Info needed on boxer pups

scuba steve

Hi all,

I have been thinking for quiet some time about getting a boxer pup. Just want to know what all the requirements are that a pup should have already got like the vaccinations, tail docked, weened from the mother onto solid food etc etc and what things you need to already have when you get a pup like a bed, crate, toys, food or anything else that isnt so obvious that you need.

And I probably would buy from a breeder rather than someone selling ones from their family female and male pets. What would be the expected price from a breeder as I have seen prices ranging from €200-€500!

Any other info or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Stephen

andreac

I highly recommend these breeders:

www.bessboxboxers.com

kylith

As far as I know tail docking is, while not technically illegal, hugely frowned on by the vetinary community. I would advise looking for dogs which are not docked as some unscrupulous people have taken to doing it themselves, sometimes with unsanitary instruments and conditions.

scuba steve

I didnt realise that at all kylith, thanks for that advice!

Forgot to mention I'm from Limerick. I was recommended this breeders http://www.boxerlandireland.com/index.html and they are in Limerick also. anyone on here have any experience from dealing with them? they seem to be good!

andreac

I havent heard of them, but ive already given you a link to a kennel which i highly recommend. You might need to travel for the right breeder.

ISDW

scuba steve wrote: »

I didnt realise that at all kylith, thanks for that advice!

Forgot to mention I'm from Limerick. I was recommended this breeders http://www.boxerlandireland.com/index.html and they are in Limerick also. anyone on here have any experience from dealing with them? they seem to be good!

I see from the website that they list the genetic health issues with the breed, but they don't say if they do any of the health testing before breeding. I would recommend that you ask them for results from these tests, they will happy to show you I'm sure.

andreac

I also see that they said they dont show their dogs either, so how do they know they are of good enough quality to breed from as well.
I would be a little sceptical of that website to be honest. Just because it looks great doesnt mean they are great breeders so just be very careful....

Irishchick

andreac wrote: »

I also see that they said they dont show their dogs either, so how do they know they are of good enough quality to breed from as well.
I would be a little sceptical of that website to be honest. Just because it looks great doesnt mean they are great breeders so just be very careful....

Showing a dog is no indication of its health. For example krufts have awarded prizes to dogs with horrific genetic problems. So that dog is fit to breed from then because a group of idiots (im not calling you one) say its a "good" example of the breed!? Makes me sick.

Rant over.


Just make sure the pups are healthy and as others have said ask for the results of relevant tests. Also just be aware that boxers can suffer from respiratory diseases/problems because of the brachyiocephalic skull.

scuba steve

Cheers for all the info and advice! It would be a 8-10 week old pup i'd be looking for (whichever the right amount of time is right to keep it with the mother)

Which vaccinations should it already have and what papers etc?

andreac

Irishchick wrote: »

Showing a dog is no indication of its health. For example krufts have awarded prizes to dogs with horrific genetic problems. So that dog is fit to breed from then because a group of idiots (im not calling you one) say its a "good" example of the breed!? Makes me sick.

Rant over.


Just make sure the pups are healthy and as others have said ask for the results of relevant tests. Also just be aware that boxers can suffer from respiratory diseases/problems because of the brachyiocephalic skull.

Where did i say anything about showing being an indication of health?
I show my dogs and also get them health tested and did so before i used my dog for stud. He is an irish champion and i got him health tested when i made him into a champion, but if the results came back bad, he wouldnt have been used.
I think only excellent quality dogs should be used for breeding and this can only be deemed by having experts in the breed evaluate the dog and deem them worthy of excellent quality and make sure they have no major faults which would mean they shouldnt be bred from.

Ive seen so many people with pedigree dogs saying they have a perfect example of the breed when they have major faults.

Back to the op, most breeders will ensure the pup has had its primary vaccination course by 10 weeks which can be Parvo or the initial set of vaccinations at maybe 8-10 weeks but its so important that the pup has the Parvo vaccination at least.

If you want a kennel club registered dog, then the parents must be both IKC reg to ensure the pups can be registered. So you will get a copy of the IKC papers for your pup which must be sent back to the IKC when you sign it to be transferredinto your name.
The breeder will give you a vaccination card to show what the pup has been given. Your pup must also be microchipped so you will get those details too.

scuba steve

If a pup is non registered does that just mean its not IKC registered ya? And whats the advantages and disadvantages of this??

ISDW

scuba steve wrote: »

If a pup is non registered does that just mean its not IKC registered ya? And whats the advantages and disadvantages of this??

If the pup comes from two parents that are IKC registered, and the pup isn't, you have to ask yourself why not. The IKC have rules about how many litters a bitch is allowed to have, and how old she has to be, i.e. not breeding her when she is herself only a pup, or when she's old. So, to me it would indicate that either the mum has been bred a lot - i.e. in a puppy farm, or that she is too young or too old to breed safely.

If the parents aren't IKC registered, then the pups can't be either, but then why are they breeding? Really people should only breed to improve that particular breed, so all the dogs would be IKC registered. The breeders may say they are only family pets, fair enough, but that then would probably mean that they haven't bothered to do any of the health tests that could show up any genetic health problems. So if you buy a pup from them, you could well have an unhealthy dog and huge vets bills down the line.

A lot of puppy farmers will tell buyers that it costs a lot of money to register the pups - it doesn't, I think its €15 per pup. They will also say that you can register it yourself later on, you can't, only the breeder can.

Have you found someone with unregistered boxer pups?

Irishchick

andreac wrote: »

Where did i say anything about showing being an indication of health?
.

I also see that they said they dont show their dogs either, so how do they know they are of good enough quality to breed from as well.

Well from this line it would appear that you think a show dog makes a good quality breeder which would mean showing is an indication of health.

For the rare few like you it is but for the vast majority its not. I wouldnt have a "show" dog if it was given to me or not. I wouldnt care who claimed it to be a "champion".


OP: Your pup should have his first parvo vaccination gotten. He should be wormed (although somtimes its better to assume they havent been and do it yourself) and the pup should also be microchipped.

Personally I dont think IKC registration is worth the paper its written on but some people do. Its up to you to decide whether to seek out one that is registered.

lrushe

scuba steve wrote: »

Hi all,

I have been thinking for quiet some time about getting a boxer pup. Just want to know what all the requirements are that a pup should have already got like the vaccinations, tail docked, weened from the mother onto solid food etc etc and what things you need to already have when you get a pup like a bed, crate, toys, food or anything else that isnt so obvious that you need.

And I probably would buy from a breeder rather than someone selling ones from their family female and male pets. What would be the expected price from a breeder as I have seen prices ranging from €200-€500!

Any other info or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Stephen

I can't recommend a breeder but the one Andreac posted looks v.reputable so I would inquire further with them if possible.
I wouldn't recommend taking a pup any younger than 8 weeks, a good breeder wouldn't rehome them before this anyway.
Tail docking is a personal choice, if you do go for a docked pup please insure it has been done properly.
As for weaning, that will be done by the breeder a couple of weeks before you take your pup home so you shouldn't have to worry about that.
Find out what the breeder is feeding your pup and get some of that food, if you want to change the pups food after that you can slowly wean the pup for it's original food to the new food.
I would get a large crate for a Boxer pup, I don't usually spend too much on a bed in the begining as they usually get torn to shreads:rolleyes:, I usually use an old blanket etc. in the crate to begin with.
I wouldn't go over board on toys either, maybe one or two, as you get to know your pup you will better be able to judge what he/she likes or doesn't like before you spend a fortune on toys he/she had no interest in.

scuba steve wrote: »

Forgot to mention I'm from Limerick. I was recommended this breeders http://www.boxerlandireland.com/index.html and they are in Limerick also. anyone on here have any experience from dealing with them? they seem to be good!

As said sometimes you have to travel to a good breeders but it's worth it in the end, I live in Dublin but travelled to Cork for one of my dogs, 7 hour round trip!! :eek:

Irishchick wrote: »

Well from this line it would appear that you think a show dog makes a good quality breeder which would mean showing is an indication of health.

For the rare few like you it is but for the vast majority its not. I wouldnt have a "show" dog if it was given to me or not. I wouldnt care who claimed it to be a "champion".


Personally I dont think IKC registration is worth the paper its written on but some people do. Its up to you to decide whether to seek out one that is registered.

The only purpose of showing is to prove that a breed matches up to the standard from which it was developed, it is not in itself a stamp of quality but it is part of the package that makes up a 'quality' pedigree dog so cannot just be ignored, no more than health or temperament can, they all should go hand in hand or else a prospective buyer should walk away.
As for IKC papers, as well as showing the lineage of a dog (and proving it is a pedigree) it also shows that the breeder was bothered enough to go to the time and expense to register the pups and it shows that the bitch was bred under the IKC regulations. Again not necessarily a mark of quality on it's own but definately one of the boxes ticked for me.

Zapperzy

scuba steve wrote: »

If a pup is non registered does that just mean its not IKC registered ya? And whats the advantages and disadvantages of this??

Yes if it says non registered it means not registered with any registry. There is another registry called Canine Ireland but I would stay away from any dog registered with them. I think there are also working dog registeries such as for sheepdogs but the only 2 registeries boxers would be under are the IKC and Canine Ireland. There is also the English Kennel Club which dogs in the north may be registered with.

To be honest if a pup is not registered I would ask yourself why. Because the IKC website is so poor I can't find a link to it but there are rules set down by the IKC that the breeder must abide by to register their pups, both the bitch and dog must be over and under a certain age and a bitch can have no more than 6 litters in her lifetime. If the pup is not registered they may be in breach of these rules and to be honest if they are breaking these very simple and basic rules then the likelyhood of them actually bothering to care about the health of their dogs and pups is slim to none. Now in working breeds some of the best working dogs are probably not IKC registered as dogs bred to show standard are very different to dogs bred to working standard, but these dogs may be registered with another working registery or just not registered at all. IKC registered also means you can take part in IKC shows if you wish to do so.

IKC registration is most definitely not a mark of quality or health, it just means that both parents are purebred and registered and they are within the very basic rules I mentioned above. It is not unknown for puppy farmers to have registered pups. It is €13 a pup to register so avoid anyone saying something along the lines of €200 non registered, €350 registered as they are ripping you off and only interested in money.

To sum things up as I said IKC registered is not a mark of quality but it is the very least I would expect to look for when buying a purebred pup.

FlamingSox

Just to mention a very important thing to look for when purchasing a boxer puppy is that both parents have been heart scored. It seems to be more common in the UK and all reputable breeders have their dogs heart scored by a veterinary cardiologist (not heart checked by the local vet). There are a number of Irish breeders who do this and plenty more who don't.

shinners007

Just to respond, as the owner of Boxerland Ireland, I want to clarify that my Boxers are heart tested by a cardiologist and hip scored also, not just the stud dogs but the bitches also. It also states on the about us page that our boxers are free from health problems and are suitable for breeding. You do not need to be a show dog owner to ensure your dogs are suitable for breeding or health tested. And THANKFULLY more people ARE TESTING nowadays before breeding .


My choice to avoid showing my boxers is to avoid line breeding and avoid genetic illness being passed to offspring. Health of the boxer is my prioarity - not shows, trophies etc. or using the one winning "stud dog" to cover all females in that year until the next related champion wins next year :eek::eek: .

FlamingSox

Shinners007 - thanks for clarifying that your dogs are heart scored by a cardiologist. It's a pity this is not clearly stated on your website however as some people may pass it over as a result!

Don't understand how not showing your boxers avoids line breeding and genetic illnesses though!!

Shinners007 stated: "My choice to avoid showing my boxers is to avoid line breeding and avoid genetic illness being passed to offspring."

Of course it is your decision whether to show or not to show.

shinners007

Our boxer's are suitable for breeding and are free from health problems. how is not stating that my boxers are suitable for breeding?

Also it is my opinion that line breeding does in fact create genetic problems in dogs, now it is just my opinion which is what i am entilted to have. Look back through the pedigree of some show dogs . In order to keep certain looks in a breed the same stud dog was used on one side of the pedigree more than once eg breeding a grand father to granddaughter etc.. sometimes it is even on both side of the pedigree. Why do so many pedigree dogs now have lowered life spans, health issues so so on...

Therefore I avoid champion showdogs who have line breeding in there pedigree. It is very hard to get boxers in ireland that are not related due to over breeding in this country. Some where back in the pedigree you will see related boxers or repeat use of a stud. The health & suitability of my boxers is far more important to me than showing them. It is just my personal preference i have nothing against anyone who shows or does not show their dog. Its up to then. I just want to point out that if more people breeding dogs had them health tested then there would be less problems associated with breeds.

I am not getting into a big debate on that if someone wants to show a dog and that is what they like doing then great - it is nice that some one puts all that time & effort in to it. Im of the opinion each to there own & all that

The important thing is that people should be aware of health problems associated with specific dog breeds and prevenatative methods of testing that are available to avoid such issues.

FlamingSox

Shinners007 - not arguing with you, just pointing out that several breeders clearly state their dogs have been heart scored by a veterinary cardiologist as opposed to "Our boxer's are suitable for breeding and are free from health problems". It is my opinion that your statement does not state this.

Many breeders claim their dogs are healthy and suitable for breeding - I for one would not assume their dogs have been heart scored or health tested unless they/their website said so.

I neither show nor breed - but bought a puppy from heart scored parents, that's all!!

shinners007

Thats fine also not arguing with you either - perhaps i was too vague in my statement on the about us page and just assumed people would know that due to the boxer health pages etc on the website. People are told that they are tested by us when they call/email and the certificate is shown along with all ikc papers worming of the parents vaccinations and ordinary annual vet checks.

I will add that to make sure people can clearly tell that they have been heart tested by a cardiologist. So thanks for that