THE FRONT VIEW

Walk to the front of the dog.
Stand 6-8 feet from the dog's head to evaluate the front view.

Do his front legs continue down to the ground in a straight line from his shoulders with just a slight muscling over the shoulder area and with his tight cat feet pointing straight ahead? 

Is his chest neither too narrow nor too broad, only the breadth of a man's hand between the front legs?


Do his beautiful dark eyes look straight at you with self assurance.
NB: Be gentle with a young pup as his experience in the ring now, can make or break a show career.

Do his ears lift forward as he sees you approach, not lay back, indicating shyness.   And does the top of his head, which was smooth, now form slight but definite quizzical creases?

Is he holding his head high on a clean smooth neck?   No loose skin under his chin.

Now approach the dog slowly and softly and ask the handler his age. This allows the dog to hear your voice and to know you are not threatening him or his owner or handler. Do not talk directly to the dog. The Boxer is a highly exuberant animal and, if he is young or untrained, he may jump up on you.

Offer the back of your hand to the dog to enable him to sniff you, again to show him you are not a threat. A Boxer will not bite, so there is no need to be wary.

Note: An immature puppy, would not have the width through the front that you would expect on a mature dog. See photo of 16 month old dog on left, and a ten month old puppy on the right A very young puppy's front (3 -8 months) may still be a little loose, and he may have large knuckles, also his feet may still be a little flat, or he may be down on pasterns due to teething.

A dog's front and shoulders should not coarsen as he matures, but should stay firm and flat even into old age. (See 3 year old bitch at left and two 6 year old dogs at right)

More photos of typical Boxer fronts around the world