I think the standards both describe a dog who is first and foremost a guard dog.
I could somewhat see that with the AKC standard, since "guard" is listed first in General Appearance section, though I disagree with the conclusion - but how do you feel the FCI standard describes a guard dog first and foremost? Because "fearless" and "self-confident" come first in the first sentence? In the other sentences, the "family dog" traits - devotion, loyalty, harmlessness with family, happy and friendly in play, etc., all come before any guard traits, so I'm just not seeing how you find that a guard dog is what the standard is describing.
Now, if you'd mentioned the Canadian standard, there might be more of an argument for your position, as it states, in the "Origin and Purpose" section:
The Boxer was developed in Germany as a medium size security dog.
However, it goes on to add,
The breed is valued as a spirited pet and guardian of home and family. Developed to serve the multiple purposes of guard, working and escort-dog, he must combine elegance with substance and amble power, not alone for beauty, but to ensure the speed, dexterity and jumping ability essential to arduous hike, riding expedition, police or military duty.
Which reinforces the view of the Boxer as an all-around dog.
The FCI standard, incidentally, in the "Brief Historical Summary" section, talks only about the Bullenbeisser's use in assisting hunters - yet I doubt anyone would take that to mean the Boxer should be first and foremost a hunting dog.
Maybe this comes down to differences of thoughts on drive. As has been mentioned, since we know nothing at all about your background, except that you prefer Continental dogs over US ones, it's difficult to know the foundation of your viewpoint. (This would be a different conversation with Renee, for example, because we know her background and what she does with her working Boxers.) How would you describe the "drive" of a guard dog? Obviously the standards themselves aren't explicit, simply listing the traits that make a Boxer good at many things, including guarding. (I would also add that "guard" drive and "working" drive are likely very different things to many people; there are those who feel Schutzhund, especially the bitework section, is not entirely appropriate for a Boxer since it goes against their temperament to bite.) How would you describe "work", for that matter, as you used the word in your earliest post on this topic? We may be coming at the same thing from different directions, so a little more information on your definitions might help clarify matters.
We may be splitting hairs, but the real question is what do you guys as breeders make sure correct temperament is bred for?
Do you guys breed schutzhund or agility titled dogs? or do you have another way to judge temperament.
I don't breed for Schutzhund or Agility; I don't have any interest in competing in those sports, so I don't specifically title in them. As I mentioned before, there are breeders who focus more on particular aspects of the Boxer temperament, because that's what they enjoy doing with their dogs. I think a common mistake is with people thinking that because a majority of Boxer owners choose not to compete in certain venues, the dogs themselves are not able to do so. Yet I know dogs of the lines I have that are active in obedience, agility, rally, herding, therapy work, service work, and of course conformation; I know scores of them that are wonderful companions, jogging partners, baby sitters, and who often surprise their owners by 'stepping up to the plate', as it were, when an actual threat occurs and their instinctive guarding abilities come through - most Boxer owners I know think their dogs would lick an intruder to death, but when the need arises the dogs show that inherent fearlessness that we so value. Now I have said many times that I think North American Boxers in general are a little light on the "deliberate and wary with strangers" aspect of the standard - although in this day and age that's not necessarily a bad thing - but again, when push comes to shove, the dogs respond appropriately.
Of course many breeders go to conformation shows, and observe the dogs both in and, more importantly, outside of the ring: how they react to the loudspeaker as puppies, or when the invariable table or crate gets dropped, etc.; how they greet strange people and strange dogs; how they are just 'hanging out' outside the ring. It doesn't assess "working drive", per se, but does give you information on their basic temperament. Seeing parents, sibling, offspring, etc. can also give you a lot of information (for example, the fairly popular sire of old, many of whose descendants - even from different 'other' lines and raised in different parts of the country - have the same spooky temperaments).
