle Boxers are so heavily striped that they give the appearance of reverse brindling, fawn stripes on a black body. These dogs are conventionally called 'reverse brindles', but that is actually a misnomer - they are still fawn dogs with black stripes. In addition, the breed standards state that the fawn background must clearly contrast with or show through the brindling, so a dog that is too heavily brindled may be disqualified by the breed standard.
Boxers do not carry the gene for a solid black coat color and therefore purebred black Boxers do not exist. Boxers with white markings covering more than one-third of their coat- conventionally called white Boxers- are neither albino nor rare. Approximately 20-25% of all Boxers born are white. Genetically, these dogs are either fawn or brindle, with excessive white markings overlying the base coat color.
Like fair-skinned humans, white Boxers have a higher risk of sunburn and associated skin cancers than colored Boxers. The extreme piebald gene, which is responsible for white markings in Boxers, is linked to congenital sensorineural deafness in dogs. It is estimated that about 18% of white Boxers are deaf in one or both ears, though Boxer Rescue organizations see about double that number. In the past, breeders often euthanized white puppies at birth. Today, most breeders place white puppies in pet homes with spay/neuter agreements.