Looking At A New Puppy - Help!

[REDCLP]

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN A BOXER BUT DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THEM - I AM LOOKING AT 2 PUPPIES 1 MALE AND 1 FEMALE BUT DON'T KNOW WHICH AND WHAT EXACTLY TO LOOK FOR TO BE SURE I AM GETTING A GOOD DOG. THEY SAID MOM WAS SMALL BUT DAD WAS BIG THEY ARE BOTH SMALL- THEY SAID SOMEITHING ABOUT BLUE AROUND THE EYES BUT THAT WOULDN'T HURT THEIR VISION - IF I WANTED TO SHOW OR BREED WHAT DO I NEED OR ARE THESE A GOOD BREED TO USE FOR GUARD AND COMPANIONSHIP AND MAYBE FOR THERAPY? HOPE THIS ISN'T TOO MUCH AT ONCE - HELP OH THE PUPPIES ARE 9 WEEKS

[whiteoakboxers]

Hi,

Is this breeder making you sign a contract for either a pet or a show puppy? Are the parents health tested as in hearts and hips? I am gathering the blue around the eyes is that they have white haws. White haws aren't a health issue but it's not desireable for a show puppy. Do they show their dogs or are they just saying you could show the puppy if you wanted because it's good enough? If the answer is no to the first two questions then I would seriously reconsider purchasing a puppy from these people. There are alot of articles regarding backyard breeders here, just use the search function to find them. I hope I am not sounding too abrupt but it sounds concerning to me. Boxers are great for therapy dogs.

Cheers

[Sube Ru's mom]

just an fyi: caps is shouting

okay 1st. have they been health tested?? these are tests that all "responsible" breeders do, they consist of
Holter Monitor,Doppler Echocardiogram, OFA Heart, Hip and tyroid, Penn Hip and Temperment testing, the health tests are not a yes or no answer they are based on a number and rating. If the breeder has not done these tests DO NOT GET THE DOG!! they are a backyard breeder and can not guarantee you that nothing will happen to the dog.
They might give you a 2 year guarantee on the dog, but most symptoms dont show until later in life. Believe me i have 2 byb dogs. i have a 1 1/2 yr old that got diagnosed at 10 months with SEVERE hip displaysia, we were looking at 7,000.00 in surgery, and i just found out the my other 1 1/2 MIGHT have a grade 3 heart murmur that could possibly shorten her life, i am looking at 600-800 to get that checked out.
I never realized how SERIOUS it is too make sure a dog has all the appropriate tests until my 2 got diagnosed. And this is something i would not wish on ANY pet owner.
SO BE CAREFUL!
Also re: breeding, if the original breeder did not do any of the above health tests DO NOT BREED. if they did, you can not breed till they are 2, they need the above mentioned tests, they need to be evaluated by 3 different judges to make sure they meet the boxer conformation, and you will want to shadow a mentor re: breeding.
Breeding is a SERIOUS commitment and not one to be entered into lightly, it is also a LIFETIME commitment, to both the owners, the dogs and future dogs.

Good luck!

[nmsis]

Ok, to WhiteOakBoxers, I'm going to look like an idiot here--but this question came up the other day, around here and I couldn't answer it. What are haws? And to REDCLP, I totally agree with what they have already said. Check these people out thoroughly, don't settle, all Boxer puppies are cute. But health problems will break your heart! Because after you fall in love with a puppy, you may have to stand by, helplessly and watch their health fade & be able to do nothing about it. The people we got Spike from call themselves Precision Genetics, but my boy is beginning to show some signs of bad hips and limping. Time to go & get ex-rays!

[whiteoakboxers]

Hi nmsis,

The haws are the third eyelid. When your dog is half asleep and you see it draw it's third eyelid across to protect the eye, thats what they mean, some people call them haws. The haws should have a dark pigment as in look like they have brown eyeliner on..LOL. If they are unpigmented they will look white or even a blueish colour. Hope this helps.

Cheers

[ColleenAus]

my shelbers has white sorta stuff covering her eyes when shes asleep.. hrmmm another result of poor breeding i suppose...

- coll

[JulieM]

Haws are normal, pigmented or unpigmented. When the eyes are half closed you will see some of the unpigmented membrane even if the rims are pigmented. It is desirable in the standard for the rim to be dark brown (on a colored dog). Here are some pictures that will hopefully clarify (scroll down about 2/3 of the way):
http://www.worldwideboxer.com/PAGE6.html

[ColleenAus]

your a wealth of info

[Roxanna]

It's not too late JulieM. Write the book. Please write the book. Your public anxiously awaits it.

[AnnaLisa]

Now, you all worry me,
I'm going to sign up for pet insurance. You all carry good points, but at the time u try to buy this cute little puppy, all u really see is a little baby. How am I going to see heart problems, hip dysplasia, etc. We have to analyze the breeder first. It's like gambling, you'll naver know until u risk. So I have been in touch a breeder, she seems pretty onest, she has been breeding for 5 years, following the foot steps of another breeder that has been in the business for 30 years, they are both members of the americ.boxerclub. She has presented me with all the problems on his pedigree. Your puppy might suffer for some of 'em or not. Bottom line is hard to find a good breeder, but make sure u do a lot of research, u have to have pedigree info. You have to search around. I know it's hard to make a decision when u look at a puppy, so don't make a decision.

[JulieM]

If the breeder can tell you the health issues of the ancestors and is testing their dogs (hips, AS, BCM, thyroid at least), you've got the best chance possible of having a healthy puppy. There are no guarantees, but responsible breeders who know their lines and test increase your odds significantly.

A word about pet insurance - most of them do not cover congenital or heritable diseases, such as hips, AS, BCM, possibly autoimmune thyroiditis. It's not bad to have, especially if you have an accident-prone puppy, but it won't help you with genetic conditions.