Australian Boxherd Breed Pictures, Characteristics, and Facts

The Australian Boxherd is a mixed breed, so they don’t have history as their own breed. Both parent breeds, however, are well known and loved. Despite the breed’s name, the Australian Shepherd is actually of American origin. The Australian Shepherd was originally developed to herd livestock for ranchers and farmers in the western U.S., and the breed is still a popular and time-tested herding dog today.  Despite their popularity as a working dog, the breed wasn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club until 1993. Today, many Aussies are still used for herding. However, they can find many other purposes: service dogs, agility dogs, or just dedicated companions.

The Boxer originated from two older breeds, the German Bullenbeisser — a dog descended from Mastiffs — and the Bulldog. The Bullenbeisser was used as a hunting dog for centuries to hunt bear, wild boar, and deer; their strong build and powerful jaws were passed along to the Boxer. The breed became known in other parts of Europe in the late 1890s. Around 1903, the first Boxers were imported into the U.S. The first Boxer was registered by the American Kennel Club in 1904, a dog named Arnulf Grandenz. In 1915, the American Kennel Club (AKC) recognized the first Boxer champion, Sieger Dampf v Dom, owned by Governor and Mrs. Lehman of New York. Boxers grew in popularity in the U.S. in the 1940s when soldiers returning from World War II brought their Boxer mascots from overseas with them. Through them, the breed was introduced to more people and soon became known as the favorite companion animal, show dog, and guardian that the breed is today.