The best way to start breeding Boxers is to learn everything you can about the breed - from its beginnings and history to its current status in the different countries in the world, the breed standards for the different countries (inside and out!), the ABC Code of Ethics, the health problems to which Boxers are prone, the different lines that have made an impact on the breed and what traits they have passed on to their progeny, the current lines out there that are making an impact on future generations, and the lines that seem to match what you think is the ideal Boxer.
Then learn everything you can about showing - from choosing a show prospect, to handling, grooming, good sportsmanship, knowing what judges are looking for, what it takes to make a champion, how to evaluate your dog against the standards, how to honestly evaluate the other dogs in the ring and determine why they may beat your dog.
Then learn everything you can about breeding - from the physiology of an estrus cycle in bitches, to the ideal time for mating, care of the bitch during pregnancy, whelping and the many problems you can encounter there (and what to do about it when you do), rearing puppies, screening buyers, contracts, taking back dogs that you have produced at any time in their lives - and don't forget about vaccination and health issues, nutrition, socialization, training that will have to take place before the pups even leave your home.
Then learn everything you can about rescues, shelters, puppymills and backyard breeders. Volunteer for a rescue or a shelter, so that you can see what happens to dogs that come from breeders who do not care about the standard, or ethics, or health, or temperament, or careful placement of their puppies, or taking back dogs they have produced. Go to a shelter, and be there when a dog is euthanized. Not just to watch, but to restrain it and hold off the vein for the needle. Carry the body out to the stack of of other dead ones and add it to the heap.
Then - go to shows and see what is out there that is close to your ideal. Talk to those breeders, and get on their waiting list for a puppy. The best thing would be to get a bitch, but this is often difficult for a newcomer and so you may end up with a dog to start. Be sure that the breeder you choose will be a mentor to you, as you will have a very difficult time without one.
This is the best way to get started as a breeder - in any breed, really. It is not the fastest, of course, and sadly most people do not have the patience to do all of this research before purchasing a show and breeding prospect.
A faster way would be to do all the learning about the breed, the standard, and the lines, and your version of the ideal and what current Boxers are meeting that. Then get on the waiting list for one of those breeders. While you are waiting, do more of the learning, probably about the showing as that is the next step. When you start to show your pup, start learning about breeding. You'll have at least 18 months before the health testing can be done, so there will be some time to learn. Also start volunteering at the rescue and shelter during this time.
When your Boxer turns 2 years old, have the health testing done that Olly mentioned. Take a good hard look at your Boxer, and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, so you know, if it's a dog, what he has to offer to bitches (and which bitches you should turn down, if it will be doubling up on faults), and if it's a bitch, what to look for in a stud dog. If it all turns out OK, you're ready to start breeding.
If you were lucky enough to get a bitch, spend some time with your mentor and discuss the different dogs out there that you think might blend well with your bitch. (Depending on the contract, the breeder might have the right to choose the first stud - if that is the case, this will apply to the second litter.) Don't rush to breed to the "hot" dog of the moment - choose the best dog for your bitch, even if he's not the one on all the magazine covers. If you see a young dog that you really like - look at his sire. Go to as many specialties as you can, so that you can see the puppies that are being produced by different studs (the National is a fantastic place for this, and I'd recommend going at least once before you breed your bitch). If you see several puppies that you like from the same sire, and they're from different bitches of different styles (ideally, at least one similar to your bitch), chances are you're going to like what you get if you breed to that stud.
If you've got a dog, you can start (unobtrusively) letting people know that he has passed his health testing and is available for stud. Hopefully, since he's been out showing (and possibly pointed or even finished, depending on lots of things
), bitch owners will have seen him and will be interested in using him. His breeder will probably have a bitch that she would like to breed him to, and depending on the contract that breeding may be free to her or you may get a stud fee. If you get a stud fee - and if the Boxers the breeder produces are still what your ideal is (as this can change greatly once you get involved with the breed!), ask for the second pick bitch puppy back (or first pick bitch, if the breeder is keeping a male). This will be your foundation bitch. Another option would be to purchase a bitch to use with him - but that's only good for one breeding, so you'd need to make sure that her lines also meet your ideal for the breed and would blend well with the other dogs in the area, so you have somewhere to take her. In either case, you've got two more years to continue your study and research so that by the time you have a litter of your own, you will be well-educated in the breed, breeding, showing, ethics, and responsibility, and you will be an asset both to your breeding program and to the breed as a whole.
......He is 3 years old and his name is Cujo...HEHE... I am looking to start breeding boxers but need some help to get started. I don't know a whole bunch about all of this and I would really like some help and suggestions. :confused: Thank-you and God bless
