What Is the Difference Between the American Bulldog & a Boxer?

The American bulldog and the boxer both hail back to the early bulldog, which was used as a cattle drover and guardian dog in his native England. For this reason, the American bulldog and the boxer share similar silhouettes. Both breeds have long legs and heads with shortened muzzles. Both breeds are also of medium size and have athletic builds. However, outside these superficial similarities, they are very different dogs bred for very different purposes.

  1. Breed History: American Bulldog

    • Both breeds began as cattle drovers and property guardians. American bulldogs stayed true to these roots after their ancestors crossed the Atlantic with their working-class owners. The American bulldog was also used as a ̶0;catch̶1; dog while hunting and herding. These dogs would grab onto the cheek, nose or throat of the desired animal and hold on until the animal was captured or killed.

    Breed History: Boxer

    • Despite its connection to the original bulldog, the boxer is a German breed. In addition to the molosser-type (mastiff-type) dogs that were used to create the American bulldog, several terrier breeds were used to refine the boxer̵7;s type. A Tibetan fighting dog added to the breed̵7;s ancestors because, in addition to being used to hunt boar, the boxer was used to fight dogs and for bull-baiting. In Germany, the boxer was among the first breeds used for police training.

    Breed Types and Appearance

    • The American bulldog has two distinct types, which came into being when the breed was brought back from the verge of extinction in the 1960s. The Johnson type is a stockier dog with a more ̶0;bully̶1; appearance. The Scott type is also called the ̶0;standard̶1; variety; it's sleeker and has less of an undershot jaw than the Johnson dog. Many of today̵7;s American bulldogs are a cross between the two types. The American bulldog is an athletic dog ranging between 22 and 28 inches in height. The breed̵7;s ears are drop, rose or semi-prick in style and they, like the tail, are usually left in their natural state. The American bulldog has a short coat, and most coat colors are allowed as long as the dog has white markings covering 10 percent of its body.

      The boxer has an athletic but refined body type, with its long forelegs being positioned well over the breed̵7;s characteristic deep chest. The head has a deeper ̶0;stop,̶1; the dip between the muzzle and the eyes, than either type of American bulldog. The boxer̵7;s ears are often cropped and the tail docked. Boxers range between 21 and 25 inches in height. The boxer̵7;s short coat can only be fawn or brindle in color, with or without white markings. All boxers must have a black mask, a marking that is not permitted in the American bulldog.

    Suitability as a Pet

    • Both breeds are courageous in nature and both are typically standoffish with strangers. However, although the American bulldog is described as ̶0;gentle and loving̶1; with its family, the boxer has more of an energetic and playful temperament. This difference in temperament would possibly make the boxers somewhat more appropriate as a pet than the American bulldog, although both retain their assertive guardian dog nature.