The German Boxer Club was formed in 1896,
and this group published the first Boxer Standard in 1902.
What is remarkable is that the standard of 1902 has changed very little over time.

Some pictures of the Boxer show the dog with cropped ears and docked tails.
This is very common in the United States.
However, this practice is being discontinued in several countries, as it is considered cruel. Cropping of the ears is prohibited in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Scandinavia.
Tail docking is banned in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

His ancestors, the "Brabant Bullenbeisser", a Mastiff type dog, were originally bred in
Germany. As the breeders of that time wanted dogs suitable for hunting and holding prey, these dogs were then outcrossed with a smaller Mastiff type dog,
These dogs possessed a wide undershot lower jaw, a nose that was set further back, and was a smaller and more active dog than the Bullenbeisser.

* This dog's strong and wide undershot jaw and strong teeth were needed in order to have him lock onto his prey and to continue holding it until his master arrived.
* His nose with its large, open nostrils, was set back in order that he could breath while
holding on to his quarry.
* The wrinkles on each side of his muzzle were also there for a purpose which was to keep the blood of the animal away from his eyes.

The Boxer was later used as a guard dog, and can acquit himself quite readily to the job if trained to do so, but he is more temperamentally suited for Obedience work and Agility and a protector of the family home. He should be able to cover great distances at good speed and be a splendid jumper. Any faults that would hamper this ability should be penalised far greater than any other.