Boxer breed standards compared
Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.
Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC, CKC.
Size
| Measure | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | CKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height at the withers, male | 57–63 cm | 58.4–63.5 cm | 55.9–63.5 cm | 57–63 cm | 57.3–63.5 cm |
| Height at the withers, female | 53–59 cm | 54.6–59.7 cm | 53.3–58.4 cm | 53–59 cm | 53.3–59.8 cm |
| Weight, male | over 30 kg | No ruling | No ruling | 30–32 kg | No ruling |
| Weight, female | 25 kg | No ruling | No ruling | 25–27 kg | No ruling |
| Height to length | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Skull to muzzle | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | No ruling |
Conformation
| Form | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | CKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BiteUndershot | Standard (“The Boxer is undershot”) | Standard (“The Boxer bite is undershot”) | Standard (“The Boxer's normal bite is undershot”) | Standard (“Lower jaw undershot, curving slightly upward”) | Standard (“The Boxer is normally undershot”) |
| Muzzle shapeBlunt | No ruling | Standard (“The broad, blunt muzzle is the distinctive feature”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Ear setHigh | Standard (“set on wide apart on highest part of skull”) | Standard (“Set at the highest points of the sides of the skull”) | Standard (“The ears are set high and far apart”) | Standard (“set wide apart on highest part of skull”) | No ruling |
| Tail setHigh | Standard (“Set on high rather than low”) | Standard (“The tail is set high”) | Standard (“set high and carried upward”) | Standard (“Set on high and carried upward”) | Standard (“Tail attachment high, rather than low”) |
| Tail carriageRaised (gay) | No ruling | Standard (“set high, docked, and carried upward”) | Standard (“set high and carried upward”) | Standard (“Set on high and carried upward”) | Standard (“normal length or docked, carried upward”) |
| ToplineLevel | Standard (“Back: Including loin should be short, firm, straight”) | No ruling | Standard (“the back, including the loin, is short, straight”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| FeetCat foot | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“The feet are small, round, tight and well-cushioned”) | Standard (“Front feet small and cat-like”) | No ruling |
| ChestDeep | Standard (“Chest: Deep, reaching to elbows”) | No ruling | Standard (“The chest is deep to the elbow”) | Standard (“Chest deep, reaching to elbows”) | No ruling |
| DewlapNone (clean throat) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Round, of ample length, strong, muscular, clean cut, no dewlap”) | No ruling |
Markings
| Marking | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | CKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White markings | Alternate (“White markings should not be discarded.”) | Alternate (“White markings, if present... may not exceed one-third of the entire coat”) | Alternate (“White markings are permissible if attractively distributed, but not required.”) | Alternate (“White markings acceptable not exceeding one-third of ground colour.”) | Alternate (“White markings in fawn and brindle dogs are not to be rejected”) |
| Mask | Standard (“Black mask.”) | Standard (“the otherwise essential black mask”) | Standard (“A black mask is absolutely required.”) | Standard (“Dark mask confined to muzzle”) | Standard (“The dark mask is confined to the muzzle”) |
Cropping, docking and other procedures
| Procedure | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | CKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ear cropping | No ruling | Alternate (“the ears are customarily cropped”) | Alternate (“If cropped, they come to a point”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Tail docking | No ruling | Standard (“The tail is set high, docked, and carried upward”) | Alternate (“The tail is generally docked”) | Alternate (“Previously customarily docked”) | Alternate (“The tail is of normal length or docked”) |
| Dewclaw removal | No ruling | Alternate (“The dewclaws may be removed”) | No ruling | No ruling | Alternate (“Dewclaws, if any, may be removed”) |
The law on these procedures differs by country. A listing here says nothing about whether one is legal where you live.
Boxer colors and patterns
What each club's breed standard says about every Boxer color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.
Breed standards describe the Boxer in Black, White, Red, Gold and Fawn. Standard patterns: Solid, Brindle and Reverse brindle.
| Color or pattern | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Standard (“dark or black stripes”) | Standard (“black stripes”) | Standard (“black stripes”) | Standard (“Black stripes”) | Standard (“dark or black stripes”) |
| White | Standard (“White markings should not be discarded”) | Standard (“White Markings”) | Standard (“White markings are permissible if attractively distributed”) | Standard (“White markings acceptable not exceeding one-third of ground colour”) | Standard (“White markings should not be discarded”) |
| Red | Standard (“dark deer red”) | Standard (“Fawn shades vary from light tan to mahogany”) | Standard (“a deep dark red”) | Standard (“dark deer red”) | Standard (“dark deer red”) |
| Gold | Standard (“Fawn comes in various shades from light fawn to dark deer red”) | Standard (“Fawn shades vary from light tan to mahogany”) | Standard (“golden yellow”) | Standard (“Golden Brindle & White”) | Standard (“Various shades from light fawn to dark deer red”) |
| Fawn | Standard (“Fawn”) | Standard (“Fawn”) | Standard (“fawn”) | Standard (“Fawn”) | Standard (“Fawn”) |
| Albino | Fault | Disqualifying | Disqualifying (“Albinism”) | Not recognised | Fault |
| Patterns | |||||
| Solid | Standard (“Fawn”) | Standard (“the so-called "plain" fawn or brindle, is perfectly acceptable”) | Standard (“White markings are permissible if attractively distributed, but not required”) | Standard (“Fawn”) | Standard (“Fawn”) |
| Brindle | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) |
| Reverse brindle | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“brindle”) | Standard (“Brindle”) |
| Piebald | Fault (“white markings exceeding one third of the ground colour”) | Disqualifying (“Boxers with a total of white markings exceeding one-third of the entire coat”) | Disqualifying (“White markings that exceed one-third of the entire coat”) | Not recognised | Fault (“white markings exceeding one-third of the ground colour”) |
| Sable | Fault (“Sooty ground colour”) | No ruling | No ruling | Not recognised | Fault (“Sooty ground colour”) |
| Color or pattern | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark brown | Standard (“The dark eyes”) | Standard (“Dark brown in color”) | Standard (“dark brown in color”) | Standard (“Dark brown”) | Standard (“The dark eyes”) |
| Color or pattern | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Standard (“Nose is broad and black”) | Standard (“The nose should be broad and black”) | Standard (“The nose is broad and black”) | Standard (“Nose broad, black”) | Standard (“Nose is broad and black”) |
| Pink | Fault (“pale nose leather”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Fault (“pale nose leather”) |
What the rulings mean
- Standard
- Described by the club's breed standard.
- Fault
- Named by the club's breed standard as a fault: the animal can be shown but is penalised.
- Disqualifying
- The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this colour or pattern.
- Not recognised
- The club does not accept this colour or pattern for the breed.
Color changes
How a Boxer's colors can change over its life.
Blackchanges toRust
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toGrey
Coat · Progressive
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Whitechanges toRoan
Coat · With age · from 2 weeks
Blackchanges toSnow nose
Nose · With the season · can change back
Blackchanges toPink
Nose · With the season · can change back
Sources
Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.