Known for its playful, energetic, loyal, friendly and intelligent temperament, Boxers are one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States (and among celebrities), and for good reason.

Athletic and alert, they are great companion dogs that love to please the owners. In the 19th century, boxers were bred for hunting & dog fighting purposes.

During the war, they worked as messengers, but since have become popular as family pets. Although they are gentle with humans, they make great guard dogs as well.

But as popular as they’ve become, there are surprising fun facts that you may not know about them. Check out the following fun facts about Boxers:

The Boxer dog is a breed of stocky, medium-sized, short-haired dogs developed in Germany. Their coat is smooth and tight-fitting; colors are fawn or brindled, with or without white markings, which may cover the entire body, and white.

They are known to be friendly, playful, intelligent, devoted, energetic, calm, cheerful, confident, fearless, brave, loyal, bright… just to name a few of their temperaments.

Here are some must know fun and interesting facts about Boxers.

1. Boxers were bred from a now extinct dog breed named Bullenbeisser (once existed in Germany) and English Bulldogs.

2. Boxers are highly energetic and needs regular exercise.

A Boxer may need more than 2 hours of exercise daily.

3. Boxers are prone to Heart, Bone and Skin disorders.

They are prone to a specific heart disease called Boxer Cardiomyopathy.

4. Boxers are lovely in nature and always want you to pet them.

Not only with humans they also love to cuddle their partners.

5. Boxers were bred to hunt large animals.

A healthy Boxer may run up to 30 mph.

6. Boxers have large litter sizes.

It takes almost 3 years for a Boxer puppy to become completely mature.

7. Boxers have loose big lips and wrinkly face.

Therefore they have tendency to drool and that is the reason they need regular cleaning session.

8. Boxers get along well with other pets and would rarely show aggression towards them.

They have been seen showing aggressive behavior to other Boxer dogs instead of other smaller dog breeds.

9. Boxers are also famous for their bite forces.

However they are not tend to bite in humans or to other pets. This can be their natural characteristic but it does not mean they are fighters or are dangerous.

10. Boxers having 75% of their coat consisting on white color are called white Boxers.

They are not considered as separate dog breed as they carry same characteristics with just a difference in coat colors.

11. A Boxer holds a Guinness World Record for the longest tongue in the world!

Guinness World Records reports that Brandy, owned by John Scheid of St. Clair Shores, Mich., had a 17-inch long tongue. Brandy, born in 1995, was euthanized in 2002 due to “a stomach disorder that is common in boxers,” according to Guinness. Read more about Brandy at Tungdog.com.

12. Tail Docking/Ear Cropping Was Originally Due to Hunting.

The tail of a boxer was originally docked and the ears cropped so that wild animals could not get a hold of the dogs during hunting.

Boxers descended from the bulldog and mastiffs, which were also used for hunting and once had their tails docked and ears cropped, as well, says the American Boxer Club.

The practice of ear cropping and tail docking isn’t as common as before, though. In fact, many people with boxers prefer not to do either to their dog.

13. No Such Thing as a Black Boxer.

Boxers are either fawn or brindle (tan with black stripes), but never black. If a boxer looks black, it is more likely to be a “reverse brindle” or a very dark-colored brindle. Some boxers also have white markings.

14.Boxers Have a Unique Jaw.

The dog’s square jaw is known as “undershot,” meaning the lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper and curves slightly upward, the American Boxer Club says. The incisor teeth of the lower jaw are in a straight line, with the canine teeth up front in the same line. This makes for a really wonderful and unique smile!

15. Boxers are Beloved by Celebrities.

Celebrity owners of boxers include Alec Baldwin, Humphrey Bogart, George Clooney, Jodie Foster, Luke Perry, Sylvester Stallone, Justin Timberlake, and Robin Williams, reports Planet-Boxer.com.