becoming a breeder

[ajpebbles]

Ok I know about all of the testing and would like to get some more answer. Like

What are some good books to get to learn more about the breed?
how to make sure you are bettering the breed?
how to find a mentor because their is no one in my area that has boxers?
where competitions are to put boxers in to show and compete?
how to Research the pedigree?
I know there are plenty more questions to ask but here are just a few

 

[Kerry Jane]

Some good resources -
1. The American Boxer Club website - they sell various DVD's about boxers over the years (conformation shows), and have one about judging the boxer. Even just to get the DVD from last year's national show to watch all of the hundreds of boxers that were entered.
2. This is a great website with lots of information as to what a correct boxer is - www.worldwideboxer.com.

I use www.onofrio.com to find out about the upcoming shows in my area. There is also www.infodog.com. Maybe consider coming to the Nationals next May to see literally hundreds of boxers competing, and you would certainly meet lots of people there.

I am sure that if you go to shows you will meet other boxer breeders who live in your vicinity. Another good option is to find a local kennel club and get involved there - there may not be a boxer breeder who belongs, but you can also learn a lot from other breeders. With regard to structure, there are other breeders who have a lot of the same structural requirements of boxers.

I also like to look at boxer breeder websites - I look at the pictures of their dogs, decide which ones I like, which ones I don't, what the faults are etc. Always, trying to compare to what the standard says (there is great information on the www.worldwideboxer.com website about this).

I think that the most important thing is to learn what a correct boxer is structurally and this takes some doing.

 

[ehayes21]

There is also some good information posted here in this thread by Gmacleod.
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122387

 

[tianthai]

I think breeding is very hard working. It is pure labour of love. There are so many things you have to know. This is something I cannot do as I would probably never give up any puppies!
How about if you go to work as volunteer for a qualified breeder?

 

[JulieM]

What are some good books to get to learn more about the breed?

Kerry mentioned the ABC website, which is a good place to start. You can order ABC DVDs or booklets here - "Judging the Boxer" is a good one for understanding the breed standard:
http://www.americanboxerclub.org/order.html

Also, some other resources and book lists are here:
http://www.americanboxerclub.org/boxersites.html

how to make sure you are bettering the breed?

Know the standard, know how your dog(s) compare to the standard (this involves seeking objective evaluations from experts in the breed), do the recommended health screening, be sure temperaments are solid, choose a mate that is strong where your dog is weak and don't double-up on weaknesses, be careful about where your puppies end up, be honest about how your puppies turn out and whether they represent an improvement on the parents. Always leave the breed in better shape - health, temperament, and structure - than you found it.

how to find a mentor because their is no one in my area that has boxers?

Most of the time the breeder you buy your first show/breeding prospect from will be a mentor. You may need to expand beyond your home town to find a responsible Boxer breeder, but there are a number of them in your state and more in neighboring states.

how to Research the pedigree?

This will come in part from developing a relationship with a successful, established, responsible breeder (there are, unfortunately, many instances of 'newbies' mentoring 'newbies' - if you're serious about becoming a "good" breeder, you need to work with someone who has a proven track record) - they will know their own lines well, of course, and will also know about many other lines. As time goes on, your sincerity, honesty, and proven dedication to the breed will make it easier for other breeders to share information about their lines or lines that they know. As well, many of the DVDs on the ABC website show dogs who are in most (if not all) pedigrees in this country today, and so you can get some idea of the structure of these past dogs.

It is a long learning process, one that really never ends.