AMERICAN BOXER CLUB VISUAL STANDARD
BY VIRGINIA SHAMES
All Illustrations Copyright of American Boxer Club
W hether new to purebred dogs or a long- time aficionado, the Boxer breed has always been admired for its expressive and beautiful head. Not to undermine the beauty and grace in the Boxer’s sound structure and athletic movement, the unique head defines the essence of the breed. The official written AKC Boxer Breed Standard defines the breed and has been adapted over time to be more defin- itive of subtle changes in the breed. The American Boxer Club recognized that a picture is worth a thousand words. With that in mind, Eleanor Linderholm-Wood, long- time Boxer breeder, handler, ABC Lifetime Achievement Recipient, and Lifetime Member of the American Boxer Club, created BOXER BASICS, A Visual Study of the AKC Standard, 2001 . Due to slight changes and updates to the written stan- dard and the increased exhibition of the natural ear Boxer, A New Visual Study of the AKC Boxer Standard was cre- ated in 2018. Jessica Kozel-Lemist illustrated this defini- tive work, based on many of Eleanor Linderholm-Woods’ original illustrations, with input from several breeders. Ann Linderholm-Keil edited the work. The work is introduced with “A Perspective on the Boxer Standard,” which is a brief history of the breed, and describes the many uses of the breed and cites the structur- al development of the dog which allowed them to perform certain tasks… as the Boxer evolved from a hunting dog to a utility dog, a performer, a protector, and a companion. This booklet features 27 pages of illustrations and detailed explanations of the breed, devoted to the domi- nant/major features that identify the breed. Intense concentration is directed to the Boxer head. The unique shape and the intricate aspects are derived from the early utilitarian purpose of the breed. The body illustrations detail the size, proportion, and substance of the ideal Boxer.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2021 | 219
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