Boxers join SA Stud Book Courtesy of the FBCSA

he Federation of Boxer Clubs for Boxers in Southern Africa. The coat colour, black mask, with or without of South Africa (FBCSA) is the Federation’s stud book is recognised by white markings. White markings usually official registered breed society the Boxer-Klub München, E.V., and has appear on the belly or feet and shouldn’t for Boxer in South Africa full membership of ATIBOX, the world cover more than one third of the coat. under the Animal Improvement controlling body of Boxer affairs. Boxers don’t carry the gene for a solid TAct (no. 62 of 1998). They started using The FBCSA comprises of three member black coat colour, therefore a black Boxer SA Stud Book as their service provider in clubs: The Boxer Club of Southern Africa will never be seen. 2013 for the registration of their dogs, as (BCSA), based in Johannesburg; Eastern Boxers with white markings covering well as for capturing and managing data Boxer Club (EBC), based in Sasolburg; and more than one third of their coat are of interest on their breed. the Northern Boxer Club (NBC), based in conventionally called “white” Boxers. They The FBCSA was founded in 1960 when Pretoria. are more susceptible to health conditions a group of Boxer lovers decided it was such as skin cancer and deafness. White time to improve the recognition of the An all-rounder Boxers cannot be shown in championship breed and secure its future. Since then The Boxer breed is a unique all-rounder classes and may not be registered. the FBCSA has grown from strength to and is one of the happiest breeds The most common coat colour in the strength and remains the only recognised around. Boxers are fun-loving, affectionate, South African Boxer breed, as recorded breed organisation highly intelligent, athletic, vigilant, great on the Livestock Operational and Genetic family companions and extremely loyal to Information Exchange System (Logix) of their family members. SA Stud Book (www.logix.org.za), is fawn Boxers can be serious and obedient with white (29%), followed by plain fawn when required, which make them su- colouring (24%). perb working dogs. With a spirit larger Male Boxers have a height of 57 to than life itself, Boxers are unlike any 63cm at the withers and weigh more than other . Often described as 30kg for a height of 60cm at the withers, the “clown” of the dog community, while females are 53 to 59cm high at the Boxers are in a class of their own. withers and weigh about 25kg for a height The Boxer is a medium-sized of approximately 56cm at the withers. dog with a sturdy appearance Their lifespan is ten to twelve years. and short-haired coat. It was developed in in Data recording the 1890s, where it was The easy drop-down system on Logix bred from the English Bull- allows for efficient and accurate birth dog, which was crossed notifications, data capturing, capturing with a breed known as the of championship material and release of (the “Bull information for the FBCSA and its members. Biter”), a German breed The FBCSA’s meticulous and dedicated which is now extinct. recording of pedigrees and data of the The head is the most dis- SA Boxer breed over several generations tinctive feature of the Boxer breed. allows for data mining, statistical analyses They are brachycephalic, meaning they and genetic evaluations by SA Stud Book have broad sculls which are shorter than geneticists. Pedigree information is other dog breeds and were bred to have currently available on 32 224 dogs, with square muzzles with an undershot bite, information on 6 836 litters. which made hanging on to pray particu- The SA Boxer breed has an average litter larly useful. size of four puppies, with litters varying from one to 14 in size. The heritability of Coat colour litter size was estimated as 23% and that The Boxer breed has a fawn or brindle of number of pups alive as 25%.

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