My friend's dog has raised hard pink lumps like bites on her head and on her shoulder - thehead one looks raw. They're not ticks although they're tick sized. Any ideas?

Does this dog spend alot of time outside? Flies are murder on dogs. My parents dog had bites all over iits head and nose. If fact his nose had scabs all over it just for being outside and the flies had bitten him so badly. That would be my guess. He healed up once they could keep him inside the house once the animals owner picked up the dog my parents were babysitting.

Could be an allergy to insect bites or flea bites.
There again Boxers can get things called histiocytoma's
which can get pink and lumpy.
Best advice I can give is to get your friend to take her Boxer
to the vet and get them checked out for sure.
May be just a course of antibiotics and antihistamines for allergy
or further investigation needed if the vet feels they could be histiocytoma's
or other lumps that need to be looked at more closely.

Thanks for the suggestions - she does spend most of her time outside and we have a burn - stream nearby which is flyblown in the summer which she is naturally drawn to being white. The histiocytoma thing sounds awful - Ill look it up on the boxer sites mentioned before and pass it all on.

Don't worry, histiocytoma's can disappear without the need for intervention
of surgery.
My youngest Boxer had one, and it disappeared of it's own accord and nothing
to tell where it appeared, only my memory. ;)
My girl's histiocytoma was confirmed by 'smear' test at vets.
So we knew what we were dealing with. My vet was comfortable with leaving it
alone for a little while after first treating with antibiotics and steroids to get rid
of the inflammation.
Another trick if she is being 'bitten' by those bugs, feed her some garlic daily (odourless capsules are good)
and this may put off the bugs from biting her. It also works for us humans too :D

thanks for the reassurance - I was more worried than my pal who just said " Eh? Ken ur trouble, u worry yersel too much! Vet my *!?* Savlon spray'll dae fine!" Sossy - the boxer - says thanks for garlic sheloves garlic bread.:)