Boxer

If you want a dog that is a marshmallow with your children, but a strong deterrent to criminals, you may want to take a look at the Boxer. The Boxer gets its name from its habit of using its front legs to box when it is fighting. These powerful dogs were originally used as hunting dogs, although they quickly became popular as police and military dogs in Europe. As people began to discover how devoted and loving the Boxer was to its family, this dog breed turned into a companion dog, as well. Interestingly enough, the versatile Boxer didn't become popular in the United States until men returning from fighting in World War II brought some of these dogs home with them. Although Boxers are considered to be medium sized dogs, they have the strength of a big dog. A young, healthy Boxer is all muscle and energy and weighs in at fifty to eighty pounds. These dogs have a broad chest, a wide skull and a face similar to that of a Bulldog. Their big brown eyes are very expressive and these dogs are not above using a pitiful 'poor me' look to get their own way.