Keeper of the Glossary: Mary Drabbe

 

Have you ever come up with a word to describe one of those special Boxer moments, actions or attitudes? Well, the Boxer Mailing List has plenty of its own. This glossary is by no means complete, but it includes many of them. We hope you will enjoy the glossary and use its terms freely.

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Ala-natural: boxer with a long tail, and floppy ears.

Ambileguminous: the ability to do the kidney-bean dance (see definition) in either direction.

Augering in: burying the face in blankets or carpet, twisting the head around. Especially enthusiastic sessions seem to follow especially good meals.

Backbeat: that late night thrumming of puppy paws against your back, during a particularly exciting doggie dream.

Batman and Robin move; BAP: swack or kapow with the paws

Big Bapper: what you call a boxer that gives you a BAP.

Billy Goat Butt, stomping: rear up on hind legs with front legs off the ground and then come down on a toy butting at it several times with front legs like a billy goat.

BIS: Best in Show. Which means that they took the breed, then the working group and finally beat all the dogs entered that day at that show.

Bishop's mark: the white marking sometimes found on the neck area, shaped similarly to the bishop chess piece.

Bleary-eyed Can't You Be Quiet look: the look you get when you make too much noise in the morning.

BMLer: Boxer Mailing List member

BOA: Boxer Overeaters Anonymous

BOB: Best of Breed

Boinging: That jumping up and down (to impossible heights) done in one place when they are about to be let out of their kennel or see you coming on the other side of the door. Usually a preliminary to doing donuts or going warp speed.

BOOB Club: Bruised Owner of a Boxer.

Booowooowooo: the boxer's "I mean business" bark

Boxdozer: the ability to run and jump around until plowing into someone or something - usually accidentally.

Boxer: N 1. A canine of medium build. Exhibits characteristics of stubborness, self-determination, inteligence, self-indulgence (when not supervised), capable of mass destruction of property, very elegant; the elegance has been compared to that of a bulldozer. "A kind of additional or subsidiary Deity designed to catch the overflow and surplus of the world's worship." -- Ambrose Bierce. Also capable of giving wet kisses, along with love kindness, warmth, sympathy, and compassion. (see also Boxer Kisses)

Boxer '95: a yearly glossy publication from the South Western Boxer Club in England. It's a great little magazine with lovely photos and interesting articles.

Boxer Bash: group of crazy boxer owners and their boxer 'kids' all get together at someone's house...!big place! with lots of run to run, kidney bean and kiss...and that goes for the dogs too (LOL). Includes attendees from many states and possibly International. [See Boxer Bump, Boxer Burp]

Boxer block: standing in the way of whatever direction their human plans on going, and adjusting said position according to any course changes by said human.

Boxer bowling; Boxer Two-Pin Bowling: "The action of two boxers doing this wild spinning thing to get started to come to me and when they were about 2 feet away would realize that there was no way they could stop. The rear end would hit the floor but the forward momentum would bring them straight into my knees. There would always be me and boxer in pile on the floor;" The term for those Boxers who love to trot around at the beach & then when mum isn't looking run full speed at her legs; Having your Boxer gallop down a flight of stairs at full speed, with complete disregard for who/whatever lies at the bottom (e.g. bags of groceries, small children, etc.).(see also Diebel Manuever and Dodge the Dog)

Boxer Bump: see Boxer Bash, except for the numbers of attendees are less...usually a regional area and it may or may not have limitations on size. Other than that, the activities are the same.

Boxer Burp: Just four crazy families getting together Sunday afternoon in 103+ heat for a hot dog/hamburger picnic.

Boxer crate rock:what happens when they "make their bed" before they lie down. If the sheepskin blanket isn't just right, there is no way on earth they can lie down on it; so the crate bangs around as they're getting the sheepskin in place.

Boxer Expansion Theory (BET): The ability of a 55 lb/ 24 inch Boxer to cover most of a sleeping human's bed to a depth of several inches, leaving only a welt along the edge for the human to cling to precariously.

Boxer Greeting; Welcome home: hugs, kisses and wiggle-butt a plenty; Garage door opening - race to the window. Car disappears from view - race to the back, garage door. Sit in full alert position. When door to room opens and friendly face appears, drop ears back until they look like you could put barrettes in them, and approach slowly, wiggling gently. At first spoken word of greeting, dive back and begin the bucking bronco. Stop suddenly. Approach human and wiggle that butt. Just before reaching said human, stop in mid-twist and wait for human to reach down and rib your back. At request for kiss from human, break away and buck some more. Repeat. (see also Kidney Bean Dance)

Boxer joy = [Boxer Joy Unit]^[No. of Boxers] ( "^" is exponent function )

Boxer kisses: wet, plentiful (non-stop), loving kisses given by all boxers; different individuals give you different type of kisses; kissing with that washcloth-sized tongue; big sloppy one that go all over your face; delicate, butterfly kisses; quick, almost abbreviated touches of the tongue; let me lick you kinda thing; full tongue, wash-your-face-and-don't-forget-behind-the-ears kisses; washcloth cleansings; done with the last fifth of the tongue, in a slow, concise swipe; in your face - big kissing machines; "It's like being slapped in the face with a sirloin."; face-washing; ssssllllllluuuurrrrrrrrppppppppiiiiieeee's;pushing their nose (really wet & cold noses) at the 'kissee'-like they were saying "I do love you & want to kiss you but I just don't want to get my tongue dirty"!; big soft slobbery tongue with just a touch of whiskers around the edges (also see Tongue getting stuck maneuver).

Boxer Mass Location Transference (BMLT): allows a Boxer to move to any location it chooses on the bed of its human, without waking said human. BMLT is so powerful that even a waterbed poses no problem.

Boxer neck knots: the lumps on your older Boxer's neck resulting from your Boxer puppy chewing on it & hanging on for dear life.

Boxer Pawdicure: Nail trim for a boxer.

Boxer paw scent; Frito Feet: fragrance of popcorn; Fritos. (also see Boxer smell)

Boxer Pirouette: A playful, challenging 360 degree jump, landing on all fours in (more or less) the same spot, forelegs almost flat on the ground, eyes looking tantalizingly at you, rump high in the air and tail wagging invitingly: "Wanna play? Or are ya *just too chicken?*"

Boxer regret: what usually occurs after a 'spat' between 2 boxers. Without missing a beat, they stop the fight, and begin an extended round of mutual face-kissing, accompanied by a profuse kidney-bean performance. Their tails are wagging, their ears are flattened against their heads, muzzle rubs muzzle, and they look up at me sporadically to to make sure I understand the truce that they're offering.

Boxer second: nearly instantly; similar to a New York minute.

BSD: Boxer Selective Deafness.

Boxer smell; Boxer nape aroma: they smell faintly of warm biscuits (perhaps just dunked in a cup of sweet tea) - very innocent, usually refered to in boxer puppies; the boxer scent is most pleasant at the nape of the neck and/or behind the ears; smell of fur is intensified after a walk in the rain(also see Boxer paw scent).

Boxer Stomp: (1) The maneuver performed when a boxer steps on tender portions of anatomy and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. (2) an expression of joyousness where the boxer bounces up and down on alternate front feet stomping and woo-wooing any and all miscellaneous joys.

Boxer survivors: a grizzled lot resembling the bar scene in Star Wars. A nose missing here, one ear over there, an eye patch on that one down on the end next to the peg leg; frequently associated with the Diebel maneuver (see definition).

Boxer tap: tap with a paw to let the others know he/she was King/Queen.

Boxer talk: how you (humans) talk to a boxer; usually ends up with a tail/stub wag.

Boxer tongue: slab of bologna; baloney tongue.

Boxer utopia: a boxer camp.

Boxercentricism: The state of being nuts over boxers.

Boxerfish: boxers that (can/like to) swim

Boxerrangement: the adjustment of blankets/covers to a boxer's satisfaction. (See "Flewforter" and "Boxer Crate Rock")

Boxers Anonymous, Boxer Mad, Boxer Junkies: a group with fundamental truths such as, "I cannot control my craving for Boxers", "I keep talking about my dogs in important meetings a work", "I admit that I have a flew fetish", etc. In e-mails, each members is refered to as "Joe Boxer" in the text. There is a 12-step plan to treat the Disorder.

Brindle: a red/tan coat overlaid by black stripes. The density of the stripes determines what 'type' of brindle the dog is. A dog is a brindle if there is even one black stripe.

Coat color sequence: (from light to dark) fawn->light brindle->brindle->dark brindle->reverse brindle->seal brindle

Bracheacephalic: smushed-nose, as are boxers, bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Pomeranians, etc.

Bubbleicious: Blowing bubbles with their drool. (See "Shoestring Drool")

Bucking bronco routine: they jump up and down, usually one end is up while the other is down. While all this is going on, their hind end shakes left and right.

Bumptious: Self-Assertive, full of noisy conceit, but in the nicest possible way.

Butt-tuck: what you see when a boxer does "big circles" in the yard (See "Warp Speed").

The Callie Snort: teeth showing, nose scrunched, lips lifted. It's usually accompanied by something that sounds like a cross between a pig snorting and a growl.

Catapulting: when they throw their bodies (not jump..throw) upwards at the fenced yard gate (4-5 ft) and come over the gate on their backs, and as they come over the far side they twist and land on all fours!

Character and temperament (US Standard); (German Standard); (British Standard): These are of paramount importance in the Boxer. Instinctively a "hearing" guard dog, his bearing is alert, dignified, and self-assured. In the show ring, his behavior should exhibit contrained animation. With family and friends, his temperament is fundamentally playful, yet patient and stoical with children. Deliberate and wary with strangers, he will exhibit curiosity, but most importantly, fearless courage if threatened. However, he responds promptly to friendly overtures honestly rendered. His intelligence, loyal affection, and tractability to discipline make him a highly desirable companion. Faults: lack of dignity and alertness. Shyness.;(German Standard) The character of the Boxer is one of the gratest importance and demands the most solicitious attention. He is renouned from olden days for his great love and loyalty for his master and the whole household, his alertness ans fearless courage as a defender and protector. He is harmless in the family but distrustful of strangers, bright and friendly of temperment at play but fearsome when roused. He is easily trained due to his obedience, his self-assurance and courage his natural sharpness and scenting ability. Because of his mosesty and cleanliness he is equally desirable as a family dog and gaurd escort or sevice dog. He is honest and loyyal never false or treacherous even in old age. Faults viciousness, treachery unreliablilty, lack of temperment and cowardice.; (British Standard) Characteristics Lively, strong, loyal to owner and family, but distrustful of strangers. Obedient, friendly at play, but with guarding instinct. Temperament Equable, biddable, fearless, self-assured.

Charlie Brown sighs: deep, all -encompassign sighs that ALL boxers are prone to.

Check: white with big fawn or brindle markings on the body.

Cheek Eats; Food Foam:the leftovers on the cheeks after eating; the foam formed on a boxers lips after eating (See "Bubbleicious" and "Shoestring Drool")

Chewbackaing, oratorical treatise: boxer language.

Chewmen: toys made of false lambswool stuffed, lambswool cover cut in the shape of a "man", obtainable in various sizes (see also Mookie).

Chin Shift: when they put their chin on your knee or lap (or anything else for that matter) and proceed to shift their head to the right and left just a little to get the appropriate position for their chin. This must be his method of giving you just the right look for what they wants.

Chip (v): to be chipped-a boxer that has a micro-chip installed.

Clean Puppy Celebration: This starts by bathing one while the other patiently (?) awaits its turn. After drying, both Boxers and me, a grand TO-DO is held including clapping, whistling, barking, singing, kidney beaning (see definition), etc. Followed by a mad dash to the yard to introduce new dirt for a second show!

Cocooning; Boxer bookends: when you are between two warm, snuggling boxers, you _under bedclothing_, them on top, so that you are trapped!

Crossbody block: the action of a boxer at the end of a yard long run toward you when at the last second they turn their head and make contact with your waist with their shoulder, knocking you to the ground. (see also Diebel maneuver)

"Dance of the Sumo Wrestler": when your boxer assumes the pooping position but can't seem to stand in one place. Instead he/she wiggles around in this position (usually stepping in its own fresh poop).

Dark brindle: Heavily brindled, more black than fawn showing.

Dead Ant: when the dog lies on its back with feet all sticking straight up, flews thrown back over their eyes, without moving, waiting for someone to either rub its tummy or come & play. The lack of wiggling makes this distinct from the Inverted kidney bean dance.

Deep Throat: the act where boxers greet each other by licking the insides of each others mouths and throats. (see also French Kiss)

Devil dog: when the eyes don't completely close & you can see the red part of the eye.

Dewclaws: located on the inside of the leg, and just dangle there, subject to being torn or injured. Boxers have them only on the front legs.

Diebel maneuver: Performed by the boxer when he/she runs at and catches a human at knee level and from slightly behind and to the side, so that the human is caught totally by surprise and goes down. This is a dangerous maneuver, often involving injury to the knee. (see also Crossbody Block and Near-Diebeling)

Digging to China: with both front feet at the same time, they get this funny little pouncing/digging motion going in the blankets (See "Boxer Crate Rock," "Boxerrangement," "Flewforter") .

Dingo-recall ambush: when one boxer either lies in wait for (in cat-pounce position) or heads off like a heat-seeking missile another boxer being recalled. The first calculates the angle and speed very accurately then jumps on the other's head.

Doing a Helio: A boxer who wags so hard it hits its head with its butt is "doing a Helio."

Dodge the Dog: what boxer owners need to do when an excited boxer runs from a distance and proceeds to try to jump into your arms, knocking you down and almost knocking you out!

Dog-logging - Pooper scooping

Drive-by Licking: usually occurs right after a boxer drinks water. As he walks by, he licks so quickly that you don't have a chance to scold him and there you are with drool and water dripping down your leg, into your sock.

Double coated boxers: actually seem to have an undercoat.

Eau de Boxer (n): fragrance with low olfactory qualities, but high viscosity, applied liberally to cheeks and neck by tongue action of a boxer. (also see Slobber smell).

Elvis Presley grin: THAT face they do when a corner of their top lip gets caught behind one of the lower canines. It says like 'You can NOT be serious!!' or alternatively 'Oh P..l..e..a..s..e'

Eye booger; Yan; Eye goobers; Gloop; Gunkie; Sandman; Eye-gorp; Schmootz; Goobers: that white stuff that accumulates on the inner corner of the eyes.

FAB- First Available Boxer- (1) describes the first Boxer a Boxerholic sees while away from his or her Boxer(s). Commonly used by said human to get a Boxer fix to tide him/her over until he/she returns home to his/her Boxer(s). (2) what some people waiting to adopt a rescue boxer are waiting for.

Farrah-Fawcett look: when the Boxer flews & (natural) ears fly back in the breeze to give an attractive windswept look! Particularly fetching when slobber is dripping off the Boxer's face at the same time.

Fawn; Yellow: two colors that average out to a light brown; brown, ranging from light tan to mahogany.

Fawn coat sequence: (from light to dark) Light fawn->fawn->stag or mahogany

Feces Pieces: The solid offering left by the cat in her litter box, which holds an inordinate amount of interest for Boxers. See Tootsie Rolls.

F.E.F.: frantic eye fluttering. The boxer equivalent of R.E.M. (rapid eye movement) sleep.

Find It! game: put the dog on a sit stay. Sort of hide the snack. At the beginning be pretty obvious about it. Go back to the dog and say Find It! You always want the dog to find the snack. Sometimes you may have to walk towards where it is, if the dog seems confused. Watch those boxer mushes hit the ground.

Flashy: a boxer with a significant amount of white markings on their legs, face, and/or collar. Dogs are disqualified (in shows) if they are more than 1/3 white and white cannot appear on the torso proper. There are gradations between "plain," "semi-flashy" and "very flashy," and the definitions of each vary according to the individual making the description.

Flat out like a lizard drinking: comes from the fact that lizards in Australia mainly live in the very arid desert regions, and when they find water, they drink like there is no tomorrow (because if you are searching for water there might not be!!). To drink they are stretched flat out and go 100 to 1 at the water.

F.L.E.A.: Floppy Ears Anonymous Club.

Flew fluffle; Woofles: when they kind of purse their lips in and out while sticking their heads into the air, hoping to get a sniff of something (or a BETTER sniff of something!); not hestitating to put food on you after eating; flews (usually-moist, always soft and velvety, and often festooned with dinner-debris) against pant legs, skirts, suits and tee shirts. Usually the degree of festooning is in direct proportion to the cleanliness or cost of the garment at the receiving end.

Flew flotsam: the bits and pieces of food, etc., that end up floating in the water bowl when a boxer takes a drink after eating.

Flewforter: a comforter that has been boxerranged. (See "Boxerrangement"); also can refer to the boxer itself, when it has snuggled so that its flews cover and warm a portion of human anatomy.

Flews: the extra skin (jowls) that hang off the side of the muzzle, and they kind of, well... fluffle!

flewtter: an exhale which flutters the flews

Flug: the tasty blend of flew-borne material which could pass the NASA trials for "space age lubricant". Hence, we often speak of getting "...fluffled with Mug's flew flug..". [See Mooshie juice, goobers]

Flying nun ears: description of uncropped boxer ears.

French Kiss: what you get when you laugh a bit too hard around a licking Boxer. (see also Deep Throat)

Four legged hoofing dance: tearing up grass after relieving itself; a way of marking territory by leaving their scent behind.

Frog dog; Flying frog, sky-diver: the position assumed when a boxer is lying down and the legs are pointed away from the body; sliding the front of the body off the couch, leaving the hind legs in the flying frog. Support the front part of the body with the legs on the floor and, if possible, rest the head on the coffee table to look extra cute.

Full-body lean: it happens when the said Boxer is not satisfied with the amount of petting he/she had just received. In our case, it's a method of communication, "Excuse me, I don't think you're finished, you haven't forgotten me have you?"

Full-body nudge: which is an added little reminder which usually occurs in the sitting position.

Full-butt lean: The law of mass tonage; when a boxer comes up on the couch and stands over you while you're watching TV. Front feet on one side and back feet on the other. Then when they're ready, they just throw their backside onto you - somewhere between your chest and lap. They may eventually end up sitting in your lap or just leaning their butt on you. Its as if they're too lazy to stand up straight.

Full-body blow dry: When you are blow-drying your hair, they push open the bathroom door (little buggers scare the *lights* out of you half the time) come over and turn their butts to you as if to say "OK mom (or Dad), my turn". They'll wait there until you give them a few minutes under the dryer. And you have to hit all areas - back, belly, chest, butt, behind the ears.

Full-speed shoulder barge attack: as boxer #2 is running along, boxer #1 will gallop to catch boxer #2 and while running along side boxer #2, boxer #1 throws itself at boxer #2's shoulder, it doesn't seem to matter which part of #1's body hits #2. The noise of impact is quite frightening!

Gobbling syndrome: You lay a fresh bowl of food at the boxer's feet and they proceed to eat like there was no tomorrow! They don't lift their head out of the bowl until the last drop is gone, and they usually accomplish this in no time flat!

Goobers (n); the slimy food that sticks on the Boxers' mouth after eating; Goober (v): The act of sharing goobers with people's clothing, the furniture, the walls, etc. [See Flug, Mooshie Juice]

Green vapor; fart; silent but deadly: a foul smelling invisible cloud that takes over an entire area and has been known to cause evacuations, usually occurs after a meal; lethal vapors; being able to clear a room out faster than a fire drill.

Gremlin look: floppy ears and loose jowels and half-closed eyes looking so innocently at us.

Ground colour: the dominant color that can be seen in the 'background'. eg) in a brindle boxer, the ground color is fawn.

Groups: the AKC show/exhibition structure of groups: Working (to which the Boxer is assigned), Herding, Sporting, Non-Sporting, Hound, Terrier, and Toy.

Guilty as sin: that face that boxers make when they are as guilty as hell, but they don't think you know that; They act like your shadow the whole time, but everytime they 'nosed' a particular item, they got a short sharp NO!!!. They back off to a respectful distance and continued watching. After finishing with what you are doing, you leave for a second. On returning you see them, sitting stock still like a statue, absolute photo material, with their beautiful big regal head held high, neck arched, ears pitched forward and piercing eyes just looking straight at you, not moving a muscle, they look magnificent except for something in their MOUTH! You walk up to them and remove the offending item from their lips and wave it in their face. They knew they were in for it and bolted.

Gurpy noises; HEADS UP: the noises made before a boxer vomits.

Hand picking your furniture: the act of attempting to get boxer hair off tapestry couch fabric before company arrives.

Hanging tooth: either upper or lower teeth (mostly lower) being visible when the dog closes its mouth, mostly due to a less than perfect undershot bite. Most Boxers will do it occasionally since perfection is what we always strive for, but seldom attain (See "Elvis Presley Grin").

Hara-kiri: how a crazed mut throws itself at the fence while you walk by with your boxer.

Heat Seeking Muzzle: a boxer that is so hot from being under the comforter, you'd think it was suffocating. Boxers that like to root under the sheets.

Hide and sleep: this is the routine of finding somewhere secluded to lie and sleep in hopes of not being bothered.

Hund Hook; Hitching posts: Usually found in Europe, hooks that you could hook your dog to when when you went inside a store.

Hunkerbutt: ...nostrils flaring for just two seconds too long...ears laid back in an oh so aerodynamic configuration..."taut" being merely a foolhardy description of a muscular explosion which is about to occur... the sideways "white-eyed" look that says "you're not EVEN gonna be able to KEEP UP WITH ME NOW!...and the low-slung hind-quarter power which directly precedes "HUNKERBUTT"......!!!!!! (See Warp Speed, Dodge the Dog)

Idiopathic alopecia; bald spot: irregular patches of hair loss and dark skin in the flank and (as we would call it) the lower back (seasonal alopecia - its causes and relief have been discussed on the BML, and information is available on request).

"I'm worried about you" dance: where you are rolling on the floor in laughter while they run back and forth between you and your S.O. (significant other, friend, human), shaking nervously the whole time.

In the nude: no leash, no collar.

Inverted kidney bean dance; Clown; Happy, happy, joy, joy dance: in the morning he will lie on the floor on his back with all fours up in the air (belly up)and start squirming back and forth, jowls inverted, making the play growling noises,kinda 'arrghhhh', flews hanging down, once you make eye contact, you will get the "Rub my belly look".

Karate boxer: a boxer that must jog in all his dreams because he wakes you up at least twice every night *Kicking* you (hard) while fast asleep.

Kidney-bean Dance, Doughnut dance, Happy dance, The Horse Shoe, The Boxer "C", cheeri-o, doin the donut dance; wiggle butt: The uncontrollable contortion of a standing Boxers side and back muscles, occuring when they are happy or excited, resulting in their overall body appearance taking on the semblance of a legume, most notably the kidney bean; touch nose to tail and do 360s; wiggling their bum; moving their rear ends around even crashing into you with it.(see also ambileguminous, Boxer Greeting and Bucking Bronco). There are two types of Kidney-bean Dance:

1) The slow kidney bean dance. This is when they wiggle their back ends from side to side, and it's usually accompanied by the head doing the same thing. So they have their heads and bums almost meeting on one side. They'll hold that position for a few seconds and then switch to the other side. So you have head and bum right, head and bum left, head and bum right, and on it goes. When looking from above, their bodies resemble a kidney bean shape. Whilst doing this kidney bean dance, they will often be licking the air. They are actually kissing YOU but from a distance. Of course, the famous Boxer wave (pawing) can often be seen during the kidney bean dance.

2) The fast kidney bean dance. This is very similar to number 1 except it's only the rear end that goes from side to side and it's much quicker. So you have the butt going left, right, left, right, left, right etc. This is usually accompanied by the head looking up at you whilst doing multiple *Boxer sneezes* and or *Boxer smiles* or as in number 1 the *long distance kiss*.

Kidney-bean Stance: prelude to the kidney bean dance, is where they will curl their butts up and just stand there (of course until they see their tail, and then commences to try and chomp it -- it's just a little out of their reach, much to their chagrin and our entertainment!). They look like they have a really bad itch on their butt and just don't know how to get it!

Kidney kick: what you receive if you stand in the way of a kidney-beaner.

Killer slime: that trowel full of slimy foam that you see on your stockings AFTER you have got to work and walked into a meeting!! (which you then inconspicuously try to wipe off with a copy of the Meetings agenda!!).

Land mines; gifts: boxer poop.

Lapped: the insistent and seldom subtle actions taken by a Boxer in their incessant desire to occupy the space on a sitting person, which exists between the sitters shoulders and their knees. This action occurs irrespective of the Boxer's age or size, and the size of the lap involved. Being lapped is a precious yet often underrated occurance.

Leg grabs: when the members of your pack generally go for the hamstrings on the hind legs.

Licky: the game whereby the boxer licks you all he wants.

Life with boxers: is like a box of chocolates-you never know what you get, but you do know they're all yummy!

Light Brindle: Fawn background with few or very thin black stripes.

Like spit on a hot frying pan: Descriptive term for movement of boxer undergoing the first stages of leash training.

Lip Flip: the boxers ability to unknowingly flip the upper lip underneath showing teeth. This is usually ended by a kidney bean dance or bucking bronco. This gives the image of a tough, aggressive boxer. (Although we all know the truth.)

Lippy lippy shake; Fleming Syndrom; flehmen: When they seem to go into a trance where they get lock-jaw with an inch of tongue stuck out and the jaw goes into spasms. They usually remain in this state for at least a minute then snaps out of it and then glances around to see if anyone noticed!! the action horses perform when they smell something that strikes them oddly; "looking for a smoke"; the increased saliva and tongue sticking out helps the to transfer the 'smells' to the nose.

Lone dog out: the boxer that ends up on the floor with your S.O. instead of on the furniture with you and the other boxer(s).

Lurk *one Lurk, many Lurkar*: peeping dogtoys of rubber that boxers seems to adore.

Mad act: the frenzied run that usually occurs after the Boxer has, errr, emptied its bowels.(see also "Warp Speed")

Mahogany; rich Ochre red; 'deer' red:a deep red-fawn color.

Mastitis: infection and inflammation of the mammary tissue, usually after whelping.

Mexican stand-off; The stalk and stare; face-off: When running around outside, they will suddenly freeze, start stalking toward each other, and assume a face-to-face position with heads over the other's shoulders. They will stand totally still like that, not moving a muscle except for a little rolling of the eyes, until one gives in and pounces on the other in a growling play attack. Usually signed by spontaneous combustion! Differing versions-One is head to head until some mysterious signal is given or received and then they begin a chase. In the second version they are standing apart from one another and pretending not to look at one another. Then suddenly they break into this chase. In the third a toy is involved--kind of like the bull fighter with his cape; With both bodies facing each other, front paws outstretched, straight forward on the ground (usually placed there in a pounding fashion), rear legs sometimes remain in a stance, some woofing may occur, some jabs may be thrown, next thing you know, the bell that only they can hear tolls and they are off.

Mini missile launcher: what is casually leaned onto the visitors foot when one back leg is on either side of the visitors leg.

Monorchid: an individual who has only one testis or only one descended into the scrotum.

Mookies: a boxers stuffed animals (see also Chewman).

Moose: what a boxer looks like when you call them in "mid-drink" at the water dish and their head raises, the water was just running out of both sides of their mouth.

Mooshie Juice: The slimy, slippery slobber that a boxer usually shares freely with its owner by rubbing it ona pants leg. [See Flug, Goobers]

Mouth wrestling, the mouth game, the sea lion game, bite mouth: The game two boxers play by opening their mouths wide and facing off, tooth to tooth. No actual biting is involved, but the game is usually accompanied by loud noises, and frequently played while lying down.

NA: novice agility title awarded by the AKC.

NBA: necessary boxer accessory.

NBOQ: New Boxer Owner Question

Near-Diebeling (ND): when boxers are running towards you and at the last possible moment, they veer away from each other just long enough to pass by, one on each side of you, with just the wind they stir up brushing my legs; the person thinks he is being Diebelled, but he actually remains standing.

O.J. Look: that expression a Boxer makes when they have obviously done something wrong but are trying very hard to look innocent. The "Oh no mum, it must have been the cat that dug that hole in the lawn" look.

Olympic Swimmer: they plunk their body down in front of the couch, put their back legs up against the couch & push away with them, sending them sliding away from the couch on their back. It looks just the way the Olympic swimmers hit the side of the pool & then take off in the other direction.

Pack: your family unit; contains a hierarchical rank; model of dog-human interaction.

Peanut-butter stuck to the roof of the mouth disorder: Every so often they will lap at nothing. They just kind of throw their head back and lap and lap and lap (at the air). We've actually started counting just to see how long they can go. I know fifty licks no problem. Maybe it's dry mouth, a hair ball?

Perambulator position: position where his nose never goes past the pram's (stroller's) front wheels.

Perrier Puppy: what you call a puppy/dog when you give him/her bottled water.

Pile: sleeping arrangement that consists of dogs and humans.

Plain: a Boxer with no white, other than white chest and a little on the feet.

Poopsicles: what the dogs bring in from the yard in winter...frozen dog poop!

Potato chip principle, Synergism, Multiple Boxer Personalities Disorder, Boxerholic; joys of multiple boxerdom: boxers are like potato chips, you can't just have one (see also Boxers Anonymous).

Pulley Thing Around My Neck: The boxer's description of a leash.

Puppy breath: the very, very faint scent of skunk; scent of tortillas.

Puppy mills: dogs of questionable quality/parentage are kept in (often filthy)cages their whole lives, one male services large numbers of females of(maybe) the same breed, with no consideration as to quality, health, temperament in selection of either parent. The sole consideration is producing large numbers of puppies, which are then sold via brokers out of pet stores.

Pupsicle: Take a 20 ounce soft drink bottle(I seem to have lots of those), fill it with water, freeze solid, and you have a nifty toy; plain ole ice cube.

Python, (v) Pythoning: when you have gone to work for the day and one or more dogs are on the (specially purchased for them) duvet cover and sleeping. So far that sounds normal...then they start to kind of Salvador Dali over the edge of the bed and the head being heavy the dog continues to slip towards disaster. Sometimes the tongue even comes unleashed and hangs down also.

Question mark position : So named because when a Boxer bows up to poop, his or her body is curved in the shape of a question mark--the pile being the dot under the question mark.

Reverse brindle: Very heavily brindled with not much fawn showing.

Ridgeback imitation; Mohawk look; hackle: occurs when a boxer (or any dog) feels aggressive, and the hair on his/her back stands erect (hackles up); coat is so soft and smooth; The erectile hairs along the back of the neck of an animal, especially of a dog; [Middle English hakell, cloak, skin, plumage, possibly from Old English hacele, cloak, mantle.] When short haired dogs like Boxers become angry or frightened those hairs stand straight up like a canine version of a Mohawk haircut; The physical mechanism is the same as the one that causes "gooseflesh" in human beings.

Rockhounds: playing fetch in the water (using a *lava* rock) and all you see is this little stubby tail sticking up like a periscope and bubbles coming up from the other end.

Running interference: occurs when a boxer breaks a command in order to go after something he really wants when someone "runs interference" for him by coming between you and him; what causes a boxer to takes off from your side if there's something he REALLY WANTS.

Sawing logs; Buzz saw: what it sounds like when a boxer snores.

Scooby Doo run: run on the spot to get started.

Seal brindle: very heavily brindled with almost no fawn showing.

Sexy Boxer wiggle; bum waddle; comical swagger: the way a Boxer walks.

Shake, rattle & slobber: result is the way the walls look next to a boxers bed - the walls on both sides of the bed look like they've been decoratively spray painted with Boxer Slobber (see also Boxer Slobber).

Shoestring Drool: The long strings of thick Boxer-slobber that hang from one or both sides of the mouth, usually when the dog has been hot, and takes a big drink of water (See "Bubbleicious" and "Cheek Eats").

Sleeping positions: can vary, depending on mood; sleeping on their side stretched out, the curl with head on paws, the let's-see-how-long-I-can-make-myself sleep.

Slobber smell: the way they smell of Boxer Spit when they've been racking around together....ugh....

Slobber whisps: the way patches of their hair stick together like little tufts after they've been playing & mouthing & it's stuck together with slobber.

Snubble (verb or noun): the Boxer (i.e. impossible by a baby puppy) trots beside you, on or off lead, and nudges your hand with its snout (snubbles you), usually in passing and usually accompanied by a grin, to show how happy he/she is. The snubble can be quite forceful or just a subtle brush.

Snuffles: to breathe noisily, as through a blocked nose. To sniff. The act of inhaling audibly. A Special; Specials; Specialing a dog: dog show term; a finished Champion of Record with the AKC; After a dog earns its Championship by accumulating 15 points in a prescribed manner, it may be retired. However, if the owner believes the dog or bitch is of exceptional quality and capable of winning Best of Breeds and placements in the Working Group (see definition), he may continue to show the dog as a "Special"; exemplary specimen of the breed; a dog who is an AKC champion and who competes in the Best of Breed class along with the Winner's Dog and the Winner's Bitch for the title of Best of Breed on that day with the expectation of being able to compete with the Best of Breed dogs in each of the "Groups".

Specialty: a dog show limited to a specific breed.

Squeakectomy: what a boxer performs when he removes a squeaker from any stuffed toy with a squeaker.

Stretchin' pup; Back leg stretch: when they've been sleeping on the furniture and they wake up, they often climb off the sofa/chair front legs first and keep their back legs on the sofa stretched straight out behind them; coming down the stairs on the front legs with the back legs dragging behind ala the flying frog position (see definition); both front legs hanging off the front of the couch and touching the ground, but sound asleep (See "Flying Frog").

Super flashy: almost all white boxer with a small portion either brindle or fawn.

Swan neck: beautiful boxer neck.

-T: the dash ( - ) T at the end of an OFA certification number means that the dog has a tattoo as a means of permanent identification. The tattoo number is submitted on the OFA form.

The Boxer Blatter: the monthly publication of the Boxer Klub in Munich.

Thrash: when they lift their paws out of the water and thrash around making a tremendous noise and sending water flying everywhere.

Tongue getting stuck maneuver: licking and then pause in mid-lick, as though they just thought of something and forgot they were licking; start licking with these big huge swipes across your face. Then all of a sudden in the middle of a lick they freeze, tongue still stuck to your cheek.

Tootsie Rolls: The shape that best describes the solid offering that is left by the cat in her litter box.

Trampling (trompling down the tall grass); Bed making ritual: the boxer turns around several times before lying down, an ancient bed-making ritual to make sure they aren't going to lie down on anything that might bite them, and get the grass all flat and comfy; In one respect it is no different to us mere humans fluffing up the pillows on the bed so that we are comfortable.

Transition dog: a dog you own while waiting to own a boxer.

True nature of a boxer: to guard it's family. To be.. friendly with strangers when Mom/Dad is happy and show concern when she/he is not. To be.. fairly affectionate. To be..thinking, using it's brains. I love to see a boxer who is poised with a question - their whole attitude changes. To be..active. A boxer in motion is beautiful. Whether it be walking, running or jumping. They're not couch potato's.; Quote from John Wagner: "... (boxers) have developed a great mentality in a powerful, beautiful animal. Everyone who comes to know the breed is eventually far more impressed by his dog's devotion and understanding than by its brawn and beauty."

Tunnel Vision: What you get when you go into the back yard to see what the dog was so interested in... digging a FOUR FOOT deep hole next to your foundation.

(The) Twist and Shout: the complement to the Kidney Bean Dance. You jump up, twist out of the way and shout "You miserable pus bellied, foam lipped, stub tailed, kibble gulping, bubble blowing, couch thieving !@#$%^& Boxers!".

Vultching, vultch (v.i.): to assume the vulture pose a la Charles Schultz's Snoopy.

Warning bark *puppy*: sounds like little coughs with a closed mouth - a bit like a mother hen clucking!

Warp Speed; Puppy rodeo; begftfe; Spaz attack; Running tear; Hypo-mode; Boxer blitzing; Crazycakes; Boxer Episodes; Butt Dance; Butt-scootin' Boogie (a la Brooks & Dunn), Mad Dog Runs; Wild Hare; FRAP (Frenetic Random Activity Period); Going Crackerdog; Wild Dawg!; The Freak; Running Fits; Working up a poop; The Wacky Run; Nut Hounds; The Boxer Boogie; The Crazies; Complete brainless abandon; Mad Act; Door Tag; Boxer Race: the action when a boxer starts running at an incredible speed slamming into furiture, walls or any static object, but keeps on going; back end going faster than the front end; An act of running done by the Boxer in which their back legs seem to be going faster than their front legs. This exibition has no known cause. It can last for 2 - 5 minutes and can end as quickly as it started. If your Boxer is going Warp Speed, get out of the way or they may mow you down! full speed (and very noisy) figure-eights around the dining room into the living room, periodically launching themselves upward onto whatever furniture is handy; ole' mindless fullspeed running routine (see also Dodge the Dog, Hunkerbutt).

Wedge: climbing on the chair behind someone and then settling down until the boxer has pushed the person off, it is like ballet.

Well-coordinated boxer (fawn or brindle): a boxer that has the same white markings on either side of his body, a symetrically marked boxer.

Whacker: that male thing.

Wiggle talk - the words/phrases that inspire the boxer to wiggle his tail simultaneously - usually the tone of voice is important here. (in our house, just saying "how's our pupper dog? will work).

Woo-cky noises: the aargh-aargh's that occur when playing bite mouth.

Woozle: a soft pliable, stuffed toy that a boxer loves to hold in its mouth, shake, and play tug with another boxer buddy. Also used for that very heavy boxer head, when verrry tired. Sometimes replaces a pillow.

Wry mouth: a crooked mouth. slanted to one slide or the other; When looking at the mouth, one canine may be more forward than the other, the whole jaw may seem scooted over a bit, or the whole jaw may seem "twisted". A clue sometimes is a tongue hanging consistently out one side. Seems to go along with a certain type of head, and run in families.

YABO: Yet Another Boxer Owner

Yawn: indicates to the rest of the pack that it's time to settle down. It was said that yawning can be a sign of serious stress.

Yoga stretch; Take a bow: Butt as high as it can get. Front paws as far stretched in front of them as possible. Doing some deep breathing from the belly; command used for yoga stretches.

"Your boxer looks like a ..." stories: "Is that a pit bull?"; "Do pit bulls come in all white?"; "What is that a mix of?" speaking of an excellently-pedigreed show dog; "that dog looks like it would bite your face off" and "those dogs are illegal you know," thinking they were pit bulls; "Are those dogs part (or full) dalmatians?" I guess this is because the pigment in their skin shows through the white coat.; a gorilla; a camel; "Did you have to pay extra for a white Boxer?"; Red Dog Beer dog-if you cut his legs off at the knees!;

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