Box-a-Shar
Hybrid Breed Description
The Box-a-Shar is a cross between the Boxer and the Shar-Pei. Because each hybrid inherits a unique combination of traits from both parents, we recommend thoroughly researching both breeds before choosing a Box-a-Shar. Pay special attention to temperament, health issues, and care requirements, as your dog may express characteristics from either parent breed.
Boxer
The Boxer presents as a robust, medium-sized canine with males reaching heights of twenty-three to twenty-five inches at the shoulder and weighing between sixty and eighty pounds, while females measure twenty-one to twenty-three inches tall and weigh fifty to sixty-five pounds. These athletic dogs display a distinctly square, compact build with well-developed musculature throughout their frame, powerful straight legs, and a broad, deep chest that contributes to their impressive physical presence. Their heads are notably proportioned with a distinctive square-shaped muzzle, strong undershot jaw, and a characteristic black mask across the face, complemented by dark, expressive eyes that convey intelligence and alertness. The breed's smooth, tight-fitting coat lies close to the body and possesses a natural glossy sheen, appearing in two primary color variations: fawn ranging from light tan to rich mahogany red, and brindle featuring black stripes over the fawn base color. White markings frequently appear on the chest, feet, and face, adding to the breed's striking appearance, though these flashings should not exceed one-third of the total coat coverage according to breed standards. The Boxer's tail traditionally curls over the back, and their compact feet with arched toes support their athletic build. Distinguishing physical features include a broad, flat skull with moderate stop, small ears that fold forward naturally, and a powerful neck that flows smoothly into well-laid shoulders. The breed's overall silhouette demonstrates balanced proportions with a short, strong back and muscular hindquarters that enable their characteristic energetic, ground-covering gait. Their brachycephalic structure, while less extreme than some flat-faced breeds, does result in the shortened muzzle that defines their appearance and contributes to their alert, watchful expression.
Key Characteristics
Boxers exhibit a remarkably playful and energetic disposition, often maintaining puppy-like enthusiasm well into adulthood and earning their reputation as the clowns of the canine world. These highly intelligent dogs demonstrate fierce loyalty to their families and possess an almost insatiable desire for human companionship, preferring to remain close to their owners throughout the day. Despite their sometimes imposing appearance, Boxers are exceptionally affectionate and gentle with children, making them outstanding family companions who naturally assume protective roles without excessive aggression. Their expressive faces and tendency toward amusing antics reflect their fun-loving nature, as they frequently engage in playful behaviors specifically designed to entertain their human family members. The breed displays moderate friendliness toward strangers while maintaining vigilant watchdog instincts, typically greeting newcomers with curiosity rather than hostility once properly socialized. Boxers possess high energy levels requiring substantial daily exercise and mental stimulation to prevent boredom-related behaviors such as destructive chewing or excessive vocalization. They respond exceptionally well to positive reinforcement training methods, though their intelligence combined with occasional stubbornness means they require patient, consistent leadership from confident handlers. The breed's working heritage contributes to their trainability and eagerness to please, making them successful in various canine sports including obedience, agility, and rally competitions. Boxers form extraordinarily strong bonds with their families and may experience separation anxiety if left alone for extended periods, preferring households where someone is frequently present. While generally not excessive barkers, they vocalize purposefully when alerting to perceived threats or unusual situations. Their social nature extends to other pets when properly introduced during puppyhood, though some individuals may display same-sex aggression or dominant tendencies requiring early socialization and ongoing management throughout their lives.
Boxers face several significant breed-specific health concerns, most notably cardiac issues including Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, a genetic condition where normal heart muscle gradually becomes replaced by fatty and fibrous tissue, causing irregular heart rhythms and potentially sudden cardiac death. This hereditary disease affects approximately forty percent of Boxers, typically manifesting between ages five and seven, requiring regular cardiac screening by veterinary cardiologists throughout the dog's life. Additional heart conditions like Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Aortic Stenosis also occur with increased frequency in the breed, necessitating vigilant monitoring for symptoms including exercise intolerance, coughing, weakness, or fainting episodes. Cancer represents another major health challenge for Boxers, with the breed demonstrating higher susceptibility to various tumor types including mast cell tumors, lymphoma, brain tumors, and hemangiosarcoma compared to many other breeds. Early detection through routine veterinary examinations and prompt investigation of any unusual lumps or masses significantly improves treatment outcomes. The breed's typical lifespan ranges from ten to twelve years, though many Boxers succumb to cancer at younger ages. Hip dysplasia, while more common in larger breeds, does affect Boxers particularly those carrying excess weight, causing pain and progressive arthritis that may require surgical intervention or ongoing pain management. Due to their brachycephalic facial structure, Boxers experience compromised respiratory function and reduced cooling efficiency through panting, making them highly susceptible to heat stroke and respiratory distress during hot, humid weather or strenuous exercise. Owners must carefully monitor activity levels during warm conditions and ensure constant access to shade and fresh water. Additional health concerns include Degenerative Myelopathy causing progressive hind limb weakness, gastric dilatation-volvulus requiring immediate emergency intervention, hypothyroidism affecting metabolism and energy levels, and various skin conditions. Responsible breeding practices including health testing of parent dogs significantly reduce the incidence of many hereditary conditions, emphasizing the importance of selecting puppies from health-conscious breeders who screen for cardiac disease, hip dysplasia, and thyroid function.
Shar-Pei
The Shar-Pei stands as a medium-sized, distinctively wrinkled dog with adults typically measuring eighteen to twenty inches tall at the shoulder and weighing between forty-five and sixty pounds, displaying a square, compact profile with well-developed musculature beneath their loose, folded skin. The breed's most recognizable feature remains the abundant wrinkles and folds of thick, loose skin covering the head, neck, and shoulders, creating an appearance of wearing an oversized coat, though these wrinkles become less pronounced as dogs mature from puppyhood to adulthood. Their large, broad head features a flat skull, hippopotamus-like muzzle that is wide and well-padded, small triangular ears set high on the skull, and deeply sunken, almond-shaped dark eyes that peer out from within the facial folds. The Shar-Pei's distinctive coat comes in two primary lengths: the extremely short horse coat with bristly, sandpaper-like texture measuring under half an inch, and the slightly longer brush coat reaching up to one inch at the withers, both feeling coarse and harsh to the touch, hence the breed name meaning sand skin in Chinese. Coat colors appear in virtually any solid shade including black, red, fawn, cream, blue, chocolate, and apricot, with darker shading typically occurring along the back and ears. The breed's unique blue-black tongue, shared only with the Chow Chow, represents another distinctive characteristic, while their thick, round tail curls tightly over the back in typical spitz fashion. Physical structure includes straight, well-boned legs supporting a body with height at the withers approximately equal to the length from shoulder to buttock, creating the desired square appearance. The breed possesses a broad, muscular chest and strong, sloping shoulders, with compact feet and a powerful neck that blends smoothly into the body. Their brachycephalic facial structure, though less extreme than some flat-faced breeds, still contributes to respiratory considerations. The loose skin historically served a functional purpose in the breed's fighting dog heritage, allowing them to twist free if grabbed by opponents while protecting vital organs, though modern Shar-Peis are bred primarily as companions rather than working or fighting dogs.
Key Characteristics
Shar-Peis display a calm, independent, and devoted personality characterized by strong loyalty to their immediate family while maintaining natural aloofness and suspicion toward strangers, making them excellent watchdogs and guardians who take their protective responsibilities seriously. These intelligent, strong-willed dogs require confident, experienced handlers capable of establishing firm yet gentle leadership, as they may attempt to assume dominant roles if not properly guided from puppyhood. The breed's historical background as guard dogs and fighters contributes to their territorial nature and potential for dog-aggressive behavior, particularly toward same-sex dogs, necessitating early and ongoing socialization to promote appropriate interactions with other animals and unfamiliar people throughout their lives. Despite their somewhat serious demeanor with outsiders, Shar-Peis demonstrate remarkable affection and gentleness with known family members, forming deep bonds with their human pack and displaying patience with children when properly raised together from puppyhood. Their moderate to low energy levels make them suitable for apartment living or homes without large yards, requiring only daily walks and moderate play sessions rather than extensive exercise routines. The breed's clean nature and low grooming needs appeal to many owners, though their independent thinking can make training challenging for inexperienced handlers. Shar-Peis respond best to consistent, positive reinforcement methods that respect their dignified nature while maintaining clear boundaries and expectations. These alert, protective dogs may bark when perceiving threats but are not typically excessive vocalizers, preferring to assess situations quietly before reacting. Their stubborn streak and strong will require patience during training, though their intelligence enables quick learning when properly motivated. Some individuals display anxiety in new situations or when meeting unfamiliar people, emphasizing the critical importance of comprehensive socialization during puppyhood to build confidence and appropriate social responses. The breed's tendency toward aggression with other dogs, particularly those of the same sex, means they often thrive best as only dogs or with careful management in multi-pet households where hierarchy and boundaries are clearly established and maintained throughout their lives.
Shar-Peis suffer from numerous serious hereditary health conditions, most significantly Familial Shar-Pei Fever, also called Swollen Hock Syndrome, an inherited autoinflammatory disease affecting approximately twenty-three percent of the breed and characterized by recurrent fever episodes, painful swelling in the hock joints, and potentially fatal progression to amyloidosis causing kidney or liver failure. This condition stems directly from the genetic mutation responsible for the breed's characteristic excessive skin wrinkling and hyaluronosis, with dogs possessing multiple copies of the wrinkle-causing gene facing higher risk of developing this incurable disease. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms through anti-inflammatory medications and supportive care, though many affected dogs ultimately die from organ failure despite intervention. The breed's excessive skin folds create persistent problems including skin fold dermatitis where moisture, bacteria, and yeast accumulate in the deep wrinkles causing painful infections, foul odors, and chronic irritation requiring daily cleaning and careful drying to prevent. Entropion, affecting nearly eighteen percent of Shar-Peis annually compared to less than one percent of other breeds, occurs when loose facial skin causes eyelids to roll inward, resulting in eyelashes and hair continuously scraping across the cornea with every blink, producing severe pain, ulceration, and potential blindness requiring surgical correction. Additional ophthalmic concerns include glaucoma causing painful pressure buildup within the eye, lens luxation, and various other eye problems linked to the breed's extreme facial structure and loose periocular skin. Orthopaedic issues including hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia cause pain and progressive arthritis, while patellar luxation affects knee stability and function. The breed demonstrates increased susceptibility to hypothyroidism disrupting metabolism and causing lethargy, weight gain, and coat problems, along with vitamin B12 deficiency requiring lifelong supplementation in affected individuals. Ear infections occur frequently due to narrow ear canals and poor air circulation beneath the folded ears. Shar-Peis face heightened cancer risk and various other conditions linked to their extreme conformation and limited genetic diversity. The breed's typical lifespan ranges from eight to twelve years, with major causes of death including cancer, kidney disease, and behavioral issues often related to chronic pain from their numerous health problems. Responsible breeding focusing on less extreme conformation with flatter skin and fewer wrinkles could significantly improve welfare outcomes, though current breed standards perpetuate the very features causing most health complications.
Important to Remember
Each hybrid dog is unique and may inherit any combination of traits from either parent breed. The information above represents the characteristics of the purebred parent breeds. Your Box-a-Shar may favor one parent over the other or display a blend of both. We strongly encourage you to read the complete breed profiles for both the Boxer and Shar-Pei to fully understand the range of possible temperaments, health concerns, and care requirements.